Difference between revisions of "Joshua Pincus"

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[[Image:Pincusandothers.jpg|thumb|Left to right: Brandon Murray, '''Josh Pincus''', [[Dave Jenkins]], and [[Ziggy Nesher]]]]
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[[Image:JoshP3.jpg|thumb|Josh in 2003]]
 
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Joshua Pincus was a camper for 8 summers and a CIT before serving on staff for another almost ten summers.  Josh was the Waterfront Director for 5 summers and also served as Trip Director for a summer.  Josh was a piece of the fabric of Birch Rock for almost 2 decades.
 
 
==Early Years==
 
  
 +
==Life Before Birch Rock==
 +
In the early '80s there was a camper named Pittman Wallace who lived in Connecticut, just North of New York City.  As a camp ambassador Pitt and his family did their best to recruit from the neighborhood.  One such family was the Pincus'.  Josh and his older brother Terence were off to camp.
  
 
==Camper Years==
 
==Camper Years==
 
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[[image:JoshPkid.jpg|thumb|Josh on the St Croix River Trip]]
 
===Summer of 1986===
 
===Summer of 1986===
 
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When Josh arrived at camp in 1986 he was the youngest camper in camp and was a real spitfire.  He had a tough Opening Day suffering from homesickness almost right away but the next morning a CIT named [[Mike Mattson]] sat next to him and just said hello.  The two started chatting a bond was formed that would last all season and beyond.  Josh spent most of the summer hanging out with Mike and at the end of the season he carved a thank you plaque for Mike in Woodshop.  The piece of wood, an obvious scrap of old wood off the shop shelf, had a thank you note scratched into it.  When Josh handed over the plaque in the [[Goodbye Line]] at the end of the summer, the two shed a tear with a warm goodbye hug.  Josh's love for camp that season would turn into a major piece of his life over the next 20 years.
  
 
===Summers of 1987-1993===
 
===Summers of 1987-1993===
  
==CIT Year:1994==
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Josh had many great experiences during his camper years.  During his early summers he spent a lot of time with the lower camp gang just trying all the activities and exploring camp.  He was an excellent swimmer, field guy and tennis player, but he also loved the boats and the campcraft stuff.  He was another example of those all-around types of campers.  Josh was well loved by the staff because he explored all the activities and therefore spent time with everyone.
 +
[[image:JoshP7.jpg|thumb|Goalie Josh Pincus]]
 +
During the summer of '88, Joshua came very close to being the camper to catch the [[Midnight Phantom]] in the act.  He woke up and caught the Midnight Phantom with his flashlight he grabbed from the floor.  The flashlight had been on Josh's trunk but now the trunk was gone and Josh in his tired state didn't even notice.  The Midnight Phantom stood with Josh's trunk just outside the cabin and talked Josh back to sleep.  Josh returned his flashlight to the floor and went back to bed.  That night the Midnight Phantom had hit every cabin and yet Josh still had no idea who it was.
  
==Staff Years==
+
During one of his Upper Camper summers, Josh was the goalie for the BRC soccer team and played an awesome game.  This was one of the last few Birch Rock vs Waganaki soccer games, a tradition that went on for many summers.  Josh practiced the goalie position with Dave Jenkins a bunch leading up to the big game.  Josh had a few epic deflections in that game.
  
===Summers of 1995-19===
+
His senior camper summer, Joshua swam his Whale which was certainly a proud moment in his camper life.  He trained with his fellow senior campers, swimming triangle laps almost everyday.
  
Mike spent his first three staff summers as the cabin counselor of [[Cabin 1]] and loves that age group (ten to eleven) to this day.  Mike taught Archery, [[Baseball]], [[Basketball]], and [[Swimming]]; and in 1989, Mike and his step-brother Dave created the [[Volleyball]] activity at Birch Rock.  Mike loved teaching on the field but had a stronger bond to the swim area, the hub of all camp activity.
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==CIT Year==
  
===Summers of 1990-1993===
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===Summer of 1994===
 +
Josh was a Counselor-in-Training with his long time camp friend CJ Nesher.  The two went everywhere together that summer and for quite a few staff summers.  Josh's talent all over the campus made him a highly useful CIT and the staff were fighting over who would get his support around campus.  People were looking forward to seeing what this guy was going to do in his staff years.
  
[[image:Mike90.jpg|thumb|Mike on the St Croix trip in 1990]]
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==Staff Years==
Mike was the Waterfront Director and Senior Camper Counselor in 1990, 1992, and 1993.  He was in [[Pete's Palace]] in 1990 and Cabin 8 in '92 & '93.  These were the lean years of Birch Rock, prior to its resurgence with the reconstruction of the lodge in 1994-'95. 
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[[image:JoshP8.jpg|thumb|Counselor Josh "Pink" Pincus]]
 +
===Summers of 1995-1996===
  
During the summer of 1990, Mike and five campers were in a major car accident while returning to camp from the St. Croix River tripThe accident happened towards the end of the season and Mike was determined to get right back to campSo after a couple of days rest, Mike was back down on the waterfront teaching swimming.  Mike was featured in the new camp video shortly after the accident with scars on his face.  This video was the camp promotional video for almost ten years.
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Josh taught soccer and swimmingHe also spent one summer teaching the frisbee activity which included many rounds of frisbee golf with frisbees sailing all over campusThis was the first summer in a long time where everyone could truly enjoy playing Ultimate Frisbee on the hill because Josh had taught a lot of campers how to throw a frisbee, a skill that seems to elude many children.
  
From 1987-'90, many campers would beg to be on the Mattson team during Cross-Camp Capture the FlagMike and his brother Ron would often serve on a team together and went undefeated when paired for five consecutive seasons during every Cross-Camp gameWhen Mike returned to camp in 1992, his brother Ron decided to make them heads of the opposing teamsRon's team won two out three games.  Mike was "shot" off the catwalks by his brother for the first time since joining the staff ranks five summers earlier.
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===Summers of 1998-2003===
 +
After a few counselor years under his belt, Josh was ready to take charge of the waterfront, and he continued as the Waterfront Director for many summersJosh also likely holds the record for the Waterfront Director responsible for the most long distance swims everJosh trained CITs to be lifeguards and campers to be skilled swimmersBirch Rock would have him back on the waterfront anyday.
  
In 1990, Mike was a [[Campfire]] MC with his step-brother Dave JenkinsDave and Mike brought back the [[Zambini Brothers]] skit that has been a part of Birch Rock for almost 40 years, and even added the 'mirror push-ups' piece to the Zambini show.
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In 2001, Josh wanted a change and decided to give the trip leading thing a shot.  It was a one summer thingAlthough, I believe he enjoyed it, he really missed not being in house more often and returned to the waterfront in 2002 That year he built the lake side half of the counselor swim-tent with Ryno in the pre-season.
  
===Summers of 1994-1996===
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==Plaque Work==
  
[[image:Admins94.jpg|thumb|Senior Staff 1994]]
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The 1994 summer was Josh's first attempt at the plaques for the LodgeHe attempted to woodburn the letters after he carved them.  The plaques were not exactly was Josh had hoped for and he swore he would do the plaques again some summer.
In 1994, Director Brad Smith hired Mike to work as the Program Director and move into the Directors Cabin.  Mike's job was to plan and help run the program with Head Counselor Josh Church.  This would end of being Josh's last summer.
 
 
 
Mike became [[Head Counselor]] for 1995 and 1996, but in 1996 at the age of twenty-five, Mike announced to Director Rich Deering that he was ready to move on.  Shortly after his announcement, Rich Deering approached Mike with an offer of a year-round job as the Associate DirectorThis marked the beginning of a team that is still in place to this day.
 
 
 
Mike wrote many of the staff skits for Campfire from the mid-90s through 2000. This included the ''[[Prince of Biroca]]'' in 2001, a skit performed on a Sunday afternoon in the old rifle range turned outdoor theatre.  The ''Prince of Biroca'' was a prince and dragon type of skit with elves, witches, knights, etc.
 
  
 +
The 2002 plaques were Josh's second attempt at the plaques and he did a fabulous job.  He was pleased but wanted to do them one more time. 
  
 +
During the 2003 season, the light in the woodshop was on almost every night.  Josh spent many many hours working on the plaques and honestly the 2003 plaques are one of the best sets on the wall.  Kudos to Josh for his hardwork!
  
 
==Josh's Summers at the Rock==
 
==Josh's Summers at the Rock==
  
 
[[Image:JoshP1.JPG|thumb|left]]
 
[[Image:JoshP1.JPG|thumb|left]]
[[Image:JoshP2.JPG|thumb]]
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[[Image:Eagles_1st_session.jpg|thumb]]
[[Image:JoshP3.jpg|thumb|left]]
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[[Image:JoshP5.jpg|thumb]]
[[Image:JoshP4.jpg|thumb]]
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[[Image:JoshP9.jpg|thumb|left]]
[[Image:JoshP5.jpg|thumb|left]]
 
 
<div align="center">
 
<div align="center">
 
{|class="wikitable"
 
{|class="wikitable"
Line 102: Line 103:
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
 
|1995
 
|1995
|  
+
|Cabin 1?
|Counselor
+
|Junior Counselor
 
|
 
|
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
 
|1996
 
|1996
|
+
|Cabin 4
 
|Counselor
 
|Counselor
 
|
 
|
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
 
|1997
 
|1997
|
+
|''skipped''
|Counselor
+
|''foolish''
|
+
|''ice cream truck summer?''
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
 
|1998
 
|1998
 
|
 
|
|
+
|Waterfront Director
 
|
 
|
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
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|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
 
|2000
 
|2000
|
+
|Eagle's Nest
 
|Waterfront Director
 
|Waterfront Director
|
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|with Counselor Jacobus Pietrse
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
 
|2001
 
|2001
|''skipped''
+
|
|''foolish''
+
|Trip Director
|''the ice cream truck summer''
+
|
 
|-align="center"
 
|-align="center"
 
|2002
 
|2002
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</div>
 
</div>
  
==Plaque Work==
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<gallery>
 
+
Image:Pincusandothers.jpg|Left to right: Brandon Murray, '''Josh Pincus''', [[Dave Jenkins]], and [[Ziggy Nesher]]
The 1994 summer was Josh's first attempt at the plaques for the Lodge.  He attempted to woodburn the letters after he carved them. The plaques were not exactly was Josh had hoped for and he swore he would do the plaques again some summer.
+
Image:JoshPkid1.jpg|Josh in the early '90s, note the old lodge patio area
 
+
Image:Josh the Flour Cake.jpg|Josh had the prize cut this time, sorry Colin
The 2002 plaques were Josh's second attempt at the plaques and he did a fabulous job.  He was pleased but wanted to do them one more time.   
+
Image:JoshNote.jpg|Josh sent a hero piece he wrote when he was 8 to [[Mike Mattson]]Mike has carried it in his wallet ever since.
 
+
</gallery>
During the 2003 season, the light in the woodshop was on almost every night. Josh spent many many hours working on the plaques and honestly the 2003 plaques are one of the best sets on the wall.  Kudos to Josh for his hardwork!
 
  
 
[[Category:People]]
 
[[Category:People]]

Latest revision as of 16:47, 15 February 2009

Josh in 2003

Joshua Pincus was a camper for 8 summers and a CIT before serving on staff for another almost ten summers. Josh was the Waterfront Director for 5 summers and also served as Trip Director for a summer. Josh was a piece of the fabric of Birch Rock for almost 2 decades.

Life Before Birch Rock

In the early '80s there was a camper named Pittman Wallace who lived in Connecticut, just North of New York City. As a camp ambassador Pitt and his family did their best to recruit from the neighborhood. One such family was the Pincus'. Josh and his older brother Terence were off to camp.

Camper Years

Josh on the St Croix River Trip

Summer of 1986

When Josh arrived at camp in 1986 he was the youngest camper in camp and was a real spitfire. He had a tough Opening Day suffering from homesickness almost right away but the next morning a CIT named Mike Mattson sat next to him and just said hello. The two started chatting a bond was formed that would last all season and beyond. Josh spent most of the summer hanging out with Mike and at the end of the season he carved a thank you plaque for Mike in Woodshop. The piece of wood, an obvious scrap of old wood off the shop shelf, had a thank you note scratched into it. When Josh handed over the plaque in the Goodbye Line at the end of the summer, the two shed a tear with a warm goodbye hug. Josh's love for camp that season would turn into a major piece of his life over the next 20 years.

Summers of 1987-1993

Josh had many great experiences during his camper years. During his early summers he spent a lot of time with the lower camp gang just trying all the activities and exploring camp. He was an excellent swimmer, field guy and tennis player, but he also loved the boats and the campcraft stuff. He was another example of those all-around types of campers. Josh was well loved by the staff because he explored all the activities and therefore spent time with everyone.

Goalie Josh Pincus

During the summer of '88, Joshua came very close to being the camper to catch the Midnight Phantom in the act. He woke up and caught the Midnight Phantom with his flashlight he grabbed from the floor. The flashlight had been on Josh's trunk but now the trunk was gone and Josh in his tired state didn't even notice. The Midnight Phantom stood with Josh's trunk just outside the cabin and talked Josh back to sleep. Josh returned his flashlight to the floor and went back to bed. That night the Midnight Phantom had hit every cabin and yet Josh still had no idea who it was.

During one of his Upper Camper summers, Josh was the goalie for the BRC soccer team and played an awesome game. This was one of the last few Birch Rock vs Waganaki soccer games, a tradition that went on for many summers. Josh practiced the goalie position with Dave Jenkins a bunch leading up to the big game. Josh had a few epic deflections in that game.

His senior camper summer, Joshua swam his Whale which was certainly a proud moment in his camper life. He trained with his fellow senior campers, swimming triangle laps almost everyday.

CIT Year

Summer of 1994

Josh was a Counselor-in-Training with his long time camp friend CJ Nesher. The two went everywhere together that summer and for quite a few staff summers. Josh's talent all over the campus made him a highly useful CIT and the staff were fighting over who would get his support around campus. People were looking forward to seeing what this guy was going to do in his staff years.

Staff Years

Counselor Josh "Pink" Pincus

Summers of 1995-1996

Josh taught soccer and swimming. He also spent one summer teaching the frisbee activity which included many rounds of frisbee golf with frisbees sailing all over campus. This was the first summer in a long time where everyone could truly enjoy playing Ultimate Frisbee on the hill because Josh had taught a lot of campers how to throw a frisbee, a skill that seems to elude many children.

Summers of 1998-2003

After a few counselor years under his belt, Josh was ready to take charge of the waterfront, and he continued as the Waterfront Director for many summers. Josh also likely holds the record for the Waterfront Director responsible for the most long distance swims ever. Josh trained CITs to be lifeguards and campers to be skilled swimmers. Birch Rock would have him back on the waterfront anyday.

In 2001, Josh wanted a change and decided to give the trip leading thing a shot. It was a one summer thing. Although, I believe he enjoyed it, he really missed not being in house more often and returned to the waterfront in 2002 That year he built the lake side half of the counselor swim-tent with Ryno in the pre-season.

Plaque Work

The 1994 summer was Josh's first attempt at the plaques for the Lodge. He attempted to woodburn the letters after he carved them. The plaques were not exactly was Josh had hoped for and he swore he would do the plaques again some summer.

The 2002 plaques were Josh's second attempt at the plaques and he did a fabulous job. He was pleased but wanted to do them one more time.

During the 2003 season, the light in the woodshop was on almost every night. Josh spent many many hours working on the plaques and honestly the 2003 plaques are one of the best sets on the wall. Kudos to Josh for his hardwork!

Josh's Summers at the Rock

JoshP1.JPG
Eagles 1st session.jpg
JoshP5.jpg
JoshP9.jpg
Year Cabin Role Note
1986 Hilton A Camper with Counselor ?
1987 Hilton B Camper with Counselor ?
1988 Cabin 1 Camper with Counselor Mike Mattson
1989 Camper with Counselor ?
1990 Eagle's Nest Camper with Counselor Dave Jenkins
1991 Camper with Counselor ?
1992 Camper with Counselor ?
1993 Cabin 8 Senior Camper with Counselor Mike Mattson
1994 Counselor-in-Training with CIT Director Dave Jenkins
1995 Cabin 1? Junior Counselor
1996 Cabin 4 Counselor
1997 skipped foolish ice cream truck summer?
1998 Waterfront Director
1999 Waterfront Director
2000 Eagle's Nest Waterfront Director with Counselor Jacobus Pietrse
2001 Trip Director
2002 Waterfront Director
2003 Waterfront Director