Stories from Alpine Alumni

I’m staring out at the Himalaya range from my window in Kathmandu, Nepal having just had a wonderful phone conversation with my Mother about our days at Alpine. I’m flooded with so many wonderful memories. We were a full-on Alpine family with three boys as campers (me, Rob and Jay) and a sister (Melissa) at Desoto. What a long trip it has been since my Hunter year in Crazy Horse cabin. I remember thinking back then that a month away from home was like a lifetime. Yet, I soon learned that the days were filled with so much activity that time always slipped by too fast. Probably one of the most valuable gifts from my years as a camper was all the friends I made. Having been both a 1st and 2nd termer, a Mohawk (only once) and a Cherokee, a Medicine Man one year and Chief the next, by the time I arrived at Ole Miss as freshman, I felt like I already knew the entire school. Always a highlight during those cold winter months, was Mr. Dick turning up on his annual recruiting tour to show us the year’s highlight reel. I imagine Kathmandu might be a little too far for him to travel? And slaughter ball may be the greatest game every invented. I still can’t believe there isn’t a pro league!

Personal Update
I got married about 10 years ago to Marcela Sandoval from Texas whom I met while working in Washington DC. We have 3 children: Zoey who is 7, and 5 year old twins Carter and Emma.

I’m working as a Diplomat for the United Nations and currently serving as the Representative to Nepal for the UN World Food Program. Oddly enough for a boy from the Mississippi Delta, I’ve become a high altitude climber and big mountain snowboarder so Nepal, which is home to 8 of the 14 highest mountains on earth, is Nirvana! Over the years, we’ve lived in China, Zambia, North Korea, Nepal, and the Philippines.

Will Miller with his nephews Cameron (left) and Ian Bush.

It is always a treat to have camp alumni stop by to visit.  Yesterday, July 8, we had a wonderful visit with Will Miller.  Will was on a business trip in this area with his employer, Phonetree, which specializes in medical software.  Will was originally from Knoxville, TN and was a camper for six summers and a counselor one summer.  Will and his wife, Kenzie, now live in Winston-Salem, NC.  Their two sons, Trey and Duncan, were also Alpine Campers.  Trey is in his 4^th year at UVA and Duncan will be a sophomore this fall at the Naval Academy.  Will has two nephews at Alpine this summer.  They are Ian and Cameron Bush from Appleton, WI.  Ian is on Work Crew and Cameron is a first year chief.  This is Ian’s 10^th summer and Cameron’s 8^th summer at camp.

Will says he still recalls with fondness his first summer as a camper, living in Longbow cabin with John Gilbert as his counselor.  He attributes his faith in Christ to his counselors who nurtured him and provided a strong moral compass for him during those many summers on Lookout Mountain.  Will and his family have a long history with Alpine Camp, and it was such a treat to have him back on the mountain.

Weldon Pless (far left) with Rob Langley, David Steele, Chris Kerr and Clarke Norton

Here is an essay written by Weldon Pless.  Weldon has been at Alpine every summer since he was in the first grade (only missing one summer).  This year, after he graduates from Ole Miss we are excited that he will join our full time staff.  I think you will enjoy Weldon’s reflections on camp!  

Whenever I buy new music, I buy records. And that’s not just slang for CDs. I’m talking about black, vinyl, old-timey records. The ones you put on and sit back to listen to the entire thing without stopping. To me, Alpine is a bit like those records.

Records are sort of a step back in time. You can’t skip around to your favorite tracks or put all the freshest songs on a playlist. You can’t stick in your headphones and walk around town listening to records, or even play them in your car. But there are some really good things about it too. Listening to records allows you to really listen to the music. Once I take the time to put one on, I sit there and I listen to the whole thing, and I let myself enjoy it. I listen closer to songs I might have skipped if I was listening on my iPod. Stepping back in time to listen to my music actually lets me listen better. It slows me down and holds my attention. 

The same is true of Alpine. Every summer I come back to ride horses instead of driving cars, to watch sunsets instead of watching television, and to sing songs instead of listening to the radio. It’s a step back in time, but it frees me up to really enjoy the summer. 

Sometimes during the school year I don’t give myself a chance to slow down. I never stop long enough to notice the things around me like the sounds and smells of nature that are so prominent at camp. When it rains during the school year, I put on a movie or surf the internet. When it rains at camp, I listen to it.

I also have deeper conversations with friends at camp than I usually do in my life outside. At camp there is time to really talk. Whether it’s while walking to an activity period, playing ping pong, or eating a meal, deep conversations at camp seem to rise up organically. I think it’s because we’re given a schedule and an order in our days, and it frees up our minds to dwell on other things. Alpine lets us take a step back and enjoy living, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I come back every summer.

Hello, 

Tom McElroy
115 Kingston Court
Starkville, MS 39759
Cell # 985.373.9082