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Director
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K. Robert Bengtson
(Laconia, NH)
Bob was the Mowglis
Camp director from 1983 to 1994, and after a brief retirement, he
returned to lead the camp in the summer of 2001. Bob remains the
Director today. As a camper, his Den year was 1969, and he served on
the Junior Staff and as a Senior Counselor for a total of 15 years.
Bob is a Native of
Ansonia, Connecticut, the same town and church as long-time Mowglis
director William B. Hart.
One Sunday morning in 1968, Mr. Hart asked Bob’s mother, Jean, if she
would consider becoming the camp's registered nurse. She accepted and
the Bengtson era began. Bob began as a camper in Panther, then Den, and afterward
moved through the staff ranks until he was appointed Camp Director in
1983. His two brothers, Craig and Rick have remained important to
Mowglis. Rick served many summers as Assistant Director, and Craig
formerly served a term as a trustee.
Bob earned his
Masters degree in Music from the Hartt School of the University of
Hartford, CT. During the off season he is the Director of Music at
the Congregational Church of Laconia, NH, a post he has held since
1987. He is also a skilled pipe organ builder and repairman.
Bob’s wife, Jaylene, is an accomplished arts teacher. She joins him at camp
as the Mowglis Crafts Shop instructor.
Assistant Director
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Alvin Reiff (Watertown, CT)
The
Reiff tradition has firmly etched its footprint on the Mowglis
trail, and the summer of 2005 was true evidence of this, with the
entire Reiff family (Al, wife Julie and their son, Alex '09) at
the camp,
Al Reiff '77, both Assistant Director and Crew Coach, has played
an integral role in re-establishing the old rites of the Mowglis
tradition, and it would be of no wonder if his son Alex will
follow in his footsteps. This past summer Alex made Mowglis
history by becoming the first Toomaiite to make the Inner Circle!
Below is a chat with Al, revealing some facts about the man behind
the Mowglis... Now, what about that New Wave campfire for 2006?
What is your connection and history with Mowglis?
I have been with Mowglis in virtually every capacity. I was a
camper from Cubs through Den, then Jr. Staff and Sr. Staff. Last
year, I served as Cub Director and this year was an Assistant
Director. I’ve instructed the Blue, White, and Silver ribbons and
just completed my fourth season as Crew Coach.
How was it that you first came to Mowglis, what are your years
here as camper/staff?
My father and Don Cummings were college buddies, and Don got my
father to send my older brother here. Henry enjoyed his summer,
but had other plans so he did not return. When I turned 9, my dad
told me that I’d be heading off to overnight camp, so in 1972 I
arrived in Cubland. I went straight through to Den and graduated
in 1977, then did 2 years as Jr. Staff before joining the Sr.
Staff in 1980. I worked with the Cubs that year. I missed the
summer of 1981, but returned in ’82 and ’83 to serve as Crew
Coach. In 2004, my wife, Julie, and I directed the Cub program
which included our son Alex. I was also Crew Coach, and then this
summer (2005), with Alex moving to the Pack, I did as well by
becoming Assistant Director while retaining the Crew Coach
position.
Are there any particular experiences that are very prominent in
your Mowglis memories that you could tell us about?
I think Crew affects every camper very strongly. I was
fortunate to make racing crew in Panther. Our boat had 1 Dennite,
5 Pantherites, and an Akelite cox. We were huge underdogs facing
a boat of all Dennite rowers. I’m not quite sure how or why, but
we pulled off one of the biggest upsets, and I got to watch the
Red Stroke oar go up the flagpole. Yet what overshadows that
memory is Crew Day the next year. We were huge favorites, but
suffered from over-confidence. As a result, we wound up on the
receiving end of a huge upset. It still hurts to “Win in Panther
and Lose in Den.” Yet it is also one of the greatest lessons of
my life—never take anything for granted.
Returning to Mowglis as an adult has helped me realize just how
powerful an impact this place can have on someone—it certainly did
on me. When boys finish their duties and report to me, their
words, “Sir, I have done my duty to the best of my ability” have
such resonance. I don’t find that saying to be merely routine,
hollow, or out-dated. It’s exactly the opposite for me. I think
those words express a life philosophy. Whatever situation I find
myself in, I try to give it my best shot. I think that’s The
Mowglis Way, and I hope that new generations of Mowglis will live
their lives with that mantra.
Could you give a bit of personal history about yourself?
I grew up in
Watertown
,
Connecticut
. My father taught at the
Taft
School
, a private boarding school. I attended Taft before going on to
Harvard where I majored in Applied Math. I received my Master’s
from Wesleyan in Social Studies.
What are some of your personal hobbies/interests?
I enjoy exercising, and jogging is my favorite activity. I
like long runs best—9 or 10 miles—but run quite slowly. I’ve
completed 3 marathons and have been right around the 4 hour mark
each time.
Who is your favorite character in the Jungle Book and why?
I have always found Bagheera the most compelling character. He
is powerful and ferocious, yet a gentle care-giver to Mowgli. He
is a creature of great integrity and wisdom. He is complex. The
most fearsome hunter of the jungle, he spent his youth in a cage
and has the bare skin from a collar to prove it. Yet he has his
flaws. His pride is hurt greatly when he is forced to ask Kaa for
help while fighting the Bandar-Log. Kipling made sure that even
the heroes of the animal kingdom were not perfect, so they could
serve as great examples to his young (and old) readers.
What has been the make-up of your career? / Where do you see
yourself in five years?
Since graduating from college in 1985, I have taught math at my
alma mater, Taft. For three years, I overlapped with my father,
and we were one of the very few father-son combinations in all the
prep school world. I teach mostly calculus and statistics. I
just completed my 20th year and currently am the head
of the Math Department. This past year I wrote an Algebra II
textbook that will be used by our school in the upcoming year. So
I am quite excited to see what the student reaction will be to my
book.
I helped start the Crew program in 1991, and served as head
coach for 10 years. I have coached wrestling for all 20 years.
For the first fifteen, I was an assistant coach. Then, 5 years
ago, the head coach retired, and I had a difficult choice to
make. I could not take on the wrestling program and continue
overseeing crew, so I chose to become the head wrestling coach and
handed over the reins of Taft Crew. It is wonderful to have the
opportunity to be Crew Coach at Mowglis because it gives me just a
big enough dose of water time to keep me going. At this point,
Julie and I are very settled at Taft, and I see us staying there
indefinitely.
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