Some sixth grade Fair Haven boys at Stokes Photo/David Struve
Well, the iconic Stokes trip happened last week; and, by all accounts it was a trip soaked with fun … and rain.
The tradition has been altered over the years. Most recently, the trip’s time of year changed. It now happens in the fall when it used to happen in late spring. It also now takes seventh-, not sixth-graders, tripping in the woods for a week of hands-on outdoor education. And there are no RFH senior counselors called CATs along for the trips of more recent, well, decades.
Nonetheless, the longtime tradition is and always has been rife with tales of the trip.
This featured snapshot back into the woods in 1978 at Stokes focuses on a few RFH counselor guys (and a sixth grader) who seem to have happened upon some sort of sight or adventure. Lost boys? Perhaps.
Square dancing at Stokes in the 1970s Photo/courtesy of Lisa Ericson
A reprise from 2019 in honor of the annual tradition of that trip to Stokes State Forrest. In honor of wrapping up the Stokes experience with that last dance … Dance on and dose doe, sixth graders!
A reprise in honor of the culmination of the usual end of the sixth graders’ trip to Stokes State Forrest
It’s all about another stoked for Stokes moment. The year was 1976, and a bunch of girls gathered in their cabin for that classic snapshot of sixth grade bunk mates.
A trip back in time to Stokes State Forrest with the sixth graders of Knollwood in the early 1970s. Photo/Peter Mauger
It’s baaaaack! So here’s a reprise in honor of the upcoming time-honored sixth grade trip to Stokes State Forrest. Take a trip back with us again. Remember?
It’s that time of the year when Fair Haven schools tradition takes hold and all good Knollwood sixth graders go on their trip to Stokes State Forrest. The buses rolled out of town this morning. Two years ago marked the 50th anniversary of the most wonderful time of the year for those sixth graders. Wow.
Hanging at the Stokes dining hall in ’78 Photo/courtesy of Jill Sorrentino
Well, COVID may have put off the sixth graders’ trip to Stokes State Forrest, but it didn’t quash it.
It just moved the tradition and fun to locals’ summer fall instead of spring/summer. And the week full of outdoor learning, pranks and bonding came to an end this week.
Today would have been the day that the happy little campers came home from their post-Memorial Day week of adventure with classmates, teachers and parents.
So, we take a look back at some Stokes moments of bunking, hiking, pranking, do-se-doing your partner and all-around exploring back in the 70s, from youngsters to those high school counselors. Remember those?
There were RFH seniors chosen to be counselors, dubbed CATS. Each couple of CATs was assigned to teach/counsel sixth graders in their area of expertise. There were bug experts, hiking troopers, rowing aficionados, swimmers, and story tellers, dancers, singers and guitar players.
There was a square dancing night. And there was plenty of practice that ensued before it. What square dancing song stands out in your memory? And how about those campfire nights? Song always sung? How about the traditional story told? Who got lost in the woods with the compass/pathfinders class? Who was a CAT?
Andy Dougherty reliving a prank at Stokes.
Photo/courtesy of Jenny Costello
Best neighbors and buds for more than 40 years reunite in prank at Stokes
Photo/courtesy of Jenny Costello
Jenny Costello and son Nick at Stokes
Photo/courtesy of Jenny Costello
Half a century of Stokes! Today marks the milestone for Fair Haven students, parents and Knollwood School staff.
They’re homeward bound, satiated with 50 years of it all.
Some stalwart traditions have changed in the evolution of the trip, but one thing has remained the same — lifetime connections forged and pranks aplenty pulled.
One such classic story is that of Knollwood teacher and Stokes organizer Andy Dougherty and Jenny Jones Costello.
The two grew up as Fair Haven neighbors whose parents were best buds. They, of course, went to Stokes in the 80s. They forged a friendship, as their siblings also did, from the time they were babies. And they were mighty cute babies, as only their babysitter would know for sure (ahem). Call it another kind of family tie. Best of neighbors and second string siblings. It all started more than 40 years ago.
They both graduated from RFH. Still on the block. They spread their wings and flew the neighborhood coop for a bit. Eventually Andy ended up becoming a teacher at the very same school, though not on the block where his parents stayed until they passed away. Jenny and her family ended up back on the same block.
She ended up volunteering year after year to be a parent counselor at the camp. And, two of her children have already been indoctrinated into the Stokes tradition. Andy has become an anchor in the annual trip.
This year, Jenny was back for the 50th with her son Nick, like Mom, a pretty happy camper.
The kids have their own little pranks going on at Stokes. Hey, it’s a tradition. We’ll just pretend for now that such things no longer happen with the young ones. But, since the statute of limitations is up for the “elders,” or something like that, they got right back to it.
In the interest of keeping with tradition, Andy and Jenny revisited an old prank. It all has something to do with a swim suit and a case of botched identity … or not, Doug Herty. And laughs. Lots of laughs.
Hey, that’s what friends and Stokes are for!
So, raise some frozen underwear up the flagpole, put some itching powder in a sleeping bag (well, maybe not) and remember the good ol’ days. Tradition!
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