Camp Pasquaney Tree Talks and Chapel Talks

On the first Sunday of the 2026 season, Mr. Michael talks with the camp community about the opportunities before us this season and our responsibility to seize them.

"It becomes easy to confuse comfort with happiness, but when we're too comfortable, we stop growing, and we start stagnating." In this Chapel Talk, Mr. Michael emphasizes the importance of facing adversity with resilience and fellowship, urging campers to support each other and build a collaborative community while out in the wilderness.

"None of us can see what’s ahead—not next week, not next year, not five years from now. But what we can do is take the next day, the next moment, and the next step. We can embrace the uncertainty and trust that the trail, and the people walking beside us, will guide us toward where we’re meant to go. Sometimes these steps are giant leaps, but more often than not they are small steps that don’t see...

In his Week 6 Chapel Talk, Mr. Michael shares that happiness is not derived from possessions, pleasure, popularity, or power, but rather from living a virtuous life.

In the final Tree Talk of the 2025 Pasquaney season, Jack Turnage shares three suggestions for living well: learn by doing, figure out who and what you love, and use technology in moderation. He emphasizes the importance of practical experience, citing Leonardo da Vinci's approach. He shares lessons from his own experience transitioning from law to teaching, and stresses the significance of buildi...

In 1895, a 14-year-old boy named Nat embarked on a sap-collecting journey, facing challenges and eventually finding his way home. Listen to this story written by Peyton Williams as well his own reflections on the experience of retracing familiar steps but seeing them through older, clearer eyes.

In his Chapel Talk, Townely Chisholm engages campers and counselors in dialogue about learning to live together in ways that maximize happiness for everyone, and how living our lives "in earnest" can help us achieve that goal.

Clay Meredith speaks with the camper body on Tree Talk Ridge about managing anxiety and the importance of having a friend or family member to go to when times are difficult.

JET Easterly deliveres a Tree Talk on the timeless topic of being present. It is a conversation our community has been having more and more each season. In today’s fast-paced world, quiet moments are often filled with noise so quickly and effortlessly, and the importance of taking time to "stop and think" has become more valuable than ever. It is meaningful for campers to hear this message from th...

Rich DeSalvo talks about the meaning of stewardship, and encourages the camper body to take responsibility for their community and one another through small acts of service.

Pasquaney was founded in 1895, and many of its core traditions have remained the same since those early years. However, Camp is always evolving, as are all of us. In his July 11 Tree Talk, Bob Zhang speaks about accepting and embracing change throughout our lives.

Matto Horvat delivers a Tree Talk on what it means to be a good friend.

"A faithful friend is the medicine of life." In Sunday's Chapel Talk, Mr. Michael discuss the importance of authenticity and true friendship, highlighting how masks hinder genuine connections.

Third year counsellor and film major Ben Davis discusses the art of filmmaking, specifically the use of different camera shots to convey narrative and emotional depth. He then encourages the boys to change lenses when feeling stuck in order to see things from a fresh perspective.

During the first Chapel of the 2025 season, Mr. Michael welcomes the community to the Pasquaney Chapel, and encourages campers to seize opportunities, overcome fears, and develop a growth mindset.

Chapel Talk: Loyalty and Gratitude by Mr. Michael (2024) by Pasquaney

Each summer Pasquaney's Long Walk returns to the hillside with a song that captures all of the highlights from their week in the Whites. Listen along here and relive the journey with the Long Walk. An extra nickel of Mary Lamb if you can guess the original tunes!

Can you think of a time at camp when someone drew a circle around you and took you in? This was a question posed by Aiden Biglow to the camp in our final tree talk of the summer -- a fitting message to close out what has been a summer full of learning and adventure in the company of friends new and old. Aiden is in his fourth summer on the council. He leads our nature program, and in the offseason...

In his Tree Talk, Rabbit Barnes shares the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914, an example of people setting aside differences to come together in the name of fellowship and peace. He connects this to opportunities at camp to get to know people from all walks of life, and to sow acts of kindness and friendship that very well may turn into lifelong bonds. Rabbit is in his third summer on the Pasqu...

Rich DeSalvo highlights a recent Sixth Walk hike up Mt. Plymouth, introduces the concept of a moral compass, and speaks about the courage of umpires, detailing the story of Armando Galaragga's "28-out perfect game."

In his Chapel Talk last Sunday, Mr. Michael called on campers and counsellors to embrace their sincere, earnest selves, and rise above the cynicism that circulates throughout our world today, particularly online.

In his Tree Talk on Friday, Bo Turnage reflected on some of the moments from his camper years that seemed inconsequential at the time -- a story in a Chapel Talk about courage, a tense doubles final tennis match, a shared sunset with his expedition on top of Mt. Liberty -- but in fact resurfaced later in life, helping to guide him in tough moments and support those around him. His talk served as a...

In Sunday's Chapel Talk, Townley reflected on what makes Pasquaney special and urged us not to take our one wild and precious summer for granted. What he didn't mention was how fortunate we are to have a servant leader like him among us. Townley leads the Crew program, canoeing expeditions to Lake Umbagog, and myriad Nature "species" and Star Walks, modeling joy and wonder for the natural world an...

In Friday's Tree Talk, Pip Carr spoke with the camp about social media's influence on our thoughts and feelings, the value of living in the present moment, and encouraged us to be loving. This is Pip's fifth summer at Pasquaney. He works in the Shop and lives with his family in the Stanwood Cottage. He is the founder and director of The Guild Experience, an education project for thirteen to fiftee...

Mr. Michael shares a pivotal moment in his career when his integrity was tested, and reflects on the significance of honesty and truth in our lives.