THE SECOND AUSTRALIAN KIEVE REUNION …… 11- 15 January 2016…
(The FIRST was a 1996 practice-run without fanfare)
With a 20 year organization – ‘Councillors don’t rush these things’ – two 1953/1954 season KIEVE councillors, with supports from Betsy Lee at Camp in Nobleboro, finally had the KIEVE banner flying in the January semi-tropical summer breezes at ‘Terranora’ (The Wakefield property ) high above the Tweed River & South Pacific Ocean in northern New South Wales. AUSTRALIA . The weather and seafood / shellfish perfect all week !
Bill Taggart (now almost 80) and originally from Belmont, MA is a graduate of Belmont Hill School and the hockey goalie on BHS’ teams of the early fifties. He is a 1958 graduate of Williams College and served the USCG as a Lieutenant. For many years he was employed by IBM. He’s retired today living with his wife Lil in Boulder, Colorado.
‘Bo-Bub’ Wakefield (80) is from Dover, MA. He is a Hall of Fame football lineman at Noble & Greenough School . An honour graduate of Middlebury College and a 4-years varsity ice hockey player. He served two overseas tours as Captain, US Marine Corps. For many years he worked worldwide in Project Logistics & Support. He with Australian wife Katherine retired only four years ago to their property at ‘Terranora’.
** Herb Stokinger (Milton Academy & KIEVE Director) brought both young men into KIEVE’s history books .
This Second Reunion Down-Under’ was approved for early 2016 by Dick and Henry Kennedy. In wearing the Camp uniform, the Reunion fondly saluted the early 50’s KIEVE leaders and their staff. Aunt Harriet Walker Kennedy and her camp director Herb Stokinger; senior councillors Dick and his twin Don Kennedy Jr… Waterfront Director, Maine Guide/ & Rockport HS Football Coach Larry Plumber. Not ever to be forgotten was the essential kitchen team of Don Weston and his wife Peg.
The outstanding 1953 KIEVE memory for all involved was the Allagash Trip final photos taken with Plummer & Wakefield (in full ‘House of David’ beards) loading canoes & campers onto the KIEVE truck driven by Don Jr. to make the pick-up at St. John village. The windy-cramped 10-hour truck-trip back to Camp was made worthwhile with the 0130 ‘welcome’ by ‘Stokey’, Charlie Flynn, Bill Taggart and Nibby Hinchman ..
It took all 14 of us ‘trippers’ a week just to clean ourselves and our equipment; but with this successful Allagash round-trip completed, all of the eleven camper-paddlers had earned the title of Maine Voyager.