Wednesday, July 8, 2015
If Renbrook Summer Adventure had a Hall Of Fame, Henry “Hal” Lindert would be one of the first to enter that hall. We are saddened to announce that Hal, known to all as Father Nature, passed away last week.
Hal began working at RSA just as the camp was beginning in the mid seventies, and continued to spend the next 25 summers here. Hal’s life included many years as a teacher and coach at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington. His accomplishments there could fill pages of text. But he was also an All-Star at camp.
Hal influenced many staff members through his leadership, teaching young counselors outstanding methods of effectively working with children. He helped organize the first 6th grade overnight, believing campers would learn more about themselves if they were out of their comfort zone. He was proud of the mini terrariums he sent home with each camper. One of his most popular activities was to set up the “Un-natural” Nature Hunt, where campers had to find one element of the natural world out of place, such as a conch shell in a pine tree.
He relished his role here as Chief Strongbow during the Camp Carnival. Hal started the tradition of the Gold Rush and as chief, he would take one of your gold nuggets if he caught you. (He never caught anyone!) He delighted in telling his camp ghost story of the Cropsie Maniac, (somewhat based on actual events at Renbrook,) at the first 6th grade overnights, until too many kids were too scared to fall asleep.
To those who saw it, we’ll never forget the day he dressed as a rich old woman, getting a tour of the campus with the intention of buying the grounds and buildings and closing down the camp. The Nature room was the popular place to go on the first day of orientation to catch up with Hal and be entertained by his stories from the past year. One thing Hal did each year was present a pie to the counselor he believed was the “Counselor of the Year”. However, he swore that counselor to secrecy so no one would feel badly that they did not receive it. Very few people even knew he gave out this award.
Hal will always live on in our hearts and memories as a legend of Renbrook Summer Adventure.
