Eric Adell - A Mowglis Man and a Contro-King. Somewhere, in the deepest, dankest, corner of the underground that is the crawlspace of Graybrothers Hall is a spot where Eric Adell, Dan Lincoln and Tom Sculco crouched next to one another, rubbing their hands and plotting about how and when they would do a deal with one of their many connections in the underground contro world of Mowglis. Even now I find myself laughing and imagining Paul Brown and Andy Popinchalk smiling as they plan for how they are going to catch these scoundrels in the act or uncover their stash. . . Brownie licking his lips in anticipation because this is one of those acts more akin to piracy than policing. He and Andy will haul up the Jolly Roger and get to enjoy the booty if their search is successful! Eric Adell - Den of 76 has all the stories of achievement that other Mowglis share with each other but they also have the glint in their eyes of the Mowglis Bucaneer, King of the Underground Mowglis "Contro-Economy"

Dan Lincoln first came to Mowglis because his dad, Ed Lincoln had been the Watermaster at Mowglis and brought Dan on a trip to see Mowglis and to take a few slides down Soup Bowl Glide in Groton. 

His dad only had to ask once if he thought he might like to come to Mowglis, he was a yes from the get-go.

We marveled at the way that the competitive spirit - so hot and fired up during crew week - could yield so quickly to the camaraderie once again with the singing of the crew song as the oar was raised up the flagpole.

Now practicing law in Southern California, Dan is also a principal in a company called "MedWand" that allows doctors to track the health of their patients online.

Dan described Mowglis as the moral compass in his life. He still finds himself asking the question, "What would Mr. Hart do?"

"Frank" Williams and his wife Nandi are among the newest members of the Holt Elwell Memorial Foundation. Frank came to Mowglis in 1979 from his home in Philadelphia. He cried himself to sleep his very first night at Mowglis because he was afraid that he wouldn't be happy here . . . he cried himself to sleep on his last night because he didn't want the summer to end. Could there possibly be a better vignette of how Mowglis can impact the life of a young man?

Frank was immediately one of the most popular boys at Mowglis. There was something magical in that smile that just seemed to win his dorm mates and the staff over from the very start. 

He still keeps an axe sharpened and at the ready for that tree that falls on his land and a bow and arrows for target shooting now and then. 

Don't get him started on the number of family members he has shared the Mowglis experience with over the years, beginning with his cousin Frank Barnett. You won't be bored, but the recitation will take a while, just the same.

We hope to catch up with Nandi for a separate podcast soon to get the benefit of a mom's perspective

The Evolution of a Teacher, Coach & Mentor

Mowglis Director of Alumni Relations

As a Cub at Mowglis, he was known as Bart and many years later, when he returned to Mowglis on the staff he had grown into his full name Bartolo - more than a mouthful for those of us who had referred to him by his nickname but fortunately over his first few years at Mowglis his nickname devolved back down again. From Coach Governanti to Coach G and finally to just "G". Today, in addition to his work with Plymouth State College's Lacrosse program, he's Mowglis Director of Alumni Relations but that barely covers the hats he actually wears. 

This podcast is a bit dated because I came down with a case of covid that took me off the board for a few weeks. Mowglis has now opened for the summer so the summer is in full swing.

Bart has one of the most interesting histories at Mowglis because he has a foot in both Camp Mowglis and Camp Pasquaney. He also has a deep history with Camp Mayhew, a camp established back in the 1960s for young boys considered "at-risk". Mayhew was founded by his father Tony Governanti in conjunction with both Mowglis and Pasquaney. 

Such a deep history with the great camps of Newfound Lake - including Onaway - gives Bartolo a very special insight into the essence of both the camps and their important place within the broader community. 

Since joining the full-time team at Mowglis Jay Gulitti has been challenged again and again and he always seems equal to the challenge. In this podcast we review some of the highlights.

Ep 112 Double Emmys on his Trail from Mowglis mark Jordan Kranis' Path 

Jordan came to Mowglis as a Cub in 1980, joining his brother Andrew who was in Toomai. He quickly established himself as a friendly and capable fellow and would continue on through the Mowglis program graduating in 1985 and stroking the Blue Racing crew two years in a row.

Since leaving Mowglis he has established himself as a documentarian and producer, winning two Emmy awars and being nominated for a third. He is currently the long-time producer of the "Big Brother" reality TV series producing more than 100 episodes. 

Some folks would say that Mowglis is in the DNA of the Popinchalk family. 

Mark Popinchalk came to Mowglis as a member of the staff in 2011 and while also working his way through a degree in astrophysics, he returned for two additional summers.

Growing up as a boy of the world, living in many different countries where his dad, Michael - also a former member of the Mowglis staff - was teaching and serving as administrator in numerous American schools throughout the world.

Today, Mark Popinchalk is not just a Mowglis Man of the world, he is a Mowglis man of the Universe from his perch at New York's famed Hayden Planetarium.

Whether it's introducing elementary school children to the wonders of the universe or sharing the secrets of Mar's moons on TikTok, or reveling in the fun April fools "papers" that some of his colleagues create for April 1 publication, Mark points to his Mowglis experience as the source of his love for teaching.

Nick Robbins has been at the helm at Mowglis now for a decade and what a decade it has been. When Nick began his tenure Mowglis had fewer than half the campers considered to constitute a full camp, today Mowglis is looking full and robust heading into the 2024 summer.

In this episode, Nick shares the road that led him to Mowglis and the journey since then that has led Mowglis back to its rightful place as one of the premier summer camps in the US.

It is said that we humans have two families, those into which we are born and those whom we choose. Holiday tables are filled with the families we choose, and who choose us, and express the power of belonging and camaraderie borne of our free will and affections. Often times, these members of our families are the ones for whom we have the greatest affection. Jay Kranis is just such a Mowglis brother. He is a brother of our choosing - and of his own choice.

Jay first heard about Mowglis from John Sprung, whose boys Jason and Larry had come to Mowglis through their mutual friend, Mowglis icon Donald Cummings. Jay's own sons, Andrew and Jordan, were Mowglis campers, and today, are a great source of pride for him. Andrew is a celebrated architect and preservationist, teacher and tour guide in Italy and Jordan is an Emmy-winning producer who from time to time runs with the same crowd as Mowglis brother Benji Ringe.

Jay was a member of the Holt-Elwell Board of Trustees at the critical time in the later 1990s and early 2000s when Mowglis' future was very much in doubt, though he is quick to say that the members of the board themselves were never in doubt. Thankfully, their determination saw Mowglis through that period, and today, he and the other members of those boards can take great pride in the vigor of Mowglis's life. We are all fortunate for the gift of his time and talents that helped to bring us to this place.

James Hart: A Heartwarming Farewell 

If there is one name that speaks Mowglis over the last 50 years it is the name Hart. So you can imagine the pressure that James Hart, 38, was feeling when he was chosen to be the very first Development Director at Mowglis. Sure it was nice to have so many fondly remembering his grandfather William B. Hart Sr or his uncle Bill Jr, his father Jim Hart, and his uncle Phil, but it also carried with it expectations that must have felt very weighty for James. Luckily, for all of us who love Mowglis, James was not deterred by the challenge of carving his own path, and he has done it in spades. diamonds, clubs and Harts. 

Before you panic about the fact that James is moving on from his full-time role at Mowglis, let me assure you that he's still expecting to play an active role in helping to build Mowglis' future. Additionally, he and Director Nick Robbins and the rest of the incredible team at Mowglis have orchestrated a smooth transition with a very strong duo of Mowglis men stepping in, without a moment's hesitation. 

James is moving on to the very important work of helping to conquer hunger and to address the problems that food waste creates including the climatic problems of that waste. 

In this podcast James reflects on his years at Mowglis and looks ahead to the challenges of working on development at Food Rescue.