December 5, 2012
Stony Point, NY: The National Association of Russian Explorers held its Autumn Ball

 

Every summer for almost half a century, the National Association of Russian Explorers (NORR) holds a Russian Orthodox camp for children and young adults in the Catskill Mountains. In July of this year, over 140 children, young adults, counselors, and camp personnel gathered from several states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida. In the fall, NORR holds its annual Autumn Ball, attended by campers, their friends and family members, as well as camp counselors and organizers. Traditionally, the ball is held either on the Friday following Thanksgiving Day, or one week earlier, depending on the beginning of the Nativity Fast. After covering expenses, all funds raised at the Ball, including ticket sales and lottery income, go to fund next year’s camp and pay for underprivileged campers to attend.

 

This year, owing to the diligent efforts of Andrei Mouravieff and Natalie Marlow-Joukov (who themselves attended the camp as children, progressing to troop leaders and later counselors), the Autumn Ball was held on November 23rd at the beautiful Clubhouse at Patriot Hills in Stony Point, NY. From the first minutes of the Ball, attendees were struck with a feeling of joy at meeting up with their friends, despite the unusual sight of men in suits and tuxedos and women in long evening gowns, instead of the camp’s customary t-shirts and shorts. All evening, the orchestra played favorites in Russian, English, and Italian, and young and old alike took to the dance floor – although only younger campers came out to dance the Gopak – while conversations, laughter, and recollections of summer reigned. The time flew by, and when the music died down and it was time to bid farewell, the young men and women all gathered in the center of the dance hall, joined by the older generation of NORR alumni, and together sang "Sleti k nam, tikhiy vecher" ("Embrace us, quiet evening"), which is traditionally sung in NORR camp as the bonfire dies down, before the camps take to their tents under the stars on a dark summer’s night in the Catskills.

 

Until we meet again next summer!

Story and photos by Matushka Elizaveta Temidis