"Believe."

Michael Vale, MD

December 20, 2025

I attended the camp for two years, in 1958 and 1959. The first year I went by myself. The second year, I went with my first cousin, Stanley Werlin. We had so much fun during our time at the camp that we still talk about it today, even though we are both now 76 years old.

I am a retired medical doctor who specialized in the treatment of skin cancers, and skin diseases. I am the camper that Ben gave the nickname of “the strolch” to. He told me that it was all in good fun, and that it translated from German as a mischievous but charming, boy. My cousin Stan still says that he wished that Ben had given him a nickname.

Both of us wanted to return to the camp for a third year. My mother would not allow it, and her reason now seems quite humorous. She sent me off to camp, for a month, with four pairs of pajamas. I returned home with one pair of dirty pajamas, and three pair of clean pajamas. My mother asked me why I did not change my pajamas every week. As a boy of only 9, my answer was that no one had told me to change them. She said that if that was the degree of supervision at the camp, that I could not return. Instead, they sent me to a fancy Jewish camp, where I had to wear a jacket and tie on Friday evening, and go to religious services. Oh did I regret not changing those pajamas!!

My cousin Stan refused to go back to the camp without me. His parents sent him to a different summer camp, which he hated.

I grew up in Malden, Massachusetts, a commuting suburb of Boston. I lived on Hancock street, a few houses down from the house that Gary Wiener lived in. His mother, Natalie was a very close friend of my mother, Madeline (Werlin) Vale, and her twin sister, Doris (Werlin) Vale. The three of them were in the same class at Malden High School. I have photos of Gary's parents in my Bar Mitzvah album.

My cousin Stan and I agree that the time we spent at camp was the high point of our youth.

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