Charles Passy (78-79, 83C, 85C) is pleased to serve as a board member once again – his last stint was more than 30 years ago! He has been involved with the foundation for most of his post-camp life: In addition to his work on the board, he previously chaired the program committee and edited the Sundial, the camp’s alumni newsletter. More recently, he’s been active with the strategic planning and communications committees. He’s especially proud of the fact he was part of the board that decided to expand the CRS program to girls by purchasing the property at Clinton.

Charles is a veteran journalist who specializes in writing about arts and entertainment, food and drink and personal finance, among other subjects. He currently writes for the Wall Street Journal-affiliated MarketWatch site and previously was on staff at the Journal itself, where he was part of the team that covered New York City. He is also the founder of The 100 Word Review, a website and Instagram platform devoted to the theater scene. (His favorite show? A tie between “Sweeney Todd” and “Fun Home.”) 

Charles lives in New York City with his wife, Leslie Olsen, a customer-service specialist for a prominent cheese company. He wishes his spouse would come home with more Brie. 

CHARLES' CRS STORY

So many camp memories! And yet, as someone who attended CRS in the last summer of camp founder Freddie Jonas’ life – 1978 -- there’s one that comes immediately to mind, even if the exact details have gotten slightly fuzzy over time. It was hearing Freddie speak at his last council – some say it was the ghost stone council (aka the final council of the season), though I recall it being the last regular Saturday council. He was beyond frail at the time – he needed a full-time assistant to help him get around and I had heard how he had to be carried up the steps to his bedroom in the Old House. But he stood when he spoke by the fire at that council – not at the very end of our traditional gathering because I don’t think he was in physical shape to see the night through. But he spoke and stood nonetheless, hunched over but somehow “tall” in the sense that he commanded everyone’s attention.

Freddie talked in what was then a whisper of a voice, telling us of the reasons he founded camp – to expand a boy’s mind intellectually, ethically and globally. The very same principles that guide the camp to this day. It was a short speech, and when it was over, he departed quietly. Then, we heard Bill Dubey, the executive director at the time, let out a great heaving cry. Surely, Bill knew this would be the last time Freddie would ever visit the council ring. I’m not sure we knew it, but we knew something had happened. Under any circumstance, the end of a camp season is an emotional time. But this took that experience to a whole other level. In all, pretty heady stuff for a 14-year-old nerdy kid from New York City who had never been to sleepaway camp.

Freddie died on the last day of that season – just after the final campers had departed.

We thank our Board of Directors for their passionate leadership of LAJF and CRS!