It is in this moment of watching your child walk into their next big adventure that we have to remind each other that the letting go is even more important than the holding tight.

Creating lasting memories and cementing positive relationships are our bread and butter. It is the intentionality of setting high expectations during these opening days that allows us to move into a highly relational way of being from the get go.

Each year, our work is to keep Proctor’s culture, and mission, clearly in focus. We do the hard things because we believe in their impact on our community and their contribution to our culture. We prepare our bags, lace up our boots, pack our sleeping bags, and embark on the best, hardest five days of the year. 

Next September, Proctor’s 120 new students will head into the wilderness of the New Hampshire’s White Mountains for five days of backpacking, camping, and exploring. 

From the earliest moments of parenthood, we learn that life will be filled with contradictions of independence.

For the past 52 years, the first week of September at Proctor Academy has been synonymous with Wilderness Orientation.

How does the culture of an organization sustain over time? Is it the people? Is it the mission? Is it the programs offered? What is it that allows Proctor’s unique culture to thrive year after year? How do we cultivate continuity when we welcome new faculty, staff, and students to Proctor’s community each year?