Hall of Famers and Ambassadors

We are most grateful to you, our cherished Hall of Famers and Ambassadors. We recognize your contributions to our community and formally thank you for having been such loyal Robin Hooders.

Renato Abucham – Ambassador

Renato barefooting at RH with the first Ski Supreme with a boom (circa-1988).

I have great memories from my summers in the late eighties at Robin Hood. I have kept contact with many friends through FB and recently as I dropped off my kids at camp met other campers from my time who are also sending their children over. Robin Hood is definitely a unique place in terms of people you meet and friends you make from around the world.

I have to make a special comment about Rick Littlefield whom I have kept in contact throughout all these years and is now a lifetime friend of mine. I was quite a shy boy around ten or eleven and I still remember him motivating all the campers to make the most of the programs he offered. It definitely pushed me to excel in waterskiing. At the time we were lucky to have Jon Carder as the head of the waterskiing department. Definitely a great person and skier who built a solid program and knew how to motivate the campers. Personally I did reach a great level at camp and Jon and team pushed me to a competitive level.

In the next few years I won the Brazil Junior Nationals a few times, broke the national boys jumping record, skied the Latin American Championship twice, the Pan American and the Junior Worlds. Unfortunately as I went to college I did not have time to keep up with the competitive level, but, at 49 I still run the slalom course.

Besides the great times I spent in Robin Hood, the whole experience was extremely positive to push in life a shy 10 year old boy from the mid eighties.

Larry Speidell – Hall of Fame

Larry as the Officer of the Deck on a submarine when he was younger.

Larry was born in New York City, November 1942. He attended camp from 1953-1965. His favorite memories from camp are the friends he made, the special place “on the lake by the sea”, learning to sail and then teaching ocean sailing on the Manchester 17s.

He is passionate about helping developing countries to develop, and family – wife kids and our dog Swansea. Some interesting facts about him: His best job: Sailing instructor at Robin Hood, his second best: Officer of the Deck on a submarine. Three words he describes in his career are: Attitude, attitude, attitude: As an investment manager, stock markets go up and down, but he doesn’t want his attitude to do the same. 

He is most proud of two professional accomplishments: Hopefully giving campers at RH the same lifelong love of sailing that he got, and launching our small company to invest in frontier (developing) stock markets.

His advice to younger people is to “follow the money – so you can afford to follow your dreams.”

Larry teaching ocean sailing in 1965. Rick Littlefield is standing next to Larry.

Antonio Pardo – Ambassador

Antonio & Rick in the Oceanside

I was born in Caracas, Venezuela in September 8, 1970. I attended camp as a camper, (1981 & 1982) counselor (1989) and parent (from 2007 till 2016). 

My experiences at camp are full of nice memories. To mention a few… I loved it when we went every Sunday to cook out by the ocean, the cruise trips, the song contest, I loved to eat Maine lobster and lobster rolls, and the feeling of receiving a package from your parents… those are all nice memories. 

My biggest achievement was to compete in the Olympics in Sochi. That was many years of effort, training, traveling, competing around the world to finally participate in the Olympics with all the best athletes in the world. To be part of it, that is something really amazing. 

My advice to younger people would be to never give up and fight for your dreams and for what you really like, don’t get stuck in something you don’t like, the goal must be happiness not money.

Antonio picking his favorite lobster  – Camp 1981.

Scott Caputo – Hall of Fame

Rick & Scott playing golf in California.

I was born in NYC on January 18th, 1982 but grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. I attended Robin Hood Camp as a camper for three summers 1994-1996. I was a counselor and a director for I believe 5 summers from 1998-2002

My favorite memories of camp are of the true friends that you make for life from all over the world.  I still keep in touch with so many close friends from my camp days both in the US and internationally.  My Australian counselor in the outpost in 1996 is now my daughter’s godfather.  I have vivid memories of basketball and baseball games against other camps, having fun on the waterski boats or laughing it up in the dining hall with the old maintenance director Kevin Grindle and a handful of friends.  

Interesting fact & advice:  I would advise all Robin Hood campers to try all activities that you haven’t experienced.  I never hiked or canoed at Robin Hood.  I am much more of an outdoorsman these days.  I hiked Mt. Katahdin until last summer at age 40 and I am hoping to climb as many of the tallest mountains in each state as I can in my life.  I wish I had started sooner!  I would also tell campers and counselors that you are going to make friends for life with people at Robin Hood, so make a lot of them! 

For career advice I would tell campers that your first job after college more than likely will not be your last.  Some of the smartest people I know still are figuring out what they want to do.  So have the courage to seek what you want to do in your life, and don’t get discouraged if you don’t figure it out right away or what you thought you wanted turned out not to be different.  If you stay focused and driven, you will enjoy the journey. 

David Baldwin – Hall of Fame

David in 2015.

Robin Hood was a very important part of my life. At six years old, away from home for the first time, I was overcome with homesickness and “FB” went out of his way to comfort me with his slight-of-hand quarter-behind-the-ear magic trick. I am sure it worked on many other campers as well as it did on me. Two counselors who stand out in my mind and impacted my life beyond camp were Mr. Bostder, Friar Tuck in 1950 “Wow!”, and Mr. Dalrymple my counselor in Stuteley, 1954. 

I was a Scarlet (in those days Green vs. Scarlet competition was pretty intense). I attended Robin Hood as a camper, an Aide (CIT), a Junior Counselor, and a Senior Counselor, from 1950 to 1962, and 1969 to 1974. My favorite camp activities were Baseball, Riding, and Lake Sailing. I especially enjoyed trips aboard the Niacel III cruising about the many islands and ports of Penobscot Bay.

As a counselor, I was assigned to the Sherwood Outpost cabin. My wife, Mary Helen, worked in the office. She and I spent those summers at the old Robin Hood Farm on the Herrick Road about a mile from camp. I taught Archery and Ocean Fishing (Lobster Fishing) and organized cruises and day trips on the Niacel. III. I worked as a Director with Oceanside Activities and assisted as Activities Director.

After college, I worked as a school teacher and coach. I returned to college for advanced studies and ended up working in post-secondary education for 30 years before retiring in 2009. I was a Director of Enrollment Management and a College Registrar. My hobbies include Ham Radio (WB5NKJ) and playing Bluegrass Banjo. I am a USA Track and Field Master Level Official, I ran and completed the Boston Marathon 3 times, I won 6 National Senior Olympic gold medals in racewalking, and while living in Seoul, Korea, I trained and obtained the 3rd Dan Black Belt in Korean Tang Soo Do.

My career advice to younger people is pretty simple: Be a good listener! Pay attention to detail!  Respect others!

Stuteley 1954. David is 3rd from left.

Kate Polin – Hall of Fame

“Kate is among the most empathetic, compassionate, intuitive and talented Directors Robin Hood has ever had. She originated the “Director of Sensitivity” position at Robin Hood. Her ability to help homesick, anxious, and struggling campers remains without precedent. She would make an ideal child psychologist and I urged her to follow this path. Typical of Kate’s selflessness, she has found a way to have a profound impact on a large world stage through the World Health Organization. Love you Kate!” – Rick Littlefield

I was born on September 10, 1982. I attended Robin Hood for 10 years between 1994 and 2008, as a camper and Director. My favorite memories of camp are the laugher and the people I met (from all over the world) and whom I became close friends with, I even made my best friends at Robin Hood. I am still in touch with some today. Camp makes people bond in special ways. The lake and sea combination, and limestone shores, are also pretty spectacular. An interesting fact about me is that I lived in Bogota, Colombia (because of camp friends!) and now live in Berlin, Germany.

Professionally, I am most passionate about the strengthening of health systems, for everyone but especially those most vulnerable. I think this is totally shaped by my experiences at camp. I feel proud when I write something that makes an impact- especially in terms of informing a law or policy change within a health system. And getting a fellowship to come to Germany. I also love reading, hanging with my family, and tennis! 

If I could give a younger person career advice it would be to not be in too much of a rush to define the exact thing you will be. This can change with more self-knowledge and as circumstances evolve. Keep a sense of humor.

William Weil – Ambassador

I was born in New York City in 1965. My older brother (Sandy) and I were introduced to Robin Hood when FB came to visit my parents in Mt. Kisco, NY. I think our first summer was 1973. My brother and I were both campers and counselors, although in my case, I think a total of 8 summers. Maybe 1973-1978 as a camper, then CIT, then junior counselor, then sailing director.

So many fond memories at camp… of sailing on the lake in the morning and ocean in the afternoon, my 6th sailing stripe ocean cruise in the Manchester 17 around Deer Isle, numerous camping and canoeing trips, catching a bass with Mr. Tulp and then not wanting to eat it when we got back to camp, getting promoted to officer on a cruise on the Niacel, ping-pong, horse shoes, candle boat making, the Show Song (which I still know by heart to my kids’ chagrin). I also made great friendships at camp and in some cases remain lifelong, like Perry Robinson and Charlie Wray. And it was a pleasure to send my three kids to Robin Hood, who likewise loved being campers and counselors. Was fun for me when Phoebe became the sailing director a couple of summers back.

The bulk of my career has been in Children’s Entertainment and Educational Technology, at companies such as Disney, Nickelodeon, National Geographic and an audiobook company my wife and I started (but has since closed down). My advice to a younger person is take jobs that develop skills early in your career (e.g., finance, coding, marketing, etc.) and then find an industry that blends a passion – like doing good things for kids – with those skills. As they say, you’ll never work a day in your life.

A little fun fact about me is that I helped National Geographic win its first ever Academy Award for the film, March of the Penguins.

Photo of Rick, FB and William with his fellow Allan-a-Dale counselors. William is sitting with the kids (circa ~1986).

Robert “Bob” Noddin – Ambassador

Noddin Family

I was born in Boston on May 26, 1961. Janette, my wife, was born in Davao, Philippines on June 15, 1966. Joshua, my oldest, was born in Bangkok, Thailand on August 22, 1994.  Zachary, my middle son, was born in Manila, Philippines on July 30, 1997. Jacob, my youngest son, was born June 7, 2000 in Hong Kong, SAR, China. And Danielle, my youngest and only daughter, was born in Davao, Philippines on August 23, 2003. 

My boys all attended camp for multiple years and finished as counselors. My daughter attended for 2 years. My favorite memories from those times are when my boys, as counselors, would come to our house in Maine with a van full of other counselors for dinner on their days off.

My career advice to younger folks is – never be afraid to try something new or take a role that is a stretch from your current role but be willing to work your butt off to overcome your newness or stretch. I had 27 different roles in my 39 year professional career and not one of them did I feel I was really ready for when I was asked to take on a new role.