by kfi | Jul 4, 2026 | Announcements, Archives, North America Alumni Events |
Since 2004, the Labor Day weekend Kodai Reunion has brought alumni, faculty, and friends together in the woods of central Pennsylvania for a weekend of fellowship, food, and connection. From shared meals to long conversations and simple moments outdoors, the reunion is a place to reconnect with old friends and make new memories.
This year, the reunion will take place from Wednesday, Sept 2 to Monday Sept 7 at Kirchenwald Camp, half an hour out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Various types of accommodation are available, and of course fabulous Indian food all weekend long.
This year, we will be welcoming the new KIS Principal, Dr. Bradford Barnhardt, and the new KIS Alumni and Development Coordinator, Tara Menon. Please join us for this very special event. For more details and information, go to this link: https://kodaireunionusa.com/.
You can come for a day, or the entire long weekend! See you there!
by kfi | Jun 15, 2026 | Announcements, Archives, North America Alumni Events |
The Minneapolis area Kodai lunch reunion was held in May 2026, with 29 Kodai alumni and friends in attendence. This reunion happens twice a year, in May and October, with the great organization team headed by Joe Rittmann and Jody Ramer Chrastek. This is a great event where alumni in the region can get together for a nice Indian lunch, and catch-up with other Kodai friends in the area.
We were twenty-nine (29) KIS alum and friends from across MN and from California and Washington State at Park Ave United Methodist Church, 3400 Park Ave, Minneapolis on Sat, May 9, 2026. We honor Rev. Mark Garrison from class of 1958 our eldest and Lisa Lindell, class of 81, our youngest.
With Joe’s help, this event has brought in donations for KFI in our support for KIS. Much appreciation to all those who donate at this event. If you would like to know more about this event, please email Joe at: joeritt@gmail.com
by kfi | Sep 25, 2025 | North America Alumni Events |
A week has passed since we packed up from Camp K, yet the glow of reunion still lingers. The laughter, the music, the endless meals and conversations—they’re the kind of memories that fuel you for the year ahead, and the kind that make you vow to come back for the next one.
The Journeys
Each of us has our own story about getting to camp. For me, it took some doing. I left Los Angeles in the dark hours of Tuesday morning, spent the night in a no-frills motel outside Philadelphia, and caught a train to Elizabethtown. Teresa Teves picked me up shortly after I arrived, and before we even set foot on campgrounds, we detoured to Costco in Harrisburg. There, with Ted Hahn, Pam Schmitthenner, and Lisa Lindell Hoh, we filled carts to the brim—supplies enough to feed an army of Kodai-ites.
We rolled into camp after two, famished and half-afraid that lunch was over. But Joe Rittmann was waiting with a hot meal: pepper chicken, pork vindaloo, vegetable rice palau, rajma dal, chapatis, and steaming chai. A feast after a long trip.
Setting the Stage
The first days belong to the advance crew—hauling gear out of storage, readying kitchens, and warming up old friendships. Mario Belido lifted spirits further with his legendary ribs, corn on the cob, and baked beans for supper. We sat around the Schreiberhaus kitchen tables, tired but happy, catching up as the smell of smoke and spice wrapped around us.
My Thursday began with Bob Edwards calling from the road at dawn. He’d been driving since 3 a.m., and was hoping his coffee and a green chili omelet be ready when he arrived. I was on omelet duty, and between 7 and 9:30 I cranked out thirty of them, only burning two (they were eaten anyway). By then the camp was filling fast—Joe Kessler and Zuhair Gafur were busy with check-ins, voices echoed through the halls, and I gave up on napping once Maureen Aung Thwin and Toni Stepanik appeared in the Schreiberhaus lobby. That’s the beauty of reunion—you never know who you’ll bump into, and every encounter sparks a story.
Food, Fire, and Friendship
Meals this year rose to a new level thanks to Joe’s mastery in the kitchen and the contributions of many others. Thursday night brought chapli kebabs, Indad pork, and tomato curry. Friday the activities moved to the Pavilion, and the morning started with Mike Kolumban’s dosa, coconut and peanut chutneys, and sambar, followed by a hike through marshes, woods, and meadows led by Rob Granner, and ended with Hans Schmitthenner’s Tandoori Chicken with all the trimmings for supper. Banana Leaf Restaurant catered several spectacular meals, each one a festival of flavors—shrimp curry, rasam, biriyani, khorma, poriyal, chapatis, and more.
Cooking class with Louise Baxter, and yoga class with Sabrina Edwards Granner, chai breaks, and firepit gatherings filled in the spaces between. At night, guitars came out, voices blended, and the circle of firelight drew us close. By Saturday, with more than 140 campers present, Camp K felt like its own small village—alive with song, storytelling, happy hours, and the sheer joy of being together again.
Highlights
- The Weather: This year there was no hurricane or heat wave; just beautiful early-fall weather—chilly mornings and mild days.
- Music & Firelight: From Ellen “Dash” Walters leading singalongs in the Pavilion to Chris Granner on guitar at campfires—whether at Schreiber or up by the cabins—music was everywhere, the heartbeat of each night.
- Shared Passions: Talks and updates reminded us of our roots—Ron Koepke on Bethania Kids, Liz Easter and Iti Maloney on KIS, Margaret Greene on KFI.
- Saturday Feast: Banana Leaf’s dosa truck was a showstopper—freshly grilled masala and Mysore dosas, chutneys, sambar, rice, and Dash’s music floating through the pavilion.
- Volunteers: So many pitched in to help that I can’t name you here. You know who you are. You made a tremendous contribution to the success of the reunion.
- Class of ’66 Happy Hour: Maureen and Toni hosted their customary gathering in the Schreiberhaus lobby.
- Church Service and Music: Bob Granner accompanied Rob Granner and Bob Edwards in Cesar Franck’s Panis Angelicus, and the ad hoc choir, conducted by Wendy Osterling and accompanied on keyboard by Barbara Pickard Hays, filled the room with hymns. Ann Staal’s sermon was deep and meaningful.
Closing Notes
On Sunday, Ray Weddington served breakfast of Bombay toast with sausage and bacon, and fresh fruit, followed later by a final catered lunch before departures began in earnest. Leftovers turned into one last shared meal for the stragglers, unwilling to let the weekend end.
Camp Kirchenwald 2025, as always, was more than a reunion—it was a reminder of why we keep coming back. The food fills us, yes, but it’s the friendships, the laughter, the familiar faces across the firelight that carry us forward. Until next year.
by kfi | Jun 26, 2025 | Announcements, North America Alumni Events |
Please come and join us at the annual KIS Labor Day Reunion and reconnect with your classmates, teachers, and other alumni. And of course, eat wonderful home cooked Indian food! All ages are welcome. Although the new Principal Bradford Barnhardt won’t be able to join us, two administrative staff from KIS will be in attendance to answer any of your questions on the exciting things happening at the school. The KFI Board of Directors will be having an in person meeting on Friday, so please approach our Board Members during the weekend to ask questions about KFI, how to donate, and share your ideas.
There is a Sunday service for those who would like to attend, complete with an always amazing volunteer choir, as well as swimming, zip-lining, rock climbing, volleyball and hiking. The days are spent for the most part sitting about in/outside cabins or at the tables in the pavilion chatting with classmates and alumni, those you know and new friends you meet. You may end up ‘chopping and chatting’ while in the pavilion. This usually involves the chef of the day placing vegetables and cutting boards in front of you to chop while you chat with your old and new friends. All meals are family-style Indian food cooked on site by our own alumni. Meals may include dosai, sambar, idli, tandoori chicken, Kerala fish fry, and various vegetarian dishes, among other dishes. There are also non-Indian kids’ meals available for anyone.
The camp has a number of different styles of cabins that sleep between 4 -20 people, some with attached bathrooms, as well as Adirondack lean-to’s. You will need to bring your own bedding/sleeping bag and towel for these cabins. There is also plenty of space to pitch a tent. All accommodations are first come, first served. If you are not the camping type, higher-end rooms with attached bathroom, provided bedding, towels and AC are available but limited and in great demand. Please contact Theresa Teves or Ted Hahn at kodaireunionusa@gmail.com. There are also plenty of hotels and motels in the area.
Dates:
Wednesday, August 27 – Monday, September 1, 2024
Where:
Camp Kirchenwald
1 Cut Off Road
Lebanon, PA 17042
For more information, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @KISLaborDayReunion or email kodaireunionusa@gmail.com
by kfi | Oct 20, 2023 | Announcements, North America Alumni Events |
Kodai kids had a really lovely reunion in Edmonds Wa this September 10 -14. It was an eclectic group, with a nice assortment of “other years” joining the mainly ‘59 and ‘61 ers who organized it. SaraAnn Lockwood and Virginia Herlong we’re the chiefs, assisted by a number of locals who provided great support.
Our agenda was Different from traditional reunions in that we were at a hotel rather than a retreat center and our days were separated by the choices of activities offered. One group had a beautiful tour of Whidbey Island and others puttered around the marina and into the quaint town of Edmonds.
Both evenings were well planned. A KODAI Alum staffer showed slides and spoke to us of the impact the alumni are having on the school development. The second night, David Rugh from Woodstock ‘50’s era spoke of his research on whales. He joined in our Whale Cruise the next day, when we were treated to lengthy sightings of three wonderful species of Washingtonian whales .
Special for the ‘61 attendees was the fact that we came together 24 hrs earlier than others and were able to have a particularly meaningful time of personal sharing Sunday night. We especially delighted in several new attendees. The following day we gathered for a collectively created feast at Steve and Donnas beautiful home in Mukilteo.
Of all the reunions many of us have attended, this one reportedly was more intimate and satisfying for the connections, old and new, that became possible by the setting, the program and the participants who chose to come.
Shabash to all!
