The Deeds That Become Memories

A Call To Quarters - Fall 2025 “Grow & Behold”

Below is an article from the latest Grow & Behold issue, written by alumnus Perry Silver, who now leads the new Falling Creek Campership Committee.

by Perry Silver
(camper ‘87-‘94, staff ‘97-‘98)

“The memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime.”

When I first heard this quote as a boy, I didn’t fully grasp its depth. It was just a Pink Floyd lyric stitched onto a team banner at Falling Creek — chosen by the captain of the Gold Team during my final summer at Falling Creek Camp for Boys. I was the Green Team Captain that year, proud and a little wide-eyed, having spent eight summers as a camper and two more as a counselor. Back then, it felt like just another amazing summer at camp. But now, older and a little wiser, that quote hits differently. I’ve come to see how true it is — especially when I think about my time at Falling Creek.

Coming from the suburbs of New York City, Tuxedo, NC might as well have been Mars! Falling Creek wasn’t just a summer camp — it was a world apart. A place where I learned to sit in discomfort. Where I discovered that fear wasn’t a dead end, but a doorway. Where I stopped thinking of myself as the center of everything and started seeing myself as part of a greater whole.

At Falling Creek, I met boys from all over the country and across the world. Some went on to be doctors, lawyers, politicians — even a few rock stars. But what I remember most is the goodness — the kindness, the honesty, the humor — that ran through those boys like a shared language. Many of them grew into men who are good dads, strong mentors, and steady anchors in their communities. They may not make headlines, but they make a difference.

That’s what Falling Creek instilled in us: Good Boys doing good things grow into Good Men doing good things.

I think often of my summer times “on the mountain” – Morning Assembly on the porch, refreshing jumps into the lake and long hikes that left us tired and triumphant. I think of the strong friendships forged around campfires and the shared struggle of the counselors who modeled quiet strength and compassion. And I think of how those experiences have shaped the morals I carry with me today — integrity, grit, empathy, and a sense of service.

Falling Creek taught me that growth thrives in the face of discomfort. That leadership is service. That the best memories aren’t made from ease, but from effort — from showing up, working hard, laughing loud, and helping others. And more than anything, it taught me that the greatest privilege of receiving these gifts is the chance to pass them on.

That’s why I’m so proud to help Yates and Marisa by spearheading the Falling Creek Campership Committee, which raises awareness and funds to send boys from under-resourced backgrounds to camp.

Our mission is simple yet powerful: to ensure that financial barriers never stand in the way of a boy discovering his strength, his values, and his place in something larger than himself. These are not just summer opportunities — they are life-changing experiences that ripple outward into families, schools, and communities.

It’s personal for me, because I believe with everything in me that every boy deserves the chance to experience a place as magical and formative as Falling Creek. The world needs more of what this camp creates — and giving back is one way we can all keep the circle unbroken.