The Editors-in-Chief selected this article from The Record Vol. CV describing the proctor training in 1997.

As new students arrived at Hotchkiss this year, they were eagerly greeted by a battalion of Seniors who they quickly learned would be their proctors for the upcoming year. What new students do not know is that their proctors had undergone intense training prior to their arrival at Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss proctors, after having been chosen last spring, arrived on campus the first of September and left for Camp Sloane that evening for a two-day proctor retreat. The first night at Camp Sloane, Mr. Robert Barker, dean of the Prep class and dorm life, who was wearing a suit, stripped down to a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. “It certainly woke us all up,” recounts Torrey Liddel ’97.

While at Camp Sloane, proctors went through a series of trust exercises that consisted of each proctor leading his or her partner around blindfolded, as well as “trust falls,” and other activities which required a group effort to reach a final goal.

When asked if the trust exercises worked, Eddie Smiley ’97 responded with a story in which he accidentally walked Will Tadros ’97 into a tree. When  asked  seriously  about  the effectiveness of these exercises, the proctors responded that the exercises helped  them  come  together  and promoted teamwork.

A key point brought up numerous times throughout the retreat was that proctors are expected to be vigilant about following the rules themselves, so as not to be hypocritical in the enforcement of these rules.

As always, there were some funny stories about the night spent in the tents at Camp Sloane. Early on the morning of September 3, a fierce storm blew in, sending wind and rain through the tents. Except for Mr. Barker, whose snores evoked images of late-night lumberjacks in the surrounding woods, sleep was reportedly hard to come by.

The proctor retreat was a huge success, with a good time had by all. The whole school will benefit from the proctors’ newfound skills in tolerance and communication. The proctors are the pace setters for the year, and new students as well as old should feel confident about following the example set by our proctors.