VolunteerFest 2025 – The Campfire Sessions
By Tom Moran
Perhaps nothing characterized the camaraderie present at VolunteerFest more than the gatherings around the campfire. On Friday, following a spirited game of Appalachian Trail Trivia, attendees drifted toward the Kumbaya Fire Circle. It was a crisp evening, and people drew close, many sipping beverages of choice. A small miracle happened that evening: several people experienced a phenomenon in which their cups seemingly never ran dry despite heroic effort. Alas, even the hardiest had to plan ahead for the next day, and the fire was doused by Chuck Troutman and Tom Moran at midnight.
After the barbeque on Saturday, people again drifted to the firepit, where a substantial crowd filled the benches. Many conversations were overheard, including interesting snippets such as: “A bear ransacked my privy” and “I’m going to hike every trail in Maryland State Parks by next week.”
Someone uttered the word “guitar,” and the next thing you knew a guitar appeared, whereupon the group began an enthusiastic, if lyrically challenged, run at some of Americana’s finest. Tom Moran started off on guitar, passing it along to Amber Jones. Sarah DeGennaro provided harmony – and knew more lyrics than most of us. The chorus reached another level when Chuck Troutman added his baritone to the mix, encouraging the entire crowd to join in. Not finding a good vocal space, Tom found a harmonica in the right key and the jam was on. When the group started to slow down, Charlie Gutberlet grabbed the guitar and tore into a cover of the traditional tune “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” proving that the entire neck of a guitar was meant to be used. Playing in the Grateful Dead style, Charlie lit it up while Tom did his best to bend the harp notes. Eventually, the fire was doused by the Toms – Troutman and Moran – at 1:16 a.m., bringing a satisfying conclusion to the evening.
