The sound of Reveille cuts through the morning mist as it rises from Chautauqua Lake. The sounds of waking children fill the campsite as the dew on the field sparkles. Another day has begun at YMCA Camp Onyahsa; and, like any other day in its 112-year history, children will experience the friendships, create the memories, and learn the values that will shape their lives.
In the summer of 1898, along the lake’s shore, a group of young men experienced the first season of YMCA camping in the area. The goal of the experience was to give young men a respite from the city and factory through a values-based outdoors program.
During the first half-century of Onyahsa’s history, the program was informal. The original Camp was located at Prendergast Point, but property was acquired in Dewittville in 1926. Shortly after, the camp was named "Onyahsa" by director Roy Wagner.
Wagner served as the Camp Director from 1924 to 1946. Remembered by alumni are staff, such as Cook Belcher, the "Tarzan Swing," the camp monkey, and facilities such as "Shadyside." Wagner built the Camp program and the character of its participants. A pious man, he was greatly saddened as many of his young men were sent to World War II. He left the Camp in 1946.
Among these young men was Spiro Bello, a child from Jamestown’s Albanian-American community, who attended Onyahsa on a scholarship in 1932. After service as a Marine in the South Pacific, Bello returned to Jamestown. He re-connected with the Y and Camp, and was named Director in 1962.
Under his leadership, Onyahsa acquired property, cabins replaced tents, and other improvements were made. Moreover, families, handicapped youth, and coeducational groups were served. Spiro was a father figure to many kids. In 1985, Mark Eckendorf became Director and worked to provide new and innovative programming.
One of Spiro’s "kids," Jon O'Brian took the helm in 1987. He began at Onyahsa as a child in the 1970s. Under his leadership, the Camp has come to serve children from a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities. Building on a defunct north county YMCA Camp, Day Camp in the Woods was added to the offerings, and the curriculum has gone year-round.
This program expansion is a result of a major fundraising effort, the Centennial Campaign. The plan will create a premier, year-round facility while preserving a beautiful, wooded natural asset on Chautauqua Lake for the region. Major renovations and property acquisitions have already been made.
Today, while the facility and program have adapted to changing community needs, the Onyahsa mission remains, "to foster the Spiritual, Mental, and Physical well being of Camp Participants of diverse backgrounds and abilities within a nurturing outdoor environment, while creating a meaningful sense of Community among them." As it moves into its fantastic future, Onyahsa continues to build upon its proud past.