|
 The
camp experience is a unique American tradition.
With more than 140 years of history, camp
as we know it today has its roots deeply
planted in American soil. But while clothing,
music, and pastimes have changed over
the years, camp has always been a place
where children could prepare to be productive,
healthy adults in the context of fun and
games.
1861—The Gunnery
Camp is founded
The Gunnery Camp is considered the first
organized American camp. Frederick W.
Gunn and his wife Abigail operated a home
school for boys in Washington, Connecticut.
In 1861, they took the whole school on
a two-week trip. The class hiked to their
destination and then set up camp. The
students spent their time boating, fishing,
and trapping. The trip was so successful,
the Gunns continued the tradition for
twelve years.
 1874—First
YWCA camp
The Philadelphia chapter of the YWCA founds
the organization's first camp (or "vacation
project," as it was called). This summer
boarding and vacation house was for "tired
young women wearing out their lives in an
almost endless drudgery for wages that admit
no thought of rest or recreation." First
YWCA camp was at Asbury Park, Pennsylvania,
called Sea Rest.
1876—The first private
camp founded
Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothrock founds the North
Mountain School of Physical Culture near
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. For about $200,
boys from Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre
came for four months over the summer. The
idea was to take "weakly boys out into
camp life in the woods . . . so that the
pursuit of health could be combined with
the practical knowledge outside usual academic
lines"
(Dr. Rothrock).
1885—First YMCA camp
Summer F. Dudley and seven boys from the
YMCA in Newburgh, New York, go on a camping
trip. By 1891, there were eighty-three campers.
1900—First Boys'
Club camp
The Boys' Club in Salem, Massachusetts,
organized a seven-week summer camp and 76
boys attended. By 1930, more than 60 Boys'
Clubs conduct summer camp with approximately
26,088 campers attending.
 1910—The
American Camping Association (ACA) is founded
under the original name, Camp Directors
Association of America (CDAA), founder Alan
S. Williams creates a model and standardizing
influence for the organized camp experience
for the young. The CDAA merges with the
National Association of Directors of Girls'
Camps in 1924 and changes its name to the
Camp Director Association (CDA). In 1935,
the name is changed to the American Camping
Association.
1910—Boy Scouts of America
(BSA) founded. The first official BSA camp
was held at Silver Bay, Lake George, New
York.
1910—Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick
founded Camp Fire Girls—today known
as Camp Fire.
1912—First Girl Scout
camp
First Girl Scout camp was held in Savannah,
Georgia. Ever since the founding of Girl
Scouts in 1912, camp has played an important
role in the Girl Scout program. In 1922,
the organization decides to charter camps
throughout the country.
 1914—First
Camp Fire Girls camp
Approximately 500 Camp Fire Girls participate.
1926—The forerunner
of Camping Magazine, The Camp Directors'
Bulletin was founded. Camping Magazine
is the official publication of the American
Camping Association, under the authorization
of the National Board of Directors. Its
purpose is to inform and educate camp professionals
and others in related fields so they can
successfully serve their clientele.
1930—The name of
the magazine was changed to The Camping
Magazine.
1930's—National Park
Service develops Recreation Demonstration
Areas as part of the federal government's
work relief programs, the National Park
Service develops Recreation Demonstration
Areas, 34 of which are organized camp facilities
made available for lease by camp groups
that did not own camp grounds. These sites
are later turned over to state agencies,
particularly state parks.
1946—The title of
ACA's official publication, The Camping
Magazine, shifted to simply Camping Magazine.
 1948—ACA
adopts the Standards, which are the basis
for ACA camp accreditation. The ACA Standards
are recognized by courts of law and government
regulators as the standards of the camp
industry. There are currently 300 standards
for health, safety, and program.
1955—The ACA national
office moves to Bradford Woods in Martinsville,
Indiana.
1996—ASCAP agreement
reached
The American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers
(ASCAP), and the American Camping Association
make an agreement to let ACA-accredited
camps pay a small fee for all ASCAP licensed
music.
1996— United Way changes its focus
from an emphasis on numbers served to benefits
or outcomes achieved as a result of the
participation experience.
 1997—Emphasis
on Youth Development Outcomes of the Camp
Experience
In the mid 1990s the Search Institute begins
providing results of research in schools
on child and adolescent development, risk
prevention, and resiliency based on a framework
of forty developed assets, which are positive
experiences, relationships, opportunities,
and personal qualities that young people
need to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
1997—ACA begins to
integrate education on youth development
outcomes in all aspects of camp operations.
1998—The New York
Public School System initiates Breakaways
Creating a new model for public education,
our nation's largest public school system
incorporates camp into its curriculum.
The new focus on year-round learning adds
up to 28 days of nontraditional learning
during the summer and school-year breaks.
 1998—Camp
standards change to reflect the nature of
year-round camps. Many camps offer outdoor
education in partnership with schools as
part of the year round camp operation.
2001—ACA is awarded
a national research grant by the Lilly Endowment
based in Indianapolis, Indiana, to conduct
research to quantitatively assess the youth
development outcomes of the camp experience.
2004—Outcomes study
is completed and results are published.
2005—American Camp Association
rolled out new brand identity along with
their first national parent magazine, CAMP:
A Resource For Families, and a parent and
family Web site in English and Spanish--
www.CampParents.org.
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