Tonight I am reading minutes from meetings starting in 1949 and now through 1961. Striking things are: Jon Guilluame and former crew members offer to open up camp in 1962. (Marc's dad) Sarah Hickock's relative, aunt I think is mentioned as a staff member! Dick Fitts outlines a system promoting camp through the churches in 1960.. his outline is the exact program we call Liaison program. I will transcribe his plan for the board as it is as needed today as back then. The name Woodman for the newest cabin is suggested in 1960 after Dick woodman resigns as director Dick Gilbert is important figure as program director and member of the Unirondack Commission as they called themselves. Also Lucille Smith, of Smith cabin is a big player. Mentioned also is Mrs. Cutter, Tom Cutter's mother, about 1953 I think... 1958 A SWEET Lodge Pavilion is suggested. Which later is what was Gilman Rec. Hall.. before we converted it to kitchen/dining. Suggested that the front porch of Sweet be ripped off and a large Recreation Hall be added to the front of this building, taking wear and tear off the lounge and used for dancing, classrooms etc. I am not sure what they considered the Front Porch of Sweet... but in the old configuration and photos the only porch I see is the one we have outside Oneonta facing the lake. Work was needed to: fix Sweet roof, repair boathouse foundation, repair sills on Sweet and Overlook. All reported in 1958... Parts of the Sweet roof were still the old wood shingles until the late 1980s, the boathouse was not fixed until it had to be ripped down in 1978, the sill of Overlook was replaced in late 70s, Sweet sills were fixed up in the late 80s and 90s.. So it shows the slowness of repairs or the reoccurrence of problems. They had negative budgets in the old days so there was no money sitting around to fix anything, which is the way it stayed until the 1990s. The budgets in the 50s were like $1,500 per year total camp budget.. 1957 $ for a fenced in play yard discussed. 1962 $500 budgeted to install a phone at camp. Talk with the Fishers to allow such to take place. 1961 Jay Carncross to map property and present proposal and estimate for a recreation building (Gilman Rec Hall) and also 'blue sky' future planning 1962 Suggested work at camp: • Rewire sweet and main lodge, rearrange toilets in upper sweet making permanent partitions and REMOVING bath tub, convert lower right side of garage to dormitory, provide toilet, move shop to one 1/2 of Leining, move staff lounge to other half of Leining Jay's detailed map was used for considerable discussion of best location for the recreation building. Jay showed plans for a 32'x60' structure with a stage, two toilet rooms and a fireplace location included near lodge so it would be used more, also connected to dining room for possible expansion of dining, with a basement, taking advantage of the hill grade. The possible DISPLACEMENT OF existing building ESP. LEINING! Estimate $10,000 to build. No location selected at meeting. Oct 1962 Jay shares plans for 28'x60' building best location so far is next to Sweet, provision for future fire place included in plans. Patterson Fund is given and we are to name a building Patterson.. income from fund to go to the building fund. OLD lodge had Patterson Porch, and this would explain that name. 1960s Idea to name rooms after churches to connect them to the camp came up. Jan 1961 In response to suggestion from campers the upper right Garage room (overlook) is hereby named 'BIRCH' Porch on Lodge officially named Patterson Porch Jan 1964 Voted that new rec hall would have stage but no extensions, no bathrooms, no kitchenette, fireplace with stone inside and block outside, oil space heater, by deferring some of these items to Later funds would be available for erecting two more cabins similar to the Woodman to better house staff and faculty units or general campers. March 13 Dick Fitts Mal ingison and Bob Payson would visit camp to mark exact location s of the assembly building below and behind sweet and the cabins spaced near Woodman. The commission recommends that the new assembly building to be built be named for Howard Gilman 1/64

I spent portions of ten summers at Unirondack as I was growing up. A loner in elementary and middle school, I was a misfit nonconformist who didn’t form friendships easily. Going to Unirondack the first summer was not my idea, and I went unwillingly. Thereafter, during three years of Junior Camp (I think it was called), I found Unirondack was a place to meet new and interesting kids and adults who were unlike the jocks and greasers and children of university professors in my schools, with whom I had little in common. That first year, I didn’t want to go home.

Three more years of World Citizenship Camp extended my horizons, where most of the counselors were college students from foreign countries, and a couple Native Americans. We learned about life in other cultures and, just to explore the differences and similarities. So much openness and tolerance of differences! So unlike the pubic schools and social groups I was exposed to at home. One year, we even had a one-day takeover of the camp by an autocratic leader, who restricted our freedoms and ordered us about. Counterinsurgency was nearly immediate. Graphic experiment, points well taken. When it was over, the counselors asked us what it felt like, and told us about life in their home countries where conditions were similar. What a spectacular “teaching moment!” Those years, when camp was over, I never wanted to go home.

And then three more years of LRY camp, experimenting with making our own rules, and taking the consequences of staying up all night, finding out that freedom has costs if poor decisions are made. Kids just being kids, harming no one. Whose idea was it to allow us to make our own little mistakes, and to learn from them on our own terms? Howie Gilman? Lucille Smith? “Hermione” (Ellen) Hamilton? How fortunate we were to meet such people. They had more faith in us than their parents did. We survived, and we learned about ourselves, about humanity, about tolerance, things we didn’t learn about in our schools. I looked forward to Unirondack every summer. Unirondack brought me back. I don’t know, but despite LRY, people tell me I turned out alright. I think most of us did.

Arts and crafts upstairs in the boathouse, with opportunities to be creative and see what happened. No grades, no risk, just fun. Outdoors, exploring that incredible Adirondack environment during swimming and boating periods, and on hikes up the river, was idyllic. The piney smell, sand, and water flowing slowly by. Exploring that clean air and water on the Beaver River Flow helped shape my later career interest in the environment. And those nights by the campfire, gazing up at the stars, singing and listening to stories, just pushed the imagination into new universes. “Peace, I ask of thee oh river….”

Unirondack was such a supportive environment that it was easy to relax and be comfortable learning about the other campers and their lives and ideas. What I remember most was the last day of camp, waiting in the main lodge or on the patio outside for parents to drive up and take our friends away. Many campers hung around there because we didn’t want them to go before saying goodbye. It was a good measure of the value of the experience, every year, that nobody seemed to want to go home. Tears flowed freely that day, every year, knowing we might not see special friends again. Nobody wanted it to end.

Nearing retirement now I can say the few friends I still have from those years at Unirondack are the best friends in my lifetime. They’re not many, but one lives in the same city I live in today. Our lives went in different directions for many years until by chance our paths crossed again, when we found ourselves living a few blocks from each other. Because of the depth of shared experience, it was like we had just seen each other the day before. Kids grown and gone, we see each other often. She goes home to Syracuse once or twice each year, not to see family (who are all gone), but to see friends from Unirondack and LRY. Sometimes they visit here in Maine.

Unirondack is a place of discovery, where urban kids really discover the outdoors; where youth learns new things about oneself at key moments in life; where lifelong friends are found and learn what friendship, tolerance, self-determination, and self-respect mean. How do we place a value on that experience? How can we not want others kids to have similar opportunities, if only for a week or two each summer?

“Hermione” thought it was all good, and fought like hell, with too little help, to find financing for a new building when the old Main Lodge burned down. She was a temporary Mom to many in our extended family, as she was to me. She touched many lives at Unirondack, and through LRY, and her role in the St. Lawrence District, and on the national UUA Board. She thought Unirondack was important, was worth fighting for, for the kids. So do I.

—Michael S. Hamilton, former Unirondack camper, now Professor of Political Science, University of Southern Maine

As a kid I remember looking forward to two weeks at camp Unirondack each summer. I would slog through my spring school work counting the days. I would learn songs on the guitar with one thought: ‘I could play this song at campfire.’ I learned how to swim with the primary goal of passing the swim test in Beaver Lake. I know this seems a little over the top, as if everything in my life each year revolved around being at Camp Unirondack for two weeks … but in a way, that is exactly how it was.

Sure there were other places in my life (like my church youth group) where I could really be myself and feel accepted. But Unirondack was different, it lasted longer and it went deeper. I read somewhere that most people, when asked to specify moments of spiritual transformation or deepened religious identity, will indicate times at church camps and church retreats. Camp Unirondack was exactly that sort of experience for me as a youth – through the open and accepting atmosphere I grew into myself.

I was on staff when I was 18 (music and drama counselor) and then spent the entire summers of ’98 and ’99 at Unirondack as Camp Chaplain. I have returned several times to volunteer for a week as Theme Leader or Co-Leader. My mother also attended as a youth camper and as an adult volunteer. My children have attended as campers. Unirondack is part of our family. As a minister now serving in the Binghamton, NY UU church, I take personal satisfaction in hearing from families about their positive experiences when they attend Camp Unirondack.

What is so valuable about Unirondack? It is the way we create an intentional community built around the Unitarian Universalist principles of compassion and respect. It is the way fun and creativity are woven into everything we do. It is the way we build lasting bonds with others from around the district (and beyond!) It is the way we create a place of openness and acceptance – so rare in our regular living – that nourishes the growth of our youth.

—Douglas Taylor, former Unirondack camper and staff member, Now Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Binghamton, NY

I grew up at camp unirondack some many many years ago. I’ll date my self. I’m 47yrs old and I remember going there from the age of 10 till I was about 15 maybe 16. I loved that camp and still do. The people there helped me a lot. Family camp was fun but going with just my sister was great also. It was nice to have time from my dad and be with other kids my own age. I do not know what to say other then thank you all for keeping such a wonderful camp alive so that other kids and families can go. I believe one of my favorite things we did was the Scavenger Hunt. Where as teams we had to find stuff and complete things to get to the big prize. We had to carry greased watermelons out of beaver lake and burn the string on a clue but try not to burn the clue. What a wonderful time. Tipping the canoe or shooting the rapids was also great. Thank you again for all the great time we had as teens and as a family.

—Madeline Walker-foley, former Unirondack Camper