ygny0009 YMCA OF GREATER NEW YORK CAMPING SERVICES An Inventory of Its Records Finding aid prepared by Louise Merriam. University of Minnesota Libraries 2006

University of Minnesota Libraries Minneapolis, MN 55455

EAD encoding by Louise Merriam, 2006. English OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION University of Minnesota. Kautz Family YMCA Archives. [ymca] YMCA of Greater New York. Camping Services. Greater New York YMCA Camping Services records. 1905-1992. Y.GNY.009 Collected minutes, planning documents, correspondence about property and budgets, brochures and flyers, and materials from individual camps run by the YMCA of Greater New York. 3.5 cubic feet (7 boxes) See Detailed Description section for box listing. English HISTORY OF YMCA OF GREATER NEW YORK CAMPING SERVICES

Camping with the YMCA of Greater New York began in 1903 with a camp in Putnam County, New York. For the next twenty seven years, camping activities in New York were organized by the individual branches. Around 1930, a committee was established to oversee camping operations. This committee was replaced in 1945 by the newly-created Camping and Outing Branch of the New York YMCA. In 1968 oversight of camping operations was placed with the Camping Services Department within the administration of the New York YMCA. In 1972 camping oversight was shared with the YWCA through the joint YMCA-YWCA Camping Services. These and other organizational changes reflect efforts of the camping operations within the YMCA to position themselves to deliver effective services to a changing urban population. Through the years, the camping programs evolved to meet the needs of New York children. For example, Camp Greenkill, one of the Huguenot Camps in the Hudson River Valley, became an environmental education camp around 1980.

In the 1970s, the YMCA began to place more emphasis on day camps, reflecting societal changes which encouraged the introduction of all day structured programs close to home. Evaluation of camping programs began to include review of camp counselor qualifications along with rating of buildings, grounds, and programs.

(Information taken from The YMCA at 150: A History of the YMCA of Greater New York, 1852-2002 by Pamela Bayless, 2002; and from An Event on Mercer Street, by Terry Donoghue, 1951; and from typed notes on the history of YMCA of Greater New York camping by G.S. Bilheimer and others, 1939, in the collection. )

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION

The Camping Services records consist of planning materials and reports, primarily from the 1960's and 1970's; brochures and flyers, some from the period 1900-1910, with the majority from the 1970's and 1980's; annual reports from the early 1960's; material from individual camps covering the period 1903 through the 1980's; general correspondence, primarily about finances and property, from the 1950's and 1970's; and Board of Managers and Camping Services Council minutes from scattered years from 1952 through 1992.

ORGANIZATION/ARRANGEMENT OF THE RECORDS

These documents are organized into the following series:

Annual Reports. Correspondence. Miscellaneous Camp Brochures and Flyers. Reports and Proposals. Board of Managers. Individual Camps. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Use of Materials:

This collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright, ownership, and to obtain all the necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. YMCA of Greater New York Camping Services Records. YMCA of Greater New York. Kautz Family YMCA Archives. University of Minnesota.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Processing Information:

Processed by: Louise Merriam, July 2006.

Catalog Record ID number: 4890613

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

The following section contains a detailed list of the materials in the collection. To request materials, please note the corresponding box number.

Annual Reports 1 Annual reports, 1950, 1961-1962. 2 folders. Board of Managers 5 Board of Managers minutes, 1952-1953. 6 Board of Managers minutes, 1965-1968, 1990-1992. 2 folders. 6 Camping Services Council minutes, 1968-1983, 1985-1986, 1991-1992. 11 folders. 1 YMCA/YWCA Camps Task Force minutes, 1975. Brochures 3 Fund raising benefit programs, 1977, 1987. 3 Brochures, 1980-1990. 2 folders. 1 Brochures, 1960-1980. Camps 2 Camp Pratt brochures, 1916, 1936. 4 Camp Brooklyn annual reunion, 1927. 4 Camp Brooklyn brochures, 1903-1904, 1940s. 4 Camp Brooklyn Committee, 1965. 4 Camp Brooklyn correspondence, 1905-1920. 2 folders. 4 Camp Brooklyn daily program schedule, circa 1960. 4 Camp Brooklyn property appraisal, 1969. 4 Camp Brooklyn real estate appraisal, circa 1974. 4 Camp Brooklyn site plan map, ca. 1974. 2 Camp Custer brochures, 1950-1960. 2 Camp Custer proposal, 1958. 2 Camp Custer report, 1944. 2 Camp Dudley, 1907-1910. 2 Camp Dudley Association News, 1985. 2 Camp Glenwood brochures, 1914-1915. 2 Camp Greenkill memorabilia, 1963. 2 Camp Greenkill sports pavilion, 1972-1973. 2 Camp Idlewood brochure, 1910. 2 Camp Massapeack brochure, 1915, 1931. 2 Camp McAlister brochures, 1950s-1960s. 2 Camp McAlister brochures and correspondence, 1960s-1970s. 2 Camp McAlister report, 1960. 2 Camp Oscawana brochures, 1914, 1916. 2 Camp Oscawana correspondence, 1909. 2 Camp Pratt final report, 1960. 2 Camp Sloane brochure, 1937. 2 Camp Talcott staff reports, 1960. 4 Camp Waccabuc (later Camp Brooklyn) brochures, 1903-1904. Day Camps: 7 Brochures and announcements, 1961-1962. 7 Directory, 1966, 1968-1969. 7 Eastern District program materials, 1977-1980. 7 Eastern Queens planning documents, 1977-1980. 7 Flushing planning documents, 1977-1982. 7 Greenpoint financial reports, 1977-1979. 7 Harlem program evaluation, 1977-1978. 7 McBurney program evaluation, 1977-1979. 7 Prospect Park program evaluation, 1978-1982. 7 Staten Island program evaluation, 1979-1981. Huguenot Camps: 2 Annual golf and tennis outing, 1975. 2 Brochures, 1940s-1970s. 3 folders. 2 Maps and drawings, undated. 2 Volleyball center brochures, 1960s-1970s. Correspondence 1 Camping and Outing Branch correspondence, 1955, 1958-1959,1964-1967. 3 Camping and Outing Branch, correspondence, 1974-1976. Reports and Proposals 1 "Camp Quanicut and Related Services: A Proposal," 1975. 1 Camping and Outing Branch, branch history, 1939. 1 Camping and Outing Branch safety survey, 1962, 1967. 1 Camping Services development plan, 1974. 3 Camping Services proposals, 197[1], 1974-1975. 3 Enrollment report, 1982. 3 Fund report, 1972. 3 Ledlie recommendations, 1962. 3 Physical fitness in camps, 1963. 1 Planning committee report, 1959, 1965. 1 Report of Study and Planning Committee, 1959. 1 Reports and proposals, 1962-1968. 3 "Study of Camping Services," by John C. Ledlie, 1962. 3 Summary of major challenges, 1971. 1 Master Plan: Resident Camps, 1966. 1 15 Years of Development, 1942-1956, 1956. INDEX TERMS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Camps -- New York (State). Camping -- History. Camps -- Management. Day camps -- New York (State) -- New York. Young Men's Christian associations -- New York (State) -- New York. Organizations: YMCA of Greater New York. Camping Services. YMCA of Greater New York. Camping and Outing Branch. Occupations: Camp counselors.