1970s Summer Camp
Fernando Capelle
It was summertime in the early 1970s in New York City. Fifteen-year-old Jim LeBrecht boarded a school bus headed for the Catskill Mountains, home to Camp Jened, a summer camp for people with disabilities. As the bus approached the camp, he peered out the window at the warm and raucous group below.
Going to Jewish sleepaway camp was perhaps the most hyped up event of my childhood. Camp was a Big Deal; not only were many of my family friends already going to camp and having a blast, but my own dad tore it up in the Berkshires in the 1970s at the very same place I was about to be shipped off to.Stories of weird snacks, beautiful sunsets, and lifelong friends filled my younger years, making me more excited than ever to start attending sleepaway camp in the summer before my fifth grade school year.
As a hopeful 10-year-old, camp really did live up to my expectations. I made many new friends and had lots of fun making lanyards in the art shack and climbing the adventure tower. I also loved Shabbat services, a time where all of camp sat together to celebrate the end of the week with reflections and songs (in the only air-conditioned building on camp, which definitely helped). Even getting sick was okay; sometimes tough things happen at camp! And with many older sister figures around, I felt like I was getting absorbed into a new little summer family, all built on Jewish values of community and caring for one another.
Leaving was bittersweet, but more sweet with the promise of coming back. And I did. And I had fun, again not crying quite as hard as the rest of my campmates when it was time to leave. However, things changed a lot my third year.
Sadly, that next summer was even worse. In the height of bat mitzvah season, kids were as cliquey as ever, flaunting giveaways from parties they had been to together and carefully securing their future invitations. Yes, 13-year-olds did this. I made an effort to change things for myself, looking to meet new people, but friend groups had solidified, and I was solidly on the outside. I realized it was time to let go. Like all breakups, it was incredibly sad, but in this case, I knew it was for the best.
In the following years, summer always felt like it was missing something. I tried a theater sleepaway camp for one year, but it was just not the same. I began to get angry at the exclusive girls, angry at myself for letting the bullies win. I wondered what was wrong with me if my sister and other friends still loved camp and even went on to become counselors.
But in recent years, I realized that leaving camp taught me a lot about myself. By leaving that Jewish community, I found how important being with fellow Jews was to me. I had to do the work to find a more personalized Jewish community as I grew up, in my temple and later in my college Hillel.
I also learned to include the kids on the outskirts and never let myself be part of a clique. Later on in Psychology 111, I would learn that cliques are part of human nature, but of course, they can be curbed. I learned to check myself when I saw groupthink.
What I know now is that the problem with camp was not a problem with me. It was a product of unfortunate circumstances, of a particularly difficult group of kids put together, and hey, maybe a little about me. But leaving was not a sign of defeat; it was a moment of strength. I learned the valuable lesson of when to leave when something is not working, despite loyalties or attachments or family expectations. This is something so many of us, especially as women, struggle with as we grow up. To learn this lesson at such a young age is something I do not take for granted. I am very grateful for camp, for everything that it taught me, even in its absence.
Attending summer camp is a rite of passage for many young children and teenagers. While today's kids may balk at spending their days and nights at a place in the middle of the woods without WiFi, back in the 1970s and 1980s it was no big deal.
Interestingly, kids enjoyed a lot of the same things 40 to 50 years ago that they do today. Swimming, canoeing, and hiking continue to remain popular activities. Yet, somehow life was simpler back then. Check out what summer camps were like in the '70s and '80s...
In 1970, boys without fathers attended Bolton Camp and learned all about snakes from and other critters from counselors. The camp operated on a $150,000 grant to help both children and their moms "escape from city streets during hot summer days." This was a common theme in the '70s -- getting away from metropolitan areas to enjoy the country.
Animals were very popular camp attractions. Kids learned about various reptiles, birds, and other creatures in order to better understand the natural world around them. Camp was the perfect place to do that.
These children at Flamingo Park in Miami Beach, Fla., got a very special treat during summer camp in 1970. They were given baseball advice by former New York Yankees star Mickey Mantle. In this image, the ball player shows the kids how to bunt.
Mantle was one of the sport's best players and sluggers and is considered one of the greatest switch hitters in history. He visited the children at the camp one year after he retired. Mantle was the all-time leader in games played, with 2,401 until Derek Jeter broke his record on August 29, 2011.
These two young boys were Montessori pupils who attended day camp over the summer in 1970. The photo shows them playing with some four-legged friends during a visit to a farm. While some camps were overnight adventures, others accommodated kids for the daytime only.
It's not uncommon even today for children to attend a day camp and go on a field trip to a local attraction, such as a petting zoo or amusement park. Camps offer a variety of activities for kids to enjoy.
This photo from 1981 shows youngsters at Green Mountain Children's World involved in an intense game of hermit crab racing (which is also an intriguing spectator sport). The camp included a segment on American Indians, and Phillip Stepanek, 5, Eric Villanyi, 4, Malia Scow, 4, and Tun Tuni Chatterii, 4, all wore makeup to play the part.
In 1971, guitarist Bob Baker entertained children who were enrolled in a summer day camp operated by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Many of the campers were attending overnight camp for the first time in their lives. Shortly after this photo was taken, it rained heavily, and the kids had to take refuge in an auditorium.
The campers were also treated to sailing and plane rides. Back then, like today, there were specific camps geared towards children with disabilities, enabling them to have fun in the summer even if they have mental or physical disabilities.
One of the best things about summer camp is cooling off in cold water, regardless of the source. This photo from 1985 shows youngsters at the Island Canoe Camp on Toronto Islands acting as "Roman legionnaires" as they used paddle kick boards to protect themselves from their 16-year-old counselor, Troy Maillet, who sprayed them down with a hose.
Some things never change. Over 30 years later children still love being in the water and horsing around with hoses, sprinklers, kiddie pools, and water pistols. It's even more entertaining when an older counselor is involved in all the fun.
This photo is from Camp Chief Ouray. It depicts a young blonde boy wielding a hammer as his counselor and several other campers look on. We're not exactly sure why he was hammering that log, but it was likely part of an important project at the camp.
Many camps from the '70s and '80s involved educational experiences. Kids didn't simply hang around at the beach and play kickball. They also learned useful life skills, such as how to survive in the wilderness and build a fire.
Here is another photo from Camp Chief Ouray from 1978. It shows a bunch of campers at a lake. Several are gearing up for a boat and/or canoe ride by putting on life jackets. A couple of counselors are nearby to make sure the youngsters are safe and ready to go out on the water.
This photo is from Arvada Summer Day Camp in August 1976. It shows two North Jeffco recreation district staffers, Jerry Housel and Carolyn Adam, offering Indian dance instruction to a group of campers.
Many camps in the '70s had Indian-inspired names and included activities that included Native American themes. While they were probably all created with good intentions, today the appropriation of Native American names and places is frowned upon by most Americans.
These days, summer camp can be quite expensive and costs hundreds of dollars a week. Back in 1976, this adventure camp, sponsored by Scarborough's recreation and parks department, cost just $20 a week. It was geared towards kids ages seven to 14 and included a variety of activities, such as orienteering, hiking, crafts, and sports.
This photo shows a group of campers trying to beat the heat by playing in what appears to be a creek while taking a break from a nature study hike. The kids went to camp Monday through Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The great thing about camp is it exposes kids to things they may not normally get a chance to see and do. This photo from 1975 shows a couple of kids involved in Tetrahedral Kite Marking And Flying. Instructor Ruth Ann Lindblad presented the kite to John Amato and Tina Ninneman during an expanded summer playground and day camp program.
The art of flying kites seems to have been lost in today's hustle and bustle, which often includes electronic devices that absorb our attention. That's what makes summer camps so fun -- they make old-fashioned activities enjoyable.
In this image from 1970, a group of Girl Scouts received the keys to a new infirmary at camp near Rye, Colorado. The campers were Jane Day, Tracy Burch, and Mary Kay Reyhons. Al Link of the council camp committee presented the keys, and Pueblo people contributed money for the facility.
While it is a necessary amenity, no one likes to visit the infirmary during summer camp. Yet, there are many ways kids can get sick or hurt while attending camp, including falls, allergic reactions, bug bites, and more.
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