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Another year is upon us and I’m delighted to hold the title as the President of the Camp Chingachgook Alumni Association again in 2011. 

For over 30 years, I’ve been involved with camp in some capacity.  I began as a camper, an aide, and then moved on to become a staff member.  I spent my staff years working in the Program Office; first as a Peon, Assistant Program Director and finally Program Director.  Presently, I’m a proud alumnus.  My camp code is: 78, 4, 4. For those who need a refresher, my first year was 1978; I spent four years as a camper and 4 years on staff. 

I am proud to report we’ve had continued success at YMCA Camp Chingachgook.  As YMCA Camp Chingachgook continues to grow, so do our goals and initiatives.  We have set the 2011 Plan of Action and we’re excited to accomplish our goals.  The plan can be found on the website, but here are a few of our goals for 2011: 

• Meet our membership and budget goals to best support camp;
• Support a Capital Campaign for:
  • Waterfront development
    • New waterfront headquarters building w/ YKNOT accessible deck.
    • The Steve Draper memorial trail, benches and gazebo.
  • Restoration of Cedar Lodge (the infirmary).
• Plan Camp Chingachgook’s 100^th anniversary in 2013;
• Look out for a book and DVD to commemorate this milestone.
• Launch the new Camp Chingachgook alumni website.
• Produce the Buck Mt. Bugle in early April/May.
• Continue the Phelps Farm program.

 I’m most excited to report the progress of the waterfront and to watch the development in 2011.  Permits and approvals are in for the construction of a new handicap accessible deck and waterfront headquarters structure.

 Chingachgook Alumni continues to offer financial aid to nearly 2,000 kids each year through the Reach out For Youth scholarship fund.  Please consider supporting our efforts at http://www.cdymca.org/give/rofy.aspx.

 With alumni help, the YMCA has invested over $4 million to improve the programs and facilities at Chingachgook in the last 20 years.  Let’s see those numbers grow!

 We’d like to have more regional ‘friend-raisers’ to keep past and present alumni connected to camp.  Are you interested in hosting one in your area?  Please drop me a line if you are interested or set something up and we’ll help spread the word.

 We hope you will join us for some of the alumni sponsored celebrations in 2011:

• Annual Winter Staff Reunion, Camp Chingachgook, January 8, 1PM
• Over 75 staff attended and enjoyed a winter day at camp.
• Please join us for a great slide show and appetizers. 
• Annual Winter Staff Reunion, Camp Chingachgook, January 7, 2012
• Ski GORE Mountain, March 5th
• Annual Work Weekends, Camp Chingachgook, April 23-24, November 5-6
• Friend-raiser in NYC, TBA
• Annual Summer Alumni Reunion, Camp Chingachgook, July 30

The Alumni Association has a lot to be proud of and a lot to celebrate.  We will continue worthwhile projects at camp and continue to reach out to more alumni that have a heartfelt connection with Chingachgook.  

With alumni help, we can pass Chingachgook from one generation to another, stronger and healthier than ever before.  It is a legacy worth preserving – and one that depends upon the accomplishments each one of you has helped us to achieve.  Give back to the camp that gave you so much. Won’t you please join us in helping Camp Chingachgook?  Your involvement through time or money is greatly appreciated. 

I hope to see you at a Chingachgook event SOON!

Deborah Katz

President

Camp Chingachgook Alumni Association

Introduction

Established in 1913, YMCA Camp Chingachgook on Lake George is one of the oldest children’s summer camps in the country. The 200-acre site in Pilot Knob, NY was first used in July and August as a Schenectady YMCA boys’ camp (and the Boy Scouts shared the site in the 1920s and 1930s). Simple tents were originally set up along the shore, while a few primitive structures were constructed over the next few decades. In 1922, Rotary Lodge was built as the first permanent structure and dining hall. In 1954, a new dining hall was built and Rotary Lodge became a program space. The camp’s programs grew in the 1960s and 1970s to include school outdoor education and family retreats.

In 1988, the Schenectady County YMCA retained the services of one of the leading camp planning firms in the country, Schmidt, Copeland, and Associates, to prepare a development plan for Camp Chingachgook. The plan was a result of the camp planning committee’s work with guidance from the Camp Chingachgook staff and the consultants, and was approved by the Chingachgook board of managers. The resulting document was used consistently for the next six years as two YMCA capital campaigns and alumni fundraising resulted in major improvements and upgrades at Chingachgook.

In 1994, the Camp Chingachgook board of managers once again reviewed the entire long-range facility and program plan with the support of the Capital District YMCA (the new parent organization resulting from the 1990 merger of the Schenectady, Albany, and Troy YMCAs). With changes and additions to the 1988 plan, the new master plan was followed closely as Chingachgook continued to grow with significant facility reinvestment. In 1997, Chingachgook became a year-round operation. Since 1998, over $2 million of improvements have been made at Chingachgook.

We are pleased to present the 2000 Long-Range Plan of Site Development at Chingachgook. This plan is a result of extensive review of the 1988 and 1994 plans by the facility committee. This new conceptual plan has been carefully reviewed and unanimously approved by the facility committee, Chingachgook Alumni Association Council, the Chingachgook staff, and the Chingachgook board of managers in September, 2000.

Special acknowledgement is given to the LA Group of Saratoga Springs, NY. Their state-of-the-art Geographic Information Systems (GSI) Department produced all the maps in this document and provided many in-kind resources. Special thanks goes to Richard Neet, GSI specialist; Richard Weber, director of GSI; and Michael Ingersoll, principal.

Chingachgook’s volunteer and staff partnership is very excited about our accomplishments, our momentum, and our vision for the future. We appreciate your review and feedback on the plan.

The Chingachgook Facility Committee
Michael Ingersoll, chair
Gary August
John Barnes
John Cerrito
Jim Dunham
Wayne Freihofer
Owen Neitzel
Mark Ryan
Barry Relyea, Capital District YMCA vice president
Brian Thompson, Chingachgook property manager
George Painter, Chingachgook executive director

Program Statement – Who we are, What we do

Mission

The Capital District YMCA Camp Chingachgook is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the promotion of fitness and healthy life styles, strengthened family life, community development, the instilment of leadership qualities in our young people, and strengthened international understanding based upon Judeo-Christian principles.

Program Vision

The development process is a system for determining the needs of the YMCA, the resources available to meet those needs, and the plan of action to fulfill those needs. This planning process helps clarify the goals and vision of the YMCA and establish priorities. Since 1988, the total vision for Chingachgook has been to direct the Camp into the future by turning a summer resident camp into a regional year-round outdoor center. That vision has now been accomplished. It has always been the goal to preserve the history, tradition, and personality of the Camp, while incorporating a newness and versatility into the facilities that will propel Chingachgook into the coming decades.

We are presenting an updated version of all future projects in phases for this new site development master plan. The phases are flexible to respond to changing YMCA objectives and funding sources.

Prior to 1988, the evolution of the Chingachgook site may be summarized as response to a demand. Facilities were constructed in the next available area without an overall camp development plan. Program and operational areas were mixed with camper housing in a random pattern of development.

With this 12-year planning process, we have reorganized Chingachgook’s site. The greatest physical asset of the Camp is Lake George and the abundant natural resources it provides. Currently, both the access and view at the lake are monopolized by camper housing and operational facilities in the form of staff housing and boat storage/maintenance. In addition, the present arrangement requires the summer campers to pass through the senior boys’ private space in order to gain access to the waterfront. The three other camper units have been built back on the property on the fringe of program space and offset from major pedestrian paths. These units maintain easy access to the program areas, yet retain a sense of privacy, community, and openness. This plan recommends moving the Senior Boys’ Unit according to the 1988 and 1994 Camp development plans.

The basic concept of this site master plan is to develop a program corridor that extends from the waters of Lake George to the activity and sports fields on the lower slopes of Buck Mountain. As campers move through the Camp, they circulate past various programs on their way to their selected activities. Housing units occupy the fringes of the program corridor with girls’ units on the south side and boys’ units on the north side. With natural and visual separations of the units by topography and vegetation, the new alignment of housing offers a more efficient, even distribution and utilization of the site. The unit locations provide easy access to all program areas and maintain separation and privacy to each grouping.

The following plan for growth is presented in three phases with maps detailing, in concept, where projects should be located.