During April vacation camp this week, campers explored the history of Camp Burgess & Hayward. The campers and staff gained an appreciation for the history of camp by using photos, brochures, and other materials for various projects. First, the group created a timeline from the 1920’s to present. Then they divided into smallergroups to discuss a specific era of camp. Some of the highlights included a Burgess Hymnal from the 1930’s, the camp uniforms of the 1960’s, and a photo from the riflery range in the 1970’s.

Campers then wrote about what has stayed the same at camp and what things have changed. Here is what one of participants wrote:

“I think throughout the years camp has changed in a possidive way. Camp has always provided hopeful kids with a fun time but now the activities have improved to make greater varietys of children enjoy more activities. with this change comes more opportunitys to attract larger amounts of campers. And with more campers means more happy people. Camp is a place where people get to be who they are without judgement. So when camp was just for the boys the girls came into camp the girls got the opportunity to attend camp and they were extatic!” (sic)

Other campers chose to express the changes they saw in diagrams and poems. Here is a Venn diagram of the similarities and differences between camp today and years past.

Do you have any great photos of camp? Send them to us camp@ssymca.org

By Jessie Williams, Camp Hayward Director