Looking Back, Decades Ago...
by G.Steven Draper
1980 Campers can earn a Professional Skier Award card by completing
the following: 1. Meet requirements for American Water Ski Association Expert Class; 2. Perform 12
consecutive cuts on a slalom ski; 3. Drop and slalom on a trick ski; 4. Demonstrate a 360 degree turn on
trick skis; 5. Jump the wake on one ski; 6. "Hot Dog" start; 7. Water start. The waterfront staff also
institute award cards for campers who swim one, two and five miles during their stay at Camp. Alumni
Association holds a clambake at Camp in September as it tries to organize; 35 people attend. Rate for
Schenectady County Boys or Girls is $210.00 for two weeks. George W.Baxter, Director.
1970 Last year of buses transporting campers to camp.
1960 The Schenectady YMCA holds a contest where former campers can win
prizes by signing up new campers. Director Andrew C.Brethauer noted that former campers "always have been
the camp's best salesmen and they account for the large percentage of each year's new campers". Campers
who signed up one new camper received a Chingachgook T-shirt, a camping flashlight for a second, and a
Chingachgook sweatshirt for a third. First prize for enrolling the most campers was a transistor radio
(not allowed at Camp today) and second prize was fielder's mitt. In the case of a tie, an essay contest on
"What Chingachgook Means to Me" was held. Former Director Dick Doty's The Character Dimension of Camping
is published. Bob Jetter is name program director. Schenectady Gazette article profiles Pierce Jones,
Chingachgook's maintenance director since 1954, and his two assistants Harvey Ekins and Fred Shepard.
Chingachgook hosts two counselors from austria and one from India:Ernst Steiner, Josef Niedermuller, and Kiritkumar
Desai. On August 6, The Gazette reported the election in the Intermediate Unit of James Horowitz as governor, David
Rockwell as inspector general, and David Hatkoff as postmaster general.
1950 Nearly 100 boys are turned away after registration is completed by the
end of April. The end of season report notes that "making the health and accident insurance compulsory
was a good move, and as the staff and all boys were insured, there was less worry and more assurance of care and
treatment without financial burden". Two new cabins and a new staff tent constructed in the Junior Camp,
knotty pine placed on the fireplace wall in Rotary Lodge. A new electric slicer was bought, which
"proved to be an excellent time, money and temper-saver".
1940 Chingachgook staff numbers 29 including Marinus T.Easton, director and
Morris C.Miller, associate director. In addition to counselors, other staff positions included: quartermaster,
camp doctors, dining room steward, banker/storekeeper/librarian, and cook. Henry Huang, a Chinese student at
Harvard, is guest counselor. Excerpts from the Director's Report: "The State Board of Health has asked us to
consider the Chlorination of the water supply... the largest number of visitors in recent years came to camp on
the Fourth. An unofficial count recorded 400 visitors.. The Mother's Club played an additional part in the
camp this year by presenting us with a war canoe". The Rotary Club of Scotia sent three boys to Camp and Schenectady
Rotary sent six.
1930 Prior to the opening of Camp, a party of workmen constructed an addition to the
lodge that housed the dishwashing facilities, storage space, rearporch and unloading platform. [Remember the old
craft shop and darkroom?]. "Considerable improvement was noted in the meals. Before deciding upon the menu, a committee
of six mothers was consulted and the suggestions made were greatfully accepted by the camp director [Horace F.Shepard]
and the chefs [Mr.and Mrs.Jack Halliday]. ...On July the 16th Dr.A.G.Guerard of the State Department of Health was
guest of the camp and spoke to the boys on matters relating to hygiene. Mr.John Clark of the New York Telephone Co.
entertained the camp on one occassion with moving pictures
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