The Cal Alumni Association was founded in 1872 with the primary purpose of serving alumni of the University of California, Berkeley so that they in turn will provide support for the University. Since its founding, CAA has experienced substantial growth in both the size and scope of its activities. Currently, it has a membership totaling approximately 100,000, one of the largest in the nation.
The Cal Alumni Association is one of the few independent alumni associations in the nation. It is self governed by a Board of Directors elected from the membership and generates its own sources of income. The major sources of income are revenues from business partnerships, the sale of life and annual memberships, the Lair of the Golden Bear, California magazine advertising, and the Cal Discoveries Travel Program.
The efforts of a few key individuals have given the Lair its strong foundation. The first Executive Director of the Cal Alumni Association, Robert Sibley, conceived a facility where Cal alumni could vacation together and share a common love for nature and the University of California. After a challenging camp experiment near Mt. Shasta in 1948, the Association acquired a YMCA property called Camp McCoy near Pinecrest, CA. In the summer of 1949, Camp McCoy became the Lair of the Golden Bear, Camp Gold, and thus the Lair as we know it was born. In 1957, Camp Blue was opened to accommodate the growing demand for our unique family camp experience. In 1996, CAA purchased Camp Pinebrook, a camp adjacent to Camp Gold and renamed it Camp Oski in 1999. Today, Camps Blue, Gold and Oski provide memorable family vacations for more than 9,000 campers each summer. Mike Koll, a former Cal forester and baseball pitcher, served as the first Lair Director from 1949-1984. Ray Bosch, a student staffer from 1960-1965, succeeded Mike Koll in 1984.
Among the first of its kind in the United States, the Lair continues to serve as a model for similar facilities across the country. The intensely loyal following of campers and staffers alike has established a remarkable camaraderie and strong sense of family that the Lair will forever enjoy.
The Lair has an impressive heritage and plays a vital role in the University community. As a staff member, you have an opportunity to contribute to it in a positive way. We hope that your experience as a Lair staffer will be both productive and rewarding.