1949 through 1960s Board Minutes - Important Items pulled out by Archivist

Tonight I am reading minutes from meetings starting in 1949 and now through 1961. 

 Striking things are:  Jon Guilluame and former crew members offer to open up camp in 1962.  (Marc's

dad)  Sarah Hickock's  relative, aunt I think is mentioned as a staff member!  Dick Fitts outlines a

system promoting camp through the churches in 1960.. his outline is the exact program we called

Liaison program. 

The name Woodman for the newest cabin is suggested in 1960 after Dick woodman resigns as

director.

Dick Gilbert is important figure as program director and member of the Unirondack Commission

as they called themselves.  Also Lucille Smith, of Smith cabin is a big player.

Mentioned also is Mrs.  Cutter, Tom Cutter's mother, about 1953 I think...

1958 a SWEET Lodge Pavilion is suggested..  Which later is what was Gilman Rec. Hall.. before

we converted it to kitchen/dining. 

Suggested that the front porch of Sweet be ripped off and a large Recreation Hall be added to the

front of this building, taking wear and tear off the lounge and used for dancing, classrooms etc.

  I am not sure what they considered the Front Porch of Sweet...  but in the old configuration and

photos the only porch I see is the one we have outside Oneonta facing the lake.

Work was needed to: fix Sweet roof, repair boathouse foundation, repair sills on Sweet and

Overlook.  All reported in 1958...   Parts of the Sweet roof were still the old wood shingles until the

late 1980s, the boathouse was not fixed until it had to be ripped down in 1978, the sill of Overlook

was replaced in late 70s, Sweet sills were fixed up in the late 80s and 90s..

So it shows the slowness of repairs or the reoccurrence of problems.  They had negative budgets

in the old days so there was no money sitting around to fix anything, which is the way it stayed

until the 1990s.  The budgets in the 50s were like $1,500 per year total camp budget..

1957 $ for a fenced in play yard discussed.

1962 $500 budgeted to install a phone at camp.  Talk with the Fishers to allow such to take place.

1961 Jay Carncross to map property and present proposal and estimate for a recreation building

(Gilman Rec Hall)   and also 'blue sky' future planning

1962 suggested work at camp:

Rewire sweet and main lodge

rearrange toilets in upper sweet making permanent partitions and REMOVING bath tub

Convert lower Right side of Garage to dormitory, provide toilet

Move shop to one 1/2 of Leining lodge

Move staff lounge to other half of Leining

Jay's detailed map was used for considerable discussion of best location for the recreation

building.  Jay showed plans for a 32'x60'; structure with  a stage, two toilet rooms and a fireplace

location included near lodge so it would be used more, also connected to dining room for possible

expansion of dining, with a basement, taking advantage of the hill grade.

the possible DISPLACEMENT OF existing building ESP. LEINING!

estimate $10,000 to build..  no location selected at meeting.

Oct 1962 Jay shares plans for 28'x60' building best location so far is next to Sweet, provision for

future fire place included in plans.

Patterson Fund is given and we are to name a building Patterson.. income from fund to go to the

building fund.  OLD lodge had Patterson Porch, and this would explain that name. 

1960s idea to name rooms after churches to connect them to the camp came up. 

Jan 1961 In response to suggestion from campers the upper right Garage room (overlook) is

hereby named 'BIRCH'

Porch on Lodge officially named Patterson Porch

Jan 1964  voted that new rec hall would have stage but no extensions, no bathrooms, no

kitchenette, fireplace with stone inside and block outside, oil space heater, by deferring some of

these items to Later funds would be available for erecting two more cabins similar to the

Woodman to better house staff and faculty units or general campers.

March 13 Dick Fitts Mal ingison and Bob Payson would visit camp to mark exact location s of the

assembly building below and behind sweet and the cabins spaced near Woodman.

The commission recommends that the new assembly building to be built be named for Howard

Gilman 1/64

END OF MINUTE BOOK

When I was in our church giving a camp promotion with our new director Dick Fitts was at a table

across the way.  When he saw me setting up he said, "oh, giving a pitch for Unirondack?";  who

would have known the role he played before I was even born on our camp.

His name is all through the minutes in the early 1960s when things started to get serious and the

camp started to grow and develop.  His business like approach and no-nonsense efforts really

helped.

The Carncross brothers were at camp last fall installing a new fan and rewiring outlets in

Gilman... this in a building their father planned and dreamed up.

Take care,

Devin