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 call

Liaison program.  I will transcribe his plan for the board as it is as needed today as back then.

 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 with our new director giving a camp promotion 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 60s 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

Unirondack

Compiled by Dan Gottfried, Executive Director and Devin Hollands, Former Board President and Archivist

History

The New York State Convention of Universalists began Unirondack in 1946 as a place to hold summer

retreats and institutes for religious educators, ministers, congregation members, and youth. The

programs were held at rented locations until the purchase of the property on Beaver Lake in the

forever-wild Adirondacks in 1951. The institutes provided the opportunity for fellowship and spiritual

growth beyond the walls of the congregation, a precursor to today’s efforts to extend and enrich our

faith.

In 1961, after the merger of the Unitarian and Universalist faiths, the institutes were run by the St.

Lawrence UU District until 1966, when Unirondack was incorporated for “religious educational

purposes, including but not limited to the ownership and operation of one or more religious educational

camps and institutions embodying the religious ideals of Universalism”.

The spirit that is present at Unirondack today was evident from the very beginning. Something about

gathering in fellowship in a place of such astounding natural beauty nourishes the soul and feeds the

creation of a community that embodies our UU values.

Beginning that very first summer, Unirondack’s focused strongly on serving youth, a direction which

contributed to Unirondack becoming the only UU Camp and Conference Center that focuses primarily

on summer camp experiences for youth. That focus has, undoubtedly, contributed to Unirondack having

the highly developed and professionally run program that exists today.

The early days of Unirondack presented many challenges. The original property contained eight

buildings. Maintaining those buildings while simultaneously improving the facilities was economically

demanding and often beyond the economic resources of the fledgling camp. Those challenges resulted

in Unirondack developing a culture of volunteering that persists to this day.

Thanks in large part to that culture, Unirondack was able to meet the early need for more sleeping

spaces and a recreation hall despite having limited economic resources. Donors helped as well, and

throughout the camp rooms and buildings are named for those early contributors, which included

congregations and individuals. Four cabins in the woods, Smith, Zigmund, Woodman, and Chadwick and

the Gilman Recreation Hall were constructed between 1961 and 1966.

One of the unique aspects of Unirondack is that, since it resides in the “forever-wild” Adirondacks,

expansion is carefully regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency of New York State, and this regulation

has increased over the years. Therefore, after that early expansion, most of the improvements at camp

have been the renovation, repurposing and replacement of existing structures.

Like many Unitarian Universalist landed Camp and Conference Centers, Unirondack has also faced

challenges that threatened the continued existence of the camp. The greatest of these occurred in the

first summer camp session of 1976, when the main lodge, which housed the dining hall, burned down.

As often happens in times of crisis, the growing community of Unirondack supporters rallied together. A

plan was quickly made to repurpose the Gilman Recreation Hall as camp’s new dining hall. A kitchen was

installed, tables and chairs were purchased, and word went out that camp would continue that summer.

Eric Nasemann stepped in as Camp Director for the departing James Garbarino. His appointment was

followed in 1977 by the return of former Director, Joe Malkiewicz. Surprisingly, only one week of camp

was missed during that eventful summer.

Still, the loss of camp’s main lodge was devastating. It was a building of unsurpassed beauty, a favorite

place of many Unirondack campers, and in many ways the heart of the camp. For the next few years

registration for some sessions dropped, insurance monies received to replace the lodge dwindled to

cover operating expenses, and the Board of Directors was largely replaced. Thankfully, the strength of

Unirondack’s community enabled the camp to ultimately meet the challenge, and in 1980 a new lodge

was completed. It lacked the space for a dining hall and large recreational activities, and until 2011

The next 10-15 years after the lodge burned down were lean ones, but the summer camp program

continued to flourish, touching the lives of UU youth and families. The basic needs of the facility were

often met by withdrawing earnings from the $150,000 endowment that had been created for the camp

by the New York State Convention of Universalists. In the mid-80’s a fire pump system was installed in

the hope that future fire threats to the camp could be limited.

During Unirondack’s early history, leadership turned over often, although many people remained

involved over long periods as volunteers. In 1990, that began to change. Since 1990 Unirondack has had

two Camp Directors who served for extended periods, Nat Shed and the present camp Director, Kris

Fiore. In addition, the present Executive Director, Dan Gottfried, has served in one capacity or another

for 17 of the last 27 years and the Camp Manager in the Spring and Fall, Elizabeth Bashur, and Facilities

manager, Peter Howlett, have served for many years.

This unprecedented consistency in leadership, coupled with an extraordinary Board of Directors led by

Joyce Gilbert in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and Devin Hollands from 2007 to 2015, provided

Unirondack with the opportunity to grow into the flourishing camp it is today. Both the programs and

the facility are the realization of the dreams of the many people who have contributed to shaping and

reshaping the vision of Unirondack.

When campers return to the camp after many years away, the improvements are startling. The

showerhouse that was erected in 1966 is now a three story building with 10 bedrooms named after our

beloved cook Evelyn Anderson. The Gilman Dining Hall has been renovated and expanded, with

beautiful picture windows overlooking the lake. The Stevens Performing Arts Pavilion was built adjacent

to Beaver Lake in 2010. Three of the four original woods cabins have undergone renovations, including

an extensive and beautiful re-visioning of Chadwick. The Leining Infirmary was rebuilt completely. There

is a new septic system, a bathroom is lower camp, and a leech field. The Hollands Boathouse and

MacPhee Artshop have been transformed, completely restoring the original roof structure over the

water that had been partially removed in a 1978 renovation. Even the “new” lodge has new windows

and the wood floors that were not possible in the initial building.

The early years of joy and struggle have shaped Unirondack into a community of committed people who

understand what a unique resource for Unitarian Universalist children, families and adults the camp has

become. In recognition of this evolution, the member congregations voted in 2011 to change the camp’s

bylaws to open up voting membership to Unirondack alumni. Congregational members can now

combine in strength with all of the people whose lives Unirondack has changed.

A Place for UU Children

Unirondack is a community that is shaped and re-shaped each summer by its staff members, campers,

and volunteers. It offers some things in common with other summer camps: a beautiful lakeside setting,

a wide range of daily activities, family-style meals, and the chance to spend time away in the woods. But

what truly makes it unique is the energy, caring and creativity of the people who call Unirondack home.

Enrollment is small relative to other children’s camps, with approximately 15 counselors and 60 campers

in each of our youth sessions, allowing counselors to provide personal attention to campers, creating a

close-knit community. The exceptional young adults chosen to comprise the counseling staff receive

professional training in leadership, program planning and implementation, conflict resolution, child

development, safety and first aid, and methods of fostering an inclusive community.

Though Unirondack takes pride in the creativity and abundance of its activities, Unirondack is more than

its activities. It is a place where many people feel completely at home for the first time in their lives. At

Unirondack the values that are inherent in Unitarian Universalist principles—acceptance, compassion,

and decision-making through the democratic process, are lived every day..

Each camper matters. Counselors spend their days getting to know campers through shared activities,

long talks during cabin time, organized discussion groups, bursts of spontaneous fun, and that careful

learning about another person that takes time and patience. Like that great teacher one remembers

forever, campers hold dear the relationships they form with their counselors, and the friendships they

make with each other are meaningful ones that continue through the years.

Unirondack cherishes and affirms the uniqueness of each camper. The nerdy, the creative, the free-

spirited, the independent, the flamboyant, the hesitant, the shy, and the self-assured are all welcomed.

It is a place of personal safety—a place to flourish. It is a place where silliness is acceptable behavior and

fun is joined with learning. It is a place where campers get to do things they just don’t get to do during

their “normal” everyday lives. And in keeping with our UU identity, Unirondack is a place of self-

reflection and discovery.

Parents often report that their children have somehow changed over the summer, become more

confident, developed new skills, and learned things about themselves and others. They are surprised by

the tears on departure day from their child—often the same child who was doubtful camp was for him

or her.

Young people who have spent a weekend, a week or a summer at Unirondack yearn to return again and

again, for Unirondack is a special place — a community that allows each camper to be themselves while

being part of something greater.

A Place for UU Families and Adults

Many campers begin their journey at Unirondack by attending Family Camp in the summer or joining

their family for a weekend at camp. And many continue their journey by becoming staff members and

later attending one of Unirondack’s weekend programs for adults.

Family Camp is described by many parents as the ideal vacation. Activities are designed to give families

time together and time to indulge their individual interests. Special program guests combine with the

uniquely talented summer camp staff to provide stimulating programs that encourage personal growth,

appreciation of nature, and developing new skills. Recent programs have included theater, building

rustic furniture, exploring your personal theology, daily nature hikes, nightly campfires, and

extraordinary food.

In addition to summer programs for families, Unirondack offers weekend programs in the spring for

adults, including a Women’s Weekend, a Men’s Weekend, a weekend for Young Adults, and a Queer-

Straight Alliance weekend.

A Place for Congregations

Unirondack has never forgotten its roots. What started as a retreat space for religious leaders and

congregants continues to serve that purpose today. Every fall, four different congregations hold annual

retreats at the camp. The retreats provide participants with the opportunity to strengthen their ties to

each other and to our faith beyond the walls of the congregation.

Unirondack in the Words of Vee Abbitt: Parent, Board Member and Divinity School Student

My attachment to and appreciation for Camp Unirondack arises from several different perspectives. I

am a board member, a parent of a camper, a camper, and a ministerial candidate for the Unitarian

Universalist Association.

My son spent eight summers at Unirondack. . At Unirondack he developed many deep friendships and

experienced and cultivated a sense of community there that he never seemed to be able to in church. In

fact, even today, he feels more of a connection to Unirondack than he does to the denomination as a

whole

When he was a child and I asked him what made Unirondack so special, he never really expressed his

feelings in terms that made sense to my adult ears. But now he is a young man, living on his own, and I

recently asked him that same question. He put it something like this: “Unirondack is a place where all

different kinds of people come together. It doesn’t matter who you are. The sense of community is so

strong, it’s almost like it is not even real. It isn’t really possible to explain. It is something you have to

experience.”

I am so happy that he was able to have that sort of experience in his formative years. And I am even

more moved by his experience because I know that, as a person of color in this denomination, it is not

so common for us, including our children, to have spaces in which we really feel a complete sense of

inclusion. I think that Unirondack has had a tremendous impact on his development into the kind of

warm, sincere, honest and loving person that he is.

As an adult, I have only participated in work weekends and family camps, but while there I was able to

witness something very special. The sense of connection and warmth is palpable. The evening ritual of

campfire in which campers and staff, young and old, sit and share poems, stories and songs that have

meaning for them, is often more spiritual than many churches I have attended.

In addition to viewing the impact Unirondack has on not only children and youth, but on people of all

ages, through the lens that I have as a parent and a participant, I have also been able to give

consideration to the effect that Unirondack has on the larger community through the lens which I have

developed as a Unitarian Universalist and a divinity school student. Unitarian Universalism has a

profound and liberating message for seekers, and our congregations are, when at their best, welcoming

places for all people, no matter what their location in life. Unirondack embodies Unitarian Universalist

principles, and is a safe and nurturing place for those who spend time there.