A Brief History of Camp Susquehanna Camp Susquehanna and Camp Equinita were private children's summer camps located near the town of New Milford, PA, in the Endless Mountains region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Camp Susquehanna was founded in 1919 by Robert T. Smith at Wading River, Long Island. Ten years later the camp was moved to its New Milford location where it became "A Mountain Camp for Boys".
By 1960, the camp was operating with a complement of 45 staff members
and over 100 campers. Mr. Smith put the Camp up for sale and it was purchased
by Ken and Joy Schroder
in 1962. Mr. Schroder co-directed the camp with Mr. Smith for the '63
and '64 seasons. Campers enjoyed recreational and educational activities
with a program centered on horsemanship. The previous owner experienced a case of seller's remorse and made attempts to bankrupt the camp's new owners. He bad-mouthed the new owners and criticized the condition of the facilities, the same ones that he had previously showed off so proudly. He went
so far as to write a personal appeal to all of the camp families
questioning the "intent and integrity" of the new owners. At one point he
offered to buy back the camp at a small fraction of the original sale price. The
Schroders persevered and attempted to put the matter behind them but the
defections had lasting effects both financially and on the morale of the camp. The new owners adapted the program to the changing desires of campers. Ken
and Joy discovered enough interest existed to start a camp for girls. In an effort to boost
enrollment and broaden the appeal of camp, the first season of Camp Equinita was
held in the summer of 1969 with sixteen pioneering young girls and
seven counselors.
In the post-sexual revolution of the late '70s, the proximity of the girls and boys camps, combined with
mid-teen awareness, became a hormone driven issue that could not be ignored. In an effort to purge
the camps of unnecessary influences, Ken and Joy discontinued the counselor-in-training
(CIT) program and limited the upper age of campers to 15 years of
age. This had two major effects. The first and desired result was to eliminate
many of the instigators. A less fortunate effect was that it also eliminated 20% of the enrollment.
Although the reduction in enrollment had a similar effect on revenue,
it made the operation more logistically manageable. Having restored a sense of order to the ranks, returning 16-year-olds were allowed to attend the following season. Many people believed that enrollment reduction was a bad thing. The Schroder's felt that it was a reasonable compromise for the alternative and that it made the camp environment more family-like. Campers from the eighties agree that being at camp was truly like being part of a large family. The camp had evolved from a militaristic model to an extended family of horse and camp lovers, though some things such as bugles and nomenclature remained. Enrollment at most resident summer camps started trailing off dramatically in the mid-80's. The cost of liability insurance premiums and labor drove up tuition as camps became more expensive to operate. Parents began to have more choices for their children's summertime activities. According to the American Camping Association, the number of day camps started growing in 1982 and grew 90% over the following 20 years. Local communities also began offering attractive summer programs for children, and families started spending more time vacationing together. In 1984, the decision to discontinue advertising the camps was made. The final season in 1985 saw 22 girls and only 4 boys. Just as the many years had been before, it was a terrific and memorable summer. The camp property has since been sold-off. Those wishing to visit the property will be surprised to see the recent transformation into a campground called "The Camp at East Lake", and will likely be disappointed to see the development which has taken place on the surrounding land. It is good to see the property continue to provide recreation and memories for more people. And if you wander around a bit, you can still feel the magic. All of the changes the area has been through over years has not diminished the memories and dreams of the thousands of children and counselors who attended the camps over the years. Barely a day goes by that I don't have a memory of camp. Of course I am surrounded by constant reminders, but people always tell me they have frequent thoughts of camp. Whenever I think of camp, it is nice to think that someone else might be having a similar thought at that same moment. Most years I forget to light my candle at New Year's, but I always remember camp and I think of those I know who faithfully lit theirs for years.
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