Will Bettmann, Director

I was speaking with a camp supporter the other day about my experience as an intern principal at a dual-language elementary school, which typically admits around 50% native Spanish speakers and 50% native English speakers. One of the things that stood out to me the most about the school was that both Caucasian and Hispanic students benefitted tremendously from being together, in terms of language acquisition, cultural exposure, and emotional and social growth. We have all heard the idea of America as a “melting pot” for immigrants from all over the world. But I worry that too many Americans don’t understand the value and the joy of interacting with people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. They are robbing themselves of what the students at my dual-language school experienced and they are also ignoring a crucial fact of America, which is that immigrants have always been absolutely critical to this country

We are at a very strange inflection point right now in terms of acknowledging that much of America’s history leading all the way to the present moment is stained with racism. Many businesses are “talking the talk,” but it is clear that in order for there to be sustained, positive change leading to a more just and equitable society, more businesses and institutions are going to have to “walk the walk.”

I want to use this paragraph to talk about two ways we were planning to walk the walk this summer and how we will implement those same (or largely similar) programs in 2021. The first is still in its early stages, but it draws on the long history of Camp Regis Applejack as a place where kids from all races and religions could come together in equality. During the Freedom Summer of 1964, a number of young people headed to Mississippi to work on voting rights among other important issues. Although African-Americans in Mississippi technically had the right to vote, in practice widespread intimidation and institutional barriers effectively prevented them from voting. Three of the young activists, Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner were murdered that summer by white supremacists. Two of them (Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner) had been campers at Camp Regis Applejack as kids.

Andrew’s brother, David, is on the board of directors of a wonderful organization, the Andrew Goodman Foundation, that has continued to work on voting rights and other social justice issues. I spoke with David a few months ago and we had planned this summer to go for a hike with campers up Goodman Mountain (named for Andrew and located just outside of Tupper Lake) with David and discuss voting rights and the ongoing fight to dismantle racism in this country. I had also planned to lead a book club with older campers before our hike with David Goodman. The current need for social distancing means that we may need to adjust this program for 2021, but we will find a way to walk the walk regardless of the specifics. In addition to programs for campers, we will work to hire a diverse staff and to make sure all of our staff read great articles like this one, written by a black woman who spent many years at summer camp and shared her thoughts.

The second program was simply one to bring campers of color to the camp. I believe the outdoor industry in general has in the last few years started to seriously wrestle with the fact that the industry for many years has been very very white. At the Wilderness Risk Management Conference I attended in the fall of 2019 this issue and possible solutions were addressed by a number of panels. For me, maybe the most important takeaway was that if we want to attract people of color and others who might not see the outdoors as a place completely open to them, we have to find ways to make them feel comfortable, accepted, and safe. We can’t just keep doing the same things we always have and say “we want you to join us.” We have to find ways to reach out and welcome new campers in a way that really makes camp and the outdoors accessible and welcoming. One of the best parts of summer 2019 for me was having around a dozen of the kids I knew from the dual-language elementary school to camp. Most of them had never climbed a mountain like St. Regis, or been tubing, or lived in a place like Camp Regis Applejack. I think it’s accurate to say that they loved it and we loved having them at camp.

When we were doing some of the more wilderness-based activities I tried to consciously think about 1) making sure campers were well prepared and had sufficient training and understanding, and 2) making sure the activity was fun. I try to do that regardless, but it is particularly important to do so with campers, who may, for example, have never been on an overnight canoe camping trip before. In conclusion, we cannot wait for summer 2021 when we can once again bring campers together from a great variety of backgrounds and teach them to work together in harmony and love the outdoors, just as CRAJ has been doing for 75 years.