EARLY CAMPERS
·
American Indians
·
Pilgrims
·
American campers
EARLY RURAL LIFE
·
98% of population lived
in rural areas when constitution was signed
·
today
2% live on farms
·
children grew up as
jacks-of-all-trades
·
very little formal school
training
·
farm chores provided
vigorous exercise
·
socializing and church
attendance was popular
MODERN URBAN LIFE
·
as people moved to
cities, they lost contact with nature
·
today, children spend
9-10 months in school
· children get very little exercise, obesity is a public health problem (1980-2008 obesity rates doubled for adults and children in US. 2007-2008 almost 17% of 2-19 year olds were obese.
·
less family time due to
both parents working
·
children have a great
deal of leisure time
·
“spectatoritis”
HOW ORGANIZED
CAMPING BEGAN
Organized camping was
originally a “Yankee notion”, started in New England
before spreading across the nation and other
countries.
·
First school camp 1861
– Gunnery School for Boys
·
First private camp 1876
– North Mountain School of Physical Culture
·
First religiously
affiliated camp 1880
– The Good Will Farm for Boys
·
First private camp 1881
– Camp Chocorua
·
First institutional/agency camp
1885 – YMCA Camp Bald Head
FIRST CAMPS FOR
GIRLS
·
1890 – private camp for
Luther Gulick’s daughter, later Camp Fire Girls.
·
1892 – Camp Arey,
natural science camp
·
1902 – Camp Kehonka for
Girls
DEVELOPMENTAL
PERIODS OF CAMPING – 3 classifications according to main emphasis at the time
·
The Recreational Stage
1861-1920
·
The Educational Stage
1920-1930
· Social Orientation and Responsibility 1930-1970
HISTORY OF CAMPING
PROFESSION
·
1910 – Camp
Directors’ Association of America, 11 charter members; Charles R. Scott, first
president
·
1916 – The National
Association of Directors of Girls Camps; Mrs. Luther Halsey Gulick, president
·
1921 – Mid-West Camp
Directors’ Association
·
1924 – the three joined
forces as the Camp Directors’ Association of America; George L. Meylan,
president
·
1926 – began publishing
a magazine called The Camp Directors’ Bulletin, later changed to Camping
· 1935 – CDAA was renamed the American Camping Association, now American Camp Association.
THE
AMERICAN CAMP ASSOCIATION (ACA)
Mission – The mission of the American Camp Association is enriching the lives of children, youth and adults through the camp experience.
·
more than 7000 individual
members in 50 states/10 countries
·
eight categories of
membership (reduced rates for students)
·
composed of 5 regions
subdivided into 32 sections with conferences and meetings
·
national office located
at Bradford Woods, an outdoor ed. and camping center in Martinsville near Indianapolis, IN
·
Publications – Camping
Magazine, Guide to
Accredited Camps, and Camp and Program Leader Catalog
·
provides leadership
training resources in camp counseling & administration
· developed first nat’l programs in camp director certification & outdoor living skills (OLS) training which transitioned to Leave No Trace (LNT) program.
·
established high
standards of accreditation
THE AMERICAN CAMPING
FOUNDATION (ACF) – purpose is to raise funds to support needed
projects in camping that are not included in the ACA budget.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
|
Council for Adventure & Outdoor Education/Recreation (CAOER) – a unit of AAHPERD | |
Copyright
2001 Northern Arizona University, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED