Mission Statement

  Camp Hazen YMCA is committed to helping youth develop valuable life skills through camping experiences that build healthy bodies, open minds and awakened spirits.

                   Accreditation and Safety             40 Developmental Assets

History

My name is Edward W. Hazen and I am one of the founders and namesake of Camp Hazen YMCA.  Yes Camp Hazen YMCA is named after a real person.

Born on February 13, 1860, in Middletown Connecticut, I was a teacher, then a book publisher who lived in Hartford, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. In 1915 I moved my family back to Haddam, CT and became active in my community serving in both the Connecticut Legislature and as a State Senator
 

Let me tell you a little of the history of Camp:
In May of 1919 The State YMCA voted that “Steps should be taken at once to secure a suitable site and equipment for the character development of the boys in Connecticut in connection with the advantages and favorable aspects of camp life” 
Today we know this as the four pillars Responsibility, Caring, Respect, and Honesty and camp is for both boys and girls. 

Having grown up in the next town I knew of this site, then known as the Stodt Farm, which would be a perfect place for a camp. In March of 1920 I purchased the original 29 acres here on Cedar Pond.  The State YMCA honored me by our camp, Camp Hazen and in the summer of 1920, the first camping sessions were held.

 Pop Stanley, the man Stanley Lodge is named after, was the first Camp Director

 The first summer was a success with boys from 10 to 20 years of age coming here from around the state

The boys built their own tents
Did Calisthenics drills in pajamas
Swam
Attended Chapel
Played sports
 Ate “hardy meals”
 And yes they had Tent inspection and an hour of what they called “Siesta”

 We woke each morning, changed activities, knew it was time to eat and went to bed to the sound of our camp Bugler, Gib Mather.

Let me tell you about Gib:
Gib was 12 years old and lived in Deep River and had read in the local newspaper that Camp needed a bugler.  He contacted Pop Stanley and in exchange for his camp fee, of $7.50 for a two week session, became the Camp’s first bugler. He returned each summer for several years.

Gib went on to school, became a successful businessman, raised a family and was a respected community leader. Gib once told me “Camp Hazen taught me responsibility to be a caring adult! While the camp slept, I had to get myself up early to play reveille. If I did not get up the whole camp slept in, if I didn’t play mess call the camp did not know meals were ready, and I was the one who played taps before we all went to sleep.”

Gib is still present at Camp. Following his death, in 2000 his family started an endowment fund that each year provides financial assistance for other campers who otherwise could not afford to attend camp. Gib’s life was the best of the Spirit of Camp Hazen YMCA

The war years:
In 1940 'Pop' Stanley retired after 20 years of incredible service as our Camp Director and because of the uncertain times associated with the War and rebuilding, we didn't have another long-term Director until Archie Knowles in 1948.  During World War II finding counselors was a tough assignment because so many of them had been drafted to fight.  For some campers, it was not unusual to wake up and find their counselor packing their belongings and heading off to 'boot camp'.  Quite often the only replacements for the staff were the older campers and sometimes this was thirteen year old boys!

After the war ended in 1945, camp flourished under Archie Knowles' leadership. The introduction of a leadership program, which was based in Oskalee Village, as well as a permanent teen trip program were some of the most significant program changes of this era.  In the seven years that Archie was our Camp Director he managed to restore many of our facilities, expand our program and stabilize our finances.  He is honored today by Knowles Lodge.

Mr. 'B':
Howard Bunting was appointed director in 1955 and, along with his wife, began the longest era of Directorship in Camp Hazen history.  Mr. and Mrs. 'B' were camp administrators for 22 years and were witness to major events such as the naming of Junianta, Mosakwa, Sachem and Oska Villages, the first night of the summer of 1967 when the Dining Hall burned to the ground, the replacement of the old cabins to the ones we see today and the Independence of Camp Hazen YMCA from the State YMCA of Connecticut. 

Modern Times:
When Mr. 'B' retired in 1977 he was honored by having the Bunting Dining Hall named after him.  His successor, Russ Gormley was instrumental in developing our horseback program, our ropes course program, the naming of Tamarack Village and the biggest change in Camp Hazen YMCA history - going co-ed!  Our first female Executive Director, Sue Edmonds, was appointed in 1988 followed by Tim Millbern in 1995 who started our popular day camp program.  Since 1999 Denise Learned has lead Camp Hazen YMCA with the same focus as all of her predecessors, to 'help youth develop valuable life skills through camping experiences that build healthy bodies, open minds, and awakened spirits.' During this time the co-ed Village Onandaga was formed, allowing 10th grade campers to keep coming back to camp.

Located on 150 acres on Cedar Lake in Chester, Connecticut, Camp Hazen YMCA  provides positive youth camping experiences for over 1500 boys and girls each year from throughout the state. Group camping includes over 6000 participants annually. Camp Hazen YMCA  serves youth from throughout Connecticut, New England and many states around the country.  Each summer, Camp Hazen YMCA is also home to campers and counselors from more than 25 different countries. Campers come from all socio-economic backgrounds, and range in age from 5 to 18. Nearly 200 campers were provided with financial assistance in 2006. These funds, over $100,000, were provided through the generosity of individuals, foundations, businesses and service clubs.

Volunteers are a vital part of our organization. Camp Hazen YMCA has a 27 member Board of Directors. In addition, there are seven standing committees including: Executive Committee; Marketing and Communications; Board Development; Resource Development; Program; Building and Facilities; and Alumni Development.

 

Accreditation and Safety

Camp Hazen YMCA is accredited by the American Camping Association and is a member of the CT Camping Association. The goal of these organizations is to promote excellence in camping and provide an opportunity for sharing best practices among camps.

Camp Hazen takes seriously its responsibility to children and their parents. Camp Hazen YMCA is licensed by the State of Connecticut annually, and is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA).  Camp Hazen not only meets, but exceeds standards and guidelines established by the ACA and the YMCA of the USA.  We identify and pursue practices that are not only basic, but critical to quality camping organization.

Our smaller than usual staff to camper ratio (1:4); our Leadership Training Program; and our focus on the values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility throughout all of our programs allow us to provide the best camping experience possible.

What are Developmental Assets?

The 40 assets are "positive experiences and qualities essential to raising successful young people. These assets have the power during critical adolescent years to influence choices young people make and help them become caring, responsible adults" (www.search-institute.org).  In effect, they are a way for us to measure how likely our children are to succeed in life and avoid dangerous behaviors. 

For a list of all 40 developmental assets please click on your preferred age range: Teens Youth Child

The list of assets is valuable for several reasons

1.   It was not arbitrarily derived based on opinion. Rather, it was abstracted from scientific research conducted over decades about what yields healthy, pro-social children. One could come up with a list hundreds of items long, but these are the ones that made it past the harsh scrutiny of thousands of individuals and rigorous scientific testing.

2.   The list is "strength based." In other words, it is not a list of things to avoid like drugs, sex, and poor grades. When people focus on problems like that, they tend to put a band aide on the real underlying issue - kids need things in their environment and within themselves to avoid those specific problems, other problems, and move toward many positive things.

3.   When people focus on problems, it is usually left to counselors, social services, and intervention programs to help children. When people focus on positive elements in children's lives, EVERYONE becomes part of the solution.

4.   The asset model gives everyone a common language to use when discussing what children need, and how they can go about helping to insure that children have as many assets as possible. From the list, healthy communities and healthy children is given focus, and from that focus can arise action. From that action, children can grow up healthy is all aspects of the word.

How many assets do children usually have?

Children with 31 - 40 assets tend to do much better in life socially, emotionally, and academically. They are also far less likely to use drugs or be violent. But, more than 90% of children don't have that many positive things happening in their lives. In fact, surveys of over a half million children indicate that:

• 20% of children have between 0 & 10 assets
• 42% of children have between 11 & 20 assets
• 30% of children have between 21 & 30 assets
• 8% of children have between 31 & 40 assets

How does Camp Hazen YMCA help develop these assets?

Camp Hazen YMCA can help you and your family nurture strong, successful, responsible and caring children. Camp Hazen YMCA can help target more than 25 of these developmental assets. For a list of all 40 developmental assets please click on your preferred age range: Teens Youth Child

External Assets

Support                                                        

• (3) Provide other caring adults                                  
• (5) Provide a caring environment
  

   

Empowerment

• (7) Camp Hazen YMCA values youth - we work on their development and potential
• (8) Campers are given useful tasks, such as waiters, shared responsibilities, such as cabin clean up, and our camper counsel
• (9) Service to others, such as camp wide community service projects
• (10) We create physical and emotional safety through a myriad of systems

Boundaries and Expectations

• (12) Hazen has clear expectations for appropriate behavior, and they are enforced
• (14) Staff are very carefully selected for their ability to be positive and fun role models
• (15) Counselor and village directors work very hard to create a positive cabin atmosphere
• (16) Our "Challenge by Choice" program encourages children to be more involved in un

Constructive Use of Time

• (17) Camp Hazen has an enormous amount of opportunities for children to both be creative and experience creativity
• (18) Children spend all day actively engaged, and they often take a newfound skill and hobby home with them

Internal Assets

Commitment to Learning

• (21) By building general self-confidence, children can see that they can achieve more
  Positive Values
• (26) Caring is modeled by staff, and fostered through our programs and cabin chat discussions
• (28) Integrity is modeled by staff, and fostered in children  
• (29) Honesty is modeled by staff, and fostered in children
• (30) Responsibility is modeled by staff, and fostered in children

Social Competencies

• (32) Planning and decision making skills are fostered through the camper choosing skill classes, the group process of deciding cabin activities, overnights, meals, and more.
• (33) Interpersonal competence is modeled by staff, and fostered in children
• (34) Culture competence is fostered through 40% of the staff coming from other countries. We sometimes host special meals and activities in a cultural tradition as well.
• (36) Peaceful conflict resolution is fostered through our staff

Positive Identity

• (37) Personal power is fostered through choice over skill class and cabin activities (group process)
• (40) Positive view of personal future is fostered through general self-confidence increase via such means as being away from home for a long time, achievement in our skill classes, and camping out of doors