Camp Atwater, oldest African American residential summer camp in country, gets makeover
NORTH BROOKFIELD — Henry M. Thomas III learned a valuable lesson when he was a teenager at Camp Atwater.
“When I was here, at 15 or 16, I thought I had to make a choice between being cool and being smart — the friends I made here were both,” Thomas said. “I came up with the idea that I didn’t have to make a choice. I could do both.”
Sixty years later, Thomas, now president and CEO of the Urban League of Springfield, which owns and operates the camp, hopes to impart that lesson to a new generation of campers. And he is getting a little volunteer help from the Carpenters Local 336, Painters Union DC35 and carpentry shops with three area Job Corps programs.
“We would not have been able to open this camp without additional support and the help came in aces,” Thomas continued. “We’re really indebted to these unions. They didn’t have to agree to do this.”
Camp Atwater is nestled on roughly 80 acres along Lake Lashaway in North Brookfield.
It is the oldest African American residential summer camp in the country. It has served more than 56,000 youth from all over the country for summers since its founding in 1921. Thomas said it is the only camp on the National Register of Historic Places.
Archives: City youngsters find cool relief at Camp Atwater
More than a century
But as a rustic 101-year-old camp, it needs a little sprucing up. Which is where the unions come in.
The unions brought members of their apprenticeship programs and were joined by participants in Job Corps programs from the Grafton Job Corps Center, the Shriver Job Corps Center in Devens and the Westover Job Corps Center in Chicopee, to reroof buildings, rebuild and paint cabins, pour and set concrete and more.
It not only helps the camp, however. It also helps the workers.
“This is giant for all of our students,” Dave Perry, of the UBC carpentry program at Grafton Job Corps, said. “This is the bread-and-butter of our program … any community service, that’s what we do.”
'Great opportunity'
Fred Taylor, business representative for Carpenters Local 336, agreed.
“It’s a great opportunity to give back to the community and train the next generation,” Taylor said. “It’s a great opportunity for giving someone an opportunity to work with their hands and get the ‘I built that’ satisfaction … an opportunity to express pride in the work they are doing.”
Daniel Stevenson of the Westover Job Corps appreciated the opportunity.
“I really like it,” Stevenson said. “It gives an opportunity to work with different people, gives you a lot of experience. … I’m honored to fix it up.”
Thomas said he is honored to have the help and he imparted some of the wisdom he has garnered from his camp and world experiences to the volunteers.
“There’s a lot out here in the world waiting for you,” Thomas said. “I love you and appreciate you.”
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Camp Atwater Black residential summer camp gets volunteer makeover
