Kimball Camp YMCA Nature Center
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Kimball Camp YMCA Nature Center, located in Reading, Michigan, is one of a few independent YMCA camps in the nation. Kimball Camp YMCA provides recreational and education activities for youth and adults year-round, including Summer Day Camps and Resident Camps, Conferencing and Retreats, Environmental Education and Teambuilding.
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[edit] History
Founded in 1938, Kimball Camp YMCA is a unique legacy of a number of factors. Historical documents confirm that the Hillsdale County YMCA offered organized camping programs to area youth as early as 1913 with "competition" from the Knights of Pythias who began their camping programs in 1929. The "feud" was friendly, with each group reaching out to a different segment of the local population.
In 1933, the Knights of Pythias rented their campsite to the Hillsdale County YMCA who moved their Dining Hall from a previous site on Hemlock Lake, thus providing the first "permanent" structure to the property. Finally, in 1938, the Hillsdale County YMCA, with the financial support of Mr. and Mrs. Ora C. Kimball purchased the 25 acre site on Long Lake for $5,000.00.
Camping in the 1930s was primitive, and most of the campers stayed in tents, makeshift buildings or even chicken coops that Mr. Kimball received as donations from area farmers. Small buildings were moved to camp and then converted into cabins, with the largest capable of sleeping a maximum of ten campers.
At this time, the most unusual aspect of Kimball Camp's history unfolded. In the 1940s the Hillsdale County YMCA went out of business. The coummnity rallied around the camp and, in so doing, allowed Kimball Camp YMCA to continue its mission of service, despite the lack of a traditional YMCA organizational structure.
By 1950, camp usage had progressed to the point where all campers were housed in suitable cabins. Now, recognizing the need for an improved Lodge and Dining Hall facility, Mr. and Mrs. Kimball again aided the camp by paying for the new structure. The Kiwanis Club of Hillsdale funded a beautiful field stone fireplace, constructed by Austin Barber, a talented stone mason, and twelve dining room tables. These tables were built by Kiwanis in their spare time, with the help of Russell Huffman, a high school shop teacher.
The 1950s were the "Golden Years" of Kimball Camp YMCA, with increases in camper attendance and the development of new facilities. Then, in a single night it all fell apart...
[edit] Palm Sunday tornado outbreak
On Palm Sunday, April 11, 1965, around 7:00 p.m., approximately six tornadoes passed through Hillsdale County within the space of thirty minutes. Some tornadoes followed each other over the same paths. O. C. Kimball Camp was in the direct path of what was arguably the most powerful one. The camp was completely demolished except for the Infirmary, the kitchen stove and rowboats from the waterfront. The Director’s cabin was badly damaged but still stood. Wallis Hyde, the Camp Director, and his wife barely escaped with their lives as they were in the cabin when the storm struck. Giant trees were left a tangled mass and, ultimately, few trees on the entire 25 acre site survived the damage.
[edit] Rebuilding The Dream
Community support is a wonderful thing in a time of disaster. On Monday morning, April 12, the chairman of the Camp Committee received a phone call from Mr. Eugene Proctor who in effect said, “Don’t think that Kimball Camp is finished. You are going to rebuild and we’ll see that you get the help that you need!”
Within the week after the tornado, Mr. Farris Kneen, a local industrialist, sent a check for $1000 to the YMCA office. He said, “Kimball Camp means so much to the youth of our county. It must be rebuilt, and I want this to help you get started.” These two men will never know what their expressions of faith meant to the YMCA Board at this time. It was their faith that crystallized the decision to rebuild. Mr. Harmon Davies, Associate State Secretary, brought counsel and encouragement from the state level and made some special monies available for use in the emergency.
The Board realized they needed a Director for any fund drive, and Mr. George Wheeler, immediate past county YMCA secretary, was the unanimous choice. Characteristically, Wheeler jumped at the chance and came back for a three-month period to organize and direct the drive. The Board also directed the Camp Committee, chaired by Vernon Stevens, to start planning for the new construction.
Working with James McCall and Harold Foulke, the committee drew up a list of desired buildings and engaged the services of the architectural firm of J. Lauran Kretchmar of Flint, Michigan, who drafted the plans. Armed with these plans and an estimate of costs, George Wheeler cut loose and the drive was underway. When the drive was over, a total of $190,000 had been raised.
Even though Kimball Camp was without a trace of facilities, the summer camping program went on as planned. The camp committee worked out a rental agreement with nearby Camp Selah, an Independent Christian Camp, for the use of its facilities. Consequently, a program directed by Wallis Hyde was conducted at Camp Selah during the summers 1965, 1966, and 1967.
Walter Martinen was awarded the contract for the new construction and on Sunday, April 3, 1966, ground was broken for the lodge. Construction was completed by midsummer 1967, and the first use made of the new facilities was by the county Intermediate School for a short day camp program for mentally disable children. David Steel, County Intermediate Superintendent, was the Director. The new facilities were formally dedicated September 17, 1967. The new facilities included the lodge, six cabins and one activity cabin.
At the time of the dedication, two cabins and one activity cabin had not been built, due to the rising costs. However, through the generosity of friends and the help of the Hillsdale High School house-building class, it was later possible to complete the second cabin cluster. This made eight cabins available, each capable of housing fourteen campers and their counselor. Also during the summer of 1975, YMCA board members and many volunteers rebuilt the old staff building which had been destroyed in the 1965 tornado. This building is self-contained and can house up to sixteen people. It has been renamed “Thunderbird Ridge”.
The new buildings increased the range of usefulness of the camp and many new programs were developed, including trip-camps, football camps, band camps and outdoor education. As these new programs developed use of the camp by both local and out-of-county groups increased.
[edit] Recent History
The 1980s were dedicated to improving the programs offered at Kimball Camp YMCA. The largest area of growth was in the Environmental Education program. It was at this time that a partnership began between Coldwater Community Schools and the Kimball Camp YMCA Nature Center. The original curriculum, based on "Sunship Earth", was designed to bring area students to camp to learn about the natural world by studying it first-hand. This joint effort was what would ultimately create the modern day Outdoor Environmental Education programs which are still offered at Kimball Camp and make up the majority of its programming year.
In 1982, the first step was taken in a new direction for Kimball Camp with the construction of the Mid-Ropes Course. This obstacle course consisted of fifteen obstacles, each situated only a few feet off the ground. Designed to provide a safe, fun personal challenge to the participants, it soon became a popular activity, especially during the Summer Camp program. This exciting, new attraction at Kimball Camp laid the cornerstone for a whole new area of experiential programming, and gave future Directors the motivation to pursue the idea of ropes courses to new levels.
As the 1980s came to a close, another feature was added to the camp. Mount Kimball, the original climbing wall at Kimball Camp YMCA was constructed. A single wall, 20 feet (6.1 m) tall was built. Climbers wore mountain climbing gear and were attached to the top of the wall by a belay system. This activity proved so popular, that in 1989 a second “negative” climb was added to increase the level of difficulty in the climbs. It was an instant hit!
The 1990s saw even more changes. In 1992, Kimball Camp completed construction on its first High Ropes Course. This course consisted of eleven obstacles built an average of 15 feet off the ground. Participants were required to wear full mountain climbing gear. The program was based on a “Challenge By Choice” ideal wherein participants could “push” themselves as far as they wanted to, a practice still enforced to this day. At the same time, construction began on a Low Ropes Course, a series of obstacles which enhance teamwork and promote communication among its participants. School systems, seeing the value of the Ropes Courses, began to come to Kimball Camp for Spring Outdoor Education, so that their students would be better equipped to leave elementary school and enter junior high. These programs continue to this day.
[edit] Project 2000
In 1998, a piece of history ended, and a new chapter began in the life and mission of Kimball Camp YMCA. Under the leadership of Harold Campbell, the Executive Director and Barry Rudesill, the Assistant Director, a new series of expansions began. The ageing Mid-Ropes Course was removed, and plans were underway to build even better Ropes Courses. With strong support from Herb James, a local businessman and former Board Member, the new building phase, called “Project 2000", was able to begin on the 60th anniversary of O. C. Kimball Camp YMCA Nature Center’s service to the community. The plan consisted of five phases, each designed to expand the existing programming, and to offer new avenues of outreach and in-reach.
The first phase, the construction of a new 40-foot (12 m) climbing tower called Goliath, was achieved in February of 1998. Though still in the construction phase, Goliath was opened as soon as the first climb was completed and quickly became the centerpiece of attention and activity for all of the Kimball Camp programs. Goliath has officially opened 11 different climbs and even includes “bouldering”. Due to its ability to rearrange the rock hold patterns, Goliath will remain a challenge to our program participants for years to come.
In August of 1998, the new team-building phase of the project began. In late August, a new 40-foot (12 m) High Ropes / Personal Challenge Course was completed. Designed to replace the existing course which had begun to deteriorate, these new elements allowed Kimball Camp to provide more of an outreach to the At-Risk / Juvenile Court groups that had, until recently, only done the Low Ropes Course. In addition, to the new High Ropes Course, Kimball Camp expanded it’s already numerous Low Ropes activities and added a new on-site Team-Building Kit. This kit allowed Kimball Camp, for the first time in its history, to take its programming into local area schools and provide a memorable experience for those who might never be able to attend the camp.
September of 1998 brought the most exciting phase of the development to an end. Kimball Camp YMCA Nature Center was able to purchase two fields, formerly owned by the Reppert family. These two fields now provide a direct connection between Kimball Camp and Kimball Pointe, effectively linking all areas of Kimball Camp together and providing a total of 103 acres (0.4 km²) on which to offer its programs. While the future of the new fields remains undecided at the time of this writing, the excitement of having areas to expand the staff and camper housing and to improve the overall capacity of the camp to alleviate the “over-crowding” of multiple programs is a blessing from God.
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