by Michael Daecher
(this article originally appeared in the August 2004 print edition of the Beacon Dispatch)
"We're working in here!" Patrick and I were standing in the open doorway of a converted barn at the University Settlement Camp. Our conversation had interrupted a dress rehearsal for the Fringe Festival, a traveling theater troupe performing plays around the Hudson Valley. The lights came up on stage, and the action began…
Patrick Freeman is the Director of the University Settlement, an 89-acre campus off of 9D just before Beacon's southern border. Each summer the camp is host to more than 125 kids, mainly from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They come to spend 21 days exploring the natural beauty of the Hudson Highlands, making new friends, and trying their hand at modern dance, African percussion, and other artistic pursuits. We spoke to Patrick about the past, present, and future of the camp one evening just before "lights out."
Q: What is the University Settlement?
The University Settlement Society of New York started in the Lower East Side of Manhattan back in the late1800's. Their goal was to attract university graduates to settle in areas where social work was needed the most. At that time the Lower East Side was like the movie "Gangs of New York". The college graduates helped teach literacy and English as a Second Language, provided mental health counseling and ran a credit union, among other things.
The social service aspect of the Settlement remains constant to this day. A lot of their work now comes through city contracts doing social service work for New York City. The Settlement administers about 35 different programs in the Lower East Side, providing child care, food programs, after school care and a wide range of other programs for infants, children and adults.
Q: How did the settlement end up in Beacon?
The Settlement was a popular philanthropic cause in the early days. In 1910, 250 acres in Beacon were donated in the memory of General Joseph Howland, by his widow. At first the property was merely used as a respite from the city. Families would come up to picnic and spend the day. Eventually a summer camp for city kids was established. Within the first 20 years, the University Settlement sold off most of the land, leaving the 89 acres, which remain today. The only structures on the property were the White House, (which was the former Howland Guest House,) and a barn. Everything else has been built by the Settlement since 1910, including the kitchen, theater and bunkhouses. In 1927 an Olympic-size swimming pool was added.
Q: How did you get involved?
The Beacon summer camp closed in 1989 due to lack of funding. I knew the caretakers and when they left in 1994, I moved in with my wife and three kids to watch over the property. I had a construction business with my family at the time. My family was attracted here by the beautiful property more than by the organization itself. I was offered work with the Settlement, but was primarily interested in bartering for rent, rather than full-time employment.
In 1995, the city threatened to tax the property because it was abandoned. The Settlement realized they had to "use it or lose it." I got the contract to fix up the White House. When the renovation was complete, the Settlement sent a teen program up from the city, four days a week, Monday through Thursday. They needed someone to teach landscaping and carpentry. During the summer I'd spend 20 hours a week working with the teen program and I absolutely fell in love with it.
I got to know about what the Settlement does, and the people they affect. I just got completely sold on the idea of social work. So in 1997 I decided to leave the construction business and do this full time. We re-opened camp in 1997 and we've been going ever since.
Q: Is it a day camp, or do the kids stay overnight?
This year we have two three-week residential sessions, for kids between the ages of 8 and 17. In the seventh week we have another camp come in and lease the facilities and we run the program. Last year we started a day camp program for kids in area. We have about 25 kids in the day camp program this year and I think that number will really grow. We have seven one-week sessions, starting at the end of June and going until August 9. At $200 a week, it's a bit more expensive than the local Recreation and agency camps but we have a very full program, including sports, woodworking, computers, nature study and art. In addition, the program benefits from the overnight camp’s international staff, artists in residence, daily swimming, prepared lunches, trips and even a small farm program. Early drop off and late pick up are available, as well as transportation, if it's requested.
We had limited day camp scholarships available this year but we’re planning some fundraisers so we can make more available for next year. It’s a great program for area residents, and a great way to meet new friends from different places.
Q: How is the camp funded?
The Settlement is funded entirely by private donations, some of which goes to covering the costs for the kids who come to the camp full-time. We get foundation grants from a number of different foundations, and the 1199 health care union sends their members' children to camp every summer.
In 1996 the Dyson Foundation gave us a grant to fix up the pool, and after that suddenly there was great interest in the camp. It took another large chunk of money raised by the Board of Directors' just to get the cabins back in shape enough to have campers in them.
When the camp started up again in 1997 we got another grant from the Dyson Foundation to fix up the theater. We put in bathrooms, a new septic system, and a new driveway. We re-did the roof and the windows and the following year getting stage lights. It's a great old barn and theater.
We then got another grant to run programs, and we had money for advertising, and artists, and getting people to come for public performances – 5 or more performances each year, and we did that for 3 years. Most of the artists came and got paid what we collected at the door, but we still needed money to coordinate and advertise the programs. The Dyson Foundation didn't renew the programming grant this year, so we don't have the money to produce these events.
Q: What kinds of work do you do with the kids?
Arts are probably our strongest program. We have a professional dance company with an artist in residence, a professional DJ and two professional African drummers. We also have an environmental studies program, a computer lab and more traditional camp programs like woodshop, arts and crafts, sports, and of course, the pool for swimming.
Area day camps use the pool in the afternoons and local residents can swim for a small fee every evening.
Q: Where do you see the camp going over the next 10 years?
Since 9/11, it’s been very difficult to attract financial support unrelated to the events of that day. At the same time, the increasing value of real estate in Beacon has some members of the Board of Directors thinking about development. I don't think anyone in the Settlement wants to sell the land, but the Board has always been split between those who went to the camp and have emotional ties to it, and those whose focus is primarily the fiscal interests of the organization.
Financially, we're almost to the point we were in 1989 when the camp was forced to close. A lot of basic maintenance needs to be done and that's expensive – I have about $100,000 in next year's budget just for maintenance, and that's not something many foundations contribute money to. The Dyson Foundation gave money to renovate the swimming pool and theater, but that was rare. The money we need to keep doing what we do isn't for glorious work, but it is necessary in order to continue providing the unique programs we do and to serve the Settlement community of the Lower East Side, as well as the local Beacon community.
We’ve discussed either expanding to a year-round program or expanding to mixed use. I could see the property being used as a campus for teaching the arts where we'd actually have artists living and working on the property. We could also provide classroom space and other indoor work areas. In addition, I’d like to develop the farm program for kids.
Q: It sounds like the camp is likely to change. How do you maintain the kinds of programs that attracted
you to the Settlement in the first place?
There's no question that the camp will change. The question is what that change will look like. I think if we were to get enough recognition and financial support, we could continue to run both the overnight and day camps, without scaling back or closing down. We could also expand our outreach by utilizing our facilities more for the public. This could include concerts and other productions in the theater, art installations on the property and more widely advertising the White House for year-round conferences, reunions and retreats.
People come by here that have lived in Beacon all their lives and they have no idea what we do. The University Settlement is devoted to helping the people of the Lower East Side, but there's no reason we can't do more with the local people here in Beacon. It all comes down to vision. What is the vision for the camp? And that's what we're working on now. Once the vision comes, the people will follow.
"Beacon Voices" is a regular column where you'll find brief interviews with people making a difference, however small, in the daily life of the city.
You can find more information about the University Settlement at www.universitysettlement.org
will feature a report on the East Main Mills development and the revitalization of Main Street, an interview with local developer Ron Sauers, an update on the property tax reassessment, and a copy of the New York state voter registration form, which you need to mail in by October 8 to be eliglble to vote on November 2. 