Camp Mitton
2008 session dates
Session 1 (14 days): 6/28-7/11
Session 2 (20 days): 7/13-8/1
Session 3 (20 days): 8/4-8/2346 Featherbed Lane
Brewster, MA 02631
Ages: 7-13director : program : activities : facility : history :directions
The Lacy Trusts Pavilion is under way!
Construction has started on the Lacy Trusts Pavilion. This summer, we will be enjoying talent shows, drama productions, evening programs and more in the new Pavilion.
side view, facing out toward Walker's Pond looking in, with the Mohawk cabin behind the camera from inside the room, looking out into the open section
Director Austin Gilliland
This will be Austin's fifth year at Camp Mitton. Austin earned her Master's degree in Communication Studies at The University of Texas at Austin focusing on young people and trust in the media. She has previously served as the Coordinator of the WiredWoods program.
Program
Located in Brewster, MA, Camp Mitton creates a small, family-style environment for the children who attend during the summer months. Each summer, 192 youth ages 7-13 from Cape Cod and Greater Boston learn to develop healthy ways to cope with stressful life situations. Many of our campers have experienced or are currently experiencing crisis situations such as homelessness, abuse or neglect. A number of our campers have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care, roughly 25% are homeless with their families, 70% are involved with DSS and more than 85% live below the U.S. Poverty Level. Since children in crisis situations are known to experience a low self-image, feelings of hopelessness and an inability to understand and communicate their personal feelings, our program intervenes by providing a safe and stable environment, personal relationships with caring adults and opportunities to experience success. Our goal is that, as a result of our intervention programs, children will be better able to cope with their situations, have healthier self-images and a chance for bolder dreams.
Our Camp Mitton program provides the following:
- An outstanding camper to counselor ratio of 3:1;
- Opportunities for children to develop personal relationships with staff in order to help them grow emotionally;
- The chance to explore each child’s interests and talents by allowing the group to choose the area they wish to focus on each session;
- Small activity groups of 8-12 youth (no more than 64 children at camp during any given time) and a schedule that allows us to build and enhance coping skills and provide a safe environment for youth;
- A comfortable setting for youth who may be anxious or overwhelmed in a new situation; and
- An environment for children to thrive in, with a positive-reinforcement behavioral goals system.
The average Camp Mitton campers:
- Need more individualized attention for daily living skills
- Do not have (or need special attention to develop) social skills for relating to other campers
- Have limited coping skills; feel more secure or less anxious/overwhelmed in a smaller physical environment, and/or a smaller group of people
- Need more day-to-day or short-term esteem tasks for personal development; thrive in an environment with a positive-reinforcement behavioral goals system, i.e. rewards for positively participating in one period of archery instruction
- Need more structured steps for accomplishing tasks within a given program/activity
- Use recreational experiences as the mode to accomplish behavioral, emotional, and social gains
- Have moved from being “at-risk” to actively experiencing behavioral and/or emotional concerns
- May be in a special program or classroom at school addressing behavioral or social needs
- May be better able to handle shorter sessions of camp
Activities
Activities at Camp Mitton include swimming, boating, climbing, hiking, creative arts, including drawing, painting, jewelry making, drama, dance, a variety of sports, including soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, computer design and more.
Mitton Trek
Oldest Campers (usually 11-13 years old) have the option of going on the Mitton Trek. Campers bike 24 miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail to Wellfleet where they camp out for two nights. While on Trek, campers prepare their own food, hike, swim and bond with their group. At the end of Trek, campers bike 24 miles back to camp on the Rail Trail.
Facility
Situated between two ponds, Walker and Slough Ponds, Camp Mitton has twelve cabins and accomodates 76 campers per session. Camp Mitton also offers a basketball court, a sports field, a climbing wall, ropes course, and waterfront area where campers swim in Slough Pond.
Summer 2006 Photos
"Thumbs up!"
Victoria's Catch
coming back from the camp out
Jabrill kayaking
Kelly, Quiana, Jessica and Brenda
Kiana, Mikhala and Ari
Brandon's catch
Jesse and Brendon slip and sliding
Taryn and Chantel
Tatiana and Jez
Cherokee cabin
Crow cabin
Steven, Lakeesha and Keyara
kayak challenge
pie eating contest!
Raphael
Aniko and Jon
Steven on the "Smurfs"
Taryn the smurf
Hailey and Chloe
Raphie, Brenda and Christian
The Red Bulls
M-Games Soccer
the tip off
Go ducks!
Diante's big hit
Go clovers!
Austin's birthday party
Austin, Taryn and Tati
Emma, Tyrique and Jon
CJ's new backpack
Jon's new backpack
Thanks, Santa!
Santa visits boating
Drama games with Creative Arts
Chloe in Slough Pond
Jess, Kelly, Takara and Brendasunset
Nicole and Marina cheering for Girls Hill
Alicia, Chelsie and Amanda
headed for the deep end
the "bucking" whale
Myah, Justice and Hannah
Mohawk Cabin
Wenachi Cabin
Jordan showing his puzzle piece
Inca Cabin
Deyquan and Brendon
Mohawk cabin pushing staff in the water
Dexter and Mikey leading the Inca Warrior Ceremony
Michael
"Singing Bird" aka Anthony
Inca Warriors
Aalim and the jello eating competition
closing campfire
closing campfire
Marquise singing "RESPECT"
Directions
Take Route 93 South to Route 3 South. Follow to the Sagamore Bridge, cross and take Route 6 East. Follow Rt 6 to exit 9B at the top of the ramp turn right onto Route 134 North bound. Follow for a little less than a mile and turn right at Airline Rd. At the second stop sign (first one comes right away, the second one is a couple miles down) Airline Rd becomes Satucket Rd (a slight right hand veer). Take the very next right onto Slough Rd. Featherbed Lane is about half a mile down on the left. Follow the unpaved Featherbed Lane until you see signs for parking. Out of consideration for our neighbors and for the safety of our campers and staff, please maintain a 5 mph speed limit when going down the dirt road.
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History
In 1941, Mr. George Mitton offered to give his Duck Hunting Camp in Brewster, MA, on the Cape, to Boys' Camps Inc. At the beginning of the century, the area around the Cape near Brewster was a prime duck hunting area. Mr. George Mitton was a prominent Boston businessman. He loved to hunt ducks, which was a popular past time during the 20's and 30's. The popular issue over hunting ducks at the time was using live decoys which had their wings clipped to prevent their flying away. The government, along with the Society Against Cruelty to Animals put pressure on hunters to prohibit the use of live decoys. As a result, the Mitton lodge was no longer used for hunting purposes. In 1942, 45 acres of the George Mitton property became the second major property of Boys' Camps Inc. With the assistance of the Godfrey Hyams Trust, which supplied the funds to develop the site, it was possible for 35 boys to experience the Outpost Camp. The first Camp Mitton Director was Stanley Krunzna. Camp Mitton was only for boys 12 to 16 yrs. old with previous camp experience. The finest leadership was selected and the boys were given an opportunity to formulate their own programs and a democratic organization system was developed to select and control daily activities.
Many major developments took place at Camp Mitton during 1947, among these were the new dining hall given by Horace O. Bright in memory of his father and mother. The hall came to be known as the Bright Memorial Hall. New dormitory type cabins were built with the assistance of the Godfrey Hyams trust that same year. The Bemis Nature Museum was also completed in 1947. The lodge was renovated to include an infirmary and office, and a single and one saddleback cabin were built in 1951. The Arthur G. Mitton Craft shop was built in 1954. It contained a craft shop, counselors' lounge and laundry.
Camp Mitton remained a boys camp until 1980 when it finally converted to co-ed camping operating for five sessions.
