Camp Billings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Camp Billings
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U.S. Historic district
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Camp Billings clocktower
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| Location | 1452 VT 244, Thetford, Vermont |
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| Area | 10.8 acres (4.4 ha) |
| Built | 1906 |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman, Adirondack Rustic |
| MPS | Organized Summer Camping in Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001524 |
| Added to NRHP | January 11, 2006 |
Camp Billings is a co-ed, non-denominational summer camp on Lake Fairlee in West Fairlee and Thetford, Vermont, United States. Accredited by the American Camp Association, it was established in 1906, and is open by boys and girls between the ages of seven and sixteen. In 2006, it was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Activities
Camp activities include sailing, backpacking, boating, canoeing, windsurfing, swimming, snorkeling, diving, swim team, water sports, Von Program, music, paddleboarding, playaking, tennis, photography, arts and crafts, archery, waterskiing, teen club, junior program, fishing, book club, ropes (zip lining, rock climbing, etc.), and drama. The camp also offers canoeing and backpacking trips, either during the day, or overnight.
A day at camp Billings is shaped like this:
Wakeup/breakfast Camp duties Choice program Cabin time Lunch Rest hour More choice program Free swim Cabin cleanup Dinner Evening program Bedtime
Some of the evening programs include capture the flag, rock drop (campers move around camp with rocks to drop into buckets, trying to avoid being spotted by counsellors with flashlights), choice program in the evening, and more
Depending on the session, there are some special activities. For example, second session, campers can choose to try out for Billings glee, which is a camp version of glee. If campers make in on a team, they practice and perform songs for the rest of the camp, who then vote on the best team. The winner on the last night of glee gets a special prize.
History
Camp Billings was founded in 1906 under the sponsorship of the local YMCA district by Dr. Garnder Cobb and Julia Billings, wife of businessman and conservationist Frederick Billings. The land was first leased, and then purchased for the camp by members of the Billings family. It is, after Camp Aloha, believed to be the second-oldest active summer camp in the state. The camp saw significant growth through the 1920s, and continued its growth after lean years of the Great Depression and World War II. In 1957, its first director, Archibald Hurd, retired, creating a gap that was temporarily filled by volunteer alumni and staff. The camp has since continued to grow, and is now managed by a non-profit organization no longer affiliated with the YMCA.
