Camp Mowglis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Mowglis |
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| Location | East Hebron, New Hampshire |
| Coordinates | 43°41′46″N 71°46′15″W / 43.69611°N 71.77083°W |
| Established | 1903 |
| Website | mowglis.org |
Camp Mowglis is a special summer camp for boys. It was started in 1903, making it one of the oldest summer camps in the United States! It's located in East Hebron, New Hampshire, right by the beautiful Newfound Lake. A group called the Holt Elwell Memorial Foundation owns and runs the camp.
The famous author Rudyard Kipling, who wrote The Jungle Book, actually helped inspire Camp Mowglis. Because of this, the camp uses many ideas and names from his Jungle Books. In 2019, the camp's buildings and land were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites!
Camp History
Over 100 years ago, a woman named Elizabeth Ford Holt wanted to create summer camps. She believed camps could help children grow into good people. In 1903, she bought a farm next to Newfound Lake. This is where she started the "Mowglis School of the Open."
Mrs. Holt reached out to Rudyard Kipling, who lived nearby. She asked for his permission to use names and ideas from his Jungle Books for her new camp. Kipling agreed!
Rudyard Kipling and his wife, Carrie, stayed interested in Camp Mowglis for many years. Even today, the camp keeps traditions that Kipling inspired. For example, the old wooden buildings at camp have names like Akela, Toomai, Baloo, and Panther.
The campers themselves are called "the Pack," just like in The Jungle Book. The youngest campers are known as "Cubs," and the oldest live in a cabin called "Den." Kipling even taught Mrs. Holt how to say "Mowglis" correctly: "Mow" like "cow," and "glee." In 1925, Kipling wrote to Mrs. Holt, saying he admired how such a small idea had grown into something so "magnificent and helpful."
In 2012, Nick Robbins became the new director of Camp Mowglis. He has a lot of experience running camps and is an expert in outdoor safety.
