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HBC has not yet found a history of the summer camp movement. We believe it began in the late 19th century, even before the devlopment of camps by uniformed groups. The first such group to do so was the Boy's Brigade. The Boy Scouts after the turn of the 20th century promoted summer camping on a wider sacale. The Hitler Youth and Young Pioneers made summer camping available to virtually all children, regardless of their ability to pay. The popularity of summer camps has varied greatly from country to country and over time. The activities conducted have also varies. One current trend in camping is away from a rugged outdoor experience and more workshops on a range of activities like sports, dance, music, computers, and other interests. Usually boys wore their own clothes at these summer camps, but some camps had simple uniforms. The unifored youth groups that organized camps would use their uniforms.
There are a variery of foreign language terms involved with "summer camp". It is not always a simple matter of simply translating the two words. This is in part because that summer camping was largely an American creation and an experience that children in American have more commonly than in other countries. HBC likes to add the foreign language terms as they not only provide interesting insignts, but because they assist HBC readers who may want to research this and other topics on the internet.
HBC has not yet found a ggod source of information on the history of the summer camp movement. We believe it began in the late 19th century as social reformers began to become increasingly concerned about both the impact the growing problem of urban pollution on children. Many were also concerned about the psychological impact of living in the often stark urban environment. Getting children out into a healthy country environment was seen as a valuable and healthy experience for them. The first summer camps were founded even before the devlopment of camps by uniformed groups like thev Scouts. The first uniformed youth group to begin summer camping was the Boys' Brigade in Scotland in 1886. Summer camping was an intergral part of the Boy Scouts after the turn of the 20th century. The NAZIs made Hitler Youth summer camping a universal experience for almost all German children in the 1930s, as camping was free to all Hitler Youth members.
Often boys wore their own clothes at these summer camps, but some camps had simple uniforms. Youth grouos commonly had rge boys wear their uniforms. This was in part an imprtant develoopmentb because the Boy Scouts introducedknee socks as part of standardv camp gear. Boys at earlyn camps often wore kliong stockings. At a very eraly point in America, private summer camps began adopting unifiorms. These varied, butv commonly after Word war I became T-shirts and short pants. The T-shirts commonly had the name or logo of the camp on them. For some reason, the shorts often had a stripe. We notice various kinds of shorts, incliding self-beted shorts and boxer-style shorts. Similar trends took place in Europe. We notice the Italian Malaguiti brothers wearing a simple camp uniform in 1967. The boys have striped T-shirs giving a nautical look ratherv tahn logop t-shirts. They wear matching boxer shorts. Boxer shorts were useful as a simple clothing item, but had the disadvantage of not having pockets. And boys like to squirel little treasures in their pockets. At about the same time, camp shorts apeared in America. These were not introduced by the camps as a uniform item, but popularv for boys going to camps without uniforms because of all the pockets, including a zip pocket. Often they also has a little clasp on which a pocket knife or other item could be hooked. While short pants and T-shiets were the most common garments, we also see long pants. Jeans were common. We see smocks being worn in Portuguese summer camps, but we are not sure how common this was.
The popularity of summer camps has varied greatly from country to country and over time. We have noted that summer camps are especially popular in America, France, and the Netherlands. Summer camps in other countries such as England, Germany, Italy, and the Sovirt Union were more associated with the youth organizatios in hose countries which were in some cases state supported. Some counties like American and France had programs to provide summer camp experiences to poor children, variously supported by private or state charities.
The activities conducted at summer camps over the years have varied. One current trend in camping is away from a rugged outdoor experience and more workshops on a range of activities like sports, dance, music, computers, and othervinterests.
Here we will consider summer camps not set up my youth groups like the Boys' Brigade, Boy Scouts, Hitler Youth, Young Pioneers, and others. Some organizations like the YMCA have played important roles in organizing summer camps. Other religious groups as ell as secular camps have been important. In America, Police Boys and Girls Clubs sponsor many camps. Mny camps are private camps. This is the case in America, HBC is less sure about Europe.
A new kind of summer camp appeared after World War II. They may have existed earlier, but we notice them after the War. This is a phenomenon largely experienced in the United States where there are many immifrant communities. These were summer campsaimed and given immigrant children an experience in their parents or grandparents country. The first instance of this we notice is Israel. This was somewhat of an anomally in that this was in part a religious experience and Israel was a new country. Manu of these cultural experiences were aimed at Asian Americans, especially Chinese (Taiwan) and Korea. Often parents felt that their children were becoming too Americanized and losing any cultural affinity with their ancestral country. Here language was a factor, but these summer camps aimed at a wider cultural experience. In some cases the countries involved have also taken an interet in creating a cultural experience for Americam teenagers. The Isreali program in particular is quite substantial. The current Birthright Israel Program hopes to bring 100,000 American to Isreal over 5 years. Korea and Taiwan have also been been active with smaller programs. The Korean program is coordinated by the Overseas Korean Student Summer School organized by the Ministry of Education. Tiwan has a 6-week program for university level youth. Mecico has a very small program. Of course as Mexico borders the United States, mauntaing family and cultural ties is a simplier matter. While these prigrams are largely cultural in character, there are political issues involved because of the nature of the American relationship with many of the countries involved. [Ly]
Ly, Phuong. "A cultural connection: Parent's homelands seek lasting link with thoiroughly American teenagers," The Washington Post July 30, 2004, pp. A1, , 6.
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