Send Your Kids to Summer Camp at Circle Pines!

I spent the best summer of my life at Circle Pines Center! I was 11 years old; the year was 1954. I first heard Pete Seeger and Big Bill Broonzy at Circle Pines that summer. Actually Big Bill was hired as the second cook that year. My mother was his boss. He interpreted his job to be resident blues singer, so more than one morning my mother woke me up to cut the oranges for breakfast since Bill was sleeping in after being up most of the night singin' the blues.

Is my experience from 53 years ago relevant in 2007? Surprisingly, it is. Naturally the camp has changed a lot in that time. You have heard the phrase, the more it changes, the more it stays the same? That applies here.

Circle Pines Center is a unique co-op camp about 35 miles North of Kalamazoo Michigan. It has been around since 1938 existing on the love and support of its members. Being a co-op, it is not for profit, and it has been surviving on a shoestring budget for as long as I have known it.

Circle Pines is set in the beautiful rolling hills of Southwest Michigan. Access to Stewart lake is part of the 294 acre property. There is a central farmhouse, barn and many outbuildings. In the summer the camp is divided by age groups, and each age group has its own area with cabins. There is a huge organic garden maintained by the members of the camp.

The barn has a large area for doing arts and crafts, There is a big rec hall that I helped build back in the day. Every Saturday nite there is a big folk/square dance attended by everyone in the camp, with a live caller who teaches early in the evening and calls later.

Everyone in the camp contributes work time during the day to help with the running of the camp. You may have kitchen chores, cleaning, gardening etc. etc. The times varies, with the younger kids only doing an hour and the teens and young adults doing 4 hours a day. This allows the costs for the camp to be very low.

There is a unique spirit to this place. As you might expect, most participants are into progressive politics. What develops through the intense shared work and play is authentic fellowship. Great friendships develop that last a lifetime.

This place feels like home to us old timers. Like most Americans, we have moved many times in our lifetime, but Circle Pines is still there in the same place, doing its timeless thing. Come experience Circle Pines!

http://www.cpines.org/