About Happy Hollow Children's Camp

Happy Hollow Children’s Camp, Inc. a private not-for-profit organization accredited by the American Camp Association and part of the United Way of Central Indiana, provides educational and outdoor residential camping programs which are designed to increase the understanding of the environment for children, ages 7-17 years. Children from financially disadvantaged families from Indianapolis and surrounding counties, and children with certain special health needs from throughout Indiana participate in a safe, supportive and supervised learning environment at Happy Hollow Camp in Nashville, Indiana.

HAPPY HOLLOW CHILDREN’S CAMP, INC (ORIGINALLY SETTLEMENTS CAMPING, INC.)
WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE “SPOTLIGHT” ON JULY 19, 1951 WITH
A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT – THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE READ:

It was announced Sunday, July 15, 1951 that five Indianapolis Settlement Agencies formed a separate corporation, Settlements Camping, Inc., to build and operate a permanent camp near Nashville in Brown County Indiana, for the benefit, use, enjoyment and social welfare of their members and members of such other similar organizations as may be included from time to time.

To help Settlements Camping, Inc., get started, a grant of $108,000 was made by Lilly Endowment, Inc., following approval of the Group Work and Recreation Division of the Health and Welfare Council of Indianapolis and Marion County and the Council’s executive director, Ralph Pumphery.

This generous grant has made possible the purchase of the beautiful Von Kessler estate of some 700 acres in Brown County, where it is proposed to build a modern camp which will eventually have an enrollment of over 1,000 boys and girls of school age during the summer season and additional numbers on week ends and at other times throughout the year.

The five agencies participating in the unique approach to camping are: Communal Center Association, Mayer Neighborhood House, Southwest Social Center, Hawthorne Social Service Association, and Fletcher Place Community Center. All but the last named are member agencies of the Indianapolis Community Chest, and all five belong to the Indianapolis Federation of Settlements, which initiated the project. The agencies are located in south and west Indianapolis, an area where facilities for outdoor activities are inadequate or nonexistent. Each of the agencies will continue to provide a program geared to neighborhood needs so that camping will become an extension of year-round service to members.

The new camp will offer children and their parents an experience in democratic living; an opportunity to learn more about the natural laws of the universe; a chance for the child to enjoy adventure with safety; an opportunity to develop new interests and skills; an experience away from home; healthful, joyous living out of doors; counseling and guidance by a staff well qualified to give it; an interfaith, interracial experience; and, last but not least, an opportunity to develop values applicable to all living.

In order to insure the highest standard in every phase of camping, the new camp agency has secured the services of such out standing experts as Reynold Carlson, associate professor of Recreation of Indiana University and past president of the American Camp Association; Dr. Sharpe, of National Life Camps, New York; Nelson Dangremonde and Denzil Doggett, of the Indiana State Conservation Department; Quentin Noblett, of Columbus; Galvin Walker, track coach of Butler University; Ralph Pumphery, executive director of the Health and Welfare Council; and George L. Denny, Indianapolis. With the help of this group and a nationally-known camp architect, it is hoped that an early start can be made on building a 20 acre lake on the site and constructing other improvements to some of the existing buildings that will house the first pilot camp by mid 1952.

The affairs of the new agency were controlled by a board of directors composed of two board members and the executive director of each of the five participating agencies, plus five directors representing the public-at-large, or a total of twenty directors. Following is a list of the first ever board of directors elected:

S.J. Sternberger, President; E.H Janke, Vice President; Hugh W. Frey, Treasurer; Wm. M. Lynch, Secretary.

Public at Large – Reynold Carlson, of Indiana University and George L. Denny, Attorney

This board quickly went to work with the Lilly Endowment grant money and purchased the Von Kessler estate and set up by-laws and on May 29, 1951 the agency was incorporated and became Settlements Camping Incorporated.

As soon as the new agency was formulated the directors looked at a mid 1952 date of the first pilot camp hoping that other donors would become interested in a project that promises to become an important factor in the lives of children who crave a chance to lift themselves up and out of difficult surroundings.

The vision and dream of the first board of directors represented the first time, in this state or elsewhere throughout the country, that five separate social-work agencies have combined strengths to bring to their members a program that no one agency could hope to achieve (END OF SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE). Their opening date was off by two years but in the summer of 1954 the first boys and girls stepped foot onto the property for a summer that turned out to be more magical then they could have ever imagined.

Today Happy Hollow Camps Board of Directors and Staff still continue the dreams of the original founders and Settlement Houses. Our mission and goals are still the same but have expanded to include children with certain special needs.

Since these goals for growth are universally applicable, Happy Hollow Camp will also provide programs and services to other groups and persons of all ages, year round, with specific emphasis on outdoor education, persons with special health needs, and programs which strengthen the family unit.

Many of the Happy Hollow Campers, whether economically disadvantaged or dealing with asthma, muscular dystrophy, or surviving serious burns, have never been given the chance to be in the out of doors learning and doing what children are suppose to do. For over 50 years Happy Hollow Children’s Inc. has provided this opportunity and will continue to do so for the next 50 years with the support of United Way, Foundations, Corporations and individuals.

Today, Happy Hollow has grown in area and in the number of campers served. In 2004, forty-six acres of land were acquired, bringing the camp’s total acreage to 822. The mission of the camp has remained the same – its scope and ability to impact the lives of needy children has grown tremendously.

Among the camp’s many accomplishments, the following are the greatest sources of pride:

In the last 56 years, Happy Hollow Children’s Camp, Inc., has had the privilege of providing a life-enriching summer camp experience to more that 20,000 economically disadvantaged children.
There have only been four Camp Directors in the history of Happy Hollow, allowing the camp to provide consistent, high-quality programming. The current Executive Director has been with Happy Hollow for 27 years.
Happy Hollow has maintained strong relationships with other community organizations including the Care For Kids Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association of Indiana, and the People’s Burn Foundation of Indiana, Inc. These relationships allow Happy Hollow to provide a meaningful summer camp experience to foster children and children with special medical needs.
Happy Hollow has been diligent in keeping camp expenses low. In the past 10 years, the annual budget expense has only increased by 20%, a two percent average yearly increase, while camper enrollment has increased by 33% during the same period, affording Happy Hollow the ability to keep the cost to each family to a minimum.
Since 2000, more than 75 individuals, foundations and corporations, including the United Way of Central Indiana, have invested over $2.2 million in capital funds for camp renovations and improvements, proving that the Indianapolis community still supports the ideals the founders of Happy Hollow worked so hard to implement.

1954 Summer programs consisted of swimming, canoeing, camping, arts & crafts, nature
study, creek hikes, campfires, archery, fishing, conservation projects, and sports.

1955 Four villages of cabins, administrative building, and coed shower house was built

1968 A multi-use building was built to house the arts & crafts room, maintenance
room, and a camp store.

1975 The A frame over looking the lake called Matt’s Chalet was built in memory of
Matt Hartley a former camper/counselor

1977 Children of Parents Without Partners are now included in the summer program

1992 A new house was built at the entrance to replace the old caretaker’s house

1993 A new swim dock was put in replacing the old one at swimming and new windows,
doors, floor, and skylights were put in the dining hall

1998 First year for Braveheart’s Camp sponsored by the People’s Burn Foundation

1998 The dining hall was enlarged to accommodate bigger groups and a basement
was added for a new arts & crafts room

2003 A 1.2 million dollar capital project broke ground – 2 new shower houses were built,
        the office was remodeled, a new nature center was built, a new covered pavilion
        was built, heat was added to all the cabins, the swim/beach area was rebuilt, 40
        acres of land located at the camp entrance was purchased, the old co-ed shower
        house was remodeled to house the staff retreat and camp store, and a handicap
        accessible pathway was added connecting all the buildings.

2006 A United Grant was granted to the camp helping to pave the parking lot and drive

2006 A new fishing pier with fishing equipment and CPR equipment was purchased
through a Lilly Program Grant

Christopher W. Chappell, Camper Recruitment Coordinator (Indianapolis office)
EMAIL CHRIS