The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-08-04
Green Pastures Camp IL A summer
Paradise For Under-privileged Youth

Careful! Children Everywhere!
These words are written on the
signboard which greets one. after
climbing the steep grade leading
into Green Pastures Camp. What
a fitting phrase with which to in
troduce the visitor TO this paradise
for underprivileged Negro children.
What happy boys and girls, tall
trees. green meadows and sun
kissed waters.
ideal summer camp has stood like
an oasis in the desert-lives of
thousands OF city children whose
privilege IL has been to spend
brief vacations there.
At the close OF each summer,
these smiling youngsters leave the
happy memories and beautiful
images of this wonderful haven.
where they spent hours swimming
in the lake. hiking through the
woods and meadows, and studying
the birds. flowers and trees. and
little denizens OF the woods.
Donated BY Senator COuzens
The camp. which Is located
about seventy-four miles west of
Detroit, was donated by Senator
James Couzens, at a cost of APP
proximately 100000 II is situated
on a grassy hill. studded with tall
trees, and comprising about sixty
of0ht n
thousand feet of shore frontage on
Little Pleasant Lake, where the
children. under the supervision of
expert life-guards. daily enjoy
swimming and boating.
The camp is ably conducted un-
der the administration of the De-
troit Urban League, headed by
John c. Dancy.. and is universally
recognized as one of the best
equipped and most efficiently man.
aged Negro camps In the country.
The plant is under the expert
supervision of Ernest Carney, as
sisted by ten competent college
trained counselors, five of whom
are young women. Mr.. Carney is
an outstanding camp director. be-
ing a graduate OF Fisk. and hav-
ing also completed postgraduate
courses at other institutions, in
Guiding a course in camp director
ship at the University OF Michigan.
The discipline OF the camp is
rigid. The youngsters are kept
pleasantly occupied and under the
constant supervision OF the coun-
sellers. from the moment the bugle
blows for rising at each morn
ing. until the taps are sounded
for retiring at 9:15 at night. The
program of the camp runs like
clockwork. every day. throughout
the summer season.
Among the subjects taught are
the following: Nature study, wood
craft, handicraft, music and dra-
matics, swimming and other forms
of athletics. camp lore, and SINH
lar instruction. On leaving the
camp, the children proudly carry |
with them in their hands. the sou-
venirs they have learned to make,
including wooden paper knives,
gavels. bird-cages, grass mats.
baskets and so forth; and in their
hearts. new ideals of good sports
leadership, and citizen
ship taught at the camp.
Beneath the trees, here and
there about the grounds, may be
seen artistic benches and chairs,
made by boys who have vacationed
there. In the office of the camp di-
rector are numerous other pieces
of interesting handicraft fashion
ed by the boys and girls. such as
a rustic hatrack. a table. a maya
zine rack. miniature log cabin.
paper knives. and ash trays to-
gether with the stuffed skins of
minks and other small |
woodland animals and reptiles.
800 Attend Yearly
Approximately five hundred |
children are accommodated at |
Green Pastures Camp each sum
mer, being transported TO and |
from the camp in busses provided |
by the Urban League. About one |
youngsters go at one time |
and remain for two weeks. The |
season extends through ten weeks |
The Riddles who attend the
camp are selected through the Cr-
ban League and other social agen-
cies. and chiefly represent the un-
cr-privilegcd classes. Many come
from broken homes. and some are
abnormally dull but the majority
are intelligent and well-mannered
Green Pastures is not 4 GONZALES
cent camp. and has no facilities
for accommodating children suf-
fcring from tuberculosis ana other
diseases requiring special treat
mcnt and isolation.
on arriving az the camp each
child is carefully weighed. Well