YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps
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| Nickname | HWH, AHWH |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1904 |
| Founder | Lincoln E. Buell William Gay Charles Wagner |
| Headquarters | 919 NE Torch Lake Dr Central Lake, Michingan 49622 |
| Location |
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Chief Executive Officer | John Carlson |
Boys Camp Director | Adam Delezenne |
Girls Camp Director | Amanda Macaluso |
Parent organization | State YMCA of Michigan |
| Website | hayowentha |
YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps is an arm of the State YMCA of Michigan which administers a pair of camps in northwestern Michigan. Started in 1904 with the founding of YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha for Boys, the organization provides year round outdoor activities. The primary focus of both camps is the summer program, which offers two to four-week, single gender camp experiences for children in 3rd through 11th grades. Other functions include outdoor education and challenge course retreats for local schools and cross-country skiing.
The arches on the veranda of the Boathouse, a building near the center of camping activity that houses waterfront activities, the camp store, a common area. The Boathouse, constructed in 1907, is the oldest standing building at the Hayo-Went-Ha and is a recognizable symbol of the camp.
YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha for Boys[edit]
Camp Hayo-Went-Ha for Boys lies in Central Lake Township in Antrim County, Michigan along the northeastern shore of Torch Lake (Antrim County, Michigan), occupying 640 acres (2.6 km2) on a cape called Hayo-Went-Ha point. Founded in 1904 by the State YMCA of Michigan, the camp has operated continuously as a summer camp for boys between 4th and 11th grades. Buildings on the boys camp have been named for generous donors and past campers including Bonbright Lodge given by a Flint Industrialist, the Dow Building and the Stanley S. Kresge Lodge.
Summer programs[edit]
The camp offers overnight programs for different age groups ranging from finished 3rd grade to 11th grade and 2 or 4 week programs. These programs will go on various trips ranging from an overnight stay in the meadow on camp property for the youngest or 3 weeks of exploring the Alaskan wilderness for the oldest boys. Each group is categorized with a unique name under 3 divisions:
Pioneer Division[edit]
- Ranger (Finished 3rd Grade, 2 Weeks)
- Woodsmen (Finished 4th Grade, 2 Weeks)
- Pathfinder (Finished 5th Grade, 2 Weeks)
- Frontiersmen (Finished 5th Grade, 2 Weeks)
Voyageur Division[edit]
- Voyageur (Finished 6th Grade, 2 Weeks)
- Bushwhacker (Finished 6th Grade, 4 Weeks)
- Trekker (Finished 7th/8th Grade, 2 Weeks)
- Viking Sailor (Finished 7th/8th Grade, 4 Weeks)
- Viking Outpost (Finished 7th/8th Grade, 4 Weeks)
Bush Division[edit]
- Islander (Finished 8th/9th Grade, 2 Weeks)
- Helmsmen (Finished 8th/9th Grade, 4 Weeks)
- Isle Royale (Finished 8th/9th Grade, 4 Weeks)
- Bush Ranger (Finished 9th/10th Grade, 4 Weeks)
- Navigator (Finished 9th/10th Grade, 4 Weeks)
- Alaska (Finished 10th/11th Grade, 4 Weeks)
Leadership Corps[edit]
This program is for completed 11th grade campers that help prepare themselves to become future Hayo-Went-Ha staff.
YMCA Camp Arbutus/Hayo-Went-Ha for Girls[edit]
During the 1980s, attempts were made by the state YMCA to include girls in camping activities. In the early 1990s, a girls' camp was formed at nearby Bows Lake. This facility, however, proved to be insufficient for long term use. The state YMCA then acquired Camp Arbutus (44°40′00″N 85°30′50″W / 44.666728°N 85.513808°W), a camp south of Traverse City, Michigan on Arbutus Lake, which became the new site of YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha for Girls.