The "Hey, They Named A Camp After Him: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at one of my favorite Facebook pages, "The Lancasterian".  As I scrolled down the page I found a photograph of the entrance to Camp Rodgers which at the time the photograph was taken was located on Camp Rodgers Road near the town of Ephrata in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  I made a comment on the "The Lancastrian" and received a few comments in return.  

Pamphlet showing the Church Camp
on Camp Rodgers Road in Schoeneck.

Wasn't long before I dug out my small pamphlet titled "A Day at Camp Rodgers" to see how much I remembered about the small church camp that I enjoyed so much when I was young.  It was back on December 8, 2009 that I first posted a story here telling about my experiences at the camp, but I never told much about how the camp began and the comments on "The Lancastrians" were leading in that direction.  So, I dug out my book titled St. James Church 1744-1944 by Klein and Diller and began my search.  St. James Episcopal Church began in 1744 and had a variety of organists and choirmasters during it's history, but one of the best was Mr. George B. Rodgers who was recommended by a small church committee who traveled to Princeton, New Jersey to hear him play and interview him.  Wasn't long before he was hired on February 8, 1910.  

Mr. George B. Rodgers for whom the camp was named.

He spent 32 years at St. James and during that time began the boys choir at St. James as well as gaining recognition throughout the community for his musical library for the choir, his lenten organ recitals and his work with the youth of community.  He held his first church camp at nearby Pequea on the Susquehanna River in 1911.  A few years later he changed the location to the town of Goldsboro where he rented a cottage near the river.  

Fathers and sons in the choir.  My dad and I are in the
back row on the far right.  Dad and I both attended
summer church camp as children at Schelle Island
in the Susquehanna.

Wasn't long before the camp carried his name and was moved to a small farm house on Schelle Island near Goldsboro.  It was meant to be used by the youth in the community with those who were in his boy's choir allowed to go for free.  My father was one of those choirboys who had a chance to go to Mr. Rodgers' summer camp on Schelle Island.  Then in 1942 he retired as the organist and choirmaster, but was allowed to spend his summers at the church camp on Schelle Island.  Three years later he suffered a stroke at the camp and was brought back to Lancaster where he stayed in a Convalescent home until his death.  

Camp Rodgers on Schelle Island.  The building shown
here burned to the ground on May 4, 1956.

After Mr. Rodgers retirement, a few other organists filled the position until on Feburary 1, 1944 Mr. Frank McConnell became organist and choir- master.  Mr. McConnell continued the boys choir and the tradition of sending choir members to Camp Rodgers in the summer for a healthful summer vacation in a religious atmosphere.  I attended the camp for the first time in 1955 at the age of 11.  Memories I retain from my stay that year were jumping into the cold Susquehanna River at 7:00 AM every morning before breakfast, seeing one of the other campers shoot himself in the knee with an arrow from his own bow and seeing a large female snake run over by a lawn mower and watching as many baby snakes wandered under our sleeping quarters.  Then on Friday, May 4 of the following year the main camp building which was nearly 200 years old was destroyed by fire.  

Another photograph of Mr. George B. Rodgers.

It was impossible to fight the fire since no equipment could reach the island before the old farm house was destroyed.  The loss was great for the church camp since it was such a big part in the life of the parish since 1911.  Two days after the fire the church Vestry made a decision to erect a temporary building on the island for the coming camp season.  A pre-fab structure was taken by boat to the island and men of the church, including my dad, helped erect the building.  The new building held the dining room, kitchen and cook's quarters.  Then on December 21, 1956, the Vestry purchased  property consisting of 18 acres including 3 acres of woodland and a lake of considerable size.  A farm house and 6 small cottages were situated on the property.  The camp was moved from Schelle Island for $21,500.  The new Camp Rodgers near Schoeneck was ready for campers.  The road that leads to the camp was renamed Camp Rodgers Road and all was well once again.  Follow along tomorrow and I will show you some of the photos that were published in the pamphlet that I have saved all these years.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - The following is a two-page letter my dad sent to his mother when he was at Camp Rodgers on Schelle Island.  The second page was actually folded so it has to be read as the left side and then the right side.  Dad was 12 years old at the time he wrote the letter.  Click on photos to enlarge them.