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In the early 1960’s
the search for a new campsite began in Western New Hampshire. It is now the fourth largest YMCA camp in the United States. Relocating a camp with more than a half-century of tradition was not easy. With great loyalty to their beloved YMCA Camp Soangetaha, the volunteers and leadership quickly came to the realization that if YMCA camping were to continue in the area, a new site had to be found. YMCA Camp Coniston/Soangetaha has operated every summer since 1911 with coed programs since 1916.
Our YMCA is more than a camp. YMCA Camp Coniston has worked with local citizens in their communities by operating agricultural clubs, childcare, youth conferences, teen service clubs, women’s service clubs, youth in
government and youth sports leagues. Coniston presently has after school centers in eight New Hampshire schools, administers programs for children with special needs including childhood cancer survivors, and hosts
Protestant and Catholic teens from Belfast, Northern Ireland in a local collaboration focusing on peace and reconciliation.
YMCA Camp Coniston’s summer programs are based in the belief that all kids deserve the opportunity to work, play and learn from each other. This shared concept allows mentoring of the younger campers by older, and
spreads the sense of tradition throughout the community. YMCA Camp Coniston’s campership program assists local children who might otherwise not afford the costs of an experience.
A time line shows YMCA Camp Coniston:
click here for a more detailed timeline in PDF format!
1916 Hosting youth clean-up campaigns in Claremont.
1917 Raising in excess of $150,000 for the World War I YMCA campaign for servicemen.
1920s Facilitating local agricultural meetings.
1930s Sponsoring teen service clubs in 4 local towns.
1950s Introducing parent child programs.
1963 Raising $220,000 and selling Camp Soangetaha to move to the present location.
1970s Organizing local school districts for the Youth in Government program.
1980s Helping local children with more than $200,000 worth of camperships representing 12% of total budget.
1990s Addressing the societal problem of latchkey children with two after-school sites in the Upper Valley.
While YMCA Camp Coniston has changed its name three times during its history, it continues to operate under the same charter granted by the YMCA of the USA in 1910. The move in 1964 to a site ten miles away was an
event that enables Camp Coniston to serve children from across the nation with highly regarded programs that foster respect, responsibility, honesty, and caring in each individual.
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