Our Philosophy

Through the years, Camp Chateaugay’s director, Mitch Goldman, has watched thousands of children laughing, playing and growing up on the pristine shores of Chateaugay Lake. His mission is to create a safe, supportive and non competitive community where kids learn to thrive in the areas that are important to them, and acquire important life skills like effective communication, self-reliance, empathy for others and self-esteem.

Camp Chateaugay is an incredible collection of activities and facilities, as are many camps. But what makes Camp Chateaugay different: It’s really all about the people — as it has been since its founding in 1946. 

  • Campers come from all over (including other countries) to become new and lasting friends
  • Campers are encouraged to try traditional outdoor experiences that they never forget.
  • Counselors and specialists become new mentors – “older brothers and sisters”
  • Owner lives on site with his family and leads the way to a summer of fun and adventure

Campers learn all sorts of skills – but perhaps the most important are the “people skills” of friendship, cooperation and acceptance. Sure, perhaps their tennis backhand has improved or they successfully water skied for the first time – but they also learned about respect for each other and for the world in which we live. Our campers come home as the best versions of themselves.

History

Camp Chateaugay was founded by Aaron and Lily Rose in 1946, career camp directors with years of experience before they bought the 57 pristine acres about 20 miles south of the Canadian border, on the narrows of Lake Chateaugay, a 14 mile long, dumbbell-shaped lake with great views of the 4000 foot-high Lyon Mountain.

They purchased the property in 1945, and spent one summer adapting existing buildings — such as the “big house” which transformed into the dining hall — for campers, along with building new ones. They created sections to house older and younger girls and boys, with names like “The Heights” for older boys and “The Heavens” for older girls, which remain the same to this day. The camp architecture is a mix of original hunting lodge and lake houses built in the 1920s, supplementary cabins built in the late 1940s, and newer facilities created to house specific programs through the years. In 1948, Aaron and Lily built a separate section of the camp to host the groundbreaking Wilderness Program, created to build self esteem and leadership skills in 15 year olds.

From the start, Camp Chataguay’s philosophy was based on what its founders called “creative camping.” The emphasis was on becoming at one with nature while understanding dignity, the importance of human rights, respecting those of different backgrounds, fostering community respect and inclusion.
Aaron Rose had a pet expression: “You can’t sell campers short.” It perfectly sums up Camp Chateaugay’s philosophy- Everybody has something to give, a voice to be heard and feelings to be respected.

There have been 5 owners since, including Mitch, whose relatives were campers under Aaron and Lil in 1946. Our values have not changed and for that we are grateful.