100 Years of Friendship

Friends Gather at Camp Newaygo’s 100th Reunion

Camp Newaygo’s Centennial Alumni Reunion brought together more than 240 alumni representing nearly every decade of camp’s history. Guests traveled from across the United States, England, Australia and Ireland to celebrate a century of memories. Some attendees had been campers under Camp Newaygo’s very first director, Florence Foster, while others represented third-generation camp families, with grandmothers, mothers and daughters who had all served on staff.

The reunion wasn’t simply about remembering camp. It was about living it again. Alumni tie-dyed shirts, sailed on Pickerel Lake, cooked over open fires, paddled the Muskegon River, built picnic tables, volunteered on the Wetland Trail and gathered daily for camp song karaoke. More than 200 alumni canoed across the lake for the beloved Sing on the Lake tradition, performing for guests at Little Switzerland Resort and Campground. Handcrafted wooden wishing boats, each carrying a hand-dipped candle, floated across the water during the historic Wishing Boat Ceremony, while Serenade continued late into the night as generations sang together for hours.

Many alumni spent the weekend immersed in Camp Newaygo’s history, paging through a century of lovingly restored scrapbooks, exploring the newly published history and song books and visiting The Heritage Museum of Newaygo County for a special centennial exhibit.

The reunion celebrated more than Camp Newaygo’s history. It celebrated a living tradition. One that continues to be passed from generation to generation through songs, stories, friendships and a shared love for this special place.