Legacy Camper Program

Extend the CRS Experience to your Children and Grandchildren

LAJF and CRS take great pleasure in extending the CRS experience to alumni families. Children and grandchildren of alumni are invited to apply to the Legacy Camper Program to spend one or two weeks at camp during a summer season.  Legacy Campers must be 14 - 16 years old and in good health.  To participate in the Legacy Camper Program, please click here to complete the Legacy Camper Registration Form for 2012.

Rich Miller, CRS 1979 and 1980, is the proud Dad of two Legacy Campers.  Rich’s daughter, Lauren, spent two weeks at CRS Clinton in 2008, and his son, George, spent two weeks at CRS Red Hook in 2011.  Rich reported, “It is a different experience today than when we were campers, but the core values and pillars of the mission are the same.” 

So many of our alumni talk about how camp mates at CRS become lifelong friends.  For Rich, this is now true for two generations of his family.  Rich attended CRS with Chris Varrone, ’78-’80, ’84-’86 and have remained friends ever since.  “When our kids were small, we got together with his (Chris’s) kids.”  In 2011, their sons, George and Espen, visited CRS together.  “Our children now have mutual experiences.  Camp has always been there and part of our lives.  That’s why the Legacy program is so invaluable.  It allows CRS alumni to share their experiences with their children and grandchildren.”

So, what should Legacy Campers know before they visit?  Rich said of his conversation with George, “I didn’t tell him much.  I wanted him to experience the amazement of it and not have preconceived images or my recollections of what it was about.  I didn’t tell him about Council or much in the way of specifics.  I told him about the camaraderie at camp.  I told him to ‘Be yourself, open your eyes, get ready to experience a wonderful couple of weeks.’” 

What can you expect after a Legacy visit?  Rich said, “George was in awe.  We saw him become a much more aware young man – of people and the world around him.  After just 2 weeks he came back with a lot of wisdom.”

Thinking back to his own CRS experiences, Rich offered this: ““CRS is this magical place where you solve the world’s problems…“I hope everyone has the chance to share this…We’d all love to have our children have these experiences.