Mountain Monthly
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Camp Mary White
 By Christine Carrier Magical. Beautiful. Unique. These words pop up frequently when Friends of Camp Mary White members speak of the historic camp southeast of Cloudcroft, near Weed. “There’s no place like it,” said Alamogordo resident Bambi Turnbull. She’s among the 120-plus members of FCMW — mostly former campers and staff — who are working to restore the 77-year-old camp in Bear Canyon. Camp Mary White is the oldest continually operated Girl Scout camp west of the Mississippi. Many of the camp’s oldest buildings, including a 1928 lodge and outdoor kitchens with stone hearths, are in need of repair. The Rio Peñasco fire in 2002, which burned into one of the camp’s canyons, also threatens to create erosion problems that could damage the lodge. “Friends members want to share their passion and vision for the camp’s renewal with the residents of the mountain communities, in part because the area shares the same ‘pioneer’ heritage,” said Paula Homer, Friends president. Friends will host a Grand Revitalization Kickoff June 5th, from 1 pm to 5 pm, at the camp. Mountain residents and Girl Scouts from the region are invited. “People in these mountains have helped us in a variety of ways over our many decades,” said Homer, who was a camper, a counselor and later camp director from 1977 to 1985. “We would like to have them with us as we begin our next era in Camp Mary White’s long legacy.” FCMW members will provide tours of the camp, display memorabilia, old photographs, and answer questions about restoration plans. The Friends group formed last year, after a 75th anniversary celebration was held at the camp in June. Many of those attending had not seen CMW in 20 or more years. The time-worn structures caught the former campers‚ and staffs’ attention. They organized the group and are working with Girl Scouts-Zia Council Inc., which owns the camp, to create a renovation plan. “The two non-profit organizations are looking at ways to raise money for repairs and to revitalize the camp’s programming to attract more girls,” Homer said. The camp will be closed this summer while assessments and planning continue. Friends members say they cherish CMW’s rustic setting because it’s inextricably linked with the camp’s heritage and programming. They want to preserve as much of the camp’s original buildings and appearance while addressing improvements. The Friends group includes people from 12 states, with the largest number in New Mexico and Texas. The backgrounds of the members is diverse. It includes homemakers, craftsmen, teachers, architects, biologists, medical professionals, artists and even a governor. “I spent some of the happiest summers of my life at Camp Mary White,” said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Friends member. “Even now, I think back to the wonderful times at CMW: hikes through beautiful forests and canyons, Christmas in July, cookouts and campfires, singing Trees ... the list goes on,” Napolitano said. “We need to save CMW so that the next generation of girls can enjoy these wonderful, unique experiences.”  Weed resident Debbie Stone said she’s pleased to that former campers and staff are trying to revitalize the camp. “We need to preserve our local history, “ Stone said. “We need to get back to the basics, too, and help provide experiences that are good and clean and educational.” Camp Mary White is named for the daughter of rancher Elza White, who donated part of his land for the camp. “Miss Mary,”as she was called all her life, served as camp director through most of the 1930s. She remained involved in the camp for decades, living just below CMW property on her family’s Muleshoe Ranch. That’s still owned by her niece, Sally Marsh, and husband Jack, of Las Cruces. White’s indomitable spirit, love of nature and desire to give girls the chance to learn and have fun in a nurturing environment is a legacy worth preserving, Friends members say. “Miss Mary was our original role model,”Homer said. “And because she lived into very old age ... generations of girls listened to her words and aspired to have her strength and grace.” Turnbull, who was one of Napolitano’s campers in the late 1970s, fondly recalled her experience in CMW’s popular Pioneer unit. Longtime residents on "the mountain" may remember seeing CMW’s green covered wagon pulled by horses and driven along back roads. Girl Scouts used to hike alongside the wagon, singing songs on the way to camp sites. “We made lye soap, churned butter and sewed sun bonnets,”Turnbull said. “It was one of the best experiences a kid could have.” Homer said Friends needs to raise more than $500,000 for repairs and improvements. Even so, members say they’re hopeful that people from the region will see value in preserving the camp’s heritage, and support the restoration. Through the years, thousands of girls’ lives have been enriched by their experiences at CMW, Zia officials say. The camp has always attracted girls from the region as well as from other states. Both Zia and Friends members want that legacy preserved for future generations. “I can introduce a minimum of 125 (Friends members), and that number is growing, who will tell people that CMW played a positve, significant role in shaping their lives,” said Homer, director of opera at the University of North Texas. “How can we let a place that has had such a positive and powerful impact on girls lives be lost?” Copyright © 2004 Mountain Monthly - Call us to place an ad: 505-682-2208 |