The following is from an interview in The Boston Voyage with Jon Kirby, long-time Director of Pilgrim Day Camp, which is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Conference, UCC.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Kirby. Jon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started at Pilgrim Day Camp in 1975 as the athletic director. A few years later I became the Director and have been the Director since 1980. The camp has grown from a couple hundred kids in the early years, to close to 1,500 kids to date.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a great road. Creating programs, hiring a terrific staff, helping young people to a life of teaching, coaching and working at Pilgrim Day Camp during the summer.
Pilgrim Day Camp – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We take great care of kids. That is what we do. We provide a fun, safe atmosphere where kids come year in and year out. We have developed a loyal staff and this has created a family attitude here at PDC
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’m most proud of the family atmosphere here at PDC. The fact that so many campers spend all their summers with us, then go through a C.I.T. program, then become counselors, and spend their college years here. Pilgrim Day Camp has developed many of the areas great teachers. I have known so much of the staff for 30 years or more.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Kirby.