History of Mayhew
1893
Mayhew’s roots go back to 1893, when Groton School, an independent boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts, began operation of a summer camp for underprivileged boys on Groton Island in nearby Squam Lake. It was, at one time, the second-oldest charity camp in the country. In 1920, with the help of the Webster family, the Groton School Camp (GSC) was moved to Mayhew Island, an uninhabited Island on Newfound Lake that was used for sheep grazing and raw lumber. From this new location, the GSC continued serving needy boys from New England’s urban areas until 1966, when the focus of Groton’s efforts turned to matters on campus.
1969
In 1969, with the Island buildings falling into disarray, several former GSC counselors joined forces with the staff and trustees of nearby Camp Pasquaney to begin the Mayhew Island Project, serving 9 boys from the inner city neighborhoods of Manchester, NH. Jonathan Choate, a Groton math teacher, and Owen Lindsay, Jr. coordinated the effort that first year. It was difficult because the facility was in poor shape. The following summer, after the untimely death of Owen, Tony Governanti, a Tilton School teacher, was recruited by our “patron saint,” Owen S. Lindsay, Sr., to begin the rebuilding of the facility and program. Tony was very skilled in making the necessary repairs on the Island and in creating a viable program. Within three years, he was hired year-round to expand “Camp Mayhew’s” reach to boys from throughout New Hampshire. About the same time, the concept of two four-week sessions was born.
1975
In 1975, Mayhew incorporated as the “Mayhew Program” and began to be overseen by a Board of Trustees. By the late ‘70s, enrollment expanded to 72 boys and in 1980, Mayhew had two year-round community staff members. Mike Hoyt, Tim Emerson, Roger Larochelle and Dave Cameron were the early pioneers during that period. Al Cantor, a staff member in ‘75, ‘76, and from 1982 to 1995, succeeded Tony as the Executive Director in 1984. Within a few years, annual enrollment in the program was consistently at 84 boys. In his ten-plus years at the helm, Al improved the caliber of the program substantially and greatly improved the resource base.
1990
A pivotal day and point in the history of Mayhew was January 6, 1990 when the Owen Lindsay Lodge burned to the ground on a blustery winter day. When receiving the phone call informing him of the disaster even while the fire still blazed, Owen Lindsay, Sr. typified the program’s approach to challenge when he calmly asked, “What do we need to do to rebuild for the upcoming summer?” By the following June, a new lodge had been constructed despite 6 weeks of unsafe ice and the logistical quagmires of getting all the materials and workers out to the Island in time to open camp that summer. Certainly Owen’s leadership and that of Al Cantor, Mayhew’s Executive Director, proved instrumental in this effort.
1994
Mayhew celebrates its 25th anniversary. The year saw the creation of the Link-Up Program - extending the program from a two- to a six-year experience. Nearly 30 boys join Link-Up, named in honor of legendary GSC Director, Howard Lincoln.
2015
Mayhew ‘Extends’ the program, making the year-round outreach an 8-year experience from age 10 through high school.
2020
For the first time ever, camp is cancelled. Fortunately, even with the challenges of COVID-19, Community Outreach continues with virtual and small in-person visits. Mayhew works to improve the physical plant, including constructing a new Infirmary and updating staff housing.
2021
Armed with a firm conviction that “boys need camp” -- and supported by a carefully-developed testing and safety plan -- boys and staff return to the Island for a tremendously successful camp season.
