Story of C.S. Mott and Camp Copneconic

At age 13, Charles Stewart Mott joined the YMCA in Orange, New Jersey. That same year he attended Camp Sumner Dudley on Lake Waynayanda. Today, Camp Dudley is considered the oldest YMCA camp in the nation, celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2009.

C.S. Mott was one of the most prominent industrialist and philanthropist of the 20th century. Elected President of the Flint YMCA Board of Directors in 1913, by 1915, C.S. Mott’s influence led to the development of the first Flint YMCA youth summer camp on the present site of Copneconic. In 1917, he deeded 185 acres of land to the Vestry Shop Roomof St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Flint for the use of the YMCA and other similar organizations. By 1928, the church deeded all the property over to the Flint YMCA.

In 1929, Floyd A. Allen made a gift of $25,000 that enabled the construction of the Allen Lodge and in the following ten years, the first seven sleeping cabins and the Craft Shop were constructed.

In the 1950s the camp bell was donated by the Garland Street Church along with another 180 acres from Charles Mott.

The 1960s saw a major construction phase that included the Largent Lodge, four cabins, the camp director's house, Chief's Lodge, the Health Center, the totem pole and the waterfront.

In the mid 70s Camp Copneconic started an outdoor education program and allowed girls to attend camp for the first time. The 80s saw the development of a ranch program, the first high ropes course in Michigan and summer camp for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan.

The Craft ShopThe 90s was another period of construction with the Conference Center; Iroquois and Arapahoe Lodges; renovations to the Health Center, Chief's Lodge and Choctaw; the frontier lodge and cabins; day camp pavilion; climbing tower and zip line; and the Welcome Center. The end of the decade saw a partnership with the American Diabetes Association as Camp Midicha made Copneconic their home.

Going into the 21st century, YMCA Camp Copneconic continued to expand its facilities by adding two more dorm cabins: Auker Lodge and the Circle C Lodge. This helped make room for new partnerships with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and Camp Quality – Kids living with Cancer. David Hughes, former General Director of the Flint YMCA, donated the funds for the construction of a basketball court and ice skating rink. 240 acres were also purchased on the south side of Lake Copneconic, made possible by a generous contribution from an anonymous donor and a major gift from the Flint YMCA Foundation.

Today, Camp Copneconic serves over 25,000 people in building strong kids, strong families, and strong communities. This could not have been made possible without C.S. Mott’s generosity and vision of a beautiful and natural place for children to grow. As others have followed in his footprints of giving, this 1968 diary entry says it all about C.S. Mott:

“This resume concludes 80 years of active participation and interest in the Y.M.C.A. for which I am most grateful, because of the splendid opportunities afforded me to associate with men of fine character and unselfish aspirations to help the youth of our country.”