During the 1950’s, the Massachusetts Congregational Christian Conference sponsored the Pilgrim Fellowship Camps and conferences for Junior and Senior High youth. The only problem was that only 2 young people from a church could attend one of these weeklong sessions.

In 1958, Ministers from Quincy Point Congregational Church, Wollaston Congregational Church, the First Church of Squantum and East Congregational Church of Milton met to discuss offering a summer Camp Program at Geneva Point in Moultonborough New Hampshire for members of their youth groups.

In July of 1958, 116 young people and a staff of 22 gathered “under the Pines” at Geneva Point to begin our South Shore Congregational Youth Conference program that has been available for over 65 years!

Later that year, Union Congregational Church of Weymouth and Braintree joined the group and over the year members are the Old South Union Church, First Congregational Church of Braintree, The First Church of Weymouth, Union Congregational Church of Braintree/Weymouth , and Bethany Church of Quincy have been involved.

Over the 50 years there have been three homes. The first 25 years were at Geneva Point Center, affectionately known as “Camp Wini”, the next 18 years were at Camp Kingsmont in West Stockbridge, MA, and for the past 23 years we have been at the Ossipee Lake Conference Center, also known as “Camp Cody”.

During the first 15 years, all  the programs and activities were planned by the Ministers. Things were much more “formal.” Campers always wore name tags and addressed the staff by Mr., Mrs., or Miss. The original counselors were the parents or adults who were the same age as the parents of the campers. Everyone dressed for dinner, campers took one required class and one elective class each morning. Missionaries came from different countries to share their experiences. It was really like “Sunday School under the Pines” with ministers teaching the classes.

In 1972 we initiated a new approach to morning program and stared to involve the staff more in the planning and running the program. Also in 1972, music became more a part of the program and with the inclusion of many , young Clergy leaders from our churches, the program blossomed to as many as 450 Campers!

The year 2001 led us to our current location at the Lake Ossipee Conference Center in Freedom, NH. In 2020, as we grappled with the aftermath of Covid, we have made the decision that a camp program of up to 250 Campers is optimal for continuing the original founder’s goal of offering “A Vacation with a Purpose”.