TL;DR: We were a Unitarian Universalist youth branch, now we're not. We used to do drugs, now we don't. Some crazy stuff happened in the middle.
Unitarian Universalist Origins (acronyms galore)
Summer's End roots are tied to the youth groups of the Unitarian Universalist church, which the conference is no longer affiliated with. The earliest beginnings of SE can be traced back to the creation of the Universalist Young People’s Christian Union (UYPCU) in 1889 and the Unitarian Young People’s Religious Union (UYPRU) in 1896, youth and young adult–led organizations largely independent from the Unitarian Universalist church. In 1953, Liberal Religious Youth (LRY) was founded in a joint effort between the UYPCU and UYPRU.
“We sat around a candle in the church basement and talked about spirituality, sex, war, equality, freedom, responsibility, and the pressures and pleasures of coming of age in the late 1960s” - Deborah J. Pope-Lance |
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was founded on May 15, 1961, and LRY was its affiliated but independent youth group. LRY was organized on three levels: congregation, federation and national, with an age range of 14 - 22. During the late 1970’s The UUA organized youth meet ups known as Common Ground talks, which would become the underpinnings of Summer's End. However, LRY was disbanded by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in 1982.
The First Summer's End
Artistic historical interpretation of the first Summer's End.
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The first branch off from LRY, and what some say to be the first true Summer's End, was a week long conference. They got kicked out of the site for drugs, and famously held the rest of the conference under power lines.
In 1983, at the request of the UUA, Summer's End became a weeklong conference as a replacement for the Continental Conference, which disappeared as a result of LRY becoming Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU). Essentially, SE came back under the wing of the UUA. The drug policy was created. |
Famous HappeningsIn 1984, the conference theme was “A quest for fire.” Skinny dipping dance parties. Nude cooks made bbq chicken.
In 1986, Chris Wise and Jon Mallet ran perhaps the most famous Summer's End theme: "Timenot." They created 28 hour days - 6 days over a 7 day week - so that by the end of the week you were back to regular time. Sounded like a wild time, though peoples internal clocks got funky. "I showed up around midnight towards the end of the week and people were just waking up" - Unknown In 1987, a branch of the Hare Krishna cult arrived and took over Summer's End, in an attempt to convert some hippies. This resulted in the only mass kick out in SE history.
During the late 90’s, SE’s reputation caught up with them and the American Camping Association (ACA) spread the word that SE was not to be trusted, effectively banning them from all public campgrounds in the Northeast. |
Nowadays
In the early 2000's, Summer's End became generally safer, more inclusive, and more conscientious. In 2000, Camp Glen Brook (Marlborough, NH) took a chance and agreed to host Summer’s End. During this time the drug policy was strictly enforced. From 2005 to 2006, the Sexual Consent Policy was written up.
In 2008 Summer’s End relocated to Amazing Planet Farm in Wilmington, VT. Googly Eyes and Pasty Thighs. A couple years later it moved to the Woods of Wihakowi in Northfield, VT, for SE 2011. In 2015, they landed at D Acres Permaculture Farm in Dorchester, NH. In 2018, location changed to the Owl's Nest in Readsboro, VT. Over the past decade, themes have included Zombies'R'Us (Birth of the Apocalypse); Ready Your Love Cannons; Edgetown, USA (Population: You); Slurp Yr Love Noodles; and Give No Hoots!
In 2008 Summer’s End relocated to Amazing Planet Farm in Wilmington, VT. Googly Eyes and Pasty Thighs. A couple years later it moved to the Woods of Wihakowi in Northfield, VT, for SE 2011. In 2015, they landed at D Acres Permaculture Farm in Dorchester, NH. In 2018, location changed to the Owl's Nest in Readsboro, VT. Over the past decade, themes have included Zombies'R'Us (Birth of the Apocalypse); Ready Your Love Cannons; Edgetown, USA (Population: You); Slurp Yr Love Noodles; and Give No Hoots!
Check out all these old flyers!