This past spring, I, along with countless other camp pros lost an incredible and courageous mentor: Marcy Brower. If you’re not familiar with Marcy, I encourage you to learn more about her life’s work with camp, social justice movements and art here, here, and here. 

Over the summer ACA Illinois President Cat Curry and I had the opportunity to speak more in-depth with Bob Brower, Marcy’s husband, about their legacy, social change activism, and the work they both accomplished during their long careers. It was during this conversation I learned that the late Elenor Eells marched in Washington with Susan B. Anthony (learn about Elenor here). As a feminist and Women’s Studies academic, this blew my mind! I was mentored by the fierce Marcy Brower, who had been mentored by the wise Elenor Eells, who was in turn mentored by Susan B. Anthony and her work***. This knowledge hit me hard, left me speechless, and when I cast my ballot in this critical election, my gratitude for suffragists of the past became somehow greater in that moment because we were connected. 

Driving my speechlessness was the acknowledgement of the shoulders of these women of the past that I was standing on, and it’s never been a more pivotal time than during this pandemic. As a world we continue to grapple with our value system when it comes to race, class, and gender equality. And while I am in my position today in part because of Marcy, I was reminded there was also a woman who supported Marcy, and another woman who supported that woman. And how the ladder of women supporting other women continues to be built today, and must continue to be built into the future. We have an ethical obligation to those that came before us, those that will come after us, and most importantly to women currently standing and experiencing this world right now. Women today need us and we need them.

Women don’t just support one woman and Marcy is just one example of this. The ladder isn’t only long - it's broad, and expansive. It spans continents, running deep throughout the centuries, tying us together. Some of the issues and rights’ that women of the past were working for were achieved, even as new issues threatened to surface, while others continue to be a battle for justice we participate in. Equity and equality in the workplace are one of these continued battles. We’ve come a very long way but we still have work to do. The camp industry is not immune to the issues facing women in work, and in fact, no industry is. So we must continue this transformative work of women.

Those of us collaborating to bring you the Women in Camp Summit chose the word Summit because it's an action verb. While the Summit hosts several conference style sessions, the mission is to further advance women in our field, break down barriers, address systemic issues facing women in camp, and be part of social change movements to better the world. And those of you who attend actively take part in this Summit, participate in furthering this mission. 

The Women in Camp Summit is still in its infancy as we prepare for our third year. But together the ladder of women working in this field continues breaking down barriers, addressing systemic issues facing women in camp, and being a part of this social change movement to better the world, step by step. I personally invite you to join us in this journey; our ladder always has room for more steps. 

In Solidarity,

Colette M. Marquardt

Executive Director
American Camp Association, Illinois

***I want to fully acknowledge the exclusion of Women of Color during the United States suffragist movement and the deep roots of continued injustice and systemic racism faced by BIPOC because of it. We have a responsibility to do the work that is needed now to break down systemic racism around the globe because Black Lives Matter.