Main House at Camp Caravan, Royalston, MA
Camp Caravan
Welcome to the Camp Caravan web site! Today, Camp Caravan is a center for working together with the ideas of G. I. Gurdjieff and J. G. Bennett, and future home to the new building of The Village School, a vibrant nature-based independent school serving children Pre-K through sixth grade. For forty years, Camp Caravan was the site of a remarkable summer camp and community for children with special needs, founded by Ed McCarty in 1947, and alumni gather to honor the history and support Camp Caravan as a continuing educational and cultural community in the region.
Gurdjieff Work in Massachusetts
Today, Camp Caravan is a place for working together with the Fourth Way approach. We aim to build a new world—starting with ourselves—and invite participation from all. Whether you have many years of Work experience, are completely new to the ideas, or you wish to experience a more vivid presence within yourself, with others, and with a higher reality, we welcome your interest and participation.
Camp Caravan History
In the late 1800’s, Camp Caravan was a large inn, famous for its view of Mt. Monadnock. After it burned to the ground in 1906, it was rebuilt as a girls’ high school, run by the Lemon family. In 1946, the Caravan Society purchased the property as a place for a summer camp for handicapped, impoverished, and special needs children from the Boston area, with Ed McCarty from Somerville, Massachusetts as the head. Camp Caravan for Children opened in 1947. Children rode the trains out from Boston and stayed for 3-6 weeks. Many alumni of the camp describe the experience as one of the great positive forming experiences of their lives. The camp closed in 1985 and was derelict until purchased by Millers River Educational Cooperative (MREC) in 1998.
The Village School
The school’s mission is to create an educational model for children in rural areas, based on the principle that a direct connection to nature can be a lifeline for children, connecting them to their essential selves and awakening a sense of meaning in their lives. The school serves children pre-K through sixth grade.
Special Events
We invite you to a series of special public events, including programs related to awakening one’s inner life and musical, social, and educational events