528 
FOREST AND STREAM 
September, 1918 
THE AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION MEET 
THIS ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN THE MEANS OF FORMING ACTIVE CANOEISTS OF 
THE WHOLE CONTINENT INTO A WELL ORGANIZED BODY OF CLEAN SPORTSMEN 
By COMMODORE A. F. SAUNDERS 
American Canoe Association Racing Regatta at Sugar Island, St. Lawrence River; decked sailing fleet starting out 
I N response to a large number of inquiries 
received by Forest and Stream about 
the American Canoe Association, I take 
this occasion to explain the object of our 
association and how to join. 
The A. C. A., as its members affection¬ 
ately call it, was organized thirty-eight 
years ago this August, holding its first meet 
in 1880 at Crosbyside, Lake George, N. Y. 
From its twenty-three charter members it 
has grown into an association of almost two 
thousand members, representing practically 
every State in the Union in which waters 
suitable to the sport of canoeing are found. 
It is also well represented in the Dominion 
of Canada, where the canoe for generations 
has been almost a national institution. 
The A. C. A. camps have dotted the 
shores of ocean, lake, and river from coast 
to coast, from the tropics to the lakes and 
streams of northern Canada. Its influence 
on canoeing as a sport has been of the best 
and without question it has been a big fac¬ 
tor in making canoeing one of the most 
popular forms of recreation today. 
Having for its objects the uniting of the 
amateur canoeists of the United States and 
Canada into an association for purposes of 
meetings, camping, cruising, paddling and 
sailing races, to promote greater interest in 
and to keep on the highest plane one of the 
finest and healthiest of water sports yet de¬ 
vised, it has been the means of forming a 
large proportion of the active canoeists of 
the whole continent into a well organized 
body of clean sportsmen, welding closer 
than ever those ties of true friendship that 
seem naturally to spring up between all 
members of the outdoor clan. It has also 
brought into closer touch with one another 
the numerous canoe clubs of the country, 
thus promoting a stronger fraternal feeling 
and stimulating racing activities. 
The Association is divided into territorial 
divisions as follows: Atlantic, Central, 
Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern, 
the latter comprising the whole of Canada. 
Each division is officered by a Vice Commo¬ 
dore, Rear Commodore and Purser ; the As¬ 
sociation as a whole is under the command 
of a Commodore, Secretary and Treasurer. 
These officers and a representative number 
■ from the several divisions form an Execu¬ 
tive Committee, who govern the Associ¬ 
ation as a whole, the finances being under 
the control of a Board of Governors. 
The Association holds each year during 
the month of August a general meet and 
camp. For the past fifteen years this camp 
has been held on Sugar Island in the St. 
Lawrence River, between Clayton, N. Y., 
and Gananoque, Ontario. This island con¬ 
tains about 35 acres of heavily wooded land, 
is owned by the Association, and is, without 
question, one of the most beautiful of the 
Thousand Island group. The meet is con¬ 
ducted as a true canoeist camp; every one 
lives under canvas, most all cooking their 
own meals, though a general mess is pro¬ 
vided for those who prefer this convenience. 
The only buildings allowed on the island 
are the camp store, where one can procure 
the necessary provisions and some camp 
supplies, and an ice house. Good transpor¬ 
tation is provided by the Clayton-Ganan- 
oque ferry, with two mails each week day. 
One-third of the island is devoted to the 
ladies’ camp or “Squaw Point.” Here the 
married members bring their wives and 
families, who seem to get fully as much 
fun and healthful benefit out of camp life as 
do the men folks. 
T HE meets are run in a systematic man¬ 
ner. An Officer of the Day is ap¬ 
pointed each day by the Commodore, 
whose duty it is to see that the proper rules 
governing the camp are observed, and that 
the comforts of the campers are looked 
after. The members attending the general 
meet have an opportunity of meeting fel¬ 
low canoeists from all parts of our country 
under the best possible conditions for form¬ 
ing friendships. Such friendships last for 
a lifetime and, next to family ties, are worth 
more than anything else to us. They add 
materially to the pleasures of life and in¬ 
crease in value as the years roll by. In our 
camps each one is taken at his personal 
worth as a man and is not judged by arti¬ 
ficial standards. 
A Racing Regatta lasting several days is 
held during the meet. All classes of pad¬ 
dling, sailing and novelty races are con¬ 
tested. Also a Wilderness cruising contest 
for the cruiser. In justice to our many 
racing men in war service, all regular A. C. 
A. trophies have been withdrawn until after 
we win the war, so that our boys and their 
friends will return to what we propose to 
be the largest meet the old A. C. A. has 
ever held. 
A YEAR BOOK giving a complete list 
of members, full set of canoe racing 
regulations, accounts of the various 
activities of the Association, and special ar¬ 
ticles on canoeing, is sent out to the mem¬ 
bership about July 1st each year. This book 
alone is well worth the dues of one dollar. 
The fact that so many of our members 
come to Sugar Island year after year is clear 
proof of the congenial atmosphere of A. C. 
A. meets. 
Each division also holds a local division 
meet to bring together those who perhaps 
cannot attend the General or National meet 
at Sugar Island; in addition the divisions 
hold cruises, dinners, smokers and regattas 
to further the local interests of the sport. 
The property and privileges of the A. C. 
A. are: The ownership of Sugar Island, 
St. Lawrence River, near Gananoque, Ont., 
and Clayton, N. Y.; camping privileges on 
the Canoe Islands, Lake George, N. Y., at 
Camp Ka-ne-en-da, Seneca River, Syracuse, 
N. Y.; Western Division Island on the 
Rock River near Byron, Ill.; Georges Island 
on the Hudson River near Crugers, N. Y., 
and Jupiter Island, Stony Lake, Ont. 
The cost and conditions of membership 
are as follows: 
All gentlemen amateur canoeists over 18 
years of age who can swim and who are in 
good standing in their community, are elig¬ 
ible to membership in the American Canoe 
Association. 
The yearly dues are $i, and $i the first 
year for initiation fee; all dues paid after 
Sept. 1st apply on the following year. The 
costs of attending the General meet, aside 
from one’s transportation, are a charge of 
$2 for camp dues, payable upon arrival in 
camp, and if a board floor is desired for 
one’s tent a charge is made for the amount 
of floor space occupied at the rate of 3 J 4 
cents per square foot, with a minimum 
charge of $2.50. This is for the two weeks 
of the meet. Ice is supplied if desired at a 
very low rate. The transportation charges 
from Clayton to Sugar Island via Steamer 
Yennek, is 50 cents each way, canoe 25 
cents, duffle bags 10 cents each. Gananoque, 
Ont., to Island, 25 cents each way. 
All necessary supplies can be purchased 
at the camp store on the island or at Ganan¬ 
oque or Clayton. Boat stops at the camp 
twice each morning and afternoon, Sunday 
(continued on page 555) 
