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Summer camps for children in Western Massachusetts

The Becket Chimney Corners YMCA consists of Camp Becket, Camp Chimney, and Becket Day Camp, all of which take place in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts during summer. Camp Becket and Camp Chimney identify as boys plus and girls plus, respectively. The cabins do not have electricity, and each camper area (villages for Camp Becket and units for Chimney Corners Camp) has a communal bathroom where kids shower and brush their teeth. In addition to group activities and team building, campers engage in numerous individual activities, including sports, arts and crafts, boating, ball and team games and nature activities. During the off seasons, there are work weekends, during which alumni, staff, and kids participate in work activities, such as wood chip spreading or fixing roofs. An alumni weekend provides an opportunity for alumni to reconnect. All of these events are hosted at Chimney Corners Camp because of the heated and insulated cabins. Camp Becket has recently constructed a new dining hall.

Chapel is a non religious gathering that takes place on Sundays at both Camp Becket and Chimney Corners Camp (separately). Several campers and staff are chosen to give a speech on the theme. It is an outdoor event with a designated location by the lake at both camps.

The Becket Chimney Corners YMCA offers specialty programs for older campers, such as Construction cabins, for campers interested in carpentry and building skills, and the Adventure Odyssey cabin, for campers interested in rock climbing, bouldering, and backwoods, low impact camping. One new structure is completed each season. The Adventure Odyssey blends sport climbing using a ropes course, climbing tower, various top roped chimneys on the property, and off site climbing locations, with off site camping and hiking. The focus of this program is group building and leave no trace camping techniques.

Each summer since 1963, the Becket Chimney Corners YMCA sends teenagers around the United States and around the world. The International Camper Exchange Programs (ICEP) focus on service work and cultural exchange in Vietnam, Chile, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, China, Peru, Armenia, Uruguay and Sweden, each of which lasts for about 35 days. The REACH program sends groups to the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota to do service work and learn about Native American life today. The Teen Leadership and Service (TLS) program combines biking and community service in Vermont and New York State. Yellowstone Adventure and Service (YAS) combines adventure activities and service work in Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons.

Aides Program The Aides program is an eight and a half week leader in training program offered to participants finishing their junior year in high school. Dr. Russell Irons started the current program in 1951 as the first step in the camp's leadership development program. Its participants consist of approximately 30 former campers selected from a very competitive pool of applicants. The focus of the Aides Program is to learn how a resident camp operates by assisting in the office, store, infirmary, and kitchen. Aides also partake in lifeguard training and join cabin groups to learn how to become counselors. REACH The REACH program, which is explained more in the Chimney Corners section, used to be a co ed program where people are trained to become counselors solely in South Dakota. As of 2012, the REACH program became single sex, and the participants now spend part of their time working on Native American reservations in South Dakota, and the other part in Camp Becket. It has also become a six week program.