In 1914 the Board of Trustees of the Youngstown YMCA adopted a permanent policy of conducting a summer camp for boys. The campsite in 1914 was established at Cannon's Mills on Little Beaver River. Land for the camp was donated by John H. Fitch in addition to a sum of money sufficient to operate the camp for a five-year period. Thirty-two campers were enrolled for the first year, and the camp continued to operate at that site for the summers of 1915, 1916 and 1917. During these first years, a common fashion accessory for campers was a forked stick; these had to be carried for protection due to the abundance of rattlesnakes and copperheads in the area. Fortunately, this reptilian problem was rectified through the relocation of the camp grounds.