In 1978, longtime UUCUC members Claudia and David Gross attended the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Boston. Also at GA that year, were fellow UUCUC congregants Dick and Doris Harvey. Dick was signed up to do a class on geology at Camp Unistar that summer and he invited David to co-lead the class with him. So began the relationship between the Gross family – David, Claudia, Oliver, and Alex – and Camp Unistar, which has continued for over 40 years. I spoke with Claudia about her experiences at Camp Unistar. 

Camp Unistar is one of roughly a dozen Unitarian Universalist camps and retreat centers throughout the United States. Established in 1961, Camp Unistar is a volunteer-run camp operated on UU principles. It offers families and individuals opportunities for personal growth, friendship, learning, and closeness to nature, on a beautiful island in a Minnesota lake during an 11-week summer season. 

Lodging at the camp includes shared cabins, lodge rooms, and an area for tents at the edge of the lake. Around 70 campers can be accommodated at one time, with most attendees staying for a week. Meals are provided by the paid staff but other services – housekeeping, laundry, transportation – are the responsibility of the campers. A naturalist, lifeguards, and general maintenance workers round out the rest of the paid staff. 

In our conversations, Claudia described some of the activities available throughout the summer. The first week is Work Week, when, for a discounted attendance fee, campers spruce up the grounds and buildings to get ready for the season. It is also Youth Week, a time for campers entering 8th grade through the summer before their senior year to work and play and establish lifelong friendships away from the pressures of school and home. Other events Claudia mentioned are the annual talent show, a Friday night dance during Youth Week, campfires, and lots and lots of music. 

Mornings throughout the Family Weeks are the time for learning. It might be classes in boating, dancing, writing, or history and other subjects. In 2025, classes included Brush, Ink, and Paper: Nature Painting and Calligraphy; adventures in Fiber Arts; and Stories of Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag: A History of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwa. Afternoons and evenings are free for campers to swim, boat, hike, play games, or just rest in the beauty of the peaceful woods and beaches. 

When I asked Claudia what was most special to her about her decades visiting the camp, without hesitation she said the friendships she and her family made there. One story she told was about Natalie and how they met during her first summer at camp. Natalie’s four sons and Oliver and Alex Gross played together and the parents enjoyed each other’s company and so they decided to share a cabin after that first summer. Claudia and Natalie remained friends until Natalie’s death. 

One summer, on the cook’s day off, Natalie and Claudia volunteered to make a classic French dinner (both were skilled French chefs, à la Julia Child). They prepared an elegant feast, which was served to the campers in a bistro-like setting in the living room of the lodge. They even had a “snooty” Maître D’!

Another story about the continuity of relationships and the close ties many UUCUC members have to Camp Unistar is when Ben Joselyn had outgrown his backyard play structure and David Gross helped dismantle it and rebuild it at the camp. Ben is currently the Executive Director of the Channing Murray Foundation. His parents and grandparents were active in local Unitarian Universalism for decades. 

If you are interested in learning more about the history of Camp Unistar, catch Claudia Gross on a Sunday morning. I’m sure we tapped only a few of her wonderful memories. To learn about the upcoming season at Camp Unistar, visit their website at www.campunistar.org.