Three Arrows Cooperative Society is a

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

summer colony The term summer colony is often used, particularly in the United States, to describe well-known resorts and upper-class enclaves, typically located near the ocean or mountains of New England or the Great Lakes. In Canada, the term cottage countr ...

located in Putnam Valley, NY. It was founded in 1936 by members of the Young People's Socialist League, from whence its name and emblem derive. The Society owns 125 acres of land which comprise 75 individual home sites as well as several communal buildings and access to Barger Pond. The colony, sometimes known as Camp Three Arrows, was imbued with socialist and communitarian values and offers a wide range of cultural, educational and leisure activities. Notable Three Arrows members include author

Bruno Fischer Bruno Fischer (29 June 1908 – 16 March 1992) was a German-born American author of weird and crime fiction. Biography The son of a grocer, Fischer was born in Berlin, Germany, on 29 June 1908. Bruno emigrated to the United States with his fa ...

, labor leader Israel Kugler, political activist

Samuel H. Friedman Samuel Herman Friedman (February 20, 1897 – March 17, 1990) was an American journalist and a longtime labor union activist. He twice ran unsuccessfully for Vice President of the United States on the Socialist Party of America ticket. Friedman was ...

and poet Peretz Kaminsky. The

Socialist Party of America The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party of Ameri ...

held its annual conventions at Three Arrows and the Three Arrows Social Hall is named for its perennial presidential candidate

Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was an American Presbyterian minister who achieved fame as a socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. Early years Thomas was the ...

, a regular visitor. Historically many Three Arrows members were active in progressive political organizations including the Arbeiter Ring, the

Jewish Labor Committee The Jewish Labor Committee (JLC) is an American secular Jewish organization dedicated to promoting labor union interests in Jewish communities, and Jewish interests within unions. The organization is headquartered in New York City, with local/re ...

and the

League for Industrial Democracy The League for Industrial Democracy (LID) was founded as a successor to the Intercollegiate Socialist Society in 1921. Members decided to change its name to reflect a more inclusive and more organizational perspective. Background Intercollegiate So ...

as well as many aspects of the

Labor Movement The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...

. The Student League for Industrial Democracy, later known as

Students For A Democratic Society Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was a national student activist organization in the United States during the 1960s, and was one of the principal representations of the New Left. Disdaining permanent leaders, hierarchical relationships ...

or SDS, held meetings at Three Arrows during the 1950s and early 60s. Three Arrows is member-run, with no paid staff other than an onsite caretaker and some teenage lifeguards during the summer months. There is an elaborate system of committees, with each member expected to serve on one or more committees and perform the work required to maintain the cooperative. As in other cooperatives, members own shares in the society rather than holding title to their individual sites. Three Arrows remains a vibrant summer community whose membership includes descendants of the founders as well as others drawn to the natural beauty of the location and active community life.

References

External links

*
Records of Three Arrows Cooperative Society at The Tamiment Library, New York University

* ttp://nymetroparents.com/printcolumn.cfm?id=8708 "A NYC Mom Finds a Hudson River Haven" NYMetroParents.com June 6, 2007
The Whistling Wolves performing at Three Arrows, August 2010
{{Authority control 1936 establishments in New York (state) Housing cooperatives in the United States Intentional communities in New York (state) Organizations established in 1936 Putnam County, New York Socialist Party of America

See also

References

External links