THE JRC STORY

JRC began back in the 1930s as a program for wayward boys. The first camp, directed by Roderick and Virginia Jameson was located on Tejon Pass, south of Bakersfield on the Grapevine. Later, the program moved to the Greenhorn Mountains, in the southern Sierra Nevada. On the same mountain was a Campfire Girls’ camp, where a lovely UCSD graduate, Catherine, was running their summer program. Catherine met Rod and the romance blossomed. Following their marriage in 1940, they purchased the property known as “The Ranch” which Roderick’s grandfather had homesteaded.

The program continued to be year-round until the late 1940s when it transitioned to a summer camp. The program was simple - work all morning and enjoy activities in the afternoon. The Ranch House, Barn, Shop, Lake, and Rose Arbor were all constructed by the family, campers and staff. A team of horses plowed the garden, beef came from the JRC herd, and the harvest fed the family and campers.

Rod and Catherine’s youngest son, Ross, along with his wife, Debby, bought the program in 1979. Under their supervision, JRC flourished. They added most of the programs JRC continues today: mountain biking, rock climbing, mountain boarding, archery, Trenting, boating and more. Exciting traditions like Pony Express, Bushwhackers, the CIT program and Crazy Olympics started under their tenure, bringing additional excitement to camp.

Debby and Ross worked hard to bring intentionality and purpose to the program, refining their vision and JRC’s focus. Their mission-drive approach made JRC center on growth and community; something thousands of campers from around the world felt for decades.

Erica, Ross and Debby’s oldest, has been running the program since 2011, working hard to continue the legacies her family began so long ago. She strives to make JRC a stronger community, supportive of the whole family, both in summer and off season. Her passion for camp and dedication to JRC ensures our program will endure for future generations to enjoy.