by Adam Ritscher / June 2006 issue Socialist Action
In a scene reminiscent of the type of events that the socialist movement held a century ago, a group of hardy young socialists came together on the weekend of May 21-22 for the 4th annual Camp Class Struggle.
Sponsored by Youth for Socialist Action, this year’s camp was held on a farm in northern Wisconsin near the tiny hamlet of Highbridge. Amid wooded rolling hills, farm fields, and on the shore of a beautiful lake, comrades gathered for a variety of games, political presentations, and an overnight camp-out.
This year’s camp featured a grueling four-hour match between the two YSA soccer teams, the Red Star Luddites and Skeleton Breath. It was hard to tell who won, though, since in commie soccer you don’t keep score!
There was also a sock puppet presentation on the immigrant rights movement, a parable explaining the Marxist analysis of capitalist economics, a bonfire, and a scrumptious potluck featuring everything from vegan corndogs to homemade cheese cake.
The first Camp Class Struggle was held in 2003 at Brimson, Minn. Camp Class Struggle 2004 was held at the Mesaba Coop Park on the Iron Range. And last year’s camp was held just north of Grand Marais, Minn. So far, all camps have been held at locations that have a long and rich socialist and labor movement history, keeping in the spirit of our goal to connect today’s young activists with the lessons and traditions of the past.
Special thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s camp a success!
