Effingham—March 21, 2019—Camp Marist is renewing a decades-old tradition and offering scholarships for their 2019 season. At the height of the scholarship program, 30 scholarships were being offered to Effingham youth. But from 2015 through Fall 2018, those were put on hold while the camp and Town of Effingham were embroiled in a court dispute over whether or not the camp should pay property taxes. 

In effort to give Effingham youth the Camp Marist experience and rebuild the historical positive rapport with the community, 10 scholarships will be offered this year, according to Camp Marist Executive Director Emeritus Joe Bouchard. 

Applications are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the camp office and are due April 15. Effingham boys and girls age six through 16 who apply by the deadline will be entered into a lottery drawing with the chance to receive a two-week stay at the camp June 23 through July 6. Those chosen will receive waived registration fees and cost of the two-week program plus two special activities, a total value of about $2,500. 

Camp Marist has owned the 159-acre property on Leavitt Bay at Ossipee Lake and operated as a Catholic-based children’s camp since 1950. They host about 500 campers from around the world each summer. Back in the 1990’s, selectmen negotiated an agreement with the camp to provide 30 scholarships annually as payment in lieu of property taxes. That agreement expired in 2014. 

In 2015, Effingham selectmen denied the Marist request for property tax exemption. Their decision was upheld in Carroll County Superior Court in January 2017. Marist appealed to NH Supreme Court and that court overturned the Superior Court decision in Sept. 2018.