MISSION STATEMENT
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our mission is to provide scholarships to young people from elementary school age through college age so that they may participate in the educational experience of attending a summer music camp in the specific areas of instrumental and/or vocal music. Our mission includes the intention to promote the study and enjoyment of music and the arts, to encourage discipline and aesthetics in education, to provide opportunities for young people to share their art at a high level of excellence, and to meet with and explore ideas with other young people of various backgrounds, but similar interests. Secondarily, our mission is to promote the musical arts in performance and to give local communities an opportunity to view today’s youth in a positive and constructive light.
85 YEARS OF MELODIES AND MEMORIES
The 85th Reunion is fast approaching on September 6, 2026.
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It will be held at Arrowbear Music Camp.
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Registration is now open on our website.
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Don't miss out. Contact your fellow alumni and
encourage them to attend.
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Do you still play your instrument or sing?
Come ready to participate in the
Reunion Orchestra, Choir, or Brass Ensemble.
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Please register by August 23.
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Questions? Call Laura at 562-716-4898,
or email her at arrowbearmusicassociates@gmail.com
President's Message
The theme for our upcoming 85th Reunion fundraiser is 85 Years of Melodies and Memories. The event will be on September 6, 2026, at Arrowbear Music Camp. The schedule for the day will be similar to our last Reunion. There will be a group photo in the morning, followed by the rehearsal of the choir and orchestra. After lunch, there will be singing followed by chamber music, a brass ensemble, a photo booth, a raffle, and free time to visit. The concert will be at 5:00 followed by dinner. More details will follow in the next few months. Be sure to mark the date on your calendar now. Contact your Arrowbear friends on social media and make sure they’re planning to come as well.
We hope this will be a time to reunite with old friends and to reminisce about a much different time in our lives. It will be a time to remember those we have lost since the last time we were together at Arrowbear. Recently, we lost Paul Feller. He was a former member of our Board of Directors and a 1940s camper. He was looking forward to being at the reunion, but sadly he will not be there. We have lost many of our campers from the 1940s in the last few years. They are the ones who believed in the idea that there should be a music camp; 85 years later their dream is still alive today.
Our Private Lessons Scholarship program is just wrapping up for the 2025-2026 school year. We helped 21 middle school students in Long Beach Unified receive a set of ten private lessons. We will be participating again in Long Beach Gives on September 24 to raise funds to continue this important program to help musicians grow in their mastery of their instrument. We accept donations for this scholarship program year-round and are grateful to those who have donated.
We just finished awarding scholarships for this coming summer. We awarded $83,188 in scholarships to 64 young musicians. We were excited to learn that one of our camp scholarship recipients also received one of our scholarships for private lessons. She wrote, “In 6th grade, I received a scholarship that I didn’t even know existed from Arrowbear Music Associates. I was lucky enough to get free private lessons with a coach at my school, and that is kind of what showed me that I could have a real career in music. I now take private lessons with him, and you have no idea how much I look forward to it each week.” It is wonderful to hear that our scholarship programs are truly making a difference for young people.
Many thanks to all of you who donated to our scholarship funds. You have helped so many young people have a unique and life-changing experience. We exist because of your support. In closing, I hope to see you at our Reunion in September.
Cliff Kusaba
President
See's Candy Spring Fundraiser
Thank you to the following people who purchased delicious
See's Candy for the Easter holiday.
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We raised $95.90 for scholarships.
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Our next candy sale will be for the holiday season
beginning in November 2026.
KC Still Ellen Pesavento Stacy Burcham
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Marilyn Winebarger Laura Dean Kusaba
Become a Subscriber
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Go Green and become a subscriber. Instead of receiving a paper edition of our newsletters, you’ll receive an electronic version. The numerous photos are in full color and all the links are live. You’ll help us save money on printing and postage that can help send more young musicians to a summer music camp. It’s easy. Just click on the button and register.
Giving Tuesday
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Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that emphasizes opportunities to give back to communities and worthy causes. It was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. It has grown into a global movement that inspires millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
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Giving Tuesday 2025 took place on
Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
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Donors helped us raise $2,598 for scholarships.
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Donations are processed through
Fundraisers on our Facebook group page
and on our Instagram page.
December 2, 2025
HOW CAN I DONATE?
There are multiple ways you can support providing scholarships for summer music camps. We accept donations by check, with Zelle, and by credit card through PayPal. For some of you, writing a check, addressing an envelope, and locating a stamp is too time consuming or just flat-out “old school.” There are lots of other ways you can help us help young musicians. Check out these additional options.
The Line Fire Endangers Arrowbear
Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake are just above the red outline of the fire.
Southern California faced the power and destruction of three different wild fires in September and October of 2024. The Line Fire broke out on September 5 just north of the city of Highland. The fire climbed up the hills, closed Highway 330, and forced the evacuation of several communities including Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake. Highway 330 remained closed until December.
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The topography of the area made it difficult for firefighters to fight the fire. Dennis and Larke had to evacuate from Camp for their own safety. The evacuation order remained in place for more than a week while firefighters worked to keep the fire away from homes and buildings. Only one home was destroyed in the town of Running Springs and Camp was spared. The Keller Peak Lookout Station was consumed by the fire. Four other structures were damaged.​
Dennis and Larke returned to Camp on September 15. The fire department was there in Camp when they arrived. The area was covered in ash, but none of the structures were damaged.
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By October 14, the Line Fire was 97% contained and had burned 43,978 acres. Flare ups continued to occur due to warmer temperatures. Six firefighters were injured; thankfully, there are no fatalities to date. Arson is suspected to be the cause of the fire.
Keller Peak Watch Tower
Keller Peak Watch Tower destroyed by fire.
Snow and More Snow
California mountain communities experienced record breaking back-to-back snow storms in late February and early March 2023. The governor declared a state of emergency in 13 counties affected by the storms. Yosemite National Park was closed for several weeks as it dealt with 15 feet of snow. In the San Bernardino Mountains, snowfall blocked the roads, trapped residents in their homes, and stranded people who work down the hill from reaching their mountain homes for days. Schools in the Running Springs and Lake Arrowhead areas closed for nearly 3 weeks due to the unprecedented amount of snowfall that sometimes towered as high as second-story windows. Disaster response and relief efforts were hampered by the amount of snow. Neighbors relied on each other until roads were finally cleared.
Residents and businesses experienced roof collapses, cars completely buried, and trying to tunnel out of their front doors to reach the street. Even after the main roads were passable, neighborhood streets remained unplowed. Where do you put that much snow? Arrowbear Music Camp was spared any damage, but the snow level on the ground was mind-boggling.
Camp Sign
Camp Porch
Dining Hall
