Crotch Island was named in 1773, before the American Revolution, because of the geographic features and shape of the island.  Most of the island is forested.  It now provides significant habitat for wading birds, waterfowl, shellfish, juvenile fish and other marine organisms.      The use of the island for children's camps started in 1890. Miss Frances Moody of Bath donated the site to the Boston YMCA, which called it Camp Durell.  The existing lodge was built at the turn of the century using timber from the island.      A children's music camp, Camp Wapello, run by Glen Stokes, a New Jersey school teacher, took over from the YMCA.  This camp closed during the Great Depression because of financial problems.
Tom and Jerry are the two oxen who cleared the land and dragged the stones and timber to make the wharf and some of the buildings.	Camp Friendship-Maine was founded in 1947 by John L. Duda.  He reorganized the camp to provide outdoors camping experience for young members from his John's Boys Club in Brooklyn, New York.  The camp is now in its third generation of youth programs on the island.      In 1970, when John L. Duda retired, his son, John, took over. John continued Camp Friendship-Maine for summer camps, while founding and running a comprehensive after-school program, Camp Friendship Brooklyn, in New York during the rest of the year. Both camps addressed various aspects of youth development, recreational programs, educational support and youth advocacy. John retired from Camp Friendship Brooklyn in June 2005 to concentrate his effort in Maine, forming John's Boys & Girls Camp with an energetic new Board of Directors.
In his 35 years of dedication, John has focused on providing the camping experience to a heterogeneous youth population, including the wealthy, the middle class and the poor, and all ethnic varieties.  From 1998 to 2002, Camp Friendship-Maine was contracted by the New York City Board of Education to provide a camp program for public school students chosen by their principals as potential leaders in the schools and communities.      In 2008 the third generation will take over the operation of John's Boys & Girls Camp. John L. Duda's grandson, Chris, takes over the helm as the camp's new director, with his father John staying on as advisor. Chris Duda is uniquely qualified to provide new leadership for Camp Friendship-Maine. Chris has been at the camp practically every summer since he was born and has a wealth of training and experience at the camp. He is a graduate of the SUNY Maritime College, a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain, a Merchant Marine officer and has traveled world wide on all manner of vessel from steam ship to tall ship. Chris is a passionate sailor who wishes to share that passion with young people.	John L. Duda, the founder of Camp Friendship-Maine, in 1947.