They missed family members, pets, and summers that continued on without them, but those feelings were not so overwhelming that the girls wanted to return home. Some, like JoAnn Kern (1953,) said she was ready to go home after her two weeks at camp. She always felt like she was missing out on her summer […]
Kathy Baker
What I Missed At Home #1
Aside from the usual bouts of homesickness, many of the girls missed some dramatic events at home or in their hometowns while they attended camp. The girls in hut nine expressed their views perfectly in the last edition of the “Loon” in 1950. The first thing they would do when they got home; “Run and […]
Mixed Reactions–
Born in Flint, Sheryl Biesman was eight years old when she camped for the first time in 1973 and it closed before she could ever have a leadership position in 1978. Karen Selby was one counselor she could remember from that “wholesome camp” that closed with little fanfare to the campers who were there the […]
Culture Of Change—
“I liked boys as a teen, and it wasn’t a dramatic change and it wasn’t better or worse, it was just changed. It had always been run by women and instead of strong, confident women, there were men in charge,” said Julie, who remembered Joe’s smile as he barked orders authoritatively. Julie […]
Separated By The Transition
Amy Falvey began camping at Maqua in 1970, when she was nine years old, and finished her last year in 1978 when the camp closed. Her big sister Betsy was her impetus for attending, and every year the sessions increased with her increased enjoyment of her experiences. “The first year it was two weeks, […]
Co-ed Dynamics–
The dynamics changed for Mardi Jo Link (1973-78) when Camp Maqua turned co-ed. “I never felt threatened, if anything I had a lot of friends. That time helped me form my open mindedness as a young woman with all girls around, but it went away when the boys arrived. No one felt as comfy anymore. […]