“Camp Goers Too Busy To Worry About Weather” read the headline from a local Bay City newspaper pasted into the archival scrapbook. “Grade School Registered At Maqua Today: 25 Travel By Bus” was the second headline. “Too agog about going to camp to care about the gray weather, and too busy lugging crowded bags to […]
Kathy Baker
Camp Inspections
It was vital to the existence of the camp that standards were adhered to with respect to various state and local agencies. It was the responsibility of each incoming director to become familiar with the standards expected from each one. The American Camping Association inspected the camp every five years and rated different areas and […]
Issues of Society
The issues of society crept into camp life in some ugly and sometimes disturbing ways, despite the relative isolation of the property. Vague memories from Randi Wynne-Parry (1969-73) included a guy lurking by the bathroom, which put the camp on a lockdown protocol. ‘I liked how aware the staff was of such things,” she said. […]
Accidents and Incidents
There was “The Great Hay-riding Accident” of 1956, which was a stand out memory for more than one camper. The injuries were varied, according to each girl’s recall of the fifty or more girls who piled atop either one or two hay wagons pulled by tractors. “In, 1956 the camp sponsored a hayride on a […]
Nurses, Doctors and Patients–#7
One of the activity centers that no one ever wanted to have an incident was the waterfront. The waterfront staff were all certified in water safety, Red Cross training and lifesaving. But, there were other causes for concern that did not always entail water. On the first day of camp in 1961, Margie Barbier fell […]
Nurses, Doctors and Patients–#6
Carol Hulett was the “Camp Health Director” during the time when it was impossible to find a nurse. After her junior and senior years at Albion College, where she majored in Biology, Carol trained under the American Camping Association and “learned to nurse” at camp the summers of 1973-74. Sue Patenge, director, had recruited her […]