The YWCA had always relied on the kindness of strangers and the help of volunteers. Without them, Camp Maqua would have never existed or survived. Many grateful young girls whose families could not afford to send them off to camp were on the receiving end of the generosity and kindness of such people, sponsoring sessions […]
Kathy Baker
Registration And Rates–
“Attendance records were broken in the first two weeks of camp for the first time in camp history,” read the minutes from November 2, 1934. “There were a total of 168 campers, 79 of which were from Bay City and 89 from other cities and states. The largest enrollment was during the fourth week. For […]
And Now To Find Counselors–
Counselors had entirely different reasons for attending camp. Some had been counselors at other camps, as Nancy and Tricia Sautter had, before their years at Maqua (1968-70), but many had never been to camp. A summer job on a lake was enticing, but also utilized skills and talents they possessed that were geared toward […]
One Hundred Years of Happy Memories
The Centennial for Camp Maqua, on the grounds of the Loon Lake property, was celebrated on June 25th with seventy-five ex-campers, counselors, current residents and even the last camp doctor. (William McCadie) This day was not only a celebration of a happy camp for the campers and staff, but also for the ten resident families […]
Escaping Home–
A great many girls found camp to be their escape and distraction from their tumultuous lives at home. Dawn Kober’s father had just remarried a woman she was not fond of, so her grandmother brought her to and from camp in 1977 with her friend Kelly Kirk. “It was totally foreign to me”, said Elaine […]
Camp As A Life Adjustment
Many families sent their daughters off to camp during or after moving to the area to make new friends before school started. Marcia Kessler (1959-61) remembered her friend Buffy, who had just moved. Had she met her at school and not at camp, she still would have been an instant friend, she admitted. For Priscilla […]