The word independence was mentioned more than any other word when talking to the women who camped and counseled at Maqua. (Besides the word happy.) Forties camper Kay Alcorn, along with many other women, was saddened by the closure of the camp, hoping that their children and grandchildren could have camped at a place that promoted their independence.
“I learned independence and it was the first time I cared for myself and the first time I made my own way,” said Susie Utter, who camped in the fifties. “Even the songs were special. My cousin Polly Vliet died of pancreatic cancer and I helped nurse her during her last days. The first thing she wanted me to do when I came to her was to sing those Maqua songs—-“High On Chapel Hill” and “Sail, Sail Wishing Boat”.
“I loved the people and very few went away at that age, but it was an exciting part of my growing up. It made me more independent.,” said Barb Krohn (1970-72). “My sisters and I all went to prep school before college, and it was a natural transition. It was a privilege to go, but when you were young, you took it for granted. It was a natural part of my summers, and my parents must have known since both went. Even my husband went to camp, so we sent our daughter off at eight she loved it, too.”
“ I think going to camp is an untapped asset for children who do not go, “ said Doris Engibous (9167-70). ”It is a gift to be able to go away. It is another level of independence. My parents expected us to go to college, and I got my degree in Chemical Engineering, which was pretty unusual for girls back then, but my parents had already established that independence by sending us to camp.”
Michele Butsch went to Stevens College, which was all women, Her parents had also gone to camp, as did her children. “When I was in high school, I was not a leader, but I formed strong relationships at camp and college and became a leader in college. I was President of my sorority,” said Michele, who is married with three children and a director of PDP. (Prescription Drug Plan.)
Fifties camper Katie Harris said,” The leadership and character building were lasting. You did it all by yourself. You survived and became independent. I told my kids and grandchildren it was the greatest experience of my growing up years. It was great being on my own, and I’m sure I missed my parents a little, but I loved being with other girls, becoming responsible and the whole gamut. I am a nature person. It is the crux of me. I loved it.”(She told her grandchildren to go to real camp camps, ones with rafts to dive off and not the camps for single interests.)
“I loved being outdoors. Even when I came home from camp, I would build my fort in the woods out of sticks and branches. It would be a place I could go where no one bothered me. Years later, my son, who became an Eagle Scout, told me he had built a fort in the woods. It was my fort he had fixed! “said sixties camper Cindy Rose.“I think camp made me very independent. I can travel and associate with anyone and anybody. It gave me freedom. I don’t have to be part of a group, even though I like to. I taught young children arts and crafts, gymnastics and baton as a community education teacher when I was fifteen. Camp was one of my influences.”
“The lodge was always the spiritual heart of the camp and the experience of having a sense of family and being close and all inclusive was wonderful,” said Maureen Moore (1968-70), who is a nurse at McLaren.” I have the personality of loving everybody and my Mom wasn’t like that. Camp heightened my compassion, made me try new things and believe that anything was possible. I was never a joiner, but I became very independent and the experience appealed to my sensibilities. I always wanted a big family and one that was non-judgemental.”
Three girls from different times, Cathy Hawkins (1962), Kathleen Dworman (1966) and Carol Requadt (1945), all expressed their influence of independence, self-reliance and the ability to make choices. Cathy still dreams of driving up the road to camp.