Sentimental Saves—

Published on November 7, 2018October 22, 2018 by Kathy Baker

Many of the special memories from camp were preserved in copies of the “Loon” from the beginning years at camp. Not only were there many copies in the Bay City YWCA archives, but campers saved them and many donated them for reference for the history. Along with the little newsletters, photos from camp (both professional and personal) were saved in albums and many of the girls to this day cannot part with them.

Gail Schultheiss (1966) saved many mementoes, including the brochure that would arrive every year to the campers. Nancy Keeler (1973-74) is still in possession of her newsletters, diary entries, photos and ribbons. Coleen Gasta has her autograph books of all her cabinmates from the early sixties. Carol Wahl (1974-75) has her rock with “Camp Maqua 1974) painted on it and a piece of driftwood. Sue Michelson (1963-73) says her camp rock goes everywhere with her. (“If I move, it moves with me,” she laughed.)

While Karen Magidsohn (1965+) was interviewing with me, she was pulling memoribila from her drawer with excitement, remembering how much she loved her arts and crafts at camp. In her hands was the little decoupage box she had kept and used all these years, and tucked inside was the jewelry from her Mom and the leather bracelet she made at camp.

Having always been a sentimental saver, she finally found all her old photos, brochures, award ribbons and the lifesaving books signed by her instructors from 1968-71. She also saved copies of her “Swim and Stay Fit” program, which logged each segment of her laps to track her progress.

Jane Linder (1956) saved her marksman’s bars from riflery and Kimela Peck (1966-74) saved her medals and certificates from archery and riflery, as did many of the women who shared their stories.

Awards And Ribbons–

Published on November 5, 2018November 4, 2018 by Kathy Baker

Margaret Dahlem stopped on the lodge lawn in 1989, soon after we bought the property. Her trip down memory lane, as a first-time camper in 1925, included the awards when she camped. Her friend Harriet Crumb, who wrote a letter to me soon after, mentioned the same award.

There were competitions between the huts, including a parade of decorated row boats. The winner was awarded the “Bracken Fern Award”. There was also a “Spirit of Maqua” competition, based on the girl who most typified the ideal Maqua camper, with friendly voting that took place to choose one.

The awards were important to many little girls who excelled in a sport or activity that they had never tried before. Many of them saved their awards, ribbons and certificates from camp, as proof positive of their achievements.

Mary Lou Winn camped in 1946 and 1947 and remembered all the awards were presented on parents’ night at the end of camp. For her, it always seemed that the older campers seemed to get more than their share, but looking back her memory might have been tinged with envy.

“We had a three-day canoe trip, which was wonderful. I just remember how exciting it was to do this canoeing and camping. There were girls who were bickering on that trip—just amongst themselves. It was hard for the counselors. The girls were difficult and I always felt my role in life was to keep peace. I was shocked and amazed when I got an award for the “Most Cooperative On The Canoe Trip”, said Ann Ward (1958-61). ““They had never given that award before. I guess I was just a peacemaker. I was never the type that gossiped.”

Weathering The Weather–

Published on October 31, 2018October 19, 2018 by Kathy Baker

Camping in sunny weather was ideal. It meant no freezing or shivering when you went into the lake for waterfront activiites; sunny skies for boating; great days for overnight camping and canoeing, beautiful sunsets and starry skies for campfires and good sleeping weather inside the cabins whose only air conditioning was the breeze that blew through the screened windows. But, mix in cold air or rain and many activities were canceled, or worse than that—ruined!

“I also went on several of the overnight canoe trips and was even in charge of one of them. We never had tents, and just enjoyed the sun. If it rained, too bad, so sad,” said Susan Kiltie (1960-68) . “We probably had bad weather fifty percent of the time and if the weather was not conducive to sleeping outside, we would sleep under the canoes in our sleeping bags. We were young enough to think it was all one big adventure.”

As early as 1956, there were mentions of inclement weather in the minutes and ledgers from the camp committee. There was a note that parents were not happy that some of their daughters lived in the tents and not the cabins, especially during the wet and cold summer. The tents were also used for camp craft and other programs. There had been a tornado warning on July 1^st and with no real plan in place for safety. It was suggested that they “get to the east side of the knoll by the rifle range”, but a Mrs. Brown underscored the amount of panic that involved and that that plan should only be a last resort.

Snakes, Raids and Miseries—

Published on October 29, 2018October 10, 2018 by Kathy Baker

“Cabin B was my favorite as a camper. “Dizzy” was my counselor. I have to say I was a practical joker and could be sarcastic at times, but she loved my personality. There was one who did not like me, but “Dizzy’ laughed at everything I did,” said Susan Kiltie. (1967+)

“Dorthe was not very happy with one of my pranks when I was a counselor,” said “Kiltie”. “I figured out how to get the paddles and a canoe out of the boathouse and my goal, with one of my friends, was to paddle over to the boys’ camp and undo their sailboats or rafts. I was dating a boy named Scott, who was camping over there at the time. When we got back to the waterfront, Dorthe was waiting for us. Here we were, with no life jackets, and we thought we had been quiet, but I’m sure the girls in the cabin above the boathouse probably heard us. Of course, I took full responsibility. I do remember they did fill out reports on us.”

Barb Rehmus (1965-76) was at camp during the infamous Mahn-go-tah-see raid, which was at the time Carol Nieman was camp director. “I had grown up with Dorthe and Beanie as professional directors and Carol was so different. I remember thinking this prank was outlandish and over the top. They took the boat from the boys’ camp and I thought they had just taken things too far. Honestly, I was aghast and thought she was a wild card. We thought she acted like a camper, not a counselor. Sue Patenge followed Beanie, and she was okay, but it was not easy to come behind Beanie.”

Heartless Practical Jokers–

Published on October 24, 2018October 10, 2018 by Kathy Baker

Dorthe Balaskas, despite her director status, was the target of many pranks, but was on the giving end of many reprimands. In 1965, the “Loon” chronicled the prank that was played on her on July 5^th around the flagpole.“Bathing Suits Billows In The Balmy Breeze” was the title of the article that described the swimsuit that proudly flew over Camp Maqua.

“It was reverently lowered and duly returned to its owner, but do you know the tale of passion and cruelty behind it? This job was pulled off by those two long known criminals at camp, Mary Gay Obey and Melba Slaba Slaght. As they idly sat in the retreat after dinner Wednesday, they spied Dorthe’s swimsuit fluttering from the clothesline. They stared at it, and stared, then suddenly their crafty little heads filled with maliciously mischievous thoughts. Equipped with needle and thread, Obey and Mel stole the suit and sewed the legs together in the comfort of their hideout. Later, under cover of darkness, they sneaked out and impudently raised the swimsuit on the flagpole. But, what of the victim of the miserable joke, of poor Dorthe and her sewn-up swimsuit? As yet, she is still too stunned to avenge herself on those heartless practical jokers. But our advice to her to make the counselors take some of their own medicine. 1. Make them undo what they’ve done. 2. Take away their store and town privileges and 3. Make them do calisthenics all through the night, before our camp criminals really start acting up.”

Poor Dorthe happened to be headlines again on July 19^th—“What Happened To Reveille?” Dorthe found her records gone, her rope tied up to the bell she usually rang and the ladder missing to take the flag down. Betsy (Elizabeth Pollard) used a broom to untie the robe and bells were used in place for taps and reveille.

Squeezing In A Few More Tricks—

Published on October 22, 2018October 3, 2018 by Kathy Baker

The “Loon” during the summer of 1965 listed the favorite pranks of the girls. “Short sheeting Reb’s bed, croquet balls in Archie’s mattress, cold cream in someone’s sheets, purse hidden near the fire bowl, bristles were taken off a toothbrush with a jackknife, the honor banner was hidden, a fluffy slipper was hidden in a bed and mistaken for a mouse, sand in a counselor’s bed, false mice in bed, hid Mel’s alarm clock in the back of a crate and set it to go off at 3 a.m., plastic frog in a bed and campers croaked and pajamas tied in knots.”

Jodi Tripp (1957+) said one of the sillier things she recalled from camp included a counselor who constantly used a rolling pin on her hips and thighs to get the fat off, but the most fun was hearing the girls scream when they discovered frogs in their bed.

Shaving cream was a favorite in the early sixties for Elaine Engibous and Cheryl Short. Both had vivid memories of squirting shaving cream in the hands of sleeping girls, then tickling their noses with a feather, hoping to witness a face full of the white foam. Jenifer McLogan (1965-71) was also part of the short-sheeting and pillow cases filled with shaving cream crew during her time at camp.

Girls of Camp Maqua

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