Kathy’s Musings: The New Boat House

Published on June 3, 2016June 2, 2016 by Kathy Baker

We have a new boathouse! Well, it’s not really new—but it looks new to the Maqua Association, who finally renovated the original building with new siding, a staircase to reach the upper level and the door that was originally in the infirmary. (Ah, the coveted upper bunk!)

The names still remain on the walls for posterity and hopefully will be there for many years to come for those who choose to sleep there. The buddy board has been relocated from the west side of the exterior to the interior to preserve it.

The interior has not changed much with the paddle holders,and bulletin boards depicting raft areas and boat placement. The Maqua Association members are happy to see the building standing straighter and prouder than it has in years. Even the pull-out windows work!

Here Comes The Happy Mail!

Published on June 1, 2016February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

What young girl does not like “happy mail” arriving in their mailbox? As a child, receiving anything in the mail was pure excitement, whether it was a letter from your grandparents, a postcard from a friend’s vacation, or a piece of mail announcing the next sessions for camp!

Two avenues of publicity were the main reason for excitement about a summer experience at Camp Maqua—the day camps or camp rallies and the brochures that arrived in the mailboxes each winter.

“I lived for camp”, said Jan Schreiber, who began in 1962 and camped until 1970. “In January when the Camp Maqua brochure would arrive, I would get so excited. December was always depressing, just waiting for it and then it would be so amazing because more mail would come in February. It organized my year, just receiving the camp mail.”

In the fifties a promotional schedule included a post card in October, news solicitation for the “Loon” camp newspaper, a booklet and summer registration form in December,( as well as a Christmas card), a copy of the “Loon” in January, reunion notice in March, reminder, medical cards, housing questionnaires and insurance forms in May and individual birthday cards during the year.

The publicity committee of the YWCA camp committee spent hours over photography, body copy and channels for dissemination of their folders, postcards or brochures. They contained happy photos of girls engaged in the activities, general information, separate lists of items to bring to camp and items available at the camp store, fees and rates and a form to send to apply for the four different sessions.

Finding Maqua

Published on May 30, 2016May 31, 2016 by Kathy Baker

Original Porch Swing The tires of our Suburban crunched on the ice and snow as we headed down the trail in northern Michigan on a cold winter day in 1987. Lined with snow-laden trees; the pines, oaks, birch and aspen seem to envelop us as we rounded a bend past an old corral.

Kathy’s Musings: Centennial Celebration-June 25, 2016

Published on May 30, 2016June 6, 2016 by Kathy Baker

The current Camp Maqua Association of ten private landowners invite all campers and staff to enjoy at day at camp on June 25, 2016, to celebrate the Centennial year of its existence. Although no longer a camp, the families who reside on the property during the summer feel a celebration is in order!

If you have been interviewed for the book “Girls of Camp Maqua”, that is your entrance ticket! Festivities will begin at 1:00 and continue until the last song is sung at the campfire. Tours of the property, lodge and lake activities are included–including pontoon boat rides from the owners around Loon Lake! Property owners will ferry folks with their golf carts for those unable to walk.

Bring a chair, beverages, suits and towels, your photos and memorabilia and enjoy a barbecue by the lake. (Donation only) If you have not had an interview, contact me for a form.

Below–the group that joined us in 2012!

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Welcome to the Girls of Camp Maqua Website!

Published on May 30, 2016July 24, 2017 by Kathy Baker

On these pages you will find additional history not found in the book “Camp Maqua” with images from campers, staff, the YWCA archives and my own collection. The interviews of staff and campers, using their maiden names, have provided further history and will be shared twice a week–on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning June 1, 2016.

Enjoy the history of Camp Maqua, which began in 1916, and the stories from women (and sometimes men) beginning in the 1920’s until the camp closed in 1978. Despite the fact the camp is no longer in session, the stories and history live on through the voices of the many staff members and campers who shared their memories.Thank you for sharing and visiting!

Calling All Campers!

Published on May 30, 2016February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

Calling all eligible campers! Before the age of television, computers and cellphones, publicizing a camp was never a simple task. It was up to word of mouth of contented campers and the printed word.

The musty ledgers and minutes left behind in the Bay City YWCA accumulation of” all things Maqua” contained beautifully hand scripted paragraphs of the meetings held by the camp committees. Buried deep in the vaults of the building for years in boxes, were photos, and articles, untouched and unsorted, waiting to be unearthed and compiled from their loose and glued state in crumbling scrapbooks.

As early as 1932, these penned and typed details were the only remains of how often the committee met and who was present to plan the upcoming season for the girls of Camp Maqua.

Publicity was vitally important to the success of each summer, not only to fill the sessions, but also to hire new staff and publicize the events and happenings at camp. Pages in the scrapbooks were filled with many undated articles from several Bay City newspapers, left for guessing as to the year of publication.

Girls of Camp Maqua

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