Campcraft

Published on by Kathy Baker Category: 1940's, 1960's, 1970's, Activities and Sports, Blog, Camping Life, Directors, Counselors, Staff

The first mention of campcraft was in the “Loon” 1949, from a paragraph by Kay Cochran. They learned to make boiling kettles from no.10 cans, and stoves to fry their hamburgers. Nature lore and campcraft were combined that summer with Marian Musolf in charge.

In the early sixties’, Bonnie Baker guided her campers to plan and prepare for a campout and how to use a knife. Part of their class project was to fix up Explorer’s Hill, make “doughboys” (fried dumplings) and play “Hare and the Hound”.

Other years projects, with Mary Henne (1961), included the knotting and lashing of primitive tables and washstands, trail signs with sticks and stones, and how to assemble bedrolls.

Campcraft was run by Bonnie MacDonald in 1967, and Dorthe Balaskas wrote that she had worked at a camp before, therefore she made a confident counselor and knew her specific area well. She had good ideas, despite inadequate equipment. She took on extra projects, such as the camp entrance sign and a cabin assignment in the last session.Other years projects included the knotting and lashing of  primitive tables and washstands, trail signs with sticks and stones, and how to do bedrolls.

“She made good use of the tents and primitive areas and tried to have campcraft something more than Lemme sticks. She is most interested in seeing a primitive unit tried again at Maqua and I personally feel she would avoid some of the pitfalls we fell into the three summers we had a primitive unit,’ wrote Dorthe.  There was a new shed, “which was a welcomed addition”, but new peg boards needed to be added to organize the equipment.

Cara Prieskorn remembered making the Lemme sticks during her time at camp (1966-71). “You would find the straightest stick and peel down the bark until it was smooth. We hit each other on the elbows and threw them, but I think they were actually for some of the unofficial hand clapping games. I thought it was more like advanced patty-cake.”

Anne Obey was the campcraft director in 1969. Her report from that summer detailed her lesson plans for ropecraft, firebuilding, with an emphasis on toolcraft. As a young cabin counselor, Anne recalled sitting on the lodge porch to teach the young campers how to handle a hatchet to chop down trees, whittle with jack knives and other nature experiences. “We winged it,” laughed Anne. “I had learned just being a camper, but we could pitch a rudimentary pup tent, read a compass and start a fire.”

Anne impressed Dorthe with the mature manner in which she handled her responsibilities. Aside from packing campcraft, Anne assisted in the campcraft classes, worked in Primitive and took over a cabin as a sub when needed. “I could not have asked for anyone who gave willingly and actually showed loyalty and love for Maqua and it’s campers as Anne,” wrote Dorthe.

Read More

Water Exhibitions and Carnivals

Published on by Kathy Baker Category: 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, Activities and Sports, Camping Life

The Niedzielski sisters wrote about the  1947 “Water Carnival”, which took place on VisItor’s Sunday in front of campers and their friends and relatives by the boathouse. The carnival was directed by Ann Theilan and judged by Beth, Peg, Ann Thomas, Dona Johnson, K.J. Carroll and Mrs. Stuart.  Each of the nine huts made a float representing a different holiday. The winner was Hut 1, with their Fourth of July representation and the girls held big firecrackers.

There was an exhibition entitled “Susie Learns to Swim” demonstrated by the red caps to show their swimming ability. The green caps had balloon races with two teams, “The object was to blow up the balloon, swim from the green to the red raft and give the balloon to the next girl. She, in turn, had to blow up the balloon and swim back to the green raft with it,” it stated.

They also had pajama races, with the girls again divided into two teams, and the girls (dressed in pajamas) had to swim to the opposite raft, take them off and give them to the next girl, which left them “torn to shreds”, but was entertaining.

The blue caps had a canoe race, where they paddled their canoes out and around the third raft and back to shore with their paddles followed by the canoes being paddled out to the third raft and brooms were used instead of paddles to race back to shore. There were also rowboat races, examples of life saving and a beautiful water ballet, led by Gerry Folkert and Julie Ford, which included different strokes and surface diving.

“O’Tools Activities” by Nan O’Tool in 1950 included a summary of a Water Pagaent, which included boating events such as paddle boats with metal platters and brooms, canoe bobbing and water fights with canoes that were swamped. There were also swimming events with a beginner’s running race, newspaper race on backs and a greased watermelon race.

A boat decorating contest with the theme “The Sound Of Music” won Debbie Pennington’s cabin the top prize in the early sixties’. Her memory included using megaphones with something white on them as mountains.

Read More

What Is “IT”?

Published on by Kathy Baker Category: 1950's, 1970's, Activities and Sports, Blog, Cabin Life, Camping Life, Directors, Counselors, Staff

“After a lot of patient waiting and guessing we found out what “IT” was”, wrote the author of the “What Is It?” column in a copy of the “Loon” from 1952. “A real western day. We were all called down to the waterfront by a fire drill. Nan came riding down on her horse to tell us about it. It started off with a chuck wagon dinner. It ended with a wonderful counselors’ show and a hoedown for all. We all agreed that “IT” turned out swell.”

Tales of spaghetti in bags that felt like worms from blindfolded campers and popping balloons tied around ankles of fellow cabin mates brought laughter. Square dancing with a director as the caller, or talent shows entertained happy faces in the evenings.”Roasting” counselors, learning Morse Code, tossing the frisbee, or washing the camp truck also entertained the girls.

“The counselors and the kids always got along fantastic together”,  said Rhonda Thayer, business manager from 1974-77. “During meals there was always some entertainment. Mine was using that paddle with the ball on the string and I could do that blindfolded. The girls would count to 1,000 and I would still be bouncing that ball without missing. One counselor could tell stories and she would mime opening a jar of peanut butter and pretend like she was eating it and eventually it appeared she could not talk with all the peanut butter in her mouth. One girl sang “Camelot” really well, and there was one black counselor who would faint and we couldn’t wake her, so we would leave her. We would tease her about being so dark that we couldn’t see her bruises. What talent we all had!”

Read More

Cabin Days and Themed Events

Published on by Kathy Baker Category: 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, Activities and Sports, Cabin Life, Directors, Counselors, Staff

The daily activity schedules were usually confined to Mondays through Fridays, allowing the weekends for schedules planned by campers and counselors. It is unclear when this format began, but it was a great way to expose campers to as many activities as possible. The first week was all the different activities (in the sixties’), and the second week campers chose which activity they wanted and would sign up in advance.

On Saturdays, campers had “Cabin Day” where staff and campers carried out  the plans that their cabins had pre-planned on Wednesay. Some cabins took alpine hikes, had cookouts in Primitive, picked strawberries or made dinner in Hale Park. Some elected to sleep in, skip breakfast, go to Lumberman’s Monument or take an overnight canoe trip.

The evening programs were always popular and a paragraph from the “Loon” in 1966 read: “The 4th dawned dark and dreary this year. Classes went on as usual. For the evening meal, we dressed up in patriotic costumes and had a picnic on the volleyball court. We ate tasty hot dogs, smothered with mustard, ketchup and dill pickles. Costumes were judged in categories of the prettiest, funniest and most original.”

There was Gypsy Night, Christmas in July, Western Day, camp fairs, and Circus Nights with counselors as ringmasters for the circus acts. “I remember someone making a wanted poster during the western event, and she was wanted for taking a bath,” laughed fifties’ camper Janet Dixon, who felt like those events encouraged the girls to be very creative.

Read More

Games and Activities In The Rain–

Published on by Kathy Baker Category: 1960's, 1970's, Activities and Sports, Blog, Buildings and Property, Directors, Counselors, Staff, Traditions

424038_402036323144349_2065792933_n

For the most part, it seemed that there was always someone singing or playing the piano in the lodge. Sometimes, aside from the pre-planned programs, the weather would force a change in plans for camp activities, whether it was games or overnights. It was never boring, by any stretch of the imagination.

“Lodge Transformed as “Unfair” Weather Pushes Maqua Fair Indoors” was the heading of an article on July 13, 1965 in the “Loon”. The weather was unpredictable, but caused no worries for the girls who set up water fights, a spook house, a jail with slaves, dice throw, ball throw, peanut roll, sponge throw, golf, a piñata and a fortune teller.

“The whole camp would sometimes be in the lodge or outside playing capture the flag, running races, or having a big sing-a-long, depending on the weather,” said Judith Moore (1970-71). “Some nights we would take the girls out and sleep out under the stars. I can remember two little hot bodies sliding into my bag one night. It was just too open for some of them. Some nights I would stay up with the counselors and we would build a fire and stay up till one or two in the morning, just talking,” said Judy.

Sue Robson remembered one night all the girls camped under the stars in the field. (She laughed as she recalled one of the counselors had a son named Hans, but she nicknamed him “Horkie”.)

Read More

Skits and More Skits!

Published on by Kathy Baker Category: 1960's, 1970's, Activities and Sports, Blog, Buildings and Property, Camping Life, Directors, Counselors, Staff, Traditions

551108_3521088956544_1823756764_nBarb Haggart and Sue Wiegand created many program skits. “You could say I was the creator and she acted upon it, but she was a funny girl,” said Sue (1966-67). “She could make a fool of me and herself. We were like Laurel and Hardy—a good team. She was the assistant director at the time. I was a terrible singer and my fear was that “Beanie” would make me sing the “Froggie” song, but I learned that it was okay to do stupid things and I learned to laugh at myself. She loved to laugh!”

Lines were remembered by Laurie Cone (1962-68)—“What kind of pepper does youz want? TOILET PEPPER!” and pillow case people in a talent show or skit was a memory for Jennifer Fenton from the seventies’. Cindy Eigner (1967-68) had a memory of her in a skit in the lodge playing a dead bull on the ground with her feet in the air.

“There was one skit where girls came in and would be asked,”Where did you get your pants?” and the other girl answered “J.C.Penny” and then the same was asked of the girl about her shirt and another girl about the shoes and the answer was always the same. J.C. Penny” laughed Debbie Tweedie (1965-72). “All of a sudden a girl appeared in nothing but her underwear and all the girls asked, “Who are you?”, to which she answered, “J.C. Penny”.

Read More