Sue Purdue was one of the young girls who transitioned from camper to counselor and learned some life lessons through her experiences under director Dorthe Balaskas.
“I think I was thirteen years old in 1964 when I first went to Camp Maqua. My cousin Laurie Cone was from Toledo and she was a year younger, but had been the impetus for attending,” said Sue. “I’m sure those lodge walls do talk. It housed so many girls. It was a time in your life that you didn’t realize was so important until you were older. The skits, the singing, the experiences—all that reflection looking back——-what a flood of memories!”
“I was an extrovert to the hilt and loved the social network. I was a camper first and was wildly social and gregarious. I camped under Dorthe and was in Senior Village and loved all the counselors who were my peers when I became a full counselor at the age of seventeen. I had written to Dorthe to consider me for the positions as kitchen aide, “ she laughed. “Big self esteem thing being a kitchen aide. She hired me and several other girls who were never campers before and the three of us worked together.”
“Dorthe was like a second mother to me. She was a strong leader and I looked up to that strong mentoring woman. She had a great sense of humor, but ran a tight ship. She caused us to be introspective, to consider your poor choices when we made them. In all the years I was there, there were only a few of them,” said Sue.
“At sixteen you think you know everything. I suppose you heard about the free days where you could decide as a cabin what to do with the day—make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and picnic, or even walk into Hale for the day. We were used to spending money at the camp store, but the girls loved the idea of walking into Hale. I can still see them skipping along the road singing. The county fair was in town and they wanted to go, and to tell you the truth, I wanted to go on the rides!” said Sue. “So, we took the kids on the rides. When Dorthe found out, she was so upset. She let me and Laurie know in between sessions, before we headed up to see both sets of my grandparents at a cabin in Oscoda, about the liability we had taking the kids on those rides.”
“My grandfather was a country doctor and he took ill while I was at camp and I remember how important it was for me to get up to see him. Maybe that’s why when Dorthe stepped out of the box with me and I went storming out of there, I thought what’s the big deal? My grandfather is more important than this,’ she said. “But, some women never get closure, and I was the type that if something bothered me, I would work it out.”
Dorthe’s notes from her report in 1967 did not reveal any details of that incident. Instead, she wrote: “It was Super’s first year as a staff member and this is not always an easy transition to make from camper, especially when your friends are here, but Sue hurdled this part of growing up and did eventually become a full fledged staff member. She surprised me as far as her dependability and ability to assume her responsibilities and she more than did her share of the work in the kitchen. She got along with her co-workers and the two cooks. It is pleasing to know that she is enjoying her summer in spite of not having the most pleasant or easiest job and she would be interested in returning next year. Sue, like so many of the staff, was always willing to help out whenever needed and could be called on to do extra tasks. Sue also taught tennis and did well in her teaching and had the ability to get across to her students the skills involved in learning to play tennis. She was liked by not only her campers, but her co-workers.”
If you were a camper transitioning to counselor, what was your biggest challenge?