Melissa Plambeck’s camp experiences in the seventies influenced her entire life. Her husband attended camp, so when they met they knew the same songs. When her children came along, she wanted them to enjoy the same experiences she loved at camp, so she and her husband worked for a camp and their kids went to Camp Daggett. All three ended up as counselors and one worked as an assistant director for another camp. The family sometimes rented cottages on lakes and one child even requested “Hobo Dinners” for her birthday one year! The family still canoes to this day.
“It was a good thing—camp. I was never afraid to go places by myself, to travel alone and meet new people. Living with eight to ten girls I didn’t know, well—I made it work and I learned to appreciate different people and different personalities. It broadened my perspective, even for people I did not like.”
“I think Maqua contributed to my character,” said sixties camper Laurie Cone, pictured with her husband. “It demonstrated friendships, loyalty, and camaraderie. You can view the results just from the Camp Maqua Alumni site. They were treasured times. I cannot tell you how many times I have had moments where I remembered my camping experiences. It was rustic, not fancy. We took baths and shaved our legs at the lake. We skinny-dipped. It was a simple place but had a whole range of activities from crafts to nature classes. Why we learned to dissect a frog there long before I ever did in Biology class!”
“My husband and son both hated camp and I wanted them to have the same kinds of experiences I had, but they did not,” said Laurie sadly. Laurie just retired from her career as co-owner and former President of the Board of Directors of Mapleview Consultation Center in Michigan.
Cynthia Gregory (1960-65) served on the board of the YWCA during their 75thanniversary and recalled how excited she was to be part of the winter round-ups when the old YWCA was downtown.
“I didn’t know anybody when I went to camp, but it gave me confidence and I loved the camaraderie. I felt like I could be away from home with no problem. Later I was an exchange student in high school for four months in Sweden, Camp gave me the confidence.”
Former secretariat member of UNESCO and sixties camper Nancy Michelson, pictured above, said, “For women of our generation, camp was a place we could stretch ourselves, excel and stand on our own. Amazing things went on in that place and I became the person I was meant to be. There was a non-competitive atmosphere and we had a nice interaction with the campers and counselors. Camp gave us a chance to find ourselves in a safe and supportive environment. We could enjoy the out of doors with great spirit. I don’t think we realized how connected we were!”
“My career path, after some brief teaching, led me into the Navy, and I worked most of my life at the Pentagon in satellite intelligence and communications. I think working at Maqua taught me to be spontaneous and to work with other people plus it gave me a lot of self -confidence and self-esteem. I learned the ability to adapt to living in a cabin with eight kids and had to come up with ideas for them not to kill each other,” laughed Sue Wiegand. “This was the sixties, and most women were housewives, teachers or nurses. Had it not been for Camp Maqua, I would not have followed through to go into the Navy. My experiences at Maqua taught me to realize I could do something different.”
Camp contributed to Gail Schulthiess’ independence in the sixties. “Even now I love to travel, even by myself. I worked for Parke Davis/Pfizer and worked in Germany on a career exchange. I also had the opportunity to work in Tanzania for six months,” said Gail, who had her Chemistry and Biology degree from Kalamazoo College and her Masters in Computer Based Information. All her experiences were an extension of the life skills gained by camping.
“I think camp helped me feel more independent,” said Dana Foote, who camped in the seventies. “Just to go away from family and try new things. I realized I was a people person and now I’m a social worker/school psychotherapist and I am never afraid to try new things. I felt safe, happy and taken care of at camp. The whole experience was fun and I wish my daughter could have gone to that camp.”