1940’s

Care Packages–

Published on by Kathy Baker

“There were rules about getting food.,” said Margot Homburger (1946-52). “The camp did not want you to have food in your cabin and I remember one of my friends jumped into my bed because there was a mouse in there. If you got a package, you had to open it at the lodge. My friend and I walked up and her Dad had sent her a package, so she opened it up and it was a man’s shirt, which was in style back then. Neatly tucked in the folds of this shirt in this shirt box was a flat box of candy instead of cardboard. You could eat a candy bar in your cabin, because they knew you would eat the whole thing and not save it,” she said.

“We always looked forward to mail, “said Judy Rowden (1949). “I think my parents were way more lonesome than I was. I used to get care packages from home, but they did not come through the mail like my letters did. The milkman who delivered the milk to Maqua was a friend of my family and he used to bring me the package!”

It was much more fun to get the packages than mail, according to Holly Foss (1966-72), who looked forward to mail call, hoping she would get a package. Lois Levine’s homesickness was eased in the forties by the care packages her Dad packed lovingly from home and Carol Requadt shared the cookies in 1945 sent by her parents.

Sarah Smith (1968-70) always celebrated her birthdays at camp, and her Mom was the type to send care packages. “I didn’t need a thing.  I actually liked the food at camp. But, she never missed my birthday and would send me a care package for my day. Usually there was not much in it unless it was my birthday.”

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Mail Call!

Published on by Kathy Baker

“Mail was a big thing and I saved the funny letters and postcards that I wrote and my parents, brothers and grandparents wrote to me with encouragement,” said Gail Schultheiss (1966) l, who said she begged for a Maqua sweatshirt and tee shirt in every piece of mail, which her family still laughs about to this day.

Sandy Indianer (1967+) said forming relationships was easy for her, but said if the internet had been invented back then, she probably would have stayed in touch with some of her cabin mates. The way she stayed in touch with family in those days was the weekly letter home—“not long or involved”, but she recalled asking her Mom to have her Dad PRINT her a letter, since he was a doctor and his writing was atrocious. And, he did!

Kim Wynne-Parry (1963-68) also loved getting mail from her parents and grandparents and loved sending postcards home. “I’m pretty sure I wrote in huge letters, so there could not have been much on those cards, but I threw them out a few years ago.”

Her sister Vicki also wrote home to her parents and still has her letter on birchbark. Kay Alcorn also wrote postcards on birch bark once a week.  “I don’t think anyone told us this was not a real good thing for the stately birch trees,” said Kay, who camped in the late forties.

“Basically, I told my Mom I was having a good time and the weather was great,” said sixties camper Deb Wilkinson, who bought her postcards at the same time she bought her ice cream and candy at the camp store.

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Happy Mail!

Published on by Kathy Baker

The mail and packages created as many memories as the camping experiences and many of the girls saved their letters from home. Some, like Janet Dixon (1951-52) had a surprise waiting for her in 1991, after cleaning out her parent’s home. Her father had just died and she came across an envelope marked “Camp Maqua 1951”.

“It was in a fireproof file box where we kept important papers like insurance policies and tax records,” wrote Janet. “In the envelope were letters I had written home from camp. I was amazed that they meant so much to my mother that she had chosen to save them in this way. I am also amazed at how clearly I can remember my experiences there.”

Janet was ten the first year of camp and eleven the second year, with her birthday in September. “That (year) maturity is actually visible in my handwriting in the letters I sent home from camp—my handwriting in the letters from the first year was very childlike, with carefully controlled letter formation and uneven slant. In the second year, the letter formation is very fluid and the slant consistent. Very adult. It is hard to believe these letters were written by the same person.”

In the early years, the little camp store was located inside the lodge on the right as you entered the door. Beverley Schlatter (1944-49) remembered it was just a counter with storage shelves, where the girls could purchase stamps and postcards, as well as bathing caps, tee shirts and other items. Receiving mail was a huge deal, and the girls waited expectantly for their letters and packages from loved ones.

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Taps and Reveille

Published on by Kathy Baker

 

It was always an honor to be chosen to participate in the flag ceremonies at camp. The tradition of Reveille with the flag-raising, and Taps blown at flag lowering at the end of the night, were tradtions that remained in the memories of the women who participated.“I still remember what an honor and big deal it was to get chosen to raise or lower the flag,” said Jeri Smith (1965)– still puzzled by the selection process.

In the fifties, Janet Dixon recalled; “Each day began with a bugle playing Reveille and the lonesome sound of Taps at lights out.” For Dawn Sohigian (1966-74) it added to the wonderful structure that comprised the days at camp. Others, like Pamela Hartz (1966-75) loved waking up to the sound of the bugle blasting through the camp and the routines and structure that served as her anchor.

“There was a seating area where we would wait for the big bell to ring. We had to be there for flag raising,” said Beverly Schlatter (1944-49). “It was traditional—rain or shine. It was deemed to be quite important and attendance was required.” There were rules that were remembered surrounding the ceremony involving the flag—no bare feet, and coming and going by the bell in the sixties for Mary Obey.

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Close To Nature, Close To God

Published on by Kathy Baker

For many women, their experiences at the YWCA camp and Chapel Hill left lasting influences. Young girls, like Susan Ruterbusch (1947-52) and Debbie Tweedie (1965-72) felt the gorgeous views contributed to their feelings that they had never been closer to God as young girls.

“I loved running down the trails and walking up Chapel Hill in our whites,” said Katie Harris (1951-52). “I can remember thinking about God in the middle of nature and I think that was the most lasting memory–the nature and feeling very comfortable in that setting.”

For Ellen Hydorn (1954+), the services had a lifelong effect on her. “It was the first time I realized you could have a spiritual experience without the four walls of a church. So many sensual memories are tied to spirituality—and that was Chapel Hill—sights, sounds and smells and just the physical feeling of space.”

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The Spiritual View

Published on by Kathy Baker

The services, whether you believed or did not believe, were spiritual in nature because of their natural surroundings. Many of the girls had clear memories of the spot on the hill with the beautiful trees and view of the lake, and just as many reasons why they loved it.

As a present-day photographer, Anne Shutt (1961-66) had memories of dressing in whites to go to the services and the beauty of Chapel Hill. “It would photograph beautifully. Those were the years that I decided I wanted to be a photographer. I knew what I wanted to do at age ten. I was so into Camp Maqua and it was so beautiful.”

Linda Greenwald (1948-58) loved the scenery and sitting in the fresh air, as did Holly Foss (1966-72) who admired the views, but Valerie Monto (1964-68) not only enjoyed the view of the lake, but the boys from the camp across the lake patrolling by as they sat in their service!

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