1940’s

Camp Maps—

Published on by Kathy Baker

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The 10×14 ft. muslin map, created by horseback riding instructors Mary Lou Goggin and Kay Connor in 1961, still graces the lodge wall to this day. Mary Lou has few memories of actually making this map and Kay has not been found to question her on her memories, but it hangs from the ceiling on the west side of the lodge. At some point in history, it was attached to the open beamed rafters of the lodge overlooking the dining and fireplace areas.

According to a copy of a 1947 “Loon” another map existed. The Junior Counselor trainees of 1946 dedicated a cloth map on July 30, 1947. The creators of this map included Joan Grushow, Rose Ann Mannix, Kay Brownyer, Nancy Suliburk, Mary Jane Nicols, Gretchen Lodewyck, Phyllis Kelso, Gerry Folkert, Julie Ford and Laya Hennes. (Laya and Gerry were interviewed but have no recall of this map.)

When fifty of the first hundred girls interviewed for that book gathered for a mini reunion at the lodge in 2013, copies of the 1961 map were posted for each camper to pencil in where they remembered buildings stood in their childhood memories.

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Here Comes The Happy Mail!

Published on by Kathy Baker

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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.

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