Activities and Sports

Taking The Plunge–Summer Homes

Published on by Kathy Baker

535873_2145510655550_2111914987_nTwo of the girls who swam in Saginaw Bay had their skills in place for swimming at camp all ready by the time they arrived. Lori Fobear (1975-76) grew up one block from the bay and loved to swim. Barb Ballor (1951-55) summered there.

Other girls either rented summer cabins on lakes or had family who owned summer homes, so swimming became second nature to them. Jodi Tripp learned at her grandparent’s place in the fifties on Lake Michigan in Saugatuck, so she felt like she grew up on the water. Susan Ruterbusch (1947-52) also learned at her grandparent’s home.

Judy MacNichols (1946) added practice to the skills she learned from age five at the “Y” with cottage living, but said she never progressed to the first raft, which was water over her head.

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Taking The Plunge–YWCA

Published on by Kathy Baker

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For Harriet Crumb, who camped in the early twenties, it was tough to face crawling into a cold, wet swimsuit in the morning. “Of course, we swam three times daily, if that first dip can be called a swim. It was a matter of in fast and out fast and how quickly we could dry, dress and be up to the lodge for breakfast—maybe a minute or two in front of the fireplace first. There were no sleepy heads or danger of not being alert and ready to go, once we had the plunge!”

Whether they learned at a pool or in a lake, many of the girls arrived at camp as fairly experienced swimmers. Since the majority of campers came from the Bay City area, it stands to reason that the Bay City YWCA taught many of the girls how to swim.

Wilma “Billie” Smith belonged to the “Y” as a young girl, where she learned to swim before camping at Maqua in the early thirties, as did Muriel Richert, fifties camper. Muriel, who had a fear of the water, loved the lake much better than a pool and enjoyed just hanging in the shallow water with the inner tubes as much as anything else.

“I was thrown off my Grandpa’s boat when I was little and took swimming lessons and was always a fish. I didn’t even mind the cold water at camp,” said Cindy Naylor (1967).

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On The Waterfront

Published on by Kathy Baker

img_6934What is camp without a lake, swimming, and boating instruction and fun? Wet towels, sand in bathing suits, leeches on limbs and tests to determine swimming and boating abilities were part of the waterfront rites of passage. But, prior to any waterfront activites, there was work to be done at pre-camp to set up the area for all the water action.

Nancy Sautter was the waterfront director in 1969 and left wonderful notes in her report that illustrated perfectly what she and her staff had to do to prepare for camp, which began with the previous year’s inventory, which helped to locate the equipment.

“Our family had a cottage on a lake near Horton when we were growing up and that is how I learned to swim. I also took swim lessons at camp and lifesaving at a YMCA in Jackson, where I earned my water safety instructors certification. I was strictly on the waterfront at Maqua,” said Nancy. “Once I was down there I couldn’t leave while I had kids there. The cabin counselors would bring them to us and you did not leave until lunch and then everything had to be locked up.”

“On the first nice day, the buoy lines should be run,” she wrote, along with instructions for stringing the red and white “lemons”. She would re-whip the unraveled ends of nylon rope by melting the ends over a candle, while spacing them and anchoring them.

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“Camp Maqua Revisited”

Published on by Kathy Baker

IMG_5796Over the years-and there’ve been many since then, At least once a summer I reminisce when, My friends and I would pack up our trunks, and come to this place and Pick out our bunks. “What do you want” bottom or the top? Nobody really cared, We were there, up for the dare, And ready for fun–nonstop! Revelry in the morning—raising the flag, and maybe a bra or 2, Then choosing of activities, Oh soooo many, What’s a girl to do? Arts & Crafts, canoeing, or maybe learn to shoot a gun, Swims in the lake, (don’t forget the buddy system) or stepping on a snake, Or riding a horse, and the singing of course. WHATEVER you chose–it was FUN! I never minded the food too much, I’ll eat pretty much anything to this day, But I do remember a food fight HAHA Much to the directors dismay. The infirmary, the brownie, nature hut and yes, camp store, Our cabin with the little shelf, that held our toothpaste and more, Thad we’d use, when we found an empty space to write our names upon the Rafters, A reminder to all, that we were here, And to all who would come soon after. But the Lodge was my most favorite place, with the cookies and if lucky–mail, And everywhere you looked a smiling face—attached to a pig or pony tail. That place where we got our bellies fed, Sang silly songs that got stuck in our head, Then reluctantly trounced off to bed—Taps and giggled until the last goodnight was said…..Then did it all over again. These are just some snip its of my Camp Maqua memories, With a big heartfelt THANK You to Kathy for allowing this possibility, to go back in time–once again. <3 Written by Ann Niegarth Laskowski as she returned for the Centennial Reunion