Buildings and Property

“Primyland”

Published on by Kathy Baker

The girls who braved the elements and had the courage to camp in Primitive remembered their adventures with fondness. Lori Fobear(1975-76) recalled the one great trip into the woods when they spent the night on cots under a big tent.“I know it rained like crazy and the next morning we tried to cook eggs in paper bags in some way, which did not work out,” she laughed.

Sally Allen (1968-73) camped in Primitive under director Sue Patenge, who had a way with kids and made everyone feel comfortable. “We slept on the ground and pitched a tent. I remember we had chicken to cook in a cast iron skillet and it rained and we couldn’t cook it through, so we were hungry, but it adds to the memories. I think one of the Pennington girls pinched apart the chicken and it was still bleeding, so we ate chocolate and marshmallows on graham crackers for dinner or maybe banana boats.”

“Primyland” was the title to the “Loon” July 1975 article about the primitive campsite. (M.Foss, A.Falvey, M. Moore, J. Bernard, B. Hickner, S. Vater, S. Shepard, P. Shepard, S. West and A. Johns were on this adventure.)

They had a taste of “stalking the good life” and eating –especially peanut butter and jelly—were big favorites. They had good intentions of getting an early night before their big backpacking trip, but instead stayed up till 1:00 trying to remember Beth Hickner’s favorite song. The trip to Alcona Dam Pond brought new and interesting people into their life, as well as new skills at backpacking. “Expressions like “Mind if I have a bowl” and “M-OK” remind us of the days at Primyland,” ended the article.

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Outpost with Tricia!

Published on by Kathy Baker

Patricia Sautter was given the opportunity to open the Primitive unit in 1970, after a two-year hiatus, and her report acknowledged a few rough spots, but she hoped that one more year would straighten out the program.

The new site was located on the piece of property which was in the process of purchase and she had enlisted the help of Mert, the caretaker, to build the platform and brace the tent, which was built over a gulley. When it rained, leaks appeared in the tent, so Mert and Patricia rechecked the cement blocks under the perimeter, and checked the slack of the tent to make it fit better.

Succint directions were given to find the unit in her report: “When going by the road to find the site, one goes completely out to the end of the road leading into camp and takes a right turn. About a quarter of a mile down this road, one will find a tractor path on the right side. Turn down this path and follow it, and it will eventually take a big swing to the right through an opening in a wire fence. One should continue along this path for approximately another hundred yards. After this, one should come into a little clearing, which will be as far as one is able to drive. The campsite is just a ways ahead of this clearing, and our tent platform and orange outhouse will be good guides to help one find the unit.”

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Primitive Camping

Published on by Kathy Baker

The precursor to primitive camping at Maqua may well have been in the early twenties’ when Meg Dahlem talked of their trips overnight by truck to the AuSable. They would sleep on the ground on a hill with no sleeping bags, but probably makeshift bedrolls. The appeal for outdoor camping of this sort waxed and waned over the years.

It was decided by the camp committee to establish three new postions as junior counselors in October 1963, with a new primitive site to be established, complete with all the necessary equipment and a salary for the counselor.

On November 14,1964, a list of suggestions was made to the camp committee. “Primitive Camping-Miss Balaskas will again attempt primitive camping with restrictions upon the primitive camp leader,” the notes read.

“I recall a survival night where we ate only what we found in the woods,” said Shelley Harris (1965-75). “I can still hear Dorthe reminding us that there were hot dogs in the kitchen if we came back hungry. She was nervous, but we ate dandelion soup and Queen Anne’s Lace root, which were nothing but wild carrots, and we didn’t die.”

The last couple years Karen Magidsohn (1965+) camped in Primitive. “If I remember correctly, it was past the riding stables There was a platform with a big green tent. It was our cabin and we cooked all our own meals and stayed out there the whole time. We had a pit toilet, built our own campfires and it was pure camping,” said Maggie, who to this day camps every summer somewhere in the U.S.

Jeanne Kiltie (1966-71) also loved the primitive camping past the tennis courts, where they slept in tents and ate their breakfast and lunches, but dinners back at the lodge. “We ate Queen Anne’s Lace roots and strange soups made from greens, but I have to say what I learned there I have used all my life.”

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Games and Activities In The Rain–

Published on by Kathy Baker

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For the most part, it seemed that there was always someone singing or playing the piano in the lodge. Sometimes, aside from the pre-planned programs, the weather would force a change in plans for camp activities, whether it was games or overnights. It was never boring, by any stretch of the imagination.

“Lodge Transformed as “Unfair” Weather Pushes Maqua Fair Indoors” was the heading of an article on July 13, 1965 in the “Loon”. The weather was unpredictable, but caused no worries for the girls who set up water fights, a spook house, a jail with slaves, dice throw, ball throw, peanut roll, sponge throw, golf, a piñata and a fortune teller.

“The whole camp would sometimes be in the lodge or outside playing capture the flag, running races, or having a big sing-a-long, depending on the weather,” said Judith Moore (1970-71). “Some nights we would take the girls out and sleep out under the stars. I can remember two little hot bodies sliding into my bag one night. It was just too open for some of them. Some nights I would stay up with the counselors and we would build a fire and stay up till one or two in the morning, just talking,” said Judy.

Sue Robson remembered one night all the girls camped under the stars in the field. (She laughed as she recalled one of the counselors had a son named Hans, but she nicknamed him “Horkie”.)

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Skits and More Skits!

Published on by Kathy Baker

551108_3521088956544_1823756764_nBarb Haggart and Sue Wiegand created many program skits. “You could say I was the creator and she acted upon it, but she was a funny girl,” said Sue (1966-67). “She could make a fool of me and herself. We were like Laurel and Hardy—a good team. She was the assistant director at the time. I was a terrible singer and my fear was that “Beanie” would make me sing the “Froggie” song, but I learned that it was okay to do stupid things and I learned to laugh at myself. She loved to laugh!”

Lines were remembered by Laurie Cone (1962-68)—“What kind of pepper does youz want? TOILET PEPPER!” and pillow case people in a talent show or skit was a memory for Jennifer Fenton from the seventies’. Cindy Eigner (1967-68) had a memory of her in a skit in the lodge playing a dead bull on the ground with her feet in the air.

“There was one skit where girls came in and would be asked,”Where did you get your pants?” and the other girl answered “J.C.Penny” and then the same was asked of the girl about her shirt and another girl about the shoes and the answer was always the same. J.C. Penny” laughed Debbie Tweedie (1965-72). “All of a sudden a girl appeared in nothing but her underwear and all the girls asked, “Who are you?”, to which she answered, “J.C. Penny”.

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Skits!

Published on by Kathy Baker

KayMary Young (1951) recalled a round of singing where everyone got in on the act by adding “One dark and stormy night” to the song. She giggled remembering someone playing a villan and another playing the widow who couldn’t pay the mortgage, ending with a kiss and much clapping.The skits in the lodge at night were enjoyed by the staff and campers alike.

The “Wild Bill Hiccup” skit was remembered by many campers, especially Pat O’Tool and her sister Nan, (who camped in mid-forties’ and well into the fities’) and practiced their skit feverishly before the big production. (Pat and Nan can be seen on page 101 in the book “Camp Maqua’, dressed in their outfits in front of the “Dirty Dan Saloon”.)

The skits were always fun for Marcia Michelson (1963+) and one special memory was of one of the counselors tying herself to another to form one heavy woman, with hands reaching from behind to apply make-up.

(There was only one girl–Kim Wynne-Parry (1963-68) who admitted she did not like participating in the skits. “I know others liked them, but I would rather write them or decorate around them, but I am pretty sure I ended up being in at least one.”)

Judy Engibous (1973-75) loved the puppet shows and skits in the lodge. One night as the counselors prepared to get their skits ready, Judy took a seat in the front row. One of her new friends at camp had saved her a seat, but because of her insecurities, she had a Nicholas Alexander book in her hand, (probably to heighten her look of intelligence she admitted. ) The skit began with a bag filled with objects. The counselor had to reach her hand into the paper bag, and create a skit out of whatever was in her hand.  It happened to be a stick.

“It’s a stick. It’s great stick. It’s a wonderful stick. You can do all sorts of things with this stick,” fumbled the counselor, attempting to come up with something clever. Suddenly, she reached down and pulled Judy out of the front row.

“I was a sticky mess, covered in some tangy taffy all over one of my hands,” laughed Judy. “I’m in my impressionable years and I am supposed to bail out this counselor? She was expecting ME to get her out of this mess? I grabbed the stick with my hand that was not covered in taffy and threw the stick across the room and yelled “FETCH” Well, I brought the house down!”

“No-one was expecting this from me. I had just spent two weeks as a wimp and now I was getting compliments for being cool.  It even rated a mention in the camp newsletter. I finally felt like I was recognized for being me”, said Judy. “I also remember about ten years later I was still a nerd, but someone noticed I had waited a period of time after one of their remarks before I said something funny and they told me I was funny. I told them I already knew I was! So, I guess camp helped me become comfortable with myself. It was an empowering place.”

Her sister Doris (1966+) loved Laurie Cullen and Jennifer McLogan doing “Daddy Cool”, which she agreed held the same fascination as ‘Beanie” playing “Montague”. Page 103 of the book “Camp Maqua” featured this pair, who later passed on their roles to Doris Engibous and Priscilla Johns.

Did you enjoy being a part of the skits or would you rather watch?

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