Camp Influences

Ashes On The Lake

Published on by Kathy Baker

INTERVIEWS WITH GEORGE BROWN AND SHIRLEY WONTORCIK–Husband and best friend of deceased SANDY LANGELL BROWN

Sandy Langell spent three or four summers in the late forties at Camp Maqua and told her husband, daughter Trina and best friends Shirley and John Wontorcik that they were the best years of her life.

“One of the last things she asked me to do,” said her husband,” was to spread her ashes on Loon Lake. She loved the water, lakes and the country. I was able to determine what lake the camp was on from some notes she had made one year.”

“My wife’s personality was that of a bright and shiny person—always smiling. She was part fish and loved the water. She was so torn up to leave Midland when her father was transferred to Boulder, Colorado. Even though she graduated from high school in Boulder, she always came back for the Midland reunions.”

Sandy suffered a stroke and the passed away from cancer in December 2009 at the age of seventy-three. Shirley and John were able to track down who to contact at the camp and despite the fact that my husband and I were not up at the lake in early summer of 2010, residents Thom and Lydia Engel took her husband, daughter and two friends out by boat for the ceremony.

“We had a little service on their pontoon boat and spread her ashes and felt we couldn’t have been luckier,” said George. “The people who took us out were absolutely fantastic and they treated us like they had known us forever and even gave us a tour of the camp.”

Shirley and Sandy were close friends in middle school, but their friendship developed even more in high school. Although Shirley did not attend Camp Maqua, Sandy’s friend Dixie Maxwell went with her and has since died, also. Shirley also described her best friend as a fish but said she was very easy to get along with.

“It was the circle of life,” said George. “Those were the happiest days of her life. It was the biggest thrill for her to swim in Loon Lake and spend time with the other girls in the little cabins.”

Maggie LeDoux had a friend who passed away that had attended camp. She bought a book of camp songs from Restoration Hardware and sang them to her while she was ill, along with photos from camp. Cynthia Gregory was also at a funeral for a fellow camper and discovered at the wake that many of her friends had also camped at Maqua, so they all sang the songs. Kerry Weber had one wish from her camper friend who passed away—for her to share Maqua memories. These stories are reminders of how lasting the Maqua experience was for many young girls.

A few years ago, one of our beautiful Maqua residents, Sandy West, passed away from ALS. Those who loved her boated out on Loon Lake and spread her ashes over the water, as one of her favorite songs was played. I’m quite certain these traditions won’t be the last from our friends.

A Safe And Happy Camp

Published on by Kathy Baker

The physical plant of Camp Maqua was listed as ‘rustic” in the 1971 report from the Dept. of Social Services, but “conducive to a quality camp experience”. The report confirmed the positives of the camp stating, “Camp Maqua is definitely a fun place to be for YWCA girls. The program is varied and complete and the leadership is mature and experienced.” With that recommendation, the camp received it license for 1972.

“It appeared all fears and anxieties relative to being away from home had been dispelled,” wrote James Sweeting, who evaluated the camp in 1974 for the Dept. of Social Services. “A wholesome rapport between campers and staff members was obvious throughout the camp.”

Ann Pennington (1963-72) said, “Maqua was never a pretentious camp. The simple things made it special. The camp directors concentrated on the basics of outdoor life and physical activity, and it was a building block for me. That atmosphere of activity helped me make the decision to go into teaching and physical education”,

Dorothe Balaskas was the camp’s director for most of the years Ann was there, and she remembers that all the girls respected her so much that they would have done anything to help her out. Ann went off to college, thinking it would be the last time she would attend Maqua, until she heard there was to be a new director. She drove to Bay City to a meeting at the Y, only to discover that her physical education teacher Sue Patenge was going to be the new director. Ann decided, along with her friend Ann Carney, that they should return to help Sue transition her first year as a director with knowledgeable counselors under her.  Both Anns were indicative of the strong leaders that kept Camp Maqua’s reputation so positive for all those years.

Alice Bishop had been the camp director in 1961 and her report illustrated the type of order that made for such an organized camp. The counselors were in their cabins from 1:00-4:00 to receive the campers and other staff members were assigned to jobs with parking, luggage delivery, waterfront watch, and money collection.  This type of schedule was used for every session and helped with the continuity of the camp.

Cathy Hawkins, who camped in the sixties, said, “It was a happy camp and there was something for everyone. It was a good nature experience for girls, especially to be away from home.”

“It was a happy camp with no bullying. It wasn’t tolerated. Everyone got along because there were strong leaders with a strong, positive influence, “ said Missy Butsch, who also camped in the sixties.

Ilene Zacher (1959+) attended camp in the era when the Jewish camp movement began and attended Tamarack, but thought it was more like a retreat than a camp. She enjoyed the feel and experience she had at Maqua much more.

“As much as I loved my summers at my cottage with my family, I loved the giving and loving environment of Maqua. Everybody had a place there. Everyone got awards. There was one summer when I was twelve that I went to tennis camp in downtown Detroit. Mrs. Hoxie, who was famous in the tennis circles and a friend of my grandmother, took me under her wing. I was with older kids that summer and it was completely different, but I went back to Maqua the next summer. Honestly, I was so busy that summer, I never had time to miss it,” said Chris Lambert, who began in 1958.

“It was one huge family and there was so much inclusiveness. I was a shy kid then, but the thing that struck me then was how much we were all included. Our cabin became our family and we all became close. Later, as a staffer, we wanted to do that for our campers—-provide that feeling of being included.”

Stephanie Patterson (1961-65) went off to Maqua at the age of ten, reluctant, but came away with a great feeling of being welcomed with open arms from a diverse group of people. Others, like Jane Linder (1956+), felt it was run as a true Christian camp and Barb Rehmus (1965-76) loved the warmth and safety she felt over her long camping years at Maqua.

 

A Well-Organized Camp

Published on by Kathy Baker

Barb Ballor was eight years old when she first attended Camp Maqua. “It fostered kindness to others. I was so sad when it was no longer a camp. It was such a well-organized camp. There was a camp nurse in attendance. Older girls were encouraged to help. And the staff were careful not to let the boys from the boy’s camp too close,” she said. “Everyone had fun!”

“Camp Maqua, that lovely spot just north of Hale, Michigan, is a place where one can be at her best,” stated a newspaper article from June 1929. “ It is the place away from the complex grind of everyday things—almost a fairyland. A blue lake nestled among silver birch trees; comfortable huts and a cozy lodge; joy of creating things with one’s own hands; joy of being natural; friendships that are sacred; all of these things dear to the hearts of real lovers of nature are found at Camp Maqua.”

“I liked my counselors and everyone at the camp. They were very good to us. They accepted everyone and always appeared to be fair and impartial. I never remember anyone, even the cooks, becoming angry or impatient or ever raising their voice. They were exemplary models of good behavior, said Janet Dixon, of her camping years during the early fifties.”

“The camp was very well organized and very well run. The staff knew how to keep children busy and out of trouble. I liked the regimentation, but it was because it was tempered with variety, choices, and enough free time. I loved learning new things, and, especially, the chance to taste independence. I don’t know how they did it but I know they did it well! in 62 years, I have never forgotten my experiences there.”

Hut five was interviewed in August 1950 and the girl’s answers were published in a copy of the “Loon”, “What do you think of Camp Maqua?” and the comments ranged from “Camp Maqua is worth saving because it is educational”, “You can’t compare Camp Maqua with any other camp because Camp Maqua is the best”, “Camp Maqua is more fun than any other camp I’ve been to”.

“It’s a great camp. You learn many new activities and you have the opportunity to meet other girls,” wrote Jean Jahnke, who was the reporter and was from Bay City. She said she wanted to tell those who had been there before and the ones that were there for the first time that they made the camp what it was and the counselors did a “swell job”.

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Sing-y-swim-y Camp

Published on by Kathy Baker

 

 


Shelley Harris spent ten years at Camp Maqua, half as a camper and the other half on staff, including a stint as Program Director. As a fourth grader in Flint in 1965, she was excited about the idea of going to camp after her cousin had been the previous year. Just hearing that there was horseback riding was enough for Shelley to think camp would be “cool”.

“Maqua was huge to me—I really considered it my home, while Flint was just the place where I lived. It was a “sing-y swim-y” camp and everyone had to swim daily regardless of weather, except in storms. I was a song leader when I was on staff, and lived in Dutton.” (She still remembers all the lyrics to all the camp songs!)

“There was a huge group of Jewish girls, including myself, that went together from Flint every year. We never felt any religious pressure or prejudice and loved the weekly procession up to Chapel Hill wearing our Sunday whites for a very ecumenical service. After lunch at the lodge, we would all change our clothes. Only the Catholic girls rode into town for mass.”

It was the year of “I am Woman” sung by Helen Reddy and that is exactly how Shelley felt about her camp experience and how it influenced her life. As a young girl growing up with brothers, she felt like she was “home” at camp with all the girls out of doors. She had a great appreciation for the rough and tumble life at camp.

“I felt like I do anything. We did not need boys to have fun. We sang with girls, danced with girls, played with girls and the girl counselors did all the work loading and unloading when campers arrived. We didn’t care what we looked like and we became very self-sufficient. I felt like I could do anything without a guy.”

She went with friends, made new friends and still stays in touch with her camper buddies. When her Mom would ask why she wanted to go to a “dumpy Camp”, she would respond that it was the spirit of Camp Maqua and the nurturing of the counselors.

“ I did stuff that stayed in my heart. For years I used to dream about Maqua—-well into my thirties, until one night I had a magnificent fireworks-laden dream about a huge celebration on the lake with canoes, islands, flowers, music, and glitter. That was the last dream I had about it. I guess I was saying goodbye to that era of my life. That’s how important it was to me. I’m now in my late fifties, but Maqua is still in my heart”.

(And I might add…….her name is penned on many of the counselor canoe paddles that still grace the lodge wall.)

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Co-ed Dynamics–

Published on by Kathy Baker

The dynamics changed for Mardi Jo Link (1973-78) when Camp Maqua turned co-ed. “I never felt threatened, if anything I had a lot of friends. That time helped me form my open mindedness as a young woman with all girls around, but it went away when the boys arrived. No one felt as comfy anymore. There was an easiness to having all girls around.”

“Maqua was always my escape from the real world. When it went co-ed, it seemed like it was just like the rest of the world, even though I did have my first boyfriend at Camp Maqua when I was fifteen. Those camping years coincided with my teen years, but it certainly didn’t have the same vibes when it was co-ed. It wasn’t that” Women Can Do Anything” camp anymore. When it was just girls, it made me feel like my life was like a blank slate. I had ownership of my own life. Those years gave me a sense of permanence. Camp was really important to me. There were so many opportunities. I could ask for help and I could also help others. It was a place to show your best talents, regardless of your skills. It was a place you could be a story teller, an artist, a counselor and it was just a happy place for me.”

“I was at camp for seven years, starting when I was seven (as probably one of the youngest campers) until the year it was co-ed, “said Kellie Moore (1970-77). “Our cabin of girls that year was probably the oldest campers at the time and we were not eager to change our ways, so we spent (or were sent) off to “Primi” most of that last summer. I often wonder why they had to invite the boys!”

The girls ended up sleeping in the army tent on the raised platform off in the woods and cooked many of their own meals out there, hung out by themselves and walked to Hale Park or into town to buy candy. “We liked to do the tricks and with the boys there, it was just different. We weren’t willing to change. There were six or eight of us and we felt this sense of entitlement. We had earned our privileges as older campers and they expected us to do things a different way. It was not terrible, but we were always getting punished for our pranks. They would make us clean our cabins or some restrictions when we ran our bras up the flagpole. At that age we were really not that much into the guy dynamic and we were not happy to be part of the camp.”

Amy Johns (1967-78) was also there for the transition and agreed the dynamics changed and she hated the name change to Camp Maquois. “When there was the introduction of boys, there was all this drama about relationships. It was stressful. I think that it ruined it when the boys came into a camp that was all about girls and their relationships.  Turning co-ed meant a downturn to me. It did not become more popular. It trended downward overall. Camp changed over time, the world changed and we did, too. To me, Maqua was about the girls experience year after year.”

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Families Who Felt Like Camp Was Theirs–The Batschke Family

Published on by Kathy Baker

Just as the Williams’ sisters felt like camp was their private playground during pre-camp and pos-campt season, so did Kaye Batschke and her sister Patricia. Their grandparent’s cottage was on Loon Lake, just a few doors down from the Williams’ cottage that stood beside the fence line of Camp Maqua. Her aunt and uncle, grandparents and her own family took turns using the cottage and every third week they would be up on Loon Lake with their families.

*It was the mid fifties, and although I was never a camper there, I was able to watch the fun at camp and when the camp was closed, our parents would let us roam and get out of their hair. We had a little more freedom as kids back then,” said Kaye. “We would run around, take the trails, explore, and even check into the cabins. Sometimes we would use the raft and the dock. Every once in a while the caretaker would chase us off.”

Around this time, the movie “The Parent Trap” was playing in the theatres. “The bunk beds and the cabins always reminded me of that movie. We would pretend we were in that movie. I can remember going into an old house with twig furniture and it had stairs and we played in there one time. (Dutton?) My sister was two years younger than me and Sharon and Denise Williams were around the same age, so we would all play together,” she said.

“I was only in the lodge one time, I think. I was ten or eleven and we were running around playing and I stepped in a ground nest or hive and was stung, so my Mom took me up to the nurse at the camp. She looked at it and rubbed some Calamine lotion on the stings, but told my Mom to watch for a reaction. There were no hospitals close by during that time.”

Born in 1952, she played on the property from the age of five until she turned thirteen, when her parents bought acreage and a hunting cabin. It disappointed her greatly not to have the lake and camp to enjoy, where she had learned to water ski and had been such a great part of her growing up years. “Had I stayed on Loon Lake, I think I would have stayed in a cabin for a sleepover,” she said.

Kaye’s parents, Frank and Ruth Batschke were from Bay City and her mother-in-law, June Harris had worked at the “Y” in the early forties. Her Mom also donated money for a camp scholarship, repaying what someone had done for her years ago.