Staffing During the Fifties

Published on March 8, 2017March 7, 2017 by Kathy Baker

The directors during the fifties included Dorothy Jane Dickey (1950-52), Kathleen Geerlings (1953), Janet Adams (1954), Kathleen Dillinger (1955-58), and Shirley Rausch (1959). Unfortunately, no directors’ reports were found in the YWCA pertaining to their years on staff.

Often it was difficult to find staff that could leave their families behind if they were married. Betty McMonagle was the camp nurse from Bay City in 1953 and she brought her eight-year old daughter for the first session of camp.

In 1956, the camp cook and the nurse were told by the committee that they were able to bring their young daughters to camp with them. Mrs. Watson, who cooked for all the sessions except the last, had her nine-year old daughter signed up for camp. The nurse’s daughter was only five, which was far too young to camp, but was at Mrs. Loessel’s side for the duties.

As the season neared, applications were still being considered for the staff and Mr. and Mrs. William Watson, who were the caretakers, were the topic of conversation for the October 1958 meeting. Still undecided as to whether to keep them on as full time or part time, a careful job description was outlined for each member of the staff. By October’s meeting, the committee had decided to replace the caretakers, but later changed their mind and hired Mr. Watson part-time.

The ACA (American Camping Association) noted points in relationship to food, building needs, transportation woes (to and from church) and more adequate housing. The camp morale was believed to be affected by some of the points, so job descriptions were being requisitioned from Flint, Akron and Grand Rapid YWCA chapters.

In September of 1958, there was an oral report given on the present problems around camp, which included men working around camp and the language used at the waterfront. There also appeared to be personnel problems in the kitchen and director “Woody’s” (Kathleen Dillinger) problems with the kitchen staff and her own personal fatigue.

In February of 1959, no cook had been hired and no applicants for waterfront director had been submitted. The committee had decided trained and practical nurses would be considered, if no registered nurses applied for the job. Finding qualified personnel for each season was never easy!

Staffing During the Depression and War Years

Published on March 6, 2017February 20, 2017 by Kathy Baker

While camping before the Depression and World War II was seen as a way for young people to extend their skills and extend their education, it evolved from a middle class activity to a summer program for all economic levels. Camping grew during the years after 1945 and parents encouraged their children to return to nature, especially in organized religiously affiliated camps like the YWCA.

Marilyn Levine, born in 1925, remembered Maqua as the best experience of her life. “I adored it”, she said, “but it was Depression time when I went in 1933 or 1934, so I could only go for one week.”

Dorothy Bonnen was in the ninth grade when she attend Camp Maqua in 1942 during Depression times. It was the only time she had been out of Bay City and it was her first time on a bus and a lake.

Notes left behind in the archives indicated the YWCA sent some of their staff to conferences that pinpointed the war years and the effects it would have on camping. Older people with experience were sought for positions and standards were kept high for their qualifications

Directors #10

Published on February 27, 2017February 27, 2017 by Kathy Baker

In 1977, Camp Maqua was still operating as the co-ed Camp Maquois,and Ken Dike assumed the position as camp director. He had been the program director at Camp Iroquois on Sand Lake under director David Bast, and was only twenty-two years old, but had a great resume.

He had already accumulated seven years in camping and four years in directorships at Camp Nelson and Camp Oakes in California on the waterfront and in programming. He had always worked in co-ed camps until his position at Camp Iroquois on Sand Lake.

“The initial offer was for only six months with the possibility of a full time job after that,” said Ken. “I was offered the full time position with the YMCA during the off-season and the camp in the summer. That offer was made because of the initial success of the summer of making a profit of $1,500. It was my choice not to accept it and go back to grad school.”

Counselors Share Their Stories #3

Published on January 18, 2017February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

As the oldest Michelson daughter, Sue camped for nine years at Maqua and developed her love of the water at the Flint YWCA. Beginning in 1963, her last job was as waterfront director in 1973, having only missed one summer when she travelled to Europe. She had worked all the way through college and loved the waterfront. “I trained, set the schedules, checked equipment, put the docks, canoes and rowboats in the water and taught beginners all the way up to senior lifesaving.”

Kathy Carney was known for her enthusiasm and lively spirit, according to her director in 1971, and seemed to be happiest with her cabin groups. Shelley Wright made a great transition from camper to junior counselor, and possessed an insight to her camper’s problems that made her very popular. Sharon Williams, although a first year staffer, adjusted to camp life and fit right in.

Kathy felt the first summer she counseled in 1970, the counselors were very close. “There was just something about that place. The counselors were some of the funniest people I ever met. When we had time off, one set of parents would drive to pick us up and take us all to their summer homes. One weekend it was to B.J. Henderson’s place in Harbor Springs, where we swam at ten at night. Once it was to Marty’s place in Saginaw. My little world grew that summer. Here I was —a little Catholic girl and I got to go to Jan Schreiber’s sixteenth birthday party or her Bat Mitzvah. On our time off we had little adventures.”

Jan was known as a sensitive and understanding person who worked well with her cabin, working in arts and crafts. “She had a tight cabin with unity and a positive feeling” and was part of the group that Kathy described—B.J. Henderson, “who found counseling her greatest satisfaction” as she taught at the waterfront. Debi Gottlieb was praised for her pleasant personality,”with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye—she’s the type of person you need to keep everything going.”

Counselors Share Their Stories #2

Published on January 18, 2017February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

The boathouse was the place Barb Rehmus loved as a cabin counselor in the seventies. “ I still have memories of the little girls I had. One Dad said he would give me $5 for every pound (she) gained that summer. I knew she would never gain any weight with all the activities and running around and I didn’t want his money. Another girl was acting out for attention and used cuss words, so another girl did the same thing and wondered why she got in trouble and not the other girl,” she laughed. “The involvement was fun and I always had the younger ones.”

“In the evenings, all the counselors would hang out and sometimes we would sit by the campfire. We all knew pretty quickly if someone came into the camp that wasn’t supposed to be there. We would come from all directions and amass pretty quickly to take care of the problem. We chased off a few, but they weren’t there to attack. As a counselor,” said Nancy Sautter (1968-70), “it was nice that it was all girls and we didn’t have to worry about all those after hours activities.”

Karen Selby, early seventies camper turned counselor, loved the campfires. “There were logs we sat on that were tiered into the hillside by the lake and I loved the skits that accompanied the songs. The fire bowl was by the lake and the cabin beyond the fire bowl was number eight and I was a camper there for two years and the last summer as a counselor, I lived there all by myself. I ran the arts program. I guess there were not enough campers to fill it. I was great for me running that program. I don’t know about them,” she laughed.

Judy Moore, as an assistant director 1970-71, lived in the lodge in the third bedroom. “We would rotate cabins. Some of the counselors who were not in charge of a cabin would be up there and there would be three or four of us up talking about our day, leadership role and people,” she said, as she described several of her competent counselors who did their jobs, but had fun.

Anne Moore lived in Dutton at the age of seventeen between her junior and senior years and was a water safety instructor in the sixties. “It was a great summer of fun. I slept on the screened porch all by myself on a roll away be and since I wasn’t sharing it, I loved it.”

“I liked the younger ones and we were always paired with girls that had a significant age difference, so there would be credibility,” said Priscilla Johns (1968). “I loved the responsibility and authority. I babysat all the time growing up, so this was not new to me.”

What age cabin was your favorite and why?

Foreign Counselors

Published on January 11, 2017February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

A young Japanese girl was to be considered as a camp counselor in 1933, according to the minutes and ledgers of the camp committee. There were no notes as to whether this was the first foreign girl, but it was not the last.

March 16, 1934, the minutes stated “After a discussion as to whether to ask a foreign counselor to camp this year or not, it was decided to write to the National Committee to see if one could be procured. The report will come in the next meeting. A person from Norway or Sweden was the preference this year.”

Again in notes from the 1935 meeting, Miss Lorna Fang was not only to serve as the camp doctor, but the foreign counselor—“as her life experience in China will help promote a better understanding of the girls in other lands.”

Thirties camper Edna Young was eleven years old and in hut four at the bottom of the hill on the main path when she had her first experience with a foreign counselor by the name of Setsu Matsunubo, who was from Japan and a student at U of M.

“She wore a housedress all the time. I don’t think she owned anything else! She stood in the middle of the hut when the girls would not settle down, telling us to be quiet, and she spoke very good English.”

Girls of Camp Maqua

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