Hop On The Bus!

Published on October 3, 2016February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

“Camp Goers Too Busy To Worry About Weather” read the headline from a local Bay City newspaper pasted into the archival scrapbook. “Grade School Registered At Maqua Today: 25 Travel By Bus” was the second headline.

“Too agog about going to camp to care about the gray weather, and too busy lugging crowded bags to bother about rain coats, twenty-five youngsters of grade school age were at the YWCA this morning to board the bus that took them to Loon Lake. Munching candy, and starting to sing before they were even out of town, the crowd made a merry invasion of Camp Maqua for the first camping period of the season”, read the piece from June 26, 1935.

“The girls usually arrived on a bus that left from the YWCA in Bay City”, wrote 1920’s camper Margaret Dahlem in a letter in 1988, “but one rich girl arrived on a white motorcycle.”

There were more ways to arrive in style, as her friend Harriet Crumb could attest to one summer as she stood on the lawn of the lodge. She also rode the bus through Pinconning, Standish, Twining, Turner and Whittemore and into Hale, singing camp songs the entire time and loved the attention she received from the locals as they arrived in town.

“Initially, we were all loaded onto a bus, which belonged to the Y,” recalled Beverly Schlatter (1944-1949), “in front of the old “Y” building. We would meet all our friends there, with our footlockers or trunks packed with clothes or bedding for two weeks. My Dad unloaded the footlocker from the car to the bus and all the parents waved to us. As the bus pulled away, the older girls who had been to camp before, started singing the Maqua camp songs and that’s how we learned them.”

Camp Inspections

Published on September 28, 2016February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

It was vital to the existence of the camp that standards were adhered to with respect to various state and local agencies. It was the responsibility of each incoming director to become familiar with the standards expected from each one.

The American Camping Association inspected the camp every five years and rated different areas and always gave advance notice, but the State Summer Recreation Camp Inspection was always a surprise visit.

The State Department of Social Welfare changed their policy in the late sixties or early seventies and sent a postcard indicating their day of inspection. It meant a tour of the entire camp, as there was a different person each summer that took a look at the sleeping quarters, Infirmary records, health records of campers and staff, certification of waterfront staff and methods, safety of riflery program, riding area and food handling cards and qualifications of kitchen staff.

The kitchen and surplus food inspection was random and not always yearly, but also done by the State of Michigan Social Welfare Department. Dates were checked on food, how it was stored, conditions of the food storage, and the refrigeration was checked for cleanliness and temperature.

In one of Dorthe Balaskas’ reports, her main concern was staying on top of the cleanliness of the camp for the surprise visits. Disappointed with some of the staff’s lackadaisical attitudes towards cleaning, despite caper charts, she felt the camp was not very clean for a few summer visits.

It was interesting to read some of the reports left in the archives. In the summer of 1954, new screens and block foundations on the cabins had been installed. One of the questions posed at the end read, “Can lake water be used to flush the toilets without ruining the plumbing with sand?”

Minutes from the camp committee dated January 21, 1957 read; ”Miss Taylor reported that the American Camping Association, after a routine inspection, gave 939 points out of a possible 1000 to Camp Maqua. Rated high in administration and safety, but counselors should be 19 years of age or over—well trained in the major responsibilities. Members of the committee suggested that “Accredited by American Camping Associaion” be listed on camp folders.”

Alice Bishop was the camp director in 1960 when inspector Ed Young from the Michigan Department of Social Services interviewed her. Improvements to the camp included a new drinking tap in the camp area and three new cabins (24×24) had been built the previous year. (Senior Village) He was impressed with the neat, clean cabins with racks for clothing and suitcases, which housed seven campers and one counselor, even noting the children seemed “enthusiastic and happy”.

Accidents and Incidents

Published on September 21, 2016February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

There was “The Great Hay-riding Accident” of 1956, which was a stand out memory for more than one camper. The injuries were varied, according to each girl’s recall of the fifty or more girls who piled atop either one or two hay wagons pulled by tractors.

“In, 1956 the camp sponsored a hayride on a wagon towed behind a tractor. As we started over a bridge or some overpass, the wagon tipped over in a ditch. We were all able to slip off in slow motion, with the exception of one poor girl from my cabin. I cannot, unfortunately, remember her name. As she tried to slide off, the wagon tipped over and pinned her leg, breaking it. We walked back to camp, obviously shaken, with the counselors having us sing songs to keep our spirits up. I remember that I was very upset, and my counselor rubbed my back as I tried to get to sleep, to get me to relax. I have never forgotten her kindness. I think her last name was Webber, but I don’t remember her first name. I think it was Rickie Webber’s older sister and she was a doctor’s daughter,” wrote Dawn Waits.

Jane McKinley, Pamela Watson and Jody Tripp were also on the hayride. Jane recalled the wagon lost a wheel and a counselor broke her arm. Pam thought one of the girls might have lost some teeth. Jody thought there were two wagons of girls singing camp songs. Different memories from different girls.

“All of a sudden, the back trailer turned over and dumped the girls into the ditch. Those who could– walked two miles back to camp. Most of the girls just had scrapes and scratches, but one girl did end up in the hospital,” said Jody.

Nurses, Doctors and Patients–#6

Published on September 14, 2016February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

Carol Hulett was the “Camp Health Director” during the time when it was impossible to find a nurse. After her junior and senior years at Albion College, where she majored in Biology, Carol trained under the American Camping Association and “learned to nurse” at camp the summers of 1973-74.

Sue Patenge, director, had recruited her at college and interviewed her the first summer. “That first summer I spent most of my free time with the unattached staff. I had been a counselor and a WSI and had helped out with the horses, so I had plenty of experience,” said Carol, who ended up becoming close friends with Sue after her camping years.

“I was certainly a little apprehensive, but felt ready as I had spent my whole life going to/working at camp. I was a pre-med, so my ego was fairly healthy,” she laughed. “I was also an athletic trainer at Albion College and felt I could handle pretty much anything!”

The last recorded medical staff in the YWCA records was in 1974, with Carol Hulett as camp health director under the directorship of Sue Patenge and local physician Dr.William McCadie was the camp physician.

Nurses, Doctors and Patients-#2

Published on August 31, 2016February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

Lurking in the background during her days at camp in 1945, Carol Requadt recalled the silent fear about water and polio, despite the fact that it was not certain how it was contracted. “Since I was at camp during the days of polio, there was a generalized fear and slight paranoia about catching it. I knew a few who got it, but it was not talked about too much and I was never afraid of catching it as a young girl.”

“There was a girl who did not feel well for three days, and no one knew she was in the early states of polio,” said Carol Sue Abendroth (1953-54). “I heard later in high school that it was what she had, but she survived with only a limp.”

The camp personnel committee was responsible for hiring in 1958 and met on February 27, 1958. Their notes indicated Elizabeth Loessel was hired as the nurse with a salary of $270, plus room and board with a room for Margo and a period of camping for Sandra. (Were they daughters?) Nancy Griebel was hired for the final period.

In 1960 the nurse was a retired public health nurse by the name of Margaret Conley, followed by Janet Gehres in 1961. She was recruited for the camp nurse position by director Alice Bishop, who was taking anatomy classes at Michigan State University with Janet. Although she did not have her Michigan nursing license, the YWCA paid for her to get it, so she could take the position. (She was from Reading. Pa.)

“I went home and got my shorts and stuff ready and headed to camp. I lived in the Infirmary, which was in the middle of camp, and was the only building with a bathroom in it. I was pretty much on duty twenty-four hours a day. There were a lot of girls with allergies that summer and they all brought their bottles along with them, but I don’t recall giving any injections. I think they did that before they got to camp,” said Janet.

Alice Bishop had notes in her director’s report that summer relating to the program presented by the Michigan Tuberculosis Association. They presented a program, complete with songs, about TB for the campers to acquaint them with the disease. Although there was no indication that TB was a scare, public awareness about this disease was important.

Janet Gehres filed her nurse’s report at the end of the first session. She indicated that ninety-one campers came to camp and checked through the Infirmary with pre-camp medical sheets, personal medications collected and all girls weighed in. At the end of the session, they were weighed in again and it was noted; “Many of the girls gained weight, apparently satisfied with the menus offered them.”

Nurses, Doctors and Patients-#1

Published on August 29, 2016February 21, 2017 by Kathy Baker

Off to camp went the girls, with their injection records up to date, physicals performed and armed with whatever medications they may need for their stay. Although the staff always included medical personnel, there was no way a summer camping session could maintain a clean slate of minor medical maladies, and sometimes even some major ones.

There was always a sick bay of some sort, whether in Dutton or in the new Infirmary and it was always staffed with a health official.As early as June 26, 1935 there was a mention in a news article about medical staff at the camp. The article was partially cut off, but mentioned Dr. Lorna Feng as the camp physician. (The piece noted her interest in art, literature and poetry; her position as an intern at Grace Hospital and that she was one of fifteen children educated abroad.)

Dorothy Bonnen, who camped in 1942, said “Dr. Vail’s wife was our nurse and she volunteered her time at camp with her five year old little boy with her around as she did her job. She used to be the person who inspected the cabins for tidiness.” (It is unclear if her husband was the doctor on call.)

There were also unexpected injuries that demanded immediate attention. “The mouse that Pam Farley hit with a broom during the day came out limping at night and she said ‘poor mouse’ and picked it up,” said Pat O’Tool (1944-52). “It proceeded to bite her and she had to be taken to West Branch to the doctor for a tenanus shot.”

Girls of Camp Maqua

My Book ~ Your Story

1950’s