Spam and Supplies–

An undated (presumably early twenties’ or thirties’) news article in the archives boasted not only the benefits of camp, but “simple, plain food of sufficient variety and excellent quality—milk and cream from an improved farm near the camp, and fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs—from neighboring farmers”. There was a dietician on staff and health standards of the day were followed.

On June 12, 1933 in the minutes and ledgers of the camp, a notation read: “The Bay City Dairy offered to supply milk at seven cents a quart with free trucking of meat, vegetables, etc. to camp”, but a few days later the committee decided to continue buying their milk from Mr. Webb.

In the mid to late-thirties’, committee members investigated raw milk and what methods should be utilized to comply with state regulations. “The need for pasteurized milk has become quite a necessity—that being the only thing that has dropped the camp health record,” stated the minutes about an item they felt needed to be settled.

Dorothy Fowley (1927) recalled her Principal at Central High School, Mr. Oman, delivered milk to Camp Maqua and Camp Mahn-go-tah-see as a summer job, and she and her friend Marie Eaton would accompany him.

In 1960 the committee met in June to discuss food orders, as well as meat servings, cereal orders, surplus cheese orders and the purchase of a meat slicer. The 4-50 extra portions of meat per meal was from Peet Packing Co. The camp had rented a food locker in Hale, and Alice Bishop (director) wanted to utilize it more frequently. (She had just returned from the National Camp Association, which dealt with food and vendors.) It also appeared that Gage Company submitted menus for a two-week period in 1961.

Food staples, kitchen supplies and appliances were always in demand and at times the camp went over budget. Dorthe Balaskas wrote in her 1966 report, “ Once the orders are submitted, the director does cost comparisons to find the best prices—The director was also responsible for food orders, but menus from previous years were submitted to the head cook, approved by a dietician and submitted to food companies. “

Food was often re-ordered, but any unopened cans or food could be returned for credit or a refund and the frozen items were stored at the “Y” in Bay City. She was very conscientious about waste.

Skinny Dipping!

“Having a boys’ camp across the lake did not stop the tradition of bathing in the lake in the forties’ and fifties’. Mary Jo Stegall camped in1933-41 and did just that. (I imagine the campers had been participating in this ritual when the camp was built in the twenties’ and kept it up until showers were installed.)

“I remember how silly we got when we got into the lake to bathe in our bathing suits,” said Shirley Colbert (1941). “Part of the suit would eventually come off, and although we never saw them, we always worried about those boys at the camp across the lake coming over.”

Back in the day, there were Saturday night baths and Bev Lemanski (1945). remembered Ivory was the requested soap because it floated. “There we all were in Loon Lake “au naturel” and then we would spot the canoes from the boys camp trying to get close enough to see us,” she laughed. The coldness of the lake and going in for the first time is a memory that stayed with Ellen Hydorn (1954), who had a special little soap dish she used for her lake baths.

Sally Harris, who camped in the late forties’ and early fifties’, could still remember taking those Saturday night baths, and the girls worried so much about the boys that they would run into the water as fast as they could.

Janice Moore (1953) laughed as she related an incident when some of the girls went for a walk off limits and close to the water. “There was poison ivy, so we went into the hut near the water and took off our shorts and washed off with soap in the lake in case we did get poison ivy on us. I guess there was a couple in a fishing boat that came by and saw this horrible display and we were all admonished for being off limits.”

Taking The Path To The Brownie–

There was no such thing as an indoor toilet in the huts, but the little girls wished there had been, since that dark path to the Brownie was a scary trek. Phoebe Atha (1947-48) thought it was a frightening walk to get there, as did Karen Short (1945-48) .Even the buildings themselves housed creatures that scared the little girls. (The only time it felt safe was in the middle of tornado warnings, when it doubled as a shelter.)

“The cabins were dark at night. There were metal bunk beds and it was so disorienting when you tried to go to the bathroom if you did not have a flashlight,” said Susie Utter (1954-56). “It was pretty traumatic the first time I went and it was quite a hike at night as a little girl. As we got older, I remember we had to do Brownie duty, which no one liked.”

“I can still remember getting up in the middle of the night to walk down to the bathroom from my cabin and seeing all those Daddy Long Leg spiders,” said Sally Hurand, who camped in the mid-sixties’. “I had a conversation with myself to make friends with those things.”

Kellie Moore and Sue Robson camped in the seventies’ and there was a protocol for visiting the Brownie. They would stand by the front door of the hut and yell, “Cabin 5! Brownie!” and someone would answer by yelling out that they could go. “I think they were at the lodge partying,” laughed Sue. (Poor little Kellie encountered a skunk as she was taking the pathway up the hill with her flashlight to go to the Brownie and decided she didn’t have to go that badly.)

More Brownies Please!

The Health Department Sanitation Record and Report form for the summer camp dated June 7,1960 listed Alice Bishop as the director. Under the toilet, lavatory and shower facilities heading, fourteen flush toilets were listed, with good ventilation, lighting and drainage.

The camp committee met in June 1963 and authorized the purchase of one more Bradley Basin, and repair the existing one. (The money from the nursery school donation paid for the sink.) The sink cost $265.63, with an installation fee for plumbers of $135.00. Mr. Watson, the caretaker, took care of all the details for hiring and installation.

Copies of the “Loon” were inserted into the back of a report in 1966 and one was titled “New Brownie Installed” and read: “On arriving at camp this year we found to our delight and surprise a new “Brownie” had been built down by Senior Village. Campers can now take hot showers for the first time this year. What a difference from our cold scrub dips in Loon Lake.”

The second period of the “Loon” or “Maqua Magpie” dated July10-23, 1966 headlined “Behold! Senior Village Has A New Brownie!” It was open in time for second session and it had hot showers. Of course, the girls were delighted! Mary Obey (1965-66), Marcia Michelson (1963-71) and Gail Schulthiess (1966) were all at camp that summer, and took advantage of the new facilities, as they had distinct memories of the bathrooms.

“Primyland”

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.

Outpost with Tricia!

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.”