Water Exhibitions and Carnivals

Published on February 5, 2018February 4, 2018 by Kathy Baker

The Niedzielski sisters wrote about the 1947 “Water Carnival”, which took place on VisItor’s Sunday in front of campers and their friends and relatives by the boathouse. The carnival was directed by Ann Theilan and judged by Beth, Peg, Ann Thomas, Dona Johnson, K.J. Carroll and Mrs. Stuart. Each of the nine huts made a float representing a different holiday. The winner was Hut 1, with their Fourth of July representation and the girls held big firecrackers.

There was an exhibition entitled “Susie Learns to Swim” demonstrated by the red caps to show their swimming ability. The green caps had balloon races with two teams, “The object was to blow up the balloon, swim from the green to the red raft and give the balloon to the next girl. She, in turn, had to blow up the balloon and swim back to the green raft with it,” it stated.

They also had pajama races, with the girls again divided into two teams, and the girls (dressed in pajamas) had to swim to the opposite raft, take them off and give them to the next girl, which left them “torn to shreds”, but was entertaining.

The blue caps had a canoe race, where they paddled their canoes out and around the third raft and back to shore with their paddles followed by the canoes being paddled out to the third raft and brooms were used instead of paddles to race back to shore. There were also rowboat races, examples of life saving and a beautiful water ballet, led by Gerry Folkert and Julie Ford, which included different strokes and surface diving.

“O’Tools Activities” by Nan O’Tool in 1950 included a summary of a Water Pagaent, which included boating events such as paddle boats with metal platters and brooms, canoe bobbing and water fights with canoes that were swamped. There were also swimming events with a beginner’s running race, newspaper race on backs and a greased watermelon race.

A boat decorating contest with the theme “The Sound Of Music” won Debbie Pennington’s cabin the top prize in the early sixties’. Her memory included using megaphones with something white on them as mountains.

Cabin Days and Themed Events

Published on January 29, 2018January 26, 2018 by Kathy Baker

The daily activity schedules were usually confined to Mondays through Fridays, allowing the weekends for schedules planned by campers and counselors. It is unclear when this format began, but it was a great way to expose campers to as many activities as possible. The first week was all the different activities (in the sixties’), and the second week campers chose which activity they wanted and would sign up in advance.

On Saturdays, campers had “Cabin Day” where staff and campers carried out the plans that their cabins had pre-planned on Wednesay. Some cabins took alpine hikes, had cookouts in Primitive, picked strawberries or made dinner in Hale Park. Some elected to sleep in, skip breakfast, go to Lumberman’s Monument or take an overnight canoe trip.

The evening programs were always popular and a paragraph from the “Loon” in 1966 read: “The 4^th dawned dark and dreary this year. Classes went on as usual. For the evening meal, we dressed up in patriotic costumes and had a picnic on the volleyball court. We ate tasty hot dogs, smothered with mustard, ketchup and dill pickles. Costumes were judged in categories of the prettiest, funniest and most original.”

There was Gypsy Night, Christmas in July, Western Day, camp fairs, and Circus Nights with counselors as ringmasters for the circus acts. “I remember someone making a wanted poster during the western event, and she was wanted for taking a bath,” laughed fifties’ camper Janet Dixon, who felt like those events encouraged the girls to be very creative.

Games and Activities In The Rain–

Published on January 24, 2018January 23, 2018 by Kathy Baker

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”.)

Skits and More Skits!

Published on January 22, 2018January 11, 2018 by Kathy Baker

Barb 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”.

Skits!

Published on January 17, 2018January 16, 2018 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?

Snipe Hunts–

Published on January 15, 2018January 9, 2018 by Kathy Baker

Just what is a snipe hunt? It is a wild goose chase, a fool’s errand, a practical joke, and it was a favorite game to play on the innocent campers who had no idea how this imaginary task would play out. The inexperienced camper was given instructions on how to capture a snipe, which usually involved making crazy noises, carrying a bag and a stick, and banging rocks in attempts to ferret out the snipe.

Audrey Graff (1948) and Mary Jane Keschman (1944-54) both had funny memories of snipe hunts. “We would round up a new girl and walk out to the woods and tell her we were going to bring back a ground snipe from the woods, and send it her way to catch. Poor girls,” laughed MaryJane,” what we did was just leave them there and they would wait and wait for us.”

“First the camper was given a bag or a pillow case, then taken to the woods. She was told, everyone else will scout around for the snipes,” said Barb Cruey (1956). “She was to call the snipe and it will go in her bag. Everyone then left her and waited. Eventually, the camper returned with the empty bag and was told it was a prank. I don’t remember anyone ever being upset or crying, just feeling silly and couldn’t wait to pull snipe hunting on someone else.”

Girls of Camp Maqua

My Book ~ Your Story

1960’s