1920’s

Not Out In The Open—

Published on by Kathy Baker

“I know there were girls at camp that had feelings for other girls and counselors, but it was a time that if you had those feeling, you kept them to yourselves. It is not so socially taboo anymore, but back then, you kept your feelings in check,” admitted A.C., from the late sixties and early seventies, who met her good friend at camp. She recalled staying up ridiculous hours talking to her friend in an intense and intimate way, admitting she was attracted to her as a friend.

D.R. had a crush on one of the counselors in the early seventies. “There was not a lot of talk about gay issues and I was a tomboy, but not gay. I wasn’t athletic or into sports, but until my brother came along, my Dad had me cutting the lawn and doing the sfuff with the dogs, etc. But, I can remember all the counselors were at a campfire and my three cabin mates went on a tangent trying to make me mad, saying things about (my crush). I defended her and then I started to cry and the counselors had to yell at them. I still don’t know why I did that.”

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Girls In A Girls Camp–

Published on by Kathy Baker

An all girls camp with female staff and female campers. Some may be inclined to think of it as a breeding ground for the type of stories that make headlines today. I found the opposite to be true, upon interviewing many women over the past few years, although many admitted to their own discovery of their sexuality or to innocent girl crushes.

Although the twenties hearalded a type of sexual revolution, the sixties marked an era that headlined such words as free love, gay rights, feminism, hippies, the pill and women’s movements. A large majority of the women who shared their stories were from the 60’s to 70’s.

M.J. began camping in 1933 and continued for eight years, aware that many of her counselors were indeed gay, “but I never had a problem with that, and just did not get mixed up with it.”

Certainly, girls like M.I., J.L. and G.J. were not the only ones who had girl crushes. It was the late forties and early fifties. Some were tomboys, but others shared sweet stories of having camp crushes on their instructors and counselors.

“There was a counselor I admired and I think that is why I wanted to be a C.I.T., so I could come back and hang out with her on the weekends when the kids were gone between sessions. I hated to leave her and I embarrassed to tell you, because you are the first person I have ever told, that I guess I had a girl crush on her. I was attracted to her. I hated for camp to end. I remember crying before my Mom would ever get to camp every year because I never wanted it to end.”

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Jewish Girls In A Christian Camp

Published on by Kathy Baker

Chapel Hill was a quiet place, with a vision of a spot in the clearing of the woods bearing a cross on a platform. It took years for Sheryl Biesman (1973-78) to realize that YWCA on the podium stood for Young Women’s Christian Association. She was Jewish, but felt no prejudice and if there had been, she would not have camped there.

Kerry Weber (1952) recalled the marches up to Chapel Hill, singing all the way, but another incident occurred that she had not forgotten. “Something that impressed me was the day I heard two girls talking to a Jewish girl. One was Episcopal and one was Catholic. They told the Jewish girl she shouldn’t be in a Christian camp, and she told the Catholic girl, you’re not Christian, you’re Catholic!”

“I am Jewish and there were very few of us at that time in Bay City and at camp. I remember climbing up to Chapel Hill on Sundays all dressed in white. I loved it,” said Laya Hennes (1939). “To join in the singing touched my heart. In a Jewish service, it is so different. I love my religion, but it is not in English. There was something so familiar and wonderful when I heard those melodies and words, especially in the midst of the trees overlooking the lake.”

Ilene Zacher (1959-62), as the oldest Jewish girl in her school, remembered she mouthed the words to the Christian songs on Chapel Hill, but did not recall if she was able to “opt out” of the services. She never experienced any prejudice, and remarked “You have to remember in that day, we still said the Lord’s Prayer in school, so I took those things in stride.”( Her father was very involved in the Anti-Defamation League and was also one of the soldiers who liberated the prisoners in Dachau.)

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High On Chapel Hill

Published on by Kathy Baker

The beautiful spot nestled in the trees, high on a hill, became the spiritual heart of the camp in 1933, when monies donated helped to build what became known as Chapel Hill. Wooden log benches, a cross and a podium were built and became the spot for the non-denominational services on Sundays.

It was dedicated in 1934 and a scene from that day can be found on page fifty-one in the book “Camp Maqua”. Director Wilma Lewis, camp doctor Lorna Feng (from China), staff member Alice Forbes and YWCA president Mrs. F. Lewis were all present for the event.

A paragraph from the “Loon” in 1965 described the spot. “Chapel Hill”- Sunday morning most of the campers went to Chapel Hill, –where you meet to sing hymns and listen to the reading of the psalms. The view on Chapel Hill is magnificent. The lake is royal blue, which contrasts a royal blue sky. The trees seem to point to the clouds one by one as they float back and forth in the wind. The cross sets off the scent on Chapel Hill. It signifies the way God makes his world so beautiful.”

In 1971, the camp committee sent a letter to Bishop Rae, concerning a priest for camp, but there were no references to a priest ever coming to camp for services. Instead, the Catholic girls were driven into town to attend mass.

Janet Dixon (1950-51), who was Protestant, attended the services on the hill, and felt very close to God in the peaceful setting. “It was very rustic, in the woods, up on a hill overlooking the lake. A simple lectern faced rows of rustic benches, where we sat overlooking the water. I think the counselors conducted the services.”

Sundays were devoted to church services, according to Toni Young’s 1966 program director’s report. The Catholics went to mass in town and the rest were on Chapel Hill and conducted by Toni with the help of counselors. The service for Toni consisted of a call to worship, hymn, scripture, hymn or duet by two counselors, prayer, message, hymn and benediction.

She preferred the song books to the hymnals, as she felt they were not as ecumenical and preferred the New English translation of the New Testament for it’s easy to understand text. (Compared to the King James Version.) She also used the back of the hymnal and “Hymns for Worship” for prayers, as well as some of her own booklets from her previous camping years.

Vespers usually consisted of a quiet song, a poem, more quiet songs and Barbara Haggart usually led both. “The cabins were dismissed after several songs and cabin nine and Senior Village formed a friendship circle to sing taps,” she wrote.

Jane McKinley (1956-59) remembered singing all the time. “I still have my songbook with all the notations. We had vespers before dinner, which was a quiet time with prayer and singing. I always thought that was so nice and I still remember the lyrics to “Peace I Ask Of Thee O River”, which has become a family tradition. I even wrote a theme in high school on singing. When you sing in a choir, there is camaraderie and a shared experience as singing along. Even the singing on Chapel Hill was beautiful.”

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Dog Food Sandwiches and Taffy Pulls

Published on by Kathy Baker

“There was one dessert with cherries on it that we would do anything for a second helping. Usually, if you worked in the kitchen, you could get that second piece,” said Pam Wintermute (1955-56), who also recalled she had to bring a folding drinking cup to camp.

Cynthia Gregory (1960-65) also brought her collapsible cup for snack time. “We would have milk and cookies in the lodge, but we didn’t wash the cups very well. Maybe we would bring them back to the Brownie and rinse them out. I guess I didn’t wash mine for a few days and the smell of soured milk had gone inbetween.”

Two of the campers remembered the best homemade ice cream they had ever tasted at camp, and for Elaine Levinsohn (1927-30), apple butter was her favorite new taste.

Business manager Rhonda Thayer (1974-77) said, “The girls loved the pizza burgers, which were hot dog and hamburger buns with a can of pizza sauce spread on them and ground beef with a handful of cheese. It took so much work though, making hundreds of them to be then toasted in the oven, bevause they wanted three or four of them! But, we did it anyway.”

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