Did Anne Pennington know there were girls who were envious of her tall, thin summer body? Or that the Kiltie sister’s hair was the epitome of summer hair?  Or that “Beanie, Superdoo (Sue Purdue), Kiltie (Susan) and  (Anne) Obey” intimidated some of the less secure girls? Probably not! Little girls in the process of growing up had many feelings that they harbored, but still remembered as adults. Looking back, they were able to process as adults, but as young girls, those feelings were sometimes overwhelming.

Jeananne Grego (1966) and shy Tracy Topping (1962-63) remembered the girl with the cool name—Sue Purdue. Jeananne admitted to staying in the background, and looked forward to getting away to camp. “It turned a medium summer into a great one and camp was the highlight!” Tracy loved how an all girls setting allowed her to be relaxed without makeup or boys.

As a camper in the seventies, Karen Selby was not unfriendly, but did not make lifelong friends. “I have made friends all over the world, but I always saw friends as temporary, so I never felt a loss. I was raised in Bay City, in what was considered a small family. Life was about home and that was my element.”

Kay Alcorn’s last summer at Camp Maqua in the forties was different than the previous years. “I had just finished eighth grade, the first year in a new school where I had formed a whole new group of friends. They were all going to Camp Huntington, their traditional summer retreat. I asked my mother if I could go there and she said no, that it was too expensive. She knew I was a little disappointed.”

Carolyn Stanton (1947) loved being with her friends and stuck with them, even at camp, even after meeting new girls. Sheryl Biesman (1973-78) stayed in touch with her camping friends and two even pledged the same sorority!

“It was extremely easy to make friends at camp, and even though there were cliques and I was never “in”, they included me. I was, more or less, on the outskirts because animals were really my thing,” explained Nancy. Weber (1962). “My best friend in the world went with me to camp the first year—Janice Schrepterman. She was my neighbor and we were in the same cabin. I also had another friend at camp—Patty Sherman. We all liked each other, and it was easier making friends at camp when I had those anchors from home.”

“It was the best thing you could be a part of,” said Karen Kaunitz (1945). “I was filled with respect and the compatability was wonderful. If you weren’t going to be friendly, then you were going to be friendless at camp.”

Can you remember your less secure moments at camp?