“The year was 1947 and we were all in a tent down the hill to the right of the lodge. We should have been known as the dirty shoes and socks gang. There was a counselor that said her name was Julianna Knockalulu  Desdemona Pocohantas Bubble Gum Duck Face Ford. Some important things you just never forget”, laughed Mary Hewes.

There were stand-outs as role models or counselors remembered because of their kindnesses, talents, or traditions within their cabins. For Sally Allen (1968-73) the memory of a family of sisters who taught sailing (with long gorgeous hair) was a combination of envy and respect.

For one young camper in the sixties, (who was very bright, but not as social as some of the counselors), one counselor intimidated her and another personified the ideal Maqua girl. Her name was Diane Dudley, nicknamed “Dodo”, who began as a camper and then became an aide, and was loved by everyone.

Susan Alcorn, who camped in the fifties, believed “riding instructors were goddesses and counselors just a step below”, as did Barb Rehmus (1965-76) about Judy Moore.“Her back went out and she couldn’t get out of bed. She was so well loved and we all thought she was invincible! We couldn’t believe she was all stooped over, so we brought her food. Some people have magnetism and charisma and even then, she had it.”

There were counselors who made big impressions on girls for unusual reasons. For Susan Prieskorn, (1966-72) her beautiful counselor changed before her eyes one morning when she awoke without her wiglet. Amy Falk’s counselor Charla brought a full nun’s habit to camp for her to wear at camp for the Halloween party. Ann Pennington (1964-72) read “Winnie the Pooh” to her campers and switched voices for the different characters.

One of Nancy Michelson’s favorites was “Frenchie” in the sixties, who told the girls in her cabin a story about a woman who lost one of her arms and received an artificial limb. “It was not until she finished the story that the girls realized the person was the storyteller herself!”

“Beanie, who was our counselor, was central to all of us”, said Jan Schreiber (1962-70) of Barbara Haggart, who eventually became the director. “Dorthe was there the first few years (as director) but I think I paid more attention to Beanie, since I was under her as a kitchen aide. She was the big sister I never had—funny, talented, solid and kind. She made Maqua feel safe and she was the top of the heap.”

Rosemary Orgren’s memories of counselors in the fifties included the one who smoked Chesterfield cigarettes and was nicknamed “Chesty” and the “girl love” they all had on a sweet counselor with a “D.A.”. (Popular duck’s ass hairdo) “I remember there were some older girls, much more sophisticated, telling off-color or slightly dirty jokes that we didn’t understand and they would laugh at us because we didn’t get it.”

Valerie Monto recalled the Kiltie sisters and Sue Purdue, when she camped in Senior Village, as the camp cut-ups. “We thought they were marvelous with their pranks and instigations,” said Valerie, who believed most of them were from much more affluent backgrounds.

Most of the girls strived to be like their counselors, describing them as positive, friendly, even tempered women, and seventies girl Mardi Jo Link felt like one named Doris was “just the right percent of counselor and friend”.

Some kept in touch after their camping years. Tally Cone’s buddy at camp in the sixties was Toni Young, and they ended at Albion College together as senior helping freshman. Marge Hasty kept in touch with the director Margaret Fletcher and nurse Marge Newcombe for years in the forties.

Then there were comments from Anne Duffield (1947-50) who said she never got too attached to counselors, even though it was easier to take instruction from them than family members. Cynthia Behan (1945) had so many aunts and uncles around the same age, “that the counselors didn’t impress me much”, but perhaps Debbie Pennington’s observation says it all.

“Those counselors knew what they were doing, but I look back and they had to be all of fourteen! They seemed so old to us then.” Which counselor left a big impression on your young life and why?