For the staff, the days were long and responsibilities were huge. They were in charge of many campers at one time and at the end of sessions, most would say they were truly tired. In the early years a tent sat behind the lodge for smokers, but later one of the cabins was designated for revival. There were days off and escapes to the Laundromat in Hale (laughed Zoe McGrath 1967), but the retreat was THE place to go.
“Camper’s Vision and Opinion of the “Staff Shack” was the 1965 headline of the “Loon”. A survey was conducted to see why many of the campers had something against the retreat. (The final conclusion was the retreat had formed lazy counselors out of nice girls, according to the survey!)
“We would look better in it than those counselors. It’s so dirty, they probably have rats. They’re always telling us to be quiet, how can we? They’re setting the example from the retreat. The retreat is just a place of gossip. While we make her bed and pick up her stuff, she sits, eats the candy out of the candy machine and listens to music on the hi-fi”
The 1966 “Loon” issue titled “This Is It” read: “High upon a hill sits a messy little shack commonly known as the R-E-T-R-E-A-T. Here, during five minutes of the day, every counselor enters the door and crawls over to the nearest object to rest her weary bones. If she is lucky, she has at least two minutes to sit, if it’s a bad day, the bell rings instantly. Many campers seem jealous of the little abode on the hill. The fact is this is the only place one can escape the shrieking howls of beloved campers.”
“The décor of this petite mansion is eye-catching. The beds with sagging springs and the comfortable wooden folding chairs add a somewhat rustic charm. The walls are done in a pleasing combination of white toothpaste and red lipstick. So, campers, never fear! Someday you may be given the opportunity of being on the Maqua staff, and you will be able to gaze upon these hallowed halls!”
Linda Doering recalled her first year—“There was a cabin close to the lodge, near the fireplace area. It was the counselor’s retreat. I would sit inside there and never say a word, but it was fun hearing the talk. They all smoked, but I thought smoking was obnoxious and I was never one to sneak out or drink. I think camp gave me really good grounding. I was not into drugs and drinking, as many were in the sixties. It wasn’t much a part of my life. I loved the times when we would have our free time at the campfire and we would all sit there and talk and just stare at the sky.”
The same retreat, that place of wonder and speculation, was again mentioned in the July 27, 1968 edition of the “Loon”. “Because of popular demand and pressure placed on the Loon staff, we have decided to let the campers in on what the retreat contains and how it is decorated and arranged. For many years the retreat was kept a secret from the campers, and even some counselors didn’t know we had one, but now is the time to tell all and so I will describe the retreat to those who are not allowed in it.”
“Upon entering the retreat, you must remove your shoes so as not to soil the forest green rug, placed over our wood colored wall to wall carpeting. On the left is the refrigerator, stove and portable television for those staff members with a rest hour off. Straight ahead from the door are a large davenport and two chairs in a matching pattern. On the right are the shelves of books placed there to entice intelligent minds to read and enjoy. Next to it is a phonograph and a radio with a time clock attachment. The walls are yellow with daisies.”
Where was the counselor’s retreat located in your years at camp? Was it truly a place of refuge?
