As the oldest Michelson daughter, Sue camped for nine years at Maqua and developed her love of the water at the Flint YWCA. Beginning in 1963, her last job was as waterfront director in 1973, having only missed one summer when she travelled to Europe. She had worked all the way through college and loved the waterfront. “I trained, set the schedules, checked equipment, put the docks, canoes and rowboats in the water and taught beginners all the way up to senior lifesaving.”

Kathy Carney was known for her enthusiasm and lively spirit, according to her director in 1971, and seemed to be happiest with her cabin groups. Shelley Wright made a great transition from camper to junior counselor, and possessed an insight to her camper’s problems that made her very popular. Sharon Williams, although a first year staffer, adjusted to camp life and fit right in.

Kathy felt the first summer she counseled in 1970, the counselors were very close. “There was just something about that place. The counselors were some of the funniest people I ever met. When we had time off, one set of parents would drive to pick us up and take us all to their summer homes. One weekend it was to B.J. Henderson’s place in Harbor Springs, where we swam at ten at night. Once it was to Marty’s place in Saginaw. My little world grew that summer. Here I was —a little Catholic girl and I got to go to Jan Schreiber’s sixteenth birthday party or her Bat Mitzvah. On our time off we had little adventures.”

Jan was known as a sensitive and understanding person who worked well with her cabin, working in arts and crafts. “She had a tight cabin with unity and a positive feeling” and was part of the group that Kathy described—B.J. Henderson, “who found counseling her greatest satisfaction” as she taught at the waterfront. Debi Gottlieb was praised for her pleasant personality,”with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye—she’s the type of person you need to keep everything going.”

“I had the older girls for my first summer (1966) and always enjoyed them,” said Sue Wiegand, better known as “Flash”. “ I was known as the “Winnie the Pooh” counselor, since I would stay up reading Pooh stories to thirteen to fifteen year olds. What impressed me with the older girls was how much they responded to people who enjoyed them. Even reading those stories, they were not worrying about hair, boys or makeup. They were responding like young people who were interested.”

The second year many of the same girls returned to her classes and Senior Village cabins. According to the director Dorthe’s notes, this age was difficult to please, but Sue managed to befriend them and in turn she was well-respected. (A few of the girls she had ended up as future counselors!)

She was dependable and ambitious in her archery instruction, according to activity director Toni Young, and Sue’s last year as the sports and program director (1968) was more of a leadership position with riflery as her main focus.

“I felt like the first year was the learning year, and I got as much as I gave—just the exposure to all the experiences. The other years were like student teaching experiences, which was great since I was in school for education,” said Sue, who described it as better—not overwhelming.

One of the most positive notes included a nod to how well liked she was by all, both co-workers and campers and how she worked to “maintain some of the Maqua traditions and spirit that made it a wonderful camp”.

Around the same time Sue Purdue was a counselor and a tennis instructor. The director’s report in 1968 noted that enrollment during free time was high for her classes. The activity director also noticed how well she worked with children and was always considered dependable and cooperative.

“When I was in cabin six, I wanted the kids to benefit from the same experiences I had at camp. We had some interface with multi cabins, and I loved the counselors and getting to know the other kids in cabin C. I only hope I was a good counselor, because I took it seriously,” said Sue.

“When I was at Camp Maqua I think it was the first time in my life that I ever knew that someone looked up to me. I was just a few years older than the campers, but at home I supposedly had a bad attitude and I thought I was a bad kid. To have kids looking up to me in a mild and innocent way was really neat, “ said Linda Doering (1967-69). “I thought to myself, WOW! I can be OK!’

Did you make long lasting friendships with the other counselors?