The overall condition and set up of the camp season differed from year to year according to the needs of the campers and staff. Each director came in with new ideas, the camp committee meetings entertained and implemented best practices according to the financial situation and staff they hired and for the most part Maqua hummed like a well-oiled machine for all involved.
Humorously, with tongue and cheek quips, the campers were allowed to vent and express their desires with ideas that they felt would improve the camp. Some were serious and others just plain funny, but I am fairly certain they felt “heard”.
The “Loon” publication of 1950 listed “famous recommendations” from each hut, which appeared during each session of camp. The July issue wanted stairs for their bunk beds, softer mattresses, colored caps for further areas of the lake, a diving board on the green raft, showers, reading lamps over their bunks, more “Brownies”, screens fixed, nails for their clothes and (wait for it)—hut nine wanted an escalator to the lodge!
In August, the list continued in the same vein–hot water, rafts out farther, better stairs, bed lights, dock extended to the shore, water taps in the huts, an iron and ironing board, and for the staff to wash their own dishes.
The more hilarious suggestions were—“Stumpy wanted a whole new camp, Bobbi wanted a narrower lake, Dickie wanted to buy all the land from her to Hale Park and Betty wanted waiters instead of hoppers”, (Good luck with all that!)
July 10-24, 1952 brought suggestions to “keep huts closed up, paint the huts, be able to dunk the counselors, noisy the first night, then quiet, bigger swimming areas, mouse traps, lock on Brownie doors, fix the roof, more men and move the raft out farther”.
The famous recommendations continued into 1952 and included “taking the writing off the walls of huts, cut down the jungle in front of hut 2, escalators, hot water, fix the leaks, fix the bunks, get the mice out, Brownie in the hut”.
As early as 1933, a Miss Lewis had attended a camp convention and liked the idea of a camper working through a self-governing camp council, selecting one girl from each hut who would be responsible for her hut. The counselor would be nearby, but not in the hut, which would develop leadership among the girls.
No mention was made about a council until an issue of the “Loon” in 1947, where a section titled “Camp Council” appeared. It spoke of the enforcement of the camp inspection and hut cleanup. There was a counselor in charge of every camp duty and they gave out ratings of excellent, good and fair.
Barb Jacoby was the chairman and her committee included Judy and Bonnie Kessler, Kathleen Berry, Sara Leet, Pat Parsons, Nan Kendall and Pearl Cesar. Some of the rules included no cokes in the huts, lost and found had to be claimed by noon or a nickel was charged to get it back and huts were disqualified if they were late to meals, assembly or flag raising ceremonies. It was a tough lot, but they also thought each hut should participate in a project to improve the camp.
What were some of your childhood wishes for the camp to improve your day to day situations?