There were girls who were afraid to do cabin checks because they were afraid of the dark, and campers who tippy-toed out of their cabins and over Chapel Hill to the horses and got caught (Jan Bateson in the fifties), and there were personalities that made everyone laugh, like Jennifer McLogan, as remembered by her friend Kathy Carney (1970-71).
“Jennifer was so funny. She would pretend she was French and give everyone made up French names in this crazy accent. They would say, “Jennifer, Jennifer, what’s my name?” and she would say this silly name. She made us all laugh. Sue Purdue’s college roommate was a girl we called “BIAFRA” because she was so thin,” said Kathy. “She was from the south and she had no idea that camp meant roughing it. Everyone was hysterical when this little southern debutante pulled out, not one, but two ball gowns she had brought! I wonder what she thought she was coming to?”
As an adult with a perspective on behaviors, Sarah Smith (1968-70) can look back and understand why little campers would have said the things they said. Case in point was the little red-headed girl who lifted her shirt and said “You want some milk?”
Sarah laughed as she said, “It was my first gig as a counselor. I was walking up the hill to the lodge to eat and where was this little girl with red hair blowing across her eyes, all dirty from her day. At the time I thought it was the strangest thing because I was far from thinking about having babies, but I just bet her Mom was breastfeeding a new sibling at home! As a kid, you live in your own world and don’t think of what was really going on.”
The “Loon” from 1967 had an article titled “Embarrassing Experiences of Counselors”. Apparently “Peachy” took her cabin three campers to Hale Park for the day and they amused themselves watching people in the private cabins around the lake. “Their eyes spotted a cabin where a boy was kissing his girl. They completely embarrassed me by letting the couple know that we were watching them.”
Another copy of the “Loon” from the same summer had a headline “Duck Stolen”. Now, it is unclear whether this was a real duck or a stuffed duck, or maybe even a rubber duck, but the event was recorded for posterity, leaving the readers to wonder who was behind all these fun events.
:“On the evening of June 30th, Bubbles found her duck, Blab, missing. Not knowing the whereabouts of the duck, she immediately came to the conclusion Blab was stolen. At 7:30 a.m. the evening program bell rang as usual. This time Senior Village was not there. The whole camp proceeded down to Senior Village to find just a note. It read: Dear Smokey, we are sorry we could not come to evening program, but Blab has turned up missing and Bubbles would not come without Blab. Please forgive us. Senior Village.”
“All the members of Camp Maqua began the long search for Bubbles and Blab. Then they were led by notes to the horse ring, the fountain Chapel Hill, the Brownie, the flag pole and at last the beach. When they arrived at the beach they found Bubbles and Blab and Mel in a big fight. It seems that Bubbles was planning on taking Blab on a sail boat, but Mel found out about this and insisted on giving Blab a swimming test. Bubbles did not agree on this. Finally, after the fight was put to a stop, a jury was formed and court was begun. The proceedings ended with Mel winning out. Blab was given the swimming test, passed into group 4 in swimming, and was able to sail after all.”
Does anyone remember the story of the missing duck? If so, maybe we could all find out what kind of duck it was!