The Maqua torch from Dorthe Balaskas was passed the summer of 1970 to her assistant Barbara Haggart, affectionately known as “Beanie”, who followed in the shoes of her former associate/boss, who ultimately became a very good friend. “She was a great mentor for me, and she always had the well-being of Maqua and the campers in […]
Barbara Haggart
Directors #4
Dorthe Balaskas was the assistant under Alice before becoming the director in 1966 and served until 1969. She had worked for other camps, so when Alice Bishop wanted to retire, Dorthe applied for the position. Her degree was in Special Education, specializing in physically impaired methods from Eastern Michigan University, but she also received her […]
Counselors Left Their Mark
“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”, […]
Counselors’ Responsibilities
The earliest mention of counselors in the camp committee minutes was in May of 1933. It read; “Relationship of leader and camper was discussed, working through a self-governing camp council. The idea of having one girl in each hut responsible for her hut was also discussed: the counselor to be nearby, but not in the […]
Homesickness–#1
“We used to have homesick campers, but like everything else in the world, the words keep getting changed, so now the camper who used to be homesick is lonely”, wrote director Barbara Haggart in her report in the early seventies. She suggested counselors look for these symptoms—poor appetite, wandering off alone, and stomach-aches and headaches […]
Accidents and Incidents
There was “The Great Hay-riding Accident” of 1956, which was a stand out memory for more than one camper. The injuries were varied, according to each girl’s recall of the fifty or more girls who piled atop either one or two hay wagons pulled by tractors. “In, 1956 the camp sponsored a hayride on a […]