Long after the young girls left camp, the smells of the lodge and cabins, the fresh smell of the piney woods, the sound of the Loons and the lap of the waves on the lake left an indelible mark in their minds. So much so that the great outdoors called to them in many ways. […]
Judy Sherman
Elemental Garments and Hair Don’t Care–
“Every camp session yielded a copy of the goings-on of the campers in a newsletter, aptly named the “Loon”. It was usually a tongue in cheek review of what went on in each hut, activities of the days at camp and humorous stories relaying such things as deep dark secrets, anecdotes of the date and […]
The Little Jewish Girls
The Christian influence of Camp Maqua, which was under the auspices of the Bay City YWCA, did not discourage girls from other religions from attending camp. There were many Jewish girls who attended, and for the most part, the girls felt a sense of inclusion with the services on Chapel Hill. There was also the […]
Gagging Down Breakfast!
Oatmeal and hot cereals delivered the most powerfully negative food memories for campers of all years. Holly Foss (1966-72), Bev Lemanski (1945), MaryJo Rawlings (1950’s) and Beth Taylor (1966+) all shared their intense dislike fore oatmeal. Most of Beth’s camp memories were good ones, but she remembers one counselor who would insist they all clean […]
Brownies and Bradley Basins
Campers Margot Homburger and Judy Sherman remembered a time at camp when there was no hot water and no indoor plumbing. They had both camped in the late forties’ and early fifties’.“I hated using the available toilets, which were smelly holes in the ground,” said Judy, who was happy when the large centrally located bathroom […]
I Was Talked Into Camp—
The list of mothers who sent their daughters to camp would be endless and incomplete, but for most of the daughters who believed the magic of their mother’s stories of their Maqua camp experiences, they were not disappointed by their summers. Well, let’s just add, most of them were not disappointed. There were a few […]