“Most of those who went to the “Live-Y’ers” in Bay City tried Maqua later,” said one of the self-described precocious campers, “and I had my first introduction to camp at aged ten in 1959. I liked my first session and since I was an only child, I liked the chance to meet new friends. I […]
Laya Hennes
Socialization—
“I was very independent and made friends easily and I recall there were never any problems with kids and no one got moved out of the cabins, “said Ruth Wiesen (1957-59).” I don’t remember anyone going home early either. We were all so busy and signed up for activities before we started. In the activities, […]
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 […]
Music, Music, Music—
Picture a sheet music with notes, and then picture the notes of music leaving the page—floating over the camp, through the lodge dining hall, past the flagpole, down to the campfire, back up to Chapel Hill and down through the cabins of all the little campers. Music tied the camp together and those notes were […]
Homesickness–#3
Lois Levine recalled her gorgeous wardrobe as one of the highlights of going off to camp as a ten-year old Jewish girl in 1948, because her clothes allowed her to fit in. Bunking in with eleven-year old Gentiles, on the other hand, made for a “dreadful, miserable unhappy experience”. Mean girls, perceived prejudice, and homesickness […]