Independence—we all long for that feeling that we can do it on our own. Camp was the perfect place to try out new activities, learn new skills, and to leave home and enter a safe, nurturing environment. “I wasn’t a girlie girl,” said seventies camper Helen McLogan,” and I was a rule-follower. I think going […]
Sue West
Mixing With Mahn-go-tah-see
Some years there was fraternization with the boys’ camp and other years there was no social activities between the two camps. Marge Hasty (1946) had memories of meeting the boys by sailboat in the middle of the lake to pass “sneaky mail”, and said many of the counselors had boyfriends across the lake and this […]
Nicknames–
Nicknames were a way to make girls feel included with a sense of intimacy and camaraderie. “Magot” (or maybe Maggot) would not be the cutesy nickname a young girl would pick, but Karen Magidsohn won that name. It was very common for girls to be christened with new or short names at camp. Sue Purdue, […]
Cabin Pranks–
Timeless camp traditions included pranks, which inevitably involved the bed. Pranksters followed their mothers, aunts, cousins and sisters into the antics that were handed down for years to make their cabin mates and counselors lives more interesting. The short-sheeting of beds was the most popular prank over every summer session, which was either taken well […]
“Primyland”
The girls who braved the elements and had the courage to camp in Primitive remembered their adventures with fondness. Lori Fobear(1975-76) recalled the one great trip into the woods when they spent the night on cots under a big tent.“I know it rained like crazy and the next morning we tried to cook eggs in […]
Calling All River Rats!
Elanie Engibous (1961-63), decked out in her prescription sunglasses, loved the canoe trips down the AuSable River. “I can remember eating red licorice and making Kiltie laugh so hard she would pee in the boat and we would have to stop and clean it out! There was a “hi-low-eenie-meenie” song that we hollered to connect […]