The upkeep of the buildings on the property were vitally important from a safety standpoint. Trees that grew too close to the buildings had to be removed when the branches and roots interfered with the tile fields or roofing. The roofs of the lodge, brownie and bunkhouses were a constant item of repair. Storms caused wind damage and girls caused their own with over use of doors and windows. Screening was a close second for upkeep on all the bunkhouses.

Jennifer Fenton recalled the weekends in the seventies when her family would help out. With her mother on the YWCA board and her physician father also donating his time, they painted cabins to get the camp ready for the next season. “We would take over the kitchen with our United Methodist church group, which we called the tent and trailer group. We communed with nature,” she laughed.

Waterfront enlargement, moving the boats in front of Dutton, brush cutting, dock painting, raft installation, and Infirmary painting were all projects that needed constant attention. The rifle range, benches and the cross on Chapel Hill were on the list again in 1971. Upkeep of a camp was a never-ending project, with a never- ending need for funds to cover the expenses.

There were no minutes for camp meetings in the later years, but a Camp Maquois repair list was left for the spring of 1977 in the files. It was nearing the end of an era for the camp and list was extensive. The fire marshall wanted all the fire extinguishers to be replaced with the type ABC and all the exit doors to be re-hung to swing in the direction of “egress to open out”, with a non-locking type of lock from the egress. The knobs had to be operable from the inside by a single motion, as in a panic bar push or a single doorknob turn. Six-inch high exit signs had to be installed above the doors. Flammable liquids had to be removed from the boathouse and an electrical inspection was needed.

If campers were going to continue living above the boathouse, another exit from the upper level had to be built and the ceiling of the boathouse had to be covered with 3/4’” gypsum board. Along came the Social Services with their demands, which added to the growing list. The diving board had to be removed from the raft.

Then the health department listed rubber-coated light bulbs in the fridge, protective light fixtures in the storage room and the back porch, shelves in the dry storage area painted with light colored non-toxic pain and exhaust fan installed over the stove, different surface areas in the showers to eliminate the growth of fungus and mold and the use of individual milk cartons as opposed to half gallons.

It was then the caretaker’s turn to weigh in. They wanted to repair the ping-pong tables and the sink in the room next to the kitchen and buy six new shower curtains for the showers in the senior village brownie. Worried about gas leaks in the kitchen stove and wiring in the entire camp, they wanted inspections. Roofs were leaking, cabins needed new siding, roads needed grading, tents needed new frames, stairways needed to be re-built and the infirmary needed a dormer over the back door to prevent rain damage to the floor. The kitchen needed new supplies, and the waterfront needed new canoe racks. The diving raft needed new barrels and twenty-three new bathing caps needed to be ordered.

A caretaker’s worksheet from the mid-seventies in the files outlined duties. He assisted the director in closing up the camp by storing supplies, docks, rafts, boats, canoes and equipment in August, followed by a tour of the director. September was the month of landscaping, transplanting trees and repairing the lodge. October was designated boat, sail repair and inventory of supplies.

“The camp director is the boss in the summer,” it read, but it was the duty of the caretaker to visit the camp and inspect the premises and buildings weekly in November, December, January and February. In March, tents and cabins were inspected for repairs to screens and windows. April was debris cleanup, more painting and repair. May was general cleanup and grass mowing. All plumbing and sewer lines had to be checked, as well as fixtures. The roads were graded and the camp was put in order. In June, all areas had to be mowed and activity areas were set up.

And the lists went on and on and on. And repairs became so evident that even campers noticed. The staff started making recommendations and they were not small demands. Many felt the conditions affected their workplace routines. Towards the end, money was scarce and campers were few and those issues crossed paths to create the perfect storm that could not be avoided any longer.

Did you ever suggest improvements or repairs for the camp? If so, who did you relay the message to and how were your suggestions received?