1967 - 1969

Places: Island Lake, Brighton, MI – all three years
1967--57 campers, 10 pre-campers and 28 adults
1968--85 campers and pre-campers

Director: David Charles

We settled in at Island Lake and enjoyed each year there--it was home. We had a small meeting room but the acoustics were something else!! The camps songs resounded and every one was sung with gusto. When it was almost vespers time we could see the kids gathering in so they could get their favorite window seat. A couple of our campers that especially loved the singing were Robert Ripley and Kathy Lane.

Many kids remember swim time at Island Lake--what fun it was to load up in cars, vans and the back of trucks to drive over to Kent Lake. It had its bad moments for the staff but the campers loved it!!

1967 was the first year for the big divisions of the kids. We had classes, crafts and activities (Tom Chuhran led out in those adventures) with everyone switching around. The famous point system started under David's leadership.

In 1969 instead of activities Elder Richard Cooke instituted the famous nature studies!! Some of the memories of that year's nature were "We eat grass for breakfast, Playing with poison ivy is like Russian roulette."

Crafts: String pictures, napkin caddies, and a wishing-well pencil holder. Roger Trueman led out in crafts these years.

Remember...

  • Roger Trueman taking the counselors for a private campfire and fish fry as a special treat.
  • Gabe Padillo leading calisthenics.
  • Mosquitoes.
  • Nate and Vivian Valentine's first year at camp.
  • Mark Valentine tuning our camp piano.
  • The famous water jokes.
  • The enlarging machine at campfire (spit became a bucket of water).
  • The breaking up of the old camp piano by that famous Dravido Charlowski.
  • Craft cabin littered with yards and yards of thread.
  • First-timers Charles, Arvilla, Sonya and Ida Pease.
  • An uncooperative camper in bed which was hauled out in the middle of the woods so a high score could be obtained at inspection!
  • Don Begeman's long-lasting swimming trunks.
  • The canoe trip that Rob Ripley and Kathy Lane got lost on.
  • Jane Johnson and Jeff Trueman playing guitar at campfire.
  • Boy's cabin named "The Daisies" and the girl's cabin named "Daisies' Fans"!!
  • Birthday party for Thelma Chapman given by Mom Nivison.
  • 1967 Cabin captains: Tina Roe, Lynn Charles, #89 Sandy Goldberg, Larry Charles, and Richard Johnson.
  • The frantic search for 6 year old Mike Padillo after campfire. He was found in bed sound asleep.
  • Hannah Phillips' wonderful New Jersey tomatoes.

Songs

  • 'O You Can't Get To Heaven
  • I Shall Not Be Moved
  • We've Got a Great Big Wonderful God
The Bridge
The Bridge