Camping It Up

My daughter Leah is away at summer camp for FOUR weeks, the longest period of time I won’t be seeing her since she was born. We can email in and they print out the letters but the campers can’t email out. Leah can write us by regular mail but we haven’t heard from her yet and it’s been six days. I’m trying not to morph into my father who, even though I’m 46 and have lived thousands of miles away from him for the past 20 years, still goes into a panic if he doesn’t hear from me every day. Yesterday I got a call from my brother who could barely spit out the message he was asked to convey because he knew how ridiculous it was: “Dad wants to know if you’re okay. Please call him.” I had talked to my father at length the night before, but in his defense, it’s true that since that time I could easily have been struck by a small meteor that had entered our atmosphere or dragged away by an Australian dingo that had escaped from a nearby film shoot. Oh, I’m not complaining. No matter how annoying my father’s fear-based parenting can be, it clearly comes from a place of immense love and concern. Of all the dysfunctional tap dances that make up the parent-child relationship, I much prefer having a dad who is overly concerned with his children’s welfare than one who doesn’t give a damn.

But that doesn’t mean I want to emulate his crazymaking protectiveness with my own daughter. I’ll try to keep myself from putting Leah’s camp nurse on speed dial or arranging a daily helicopter fly-by over the Sierra Mountains retreat. Leah found this camp herself and doesn’t know a soul there. We checked it out as much as we could but how do we really know what’s going on? Is Leah not writing because she’s so exhausted after her 16-hour shift stitching soccer balls for Wal-Mart? Sure, they say they’re a peaceful getaway in the wilderness, but is that just a euphemism for an outdoor slave labor camp?

Despite the occasional panicked thoughts that have been drifting in and out of my head this week (“How easy is it for a kayak to overturn?” “If a child falls off a horse, what are the chances of the horse doubling back and stomping on the kid's head?” “How many wild, rabid animals live in the California Sierras and are they particularly attracted to redheaded girls?”), I’m so happy that Leah welcomes new challenges in her life. She specifically wanted to go to a camp where she knew no one and would be exposed to a multitude of new experiences. She looked a little nervous when we put her on the plane (alone!) but she was eager to face her fears and make new friends. Hooray! (So why isn’t she writing?)

I never went to overnight camp and I sort of regret it. I’d like to blame it on my scaredy-cat dad but I can’t because I actually remember him encouraging me to go. For whatever reasons, I adamantly refused to consider it. Was it because I was content to just lounge around with the other Drake Kids all summer? Was I wary of the organized team sports that I was not very skilled at? Was I already entrenched in the cynical “I am above this nonsense” attitude that I would hang onto all during high school? When I think of the experiences that Leah has already had at the age of 11, I am sad for that boy who closed himself off from much of the world. I was so emotionally numb when I was Leah's age that the idea of bonding with other groups of children held no appeal for me at all (as opposed to today when I am constantly looking for ways to bond with a community, any community—do they have summer camp for adults?). Back then I turned down every opportunity to make new friends and have new experiences. And yet, as I write that, I remember that at the age of 14 I went off to France to spend the summer with a penpal I’d never met. I was too terrified to talk to someone new in my own neighborhood but my very first trip away from my family was halfway around the world. Go figure. It was great experiencing a different culture at a young age but I wish I’d also been open to the unique experiences that a good ol' American summer camp might have provided.

Not that it was always idyllic. My mother often told us tales of her years spent at summer camp. She was sent from an early age (way too early, according to her) to Burr-Oaks Camp in Mukwanago, Wisconsin. Established in the 1920s as an exclusive girls camp, rich girls would arrive by train from the east coast with their horses in tow for a summer of riding lessons and equestrian events. My Chicago-based mom did not own a horse and felt ill-at-ease with the wealthy New York contingent. One summer she got into a tussle with a popular camper that resulted in the girl’s breaking her arm. My mother was blamed for the rich girl’s accident and became the scourge of the camp that year.

She did tell us some amazing stories about Burr-Oaks. Apparently the two women who ran the camp had family connections to Balaban & Katz, the theatrical group that ran a chain of magnificent movie palaces throughout the Chicago area. One night every summer, my mother said, the girls were woken up in the middle of the night and marched, bleary-eyed, to the middle of a field where the Balaban & Katz folks projected scenes of translucent fairies and elves dancing around the outdoor scene. She said for years she believed she was really witnessing the Dance of the Fairies—until she was older and saw the movie projector that was hidden in the brush.

Do summer camps in the Midwest still revolve around Indian themes? Here is my sister at a powwow at Mac-Do Lodge, another girls’ camp in Wisconsin. The girls frequently wore Indian headdresses and spouted off heady native wisdom. It was common for most of the camps in Wisconsin to focus on one or more of the tribes that used to live in the area (but which had long since been moved to faraway reservations or disappeared altogether). I'd lay money on the fact that none of these camps ever had a single Native American camper.

My brother attended Camp Ojibwa in Eagle River. This boys camp, in operation since 1928, still exists but I’m sure the demographic is different from its former concentration of Jewish city boys. My mother’s younger brother went to Camp Ojibwa for several years in the 1950s, paving the way for my brother. Among the cache of family memorabilia we recently rescued, we found carousels full of slides taken by my grandfather, including a bunch of images from parents’ weekend at Camp Ojibwa.

We dragged out the old slide projector and screen and had a family slide show during my trip to Chicago last month. When we got to the slides taken at Camp Ojibwa, I marveled at the beautiful surroundings and the sense of brotherhood that was apparent in the visuals. My grandfather labeled most of the slides so we learned about the various themed events at Camp Ojibwa such as “Circus Day” and the “Coca-Cola Parties.” But nothing prepared us for the culminating event of parents’ weekend: a full-scale, student-produced MINSTREL SHOW!

Remember that purely American spectacle of white performers donning blackface and depicting African Americans as ignorant, lazy, and lovable buffoons, singing about life in dear old Dixie? Minstrel shows were once the most popular form of entertainment in this country with Al Jolson as one of the best known proponents. I hate to overlay our modern sensibilities on another time and place but you’d really think this phenomenon would have faded into oblivion by the time of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the rapidly growing civil rights movement.

And yet, year after year, here were these Jewish boys at Camp Ojibwa slapping on blackface and putting on minstrel shows to the delight of the visiting families. What were the camp directors thinking? I wonder if any of these photos ever came back to haunt the innocent campers.

Among the slides from the camp was one of a boy I didn’t recognize. When I pulled it out of the carousel, I saw my grandfather’s label: “Steve Spielberg, 1954.” Hmm, could it be? The age would be right, and he was a Jewish boy growing up in the Midwest. My uncle has no memory of this camper and it’s probably not the film director, but what do you think photos of Steven Spielberg in a minstrel show would fetch on the open market? “Color Purple Director Makes Stage Debut in Blackface?”

I wonder what Leah is up to during her first weekend at camp. I’m sure it has nothing to do with forced labor for Wal-Mart or offensive parodies of ethnic groups. But in the unlikely event her camp does put on a minstrel show, I hope she’ll….go for the lead! Sing it, baby:

Swanee! How I love you, how I love you!
My dear ol' Swanee
I'd give the world to be
Among the folks in
D-I-X-I-E-ven now my mammy's
Waiting for me, praying for me
Down by the Swanee
The folks up north will see me no more
When I go to the Swanee Shore!

[Tumultuous applause can be heard as Leah triumphantly wipes off her blackface and stands in solidarity with the NAACP marchers who have infiltrated the camp.]

Comments

[OldOldLady Of The Hills]

LOL, LOL...I love the image of your daughter in blackface! Good Lord! I cannot believe the camp your brother went to was still doing that in those years either! I know there are lots of people who LOVED Camp. I am not one of them...like your Mom, I was sent too early. And, incidentally...it seems to me ALL the camps I've ever heard of had Indian names! What is that about do you suppose?? I mean, have you heard of a Camp Sterling or a Camp Oakwood? I haven't! Weird, huh?

[Emily]

Are your father and mine possibly related? Except, my father is passive aggressive, so he doesn't actually tell me he'd like me to call everyday. As a matter of fact, he will insist he doesn't want to be a burden and mock other fathers who are so dependent on interactions with their children. Then, if an entire week passes with no call from me, I'll receive a letter that opens with "Here I sit, in the futile effort of composing a letter to my third daughter with the hopes that I might actually receive a response." He once sent a postcard to my sister's roommates with boxes to check off indicating whether she was A. Alive or B. Dead.

P.S. I'm sure Leah is absolutely fine and having a grand time, which is why you haven't heard from her.

[Jules]

Wonderful stuff! You are a brave soul to let your 11 year old go...I don't think I could do it! I'm sure she's having a wonderful time. Hang in there!

[Laurie]

My first trip away from home alone was when I was 11 years old. I went on a canoe trip to the Adirondacks in upstate New York.
It was alot more physical work that I thought it would be portaging the canoes and hiking thorugh the wilderness. It was a tremendous experience to get to know alot of new people and have an adventure.
Most important to me at the time was to feel independent and be able to leave my family and be on my own with no one watching over my shoulder.
As a parent, I know how hard it is to not know what is happening. Hopefully, she will contact you soon.

[Heather]

I think they do have camps for grown-ups -- things like Bread Loaf, Yaddo, etc. I bet Leah has started some letters home but just hasn't had time to complete them. That always used to happen to me at camp. I'd give my parents my letters in person when they came to pick me up.

[Danny]

Thanks, all—I did hear from Leah just after posting this! All is well and she's loving camp. At least that's what her commandant TOLD her to say. No, it's clear she's having a blast. Maybe next year I will go to camp!

[Shari]

Just coming back from the Omega Institute in New York, I would say that it was very much like camp for adults. I believe there is even a Jewish version of it, Elat Chayim, which I have also thought about exploring--both in New York state. There's also one in or near Austin, Tx-I think it's called The Crossings. Not that I believe for one minute that you really want to go to camp, but just thought I would mention these.

[Vicki]

I have been reading your blog for several months and just want to say that I really REALLY enjoy it. Although my life has absolutely NOTHING in common with yours, for some reason, I just love your style and your essays. I especially enjoy the pictures! They're great. I am 53, so we sort of grew up around the same time. I also saw a lot of movies as a kid (at the Kearse Theater in Charleston, West Virginia, which had a "medically proven...toilet seat sanitizer" in the ladies room. You pushed the toilet seat against the heated "sanitizer" to kill all those nasty germs, waited one minute, then lowered the seat back to position. This resulted in a nice warm seat which probably provided a better environment for the growth of bacteria than the toilet seats without the sanitizer.
Anyway...the point of this comment is to say to you: Do you know how cool it is to have a child who would deliberately choose to go to a camp where she knew no one? Life holds unlimited experiences for her! My own two children (now ages 25 and 26) chose their camps, clubs, colleges on the basis of how many of their friends were going. Although they are very happy adults, I sometimes think wistfully of how narrow their experiences have been.

Keep up the good work.
Hey, were you a fan of the television show "National Velvet?" Probably not, as it mostly appealed to young girls. I idolized Lori Martin and followed her career after the show ended, but she long disappeared from acting.

Vicki

[Elaine Soloway]

"I never went to overnight camp and I sort of regret it. I’d like to blame it on my scaredy-cat dad..." Oh you kids, always looking to your parents for possible blame. In daughter Jill's book, "Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants," she relates the ultimate camp-regret story in the chapter, "Coming Home (early)." At the time, Jill thanked me for heeding her call and whisking her back to Chicago. But who do you think will get charged if she ever questions that boomerang camp experience?

[Danny]

Elaine, that's one of my favorite chapters in Jill's book and you were my hero for rescuing her from that hellish experience (against the advice of all the camp officials). But, yeah, no matter how you slice it, parents are an EASY target! Don't worry--Leah is already blaming me for neuroses she has and she's only 11 so it all comes around in the end! But thank God Jill and I (and Leah I hope) always had the knowledge that we were totally and completely LOVED, that is a gift we will never blame you for!

[Dave]

I can still remember my first trip to camp. So sure was I that I would miss my parents terribly, I told my mom I would write every day (even though I was only going to away for a week or two) but when I got there, I had so much fun I forgot to write at all.

And how wonderful that your father still worries about you. Maybe your dad and my mom are related because I get the same thing.

Thanks for giving me new perspective on that. And I'm sure your daughter is having the time of her life, and will return with a ton of stories of her camping trip. And those stories will be with her forever.

You sound like a great dad, and a great son!

[sandy]

Danny, in the photo I recognize the BOC (Burr Oaks Camp) monogram on your young mom's uniform, as I too WAS a camper there, starting at the very young age of 7.Coming from New Orleans, there was a group of us from the South who rode on the Panama Limited train to Union Station in Chicago. We did not have horses!!! This was also a very delicate time in the South during the 50's.

.....Perhaps I knew your mom. (I was there 12 years!) It would be nice to dialogue with you further as I too remember the fairies dancing around the flag pole. The next morning we returned to that spot to find jewels scattered in the grass.(ah the imagination of the child!)

I was so surprised to stumble on your blog. The Burr Oaks Camp Indian motto was
LO-HE-HA: Love Health and Happiness. I think that was the trend to get back to nature and the EARTH via the Indian tradition. This inspired me to become a potter....teaching classes in Pueblo Indian Pottery....in S.CA!

Thanks for such great writing. Hope Leah will have lasting memories of her camp experiences.

[jenniferlevant]

I too went to Burr Oaks Camp and some wonderful person is starting a website [email protected] dedicated to the thousands of girls that went there from 1928-1975, if your mom is interested in sharing any of her memories or wants to be posted on the site.

You are brilliant by the way!

[roxy odom]

I have some wonderful memories of Burr Oaks that I would love to share. Ironically my brother went to Camp Ojibwa during the same time which was approx 1957 thru 1968. If there is anyone out there who was at BOC during those years I would love to hear from you. I even attended the reunion Burr Oaks had sometime during the early 80's. Does anyone remember LAZY X? Across the road from camp that was the fabulous riding stables? In my day there were no "rich campers" bringing their own horses.....My Goodness....how time makes people forget....
I just want to hear about The Lodge where we ate and the Yank cabin that everyone wanted to get to and the canoeing trips and the ghost stories if it was your birthday and the raiding of the kitchen when if you were caught the next morning there would be the CASTOR OIL punishment. And the raising of the flag every morning and the lowering of it every afternoon ......and the "pioneers" etc that would bring the flag down the hill to have the honor of folding it or unfolding it .....and don't forget the belts that had jewels for each activity and would be added onto every saturday for what each camper accomplished in each sport....like swimming, archery, camp spirit, arts and crafts etc. Is there anyone out there that remembers? If so pls write. I have many more memories about everything and would love to share with someone that also remembers how wonderful BOC was. If we were in our :BLUES, OR WHITES" FOR sunday at memory hall or thur nights at wa-da-ho......

[ellen]

Just yesterday I was driving from Milwaukee back to Chicago, and took an alternate route. Much to my surprise, I see the signs for Mukwonago. All my camp memories came rushing back to me- I attended BOC from 1967 to 1972. Those summers are still some of my most vivid memories! Last nite while having a bit of insomnia, I started jotting down the Burr Oaks Creed as well as the mottos of Pioneer Woodsman, Craftsman.I could hardly believe that my recall was so intact. From the 5 day canoe trips to Team Week ( I lost every year but one, but had just as much fun singing the losing song for the Blue team)I still have my belt as well with all its' cool stones which my 18 year old is dying to wear & have treasured a box filled with my camp memorabilia!The day trip to Lake Geneva & the Dells trip were also a blast. Thursday nite and island suppers the one day a week you put on street clothes for dinner. I remember going through my drawers picking out my favorite "hang Ten" striped surfer t-shirt. I still can taste the cinnamon toast on Saturday mornings before weigh in. Loved going to the movies on Saturday nite to Memory Hall in p.j's and taking a trip to canteen for my weekly fix of candy. I opted for vanilla bonomo taffy as is lasted the longest. A few years ago, I started singing the "good nite song" now run along home and jump into bed- and my freinds mother overheard and started laughing because although she was 24 plus years older than me- she too remembered the song from Burr Oaks. I loved riflery with Tony, Al the golf pro across the street who had skin like leather, Vesper the dramatic in the dance studio, and of course the stables and the riding range was always great. What truly means the most to me is the values that the camp stood for- they taught the campers through song as well as demonstrating good sportsmanship and leadership of the staff and the accomplishments of each camper. To this day - I remember the Birthday Ball and what great rainy day activities we had. One of my favorite times at camp was hanging out in the valley at the double glider- I had to get one for our house years ago for my girls and I just to bring back those wonderful times. Just for fun, I jotted down all the cabin names, remembered songs, counselors, fellow campers and bunk mates and told my daughters who also were die hard campers (7 summers in Maine) that after 40 years- it seems like yesterday. Hope this note makes it to you as I share your sentiments about our summer home on Lake Beaulah and the wishing boats the last nite of camp trailing away on the lake creating the most beautiful glow!
Lo He Ha,
Ellen

[David]

I was a counselor at Burr Oaks Camp from 1968 through 1975. I was able to pass on my love for camping to my daughter, who has been a camper and counselor at Chippewa for several summers. She assures me that blackface is no longer used at Ojibwa. Ironically, my daughter works on the waterfront. Also, there is a small but growing group of Indianola campers and counselors who have started to communicate by email. I think that the most important thing about going to camp is the instant bond you have with people you have not seen or heard from in 35-40 years.

[jeri polan eshelman]

I am sitting here with Aunt Jeanne and my brother david who posted above. I too remember songs, even though I can't rememer the slow song for lower yanks. my kids never got the privilge of going to camp even though we went to the farm house in the summers for many years. they do know many camp songs. Sindi is starting a burr oaks camp web site and has been hearing from many people. even some waitri who worked there. i could go on, but...by the way, which ellen are you?
jeri 64-75

[Bill Schwartz]

My grandfather started Camp Ojibwa in 1928 (he passed away a few years ago at 100 years old). My family ran the camp until we sold it in 1985 to a group of former campers and counselors who wanted to keep the traditions going. As someone else posted, I can also assure you the Minstrel shows were discontinued a long, long time ago (in the early 60's). Steven Spielberg, the director, never attended Ojibwa. However, many other semi-famous people did. The Pritzker family sent some kids (Jay, Bob and Don) to Ojibwa. Senator Sidney Yates and various other state reps and senators). Howard Teichman (wrote Solid Gold Cadillac). Larry Grossman (wrote music). Allen Sherman attended Ojibwa and wrote "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" after spending a summer at Ojibwa. Mike Nussbaum, a character actor in many films and broadway plays attended. Peter Matz (musical director for many NBC variety shows). David Rosen (the son of the current director and who spent many years at camp) has appeared in several t.v. series and commercials (currrently in a Diet Pepsi commercial). The producers of "The Producers" and "Rent" went to Ojibwa. Olympic gold medalist Eric Heiden spent part of a summer at Ojibwa prior to winning the olympics. Gary Matthews, Jr. (major league baseball all star this year) attended for three years. Many judges, well respected lawyers, accountants, and successful business owners went to Ojibwa. As you said, there is a huge fraternity of Ojibwa alums who can call on each other for just about anything. The camaraderie is tremendous and continues as such. I am constantly running into people in my professional life (I am an attorney) who went to Ojibwa and immediately, whatever deal I have with them, becomes easier to deal with. The religious make up of campers has not changed much. I would say now the camp is 85% Jewish. I would love to see the slides you found and any other Ojibwa memorabilia your grandfather may have saved. Please e-mail me and let me know if that would be possible.

Bill Schwartz

[David Polan]

Given that it has been 31 years since my last camping summer at BOC, I have been unable to figure out which Ellen posted above. But I wanted to let her know that the old glider in the valley is still swinging, the buddy board is still up, and all of the buildings she remembers still stand. The major exception is my cabin, Willows, which apparently collapsed several years ago. In addition, I have a small collection of memorabilia, including the camp and Bughouse songbooks. Bill Schwartz is correct. When you go to camp for multiple summers, there is a tie that binds that lasts.

[Ellen Rue Rosenbaum]

I apologize to those readers that I haven't been on the site to reveal my identity. My maiden name is Rue. My mom, Janice and Aunt Jeanne were friends from Michiana. According to my mon, she used to play Mah Jong with Jeanne and said I used to play with the Polan family children when I was very young before I went to camp. I think I actually remember the Polan family home in Glenview with a player piano? Am I crazy? I still remember my 1st daycamp experience in Michiana which was Uncle Kenny's (Goldberg) daycamp and riding my bike down suicide hill to get there. I think that my brother (Randy) might have gone to camp with Gregg at Indianola in Madison before he went to Kawaga. After reading Bill Schwartz's comments, it reminds me of the first time I met this attorney who looked vaguely familiar and we traced back how we could have known each other. We had determined it was Burr Oaks! Her name is Bonnie Stone, and I think I was in a cabin with her sister Robin Stone! My camp sister was Ellen Levy from Texas and I also had Gail Maltz from Texas in my cabin for years,( Randi Pritikin, Sindi Wasserberg, Marci Monyek are all bunkmates that come to mind) I think that was what was so special about camp- it was a place to make friends from all over- Ohio, Texas, Florida, Tennessee etc. Actually the girl who put on my artisan necklace was Lori Cowen now Lori Harris (cousin to the Polan family!)who now lives in Deerfield as well. One other memory- does anyone remember when the soda fountain was added at camp for special treats for cabins? I also loved the evening boat rides...David, were you the driver? I need to send a few response emails to people but I have been consumed with work these days and have not spent much time on this computer. My oldest daughter started college a month ago has had the great opportunity to reconnect with camp friends at IU that have come from Florida and the east coast. She told me she was trying to get a reunion together from her camp...I guess it is true that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm glad to hear that the glider is still swinging. It is comforting to know that a place from my childhood that I hold so dear is still intact and has not been torn down to be built up for commercial purposes! I will be traveling this coming week, but will try my best to respond when I return.
Happy & Healthy New Year
LO-He-Ha,
Ellen Rue Rosenbaum
P.S. Jeri...I think you were my counselor my Lower Yank Year!

[Sindi Wasserberg Lash]

Danny, fabulous blog! Several campers have emailed me re your blog. I am the person starting the Burr Oaks Camp website (www.burroakscamp.com). My name is Sindi Wasserberg Lash. I attended Burr Oaks Camp from 1969-1974 (cabins: Lo Brows, Upper Worms, Upper Rebels, Lower Yanks and two years of Bughouse). Those summers were some of the best summers of my life. My aunt (Cheri Serlin) even attended B.O.C. and was there during my first year. I think it was the first time in B.O.C. history where an aunt and niece attended camp at the same time!

I am still in touch with two of my cabinmates (Gail Maltz Dollin & Randy Pritikin Selesnick), camp sister (Candy Robbins Dawson), counselor (Jeri Polan Eshelman), past owner (Jeanne Polan) and the one who put on my artisan necklace (Joanne Birnberg)! I also run into many other "old" campers who live on the northshore of Chicago (Marcee Spak Albertario, Janice Gartzman Senra - most recently).

As far as the website goes, I work on it in my spare time. That means it's not up and running as fast as everyone would like it to be! So to those of you who keep emailing me asking when will it be up, I'm doin' the best I can!!!! Please bear with me as I am doing this solo (graphics, design, content, creating database, scanning pictures etc...). If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, pictures they'd like to share or if any campers just want to say hi, feel free to email me: [email protected]

Danny, thanks again for your post on overnight camps. I look forward to reading more!!!

[Aaron Goldner]

My mother, who is in her late 60's, told me tonight about her experiences as a little girl at a camp in Wisconsin. She remembers the "Lo He Ha" Motto and belt. Does anyone have a picture of one of these belts? She described it as jewelled, or at least having rhinestones perhaps? Please email me with any information you have because I want to buy or make her one for the coming holidays.

Thanks, Aaron

[ejj]

Well not only did my mother, her best friends and my aunt go to Burr Oaks Camp in the 1930s but I went with many other "legacies" in the 1960s. Say LO HE HA to your mom for me!

[Debbie Mesirow Kasle]

I was a camper at Burr Oaks in 1971, 1972 and 1975. When I moved to Milwaukee 14 years ago I said to my husband, "This is near my old camp...I have to go back and visit someday." Well, I finally got back to camp this weekend as I had to drop my son off at a BBYO weekend held at Camp Beber (the old site of Burr Oaks).
What fun memories came back! My younger kids went to sit on the "glider" while I walked around and reminisced. I couldn't believe it was the same glider from 30 years ago! I couldn't get over how much smaller the camp looked than what I remembered! I was also surprised that the cabins still have the same names! I never made it to Bughouse (and I didn't get to go in this trip either) but it also looked much smaller than I remembered...and I'm pretty sure there is no indoor swimming pool inside!!!!
Anyway, it is great fun bringing back all these memories...I think my husband and kids are getting tired of my stories so it is fun to read everyone else's memories.
I'll have to add my name to Sindi's website. I can't wait to see it up and running!
LoHeHa!
Debbie

[Barbara Geller]

Just ran across your site. Being a nice jewish girl from Austin, Texas, and yes,also following in my mother's footsteps, took the train with my cousin Carolyn Marcus at the young age of 6 1/2 yrs from Oklahoma City, to the Chicago train station, and was picked up there and took a bus....Yes...to Mukwanago Wisc to the most magnificant place, Burr Oaks Camp! To this day, I miss it. I dream of going back someday to revisit the area...just to see if it was as beautiful as I remember. I went to camp there for about 5-6 consecutive summers. I was the first recipient for the Karyn "Cookie" Kupcinet scholarship given by her father Irv Kupcinet. I wish that I could get in touch with people that have been there before....
What a gift you have given to your children. Camp for me was one of the biggest gifts I ever received from my parents. I truly can say I was blessed. (although my youngest brother jokes and says it was "child abuse" to send a child away to camp for 4-6 weeks every summmer!) Of course, he is kidding, since he sends his children to Longhorn outside of Austin.
Take care
LO-HE-HA!!!!
Barbara Geller

[barbara geller]

Oh my!!!! I just was clicking onto the Camp Beber site...and that infamous picture of Janie Borman...(she was my camp hero when I was a little girl) skiing and waving to everyone!!! I wanted to be just like her on skis! How wonderful...
God I miss Burr Oaks....
Barbara

[roxy keeshin]

barbara,
after reading your posts i think we went to BOC during some of the same years since I remember also being fascinated by janie borman. she was a bit older. pls send your email address to me so we can figure all this out. it is so wonderful to hear from someone that has such wonderful memories as I now have. LO-HE-HA
EMAIL= [email protected]
if you have time pls write me at above address. i think your name sounds somewhat familiar. i attended burr oaks (ck my post on danny's site) approx 1957 thru 1963.

ps., is the Burr Oaks new site available yet? Maybe some of us could help the person who is trying to start it up?????

[Margaret Kagan]

While I never went to Burr Oakes Camp, my family went to what they called Post Camp for years and years. We usually stayed in Lower Rebels,and once in the cabin on the hill. Is that the one that collapsed? I remember it was the only cabin with a bathtub. There were always large goldfish swimming in a large rock pond near Rebels, and close by was the buddy board and the bridge which I loved to fish off of. I also loved to feed the baby goats they had in a pen nearby. We fed them with very large baby bottles. Sometimes there would be a movie night in Memory Hall or bingo games would be planned in the basement of the lodge. Aunt Yetta and Uncle Bill Rice owned Burr Oakes at that time which had to be in the 1950's. I loved waiting for the dinner bell and was always entranced with all the waitresses who bunked up a full flight of stairs in the lodge. My memories are so vivid. I can even remember the striped canvas chair material that covered the chairs on the porch of the lodge. Is there anyone out there who went to the Post Camp? I remember a girl by the name of Patty Carlson. Her mom did something with the camp but she wasn't allowed to mix much.
My maiden name was Blumberg.

[Stefanie Mintz]

I was just doing a search for Beber Camp (formerly Burr Oaks) and came upon this website. The reason I was searching is that I am headed to the Beber Camp Reunion this weekend - very excited!! I attended Beber from 1987-1995 and wish I could have gone every summer since then. It is an incredible place and I still have life-long friends from there. In fact, my entire cabin will be at the reunion this weekend!

Reading the blog and all the posts really made me smile. I have a one-year old little boy and while I know it will not be easy to watch him leave for camp for the first time (a few years down the road), I am so excited for the experiences I know he will have.

[jeri polan eshelman]

joanne birnberg, ever hear from marilyn alch? sindi, thanks so much for getting the site up and running, i for one will help with the cost...loheha
jeri polan

[Marcy Monyek GOldsmith]

Hi! I'm not sure how I got onto this website, was really looking up info about a horse, but I went to camp with most of You! Jeri was our counselor; I was in Ellen, Sindi, Gail etc. cabin and Joanne Birnberg also put on my artisan necklace. Gail and i reconnected in Cinci a few years ago, where I live now although I was originally from Lake Forest. We have 3 kids who all summer camp in Maine. I had the delight of seeing Aunt Jeanne at Gail's daughter's Bat Mitzvah a few years ago. All the best to all of you!
and of course, Lo-He-Ha, Marcy

[Marcy Monyek Goldsmith]

Whoops..forgot to say that Barb Geller was my big sister my first summer. She gave me a turtle named Oscar after our Dells trip that summer. Eventually he jumped out of his bowl, but not after swimming in my bathtub at home! I remember how very nice Barb was when I first arrived at camp my first summer at age 8 in Low-Brows.
Marcy

[Chicki Poticha]

I went to Burr Oaks Camp for 2 years...from 1960-1962. I am sorry to say that I was not a happy camper. I never wanted to go there in the first place but my parents insisted. I remember everything about my time there from the flagpole to raiding the kitchen to singing at dinner, to the Blue and Orange Days to the "BELT." I have to add that I was not a competitive, sports-minded person and BLue and Orange Days and that belt almost did me in. I hated the belt and the competition it represented. I really dreaded the times the studs would get put into the belts. I was not a high achiever and I constantly felt inadequate and like I was being compared to everyone especially since people always looked at your belt to see what you had done. On the canoe trips, I always had leeches between my toes (to this day, I can't go in a river) and I was always writing tear-stained letters home. Two nice memories...I remember Sunday afternoon meals...open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh fruit. Mmmm...love it and going to "Pip's for pops." Riding a horse through the apple orchards to get there was truly a joy. Well, thanks for listening. This was very cathartic.

[S]

I have always wondered about all the girls who went to MacDo lodge and periodically do a google search, and your blog showed up. That camp was one of the stranger experiences of my life, and I wondered if other girls who went there had the same experience. It was amazing to see the picture of the girls with the headresses on in your blog. Does your sister stay in contact with girls from camp? I went there one summer, I think it was 1961. The person in the last post about Burr Oaks about sums up my experience at MacDo. I always wondered about the highly competitive nature of the camp and what it would do to the personalities of the kids that went there all through their childhoods, I thankfully only went for one unforunate summer.

[Harry Bublitz]

Hello, I worked at Burr Ocks from 1970-75 i was a young kid working as a grounds keeper. I lived on the other side of Beulah Beach that isen't there anymore they burned it all down built huge homes there. I grew up hearing the meal time bell ringing. I to got caught raiding the kitchen even though i wasn't a camper i was still made to clean out every drop of water,leaves an muck out of the gold fish pond by the bridge. The nice bridge is gone now replaced with a concret one. The stables are gone in fact that pasture land is buildings now. I remember a councilor that worked thier named Rose she drove a 1969 built Camaro has anyone kept in touch with her? If any of the Poland family that owned the camp at that time i sure would like to hear from you. The reason why I'm writing this is if anyone would like BW photo's of the camp,stables an all, just let me no i will be glad to send them by email free of charge. In the subject box please write Burr Ocks that way i will open the message [email protected] have a good day.

[Harry]

I made a mistake in my spelling of the previous camp owners last name in the message above. The correct last name is Polan.

[Sunny Sherman Lannutti]

Oh my God!! How lucky I am to have stumbled into this thread! I've been looking for Jeri Polan forever, and wondering how your mom is doing. I went to the BOC website and saw the orange and blue acorns, which almost threw me off my chair. Burr Oaks Camp remains one of the best things to ever have happened in my life. My favorite colors are still orange and blue. It turns out that Perfect Womanhood isn't entirely possible, but to this day, I have always tried to live according to the standard. This is fabulous; how did I miss the reunion in the 80's? I can be reached at [email protected]

[Sunny Sherman Lannutti]

me again... by the way, Jeri, is the slow song for lower yanks the one I wrote for our skit? It was to a tune from Fiddler on the Roof (the prayer song). "May Burr Oaks protect and defend us..."

[Judy Levin]

I ran across this site when I was doing a google search for an old BOC camper. There are some amazing stories on here! I went to Burr Oaks from '65 to '74, and thought it was the most wonderful place on earth!

My mother Suzanne and my sister Jennifer both went to BOC, as well.

I remember the fairies dancing around the flagpole, ghost stories with a flash light, raiding the kitchen - and getting caught!, five day canoe trips, amazing cinnamon french toast, life long friendships, balling our eyes out when we had to go home, and so much more. Aunt Yetta and Uncle Bill were there my first year, and I am thankful to Aunt Jeanne for keeping the camp going for so many years.

Some of the people on ther have signed on to the website that Sindi created - and we are so thankful for - but I wish more people would. Just go to www.burroakscamp.com, register and tell your stories!

Lo-He-Ha
Judy Levin
[email protected]

[Suzanne Novak Meyer]

I attended BOC from 1940 to 48. I loved it. Cried my eyes out at every farewell banquet! If anyone from those years remembers me, get in touch. I'm hoping to take my grandchildren to see the camp (now a B'nai B'rith facility) this summer during a family get-together. LoHeHa, indeed!

[Susan Rosenbaum Bosse]

I had lunch with old BOC friends yesterday and was directed to your blog....loved the article! I have also enjoyed reading many of the posts. I went to Burr Oaks from 1957-1962 and my ambition was to someday own and run the camp. My very fondest memories are of that very special place and the dear friends I made there. My nickname was "Rosie" (from Rosenbaum) and my last year I was the (losing!) captain of the Blue Team during Team Week. I remembered some of the names I saw in the posts: Roxy Keeshin, Marcy Spak and I remember a Denise Poticha...don't know if that is the same person as Chicki. Anyone from those old days out there reading this, please write in. Lo-He-Ha to all...."Rosie"

[Pat behrens]

Hi, there
I am writing to tell you of the 2 wonderful summers I spent at Mac-Do Lodge in 1965 and 1966 as a counselor in the Post Deb Cabin. The Indian headresses were worn at Sunday nght Bonfire. The camp was divided into 4 tribes WISC Winnies, Iries, Sussies, and Chippies for short. (Winnebago, Iroquois, Susquhanna and Chippewa)as the abbreviation for Wisconsin. The head Counselor was Minnie A Cohen (and founder) along with her friend Dorothy hence the MAC-DO.
What a wonderful way to spend a summer and get paid for it to boot. It helped to pay the college expenses to Purdue University for me
Thanks for the memories!!

[Pat Behrens]

I forgot to mention that all counselors were referred to as Miss______. I was Miss Patty (maiden name Regan) I'd love to hear from any other campers in the POST DEB Cabin.

[Camping for Beginners]

Long read but nice story, thanks for sharing!

[Ilyse Johnson]

I was at Mac Do for the last 3 years it was operational... what awesome memories from back then. I loved reading your blog! Any other Mac Do girls out there?? Please contact me - Remember -- You can always tell a Mac Do girl, you can tell her by her walk.......
:)
Ilyse (Gottlieb) Johnson

[Ilyse Johnson]

Miss Patty... I think I may have been at MacDo the same time as you. I was the one who was terribly homesick all summer. My aunt, Sandy Gold, was a camper and counselor before I went. Please email me at [email protected] - would love to hear from you!

[Zach Levy]

I am a kid who goes to Camp Ojibwa now and i have seen a placque with the name Steve Speilburg.

[Deborah Hayter]

I am appalled by your lack of sensitivity. I have friends whose grandparents spent time in jewish consentration camps - and to see anyone in blackface shames a whole nation of people who understand what it is like to be made fun of because you are different. How sad your children will grow up thinking it is fun to mimic another's race.

[Vicki Frazer]

Hi! I went to Burr Oaks Camp from 1967 until 1973. I would love to hear any alum news. Does anyone keep in touch or hear anything about Julie Levy (Houston) Julie Grunsfield (Little Rock) Candy Robbins (Wilmette)? I would love to know what has been happening with these or any other girls who were at camp around this time!

[Vicki Rosenberg Frazer]

By the way my mom,Sandy Rosenberg and Aunt, Judy Brostoff both went to MACDO. They have very fond memories of camp

[Westchester County Summer Camp Nurse]

I think that parents who need to hear from you daily regardless if you're 16 or 46 does show a bit of overkill, but still a very loving concern that more of us admit to wanting then not. Take for example all the people who mentioned their experiences from summer camp: From the camp nurse that helped one person recover from a bad fever to the counselor that taught that other boy to overcome his fear of water and learn how to swim. These are the some of the great experiences one may have when going to a camp as well as a nurturing staff that are there because they care more than the check they receive every few weeks.

[jan carp]

danny, i am curious to know more about what you know about burr oaks camp in the '40's. i am wondering if my mother was in your mother's cabin. the girl on the same row far left looks a bit like my mom, audrey mathes. and even curiouser, my great aunt dena married my great uncle israel carp, and with her came her son, herbie balaban. he owned a fabulous restaurant in st louis, but has since passed away. i don't know which balaban was his father. they weren't doing the fairy thing in the 60's i am sure, or i would remember it!

[Outdoor guy]

Every father worries like that. The kids think it is no big deal. If you didn't worry, you wouldn't be a parent. One day they will understand how you feel; Just like you now understand how your father felt when you were away.