Could 1975 Really Be 50 Years Ago?
By Pati Egan
The 1975 staff was significant compared to those in the 1980s and 90s. There were two distinct staff. Camp had six weeks of Boys’ Camp and six weeks of Girls’ Camp. The Boys’ Staff generally left in mid-July, and the Girls’ Staff came in when they left. There were staff members who worked both seasons.
The Frontier Program was for those entering high school up to those just graduating from high school. In 1975, the Frontier Trip was to Colorado. The Campers started with an orientation at Camp and then took an air-conditioned bus to Colorado. The group had a base camp at Glacier Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park, a taste of mountain climbing at Long’s Peak, a 4 ½ hour horseback ride into the backcountry of the Rockies, a night at the Lazy B Dude Ranch, and a stop for a free day in Estes Park.
Big Water Improvement!
The March 1975 Newsletter notes an improvement most of the Campers and Staff take for granted—a new water system! The Camp previously got its water from deep wells. The water was pure and safe, but it had a very distinct iron taste. For the first time, water was pumped throughout the whole Camp from the Millstone Water District.
The most long-lasting funtastic improvement – Marathon
In 1975, Dan Hechenberger and staff created Marathon! It’s different now, but the basics are the same. It was a massive hit from the start. The most significant change was eliminating “tags,” which were replaced with chips in the 80s. The camper had to hand this off to the next camper in the relay race. The excitement was intense at the end of the race – still in the canoeing area – because the winner was not known until dinner. The winning unit had to have all of their chips when they beached. You could be first at the beach, but if you did not have all of your tags or chips, you probably would not win. This was used as an equalizer for the younger units to have an equal chance.
50 years past…and still going strong!
Camp continues to evolve and change. Some ideas are home runs hit out of the park (Marathon), and some ideas didn’t withstand the test of time.I don’t think anyone missed the rusty-tasting water, but using it to shower wasn’t all that great. Camp has always been a place to encourage innovation and try new ideas. If you have a good idea, you are encouraged to develop it and make it a hit! There wasn’t any luggage haul in 1975, and Teondechoren had two big hills to navigate, but campers did it. It wasn’t easy, but they did it! Are the Campers softer because they now have luggage haul? I don’t think so! Someone identified a need, and Camp followed through. They walk a lot more – no Garner Bridge! I believe Lalemant is the furthest unit now. If Camp Ondessonk discontinued the luggage haul, the campers wouldn’t mind. Camp develops resilient campers who go with the flow and smile all the way!
Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk’s Mission & History.