The Treasure…Why is there a 1958 VW Bug in the Dining Hall?

By Pati Egan

Camp still has a treasure every week, but the format is different from the original treasure. The original treasure had very specific rules:

1. It had to fit through the (original) Dining Hall doors.
2. It was brought in after dessert by four campers.
3. The campers had to be able to lift the treasure.
4. The treasure had to be free standing – it couldn’t be nailed to anything.
5. The treasure was not in the Chapel.
6. If an animal was brought in, four campers had to be able to safely lift it – horses were not the treasure.

At each meal, one treasure clue was given out by the Director. All treasures started out at 15 points and decreased with every clue given. Each unit could only guess one time. Fifteen points could put a unit way ahead for the Golden Arrowhead. Even though this activity was for the campers; the staff would usually get very involved in solving the clues. Steve Rheinecker remembers, “Mark Kruzick’s MG was brought in and raised by the staff as the potential treasure, and I believe Steve Pitt’s VW. The staff enjoyed bringing in treasures, and making the clues fit the item. Kids loved it, as well.”

Peggy Hausmann recalls, “I remember two brothers that worked Girls’ Season. They owned a yellow VW Bug, and since it fit through the doors of the Dining Hall, and four boys could lift the front end, they would drive it in as the treasure once a week. The campers got a big kick out of it.”

Steve Pitt was the owner of a 1958 VW. He remembers, “My 58 VW Spanky was brought in and hoisted up by staff. Lifting the car up was probably not the best idea! It was not the treasure. I remember Bob Schimmelpfennig was the treasure once and the clue was Shinny Penny.”

Judy Blase Woodruff kept a page of treasure clues that were used one week during Girls’ Season in 1971.

These clues started out leading to the Director’s dog named Snoopy.

But the clues veered off to be a sweatshirt. The treasure went all of the way down to 2½ points, and was won by the unit of Daniel. Camp sold a sweatshirt with Snoopy holding a Camp Pennant. These were replicated as “retro sweatshirts” a few years back.

The treasure could also be a person. Bob Schimmelpfennig was a popular treasure, though I wonder how low the points got for Shinny Penny to be the winner.

The treasure could be anything from the red water pitchers in the Dining Hall to a can of spice from the kitchen. It could also be a leaf off of a particular tree. Usually, the Unit Leader and the campers would discuss the clues during down time. Sometimes the campers could be very convincing and the Unit Leader would just think “well let’s give it a try.”

As Steve Rheinecker noted, the treasures were as much for the staff as the campers.

When you brought the treasure into the Dining Hall, you would stand in the middle aisle facing the head table. Usually, the Director or a staff member would ask the following questions:

• “What is this standing in front of the head table?”
• The campers bringing in what they thought was the treasure, they would be told to, “lift the treasure,” followed by “higher please!” Then, “turn it around.”
• “You think (what was presented) is the treasure?”

Then a single camper had to explain the clues one by one. If the campers had the correct treasure but the wrong explanations the camper was asked, “could it also be….” The spokesperson would answer yes, but occasionally would say “no.” The unit would still win but something would be said like “for (number of points) to the unit of (unit name) for bringing in (what was presented), and having all of the explanations wrong… (big dramatic pause) the answer is… yes!” A new treasure would then be started, but worth only nine points.

The treasures were a fun way to get the campers and staff thinking outside the box. Camp Ondessonk has always been a great place to think outside the box. This was one little way to accomplish that goal.

Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk’s Mission & History.