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:
- 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 something.
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. Each unit could only guess one time. 15 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 this.
Steve Rheinecker remembers Mark Kruzick’s MG being brought in and raised by the staff, as a potential treasure, and also Steve Pitt’s VW. Steve said, “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 thru 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 the 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! Not the treasure. I remember Bob Schimmelfennig was the treasure once and the clue was shinny penny. Krusic’s MG was really heavy!”
Judy Blase Woodruff found a page of treasure clues while looking through documents. This must have been the second treasure of the week. The first treasure always started at 15 points.
These clues started out leading to a dog named Snoopy.
Camp did sell a sweatshirt with Snoopy holding a Camp Pennant. These might have been replicated as “retro sweatshirts” a few years back.
The treasure could also be a person. Bob Schimmelfennig was a popular treasure though I wonder how low the points got for Shinny Penny to be the winner. Claire Hatch would usually be featured once a summer. I was the treasure once. As I recall the clues related to Long Beach, Calf., and Ireland.
The treasure could be anything from the red pitchers to a can of a particular spice. 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.”
Here are some possible treasures:
As Steve Rheinecker noted, the treasures were as much for the staff as the campers. To submit you were asked:
“What unit is this standing in front of the head table?”
The Campers would answer the unit’s name.
“What is (unit name) submitting as the treasure?”
The Camper answering the questions was told “Spokesman Speak.”
If the campers were bringing in a person they would be told to
“Lift the treasure” followed by “higher please! Turn it around.”
“You think (staff member’s name) is a treasure?”
Then one camper had to explain the clues one by one.
If the campers had the correct treasure but the wrong explanations the spokesperson would be 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 (whatever points) to (unit) for bringing in (whatever) and having all of the explanations wrong…(big dramatic pause) the answer is….yes!”
A new treasure would be started but worth only 9 points.
The treasures were a fun way to get the campers and staff thinking outside the box. Camp has always been a great place to think outside the box. This was one little way to accomplish this goal.
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