Help Me Remember Summer Camp!

[3113]

Working on a non-lit story and I'm trying to remember things typical to summer camp. As I (1) had a horrible time at the first such camp I went to at age ten or so, and (2) didn't go back to camp till my teen and then wentto a not-so-common camp (artsy/intellectual), and (3) as it's been many...many years.....

....I was hoping you'd all give me a little help remembering what such camps are like. Or, rather, giving me your memories as mine just aren't there. I'm especially interested in the names for things that are common to such camps--like going to the "canteen" to buy a popsicle, that sort of thing. What elements do such camps usually have? Are there special names for places (like "canteen")? What activities are most common?

Come around my campfire and reminisce about Summer Camp with me. We'll tell stories, have some s'mores, play our guitars and harmonicas, and thank *GOD* we never have to go to such a place ever again!

 

[rgraham666]

My reaction when I read the words 'Summer Camp'.

 

[jomar]

S'mores, campfires, bunks, mosquitoes, no see-ums, fires, creepy counselor dude, mosquitoes, canoes, sing-a-longs...the slut dies first, 5 out of 7 must perish, the innocent must suffer, the guilty must be punished...sorry, did I get off on a tangent?

 

[starrkers]

Hello Muddah, hello faddah
Here I am at
Camp Granada....

I know, not very helpful, but I couldn't help myself.

 

[3113]

no see-ums

What the heck is a "no see-ums"?????

 

[rgraham666]

What the heck is a "no see-ums"?????

Nasty little critters critter too small to see.

Bite like something much, much bigger.

 

[Bizkit_Writer]

All I remember is bad food, mosquitos, swimming, bad bathrooms (smelled like shit) and to small cabins.

 

[3113]

S'mores

Just saw this:

http://www.godiva.com/assets/images/about/3861-Smor-000627-3.jpg​

S'mores being put out by Godiva chocolates.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I remember well the time at Girl Scout Camp when they ran out of toilet paper and half the girls were wiping the butts with Poison Oak. That was pure genius

 

[jomar]

Just saw this:

http://www.godiva.com/assets/images/about/3861-Smor-000627-3.jpg​

S'mores being put out by Godiva chocolates.

What Rob said about no see-ums.

Those look yummy. Build a fire and let's eat!

 

[Guest]

What the heck is a "no see-ums"?????

Flying insanity.

 

[Guest]

Mug-up..coco at the evening campfire.

Bug juice/swamp water...that drink they served you which was vaguely orangey, but could have had a variety of ingredients - old pop, leftover juice, mystery crystals..

 

[Guest]

I remember well the time at Girl Scout Camp when they ran out of toilet paper and half the girls were wiping the butts with Poison Oak. That was pure genius

Girl Guides suck. A scout wouldn't hae made that mistake.

I remember joining GG's after brownies being terribly excited that we would be camping and building fires and stuff like the boys did (three bros in Scouts).

Out first campout was tenting in someone's back yard, dinner on the BBQ, s'mores made in the microwave..pussies...

 

[3113]

I remember joining GG's after brownies being terribly excited that we would be camping and building fires and stuff like the boys did (three bros in Scouts).

Out first campout was tenting in someone's back yard, dinner on the BBQ, s'mores made in the microwave..pussies...

LOL! As a Brownie I was all excited about the idea of Girl Scouts as well, but we moved out of the neighborhood before I was able to change uniforms

I do remember, however, that while in Brownies we went camping out somewhere--I can't remember where, likely it was just a nearby park. I snuggled into the sleeping bag, and was woken up an hour or so later as it started to rain. We left; end of camping trip. And that's when I pretty much decided that I wasn't an outdoors sort and it's probably just as well that I didn't go onto Girl Scouts

 

[TxRad]

I was a girl scout but that's a whole other story.......

I lived in the country so summer camp was working in the hay fields, hoeing the garden, and such.... Staying in a motel in town would have been an adventure for us....

I guess it's all in your perspective....

 

[Guest]

LOL! As a Brownie I was all excited about the idea of Girl Scouts as well, but we moved out of the neighborhood before I was able to change uniforms

I do remember, however, that while in Brownies we went camping out somewhere--I can't remember where, likely it was just a nearby park. I snuggled into the sleeping bag, and was woken up an hour or so later as it started to rain. We left; end of camping trip. And that's when I pretty much decided that I wasn't an outdoors sort and it's probably just as well that I didn't go onto Girl Scouts

Rain? *pfft* Portage in Northern Ontario in September.

Now that's camping!

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

I was a Girl Scout leader for 7 years. I was the head one for our area. w00t for me!

We went camping, used a tent, but did the whole fire thing, and we used a Dutch Oven to make Shepherd's pie as well as cake. The girls all had chores, some had to prepare the fire, some the food, some had clean-up detail. It really was a lot more fun when we let the kids do the work, not only because it gave us leaders a break, but it taught these kids that they can do things on their own.

I remember we had a number of meetings prior to our camping trip. One would include them picking the menu, and they would go extravagant for camping. LOL... we even made an oven out of a box, aluminum pie plates and charcoal. They ended up making biscuits in that one morning.

We went canoing, hiking, and fishing. That was fun... watching these girls bait their own hook, because that was another rule... you had to do it yourself. The girls got spoiled one weekend out of the year when the counsel hosted a camping session for our district, it was the only time we used a lodge. lol... they love it because they got private toilets and showers where before they had to use pit toilets or dig their own latrine. lol

Our troop disbanded two years ago. My co-leader became non-existent, the girls were going into middle school and high school and sadly that is when Girl Scouts loose their membership the most. Sadly there aren't a lot of things geared toward the girls at that age, though they are trying, by introducing charms for bracelets instead of badges to be sewn on vests that the older girls would never wear. Badges though... Oohhhh there were so many you could earn while camping.

I better shut up...

 

[Guest]

I was a Girl Scout leader for 7 years. I was the head one for our area. w00t for me!

We went camping, used a tent, but did the whole fire thing, and we used a Dutch Oven to make Shepherd's pie as well as cake. The girls all had chores, some had to prepare the fire, some the food, some had clean-up detail. It really was a lot more fun when we let the kids do the work, not only because it gave us leaders a break, but it taught these kids that they can do things on their own.

I remember we had a number of meetings prior to our camping trip. One would include them picking the menu, and they would go extravagant for camping. LOL... we even made an oven out of a box, aluminum pie plates and charcoal. They ended up making biscuits in that one morning.

We went canoing, hiking, and fishing. That was fun... watching these girls bait their own hook, because that was another rule... you had to do it yourself. The girls got spoiled one weekend out of the year when the counsel hosted a camping session for our district, it was the only time we used a lodge. lol... they love it because they got private toilets and showers where before they had to use pit toilets or dig their own latrine. lol

Our troop disbanded two years ago. My co-leader became non-existent, the girls were going into middle school and high school and sadly that is when Girl Scouts loose their membership the most. Sadly there aren't a lot of things geared toward the girls at that age, though they are trying, by introducing charms for bracelets instead of badges to be sewn on vests that the older girls would never wear. Badges though... Oohhhh there were so many you could earn while camping.

I better shut up...

Now that's much more like it!

 

[JPMMURPHY]

Evening vespers. The camp bell used for ringing us awake, to meals, to play, to vespers. Tin roofs, bunk beds, boys falls, girls falls (for a few years there were no showers - two small falls oppisite sides of the camp for showering), lights-out (I think the place was called - Stalag in the Hills - something like that), camp store, main gate, mail-call - that's what comes to mind

 

[lisa123414]

Camp Songs -

Help me - I gotta be the songs, skits and puppets lady for summer camp!

Y'all know how hard it is to get little boys to sing?

I have been digging up every near naughty song I can get away with, just 'cause they are so much fun


Mom, Wash My Underwear
Tune: God Bless America
Mom, wash my under wear, my only pair
Stand beside them and guide them
Through the wash and the wear and the tear.
Through the washer and the dryer
Or the clothesline, back to me
Mom, wash my underwear, my only pair
Mom, wash my underwear, my only pair.


Please someone say they had one or two good memories...Or i will keep posting songs!!!

 

[Guest]

I was a Girl Scout leader for 7 years. I was the head one for our area. w00t for me!

We went camping, used a tent, but did the whole fire thing, and we used a Dutch Oven to make Shepherd's pie as well as cake. The girls all had chores, some had to prepare the fire, some the food, some had clean-up detail. It really was a lot more fun when we let the kids do the work, not only because it gave us leaders a break, but it taught these kids that they can do things on their own.

I remember we had a number of meetings prior to our camping trip. One would include them picking the menu, and they would go extravagant for camping. LOL... we even made an oven out of a box, aluminum pie plates and charcoal. They ended up making biscuits in that one morning.

We went canoing, hiking, and fishing. That was fun... watching these girls bait their own hook, because that was another rule... you had to do it yourself. The girls got spoiled one weekend out of the year when the counsel hosted a camping session for our district, it was the only time we used a lodge. lol... they love it because they got private toilets and showers where before they had to use pit toilets or dig their own latrine. lol

Our troop disbanded two years ago. My co-leader became non-existent, the girls were going into middle school and high school and sadly that is when Girl Scouts loose their membership the most. Sadly there aren't a lot of things geared toward the girls at that age, though they are trying, by introducing charms for bracelets instead of badges to be sewn on vests that the older girls would never wear. Badges though... Oohhhh there were so many you could earn while camping.

I better shut up...

You are to be commended, dear Red.



I have fond memories of Girl Scout camp, friends and fun. I loved the canoing (my best friend and I were perfect together) and I loved crafts and hiking and swimming.

I really loved singing around the campfire at night, swatting mosquitoes (OK, that sounds more romantic now than it was then) and listening to the forest night sounds as we stared up at the millions of brilliantly lit stars that we weren't able to see in the city.

I didn't like the toilets. I wasn't thrilled with the outdoor shower situation. And when the weather was rotten so was the experience.

But all in all, it was positive. And terrific adult leaders made all the difference.

 

[SeaCat]

Sorry,

The only experiences I have with Summer Camps of any kind was sneaking my then GF (she was a counselor) out of one at night.

Cat

 

[Huckleman2000]

Not exactly a summer camp, but in 6th grade my whole class went on a camping trip to a camp in September. We made a big leaf pile to jump in, and then chased the girls and stuffed their sweatshirts full of leaves when we caught them. It was a blast.

 

[Guest]

My summer camps were cheerleading (junior high) and band (high school) camp. We stayed in the dorms of a local college, so it wasn't "camping".

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Actually, the only time I went to camp was when my mother was a g/s leader for my elder sister's troop. The rest of my early summers was filled with picking beans, strawberries, black caps, cherries, peaches, apples... ad nausium