"I'm on the road again for the summer, this time in Ohio. As you know, Dad and I stayed on after the reunion for the AMUUSE camp. What a special time, as I could wander and remember at will for a week. I spent time in the kitchen with Ramon, the cook this summer, and time talking with Alan, the "head" grounds keeper. The new ceiling in the kitchen was mandated by the department of health; apparently all that space at the top of the kitchen was trapping stuff that could cause illnesses. So, our signatures are still there; just hidden by the dropped ceiling. In one store room, the new wall board covers much of what we each wrote. However, the upper portion of the old walls was still visible, so I got some great pictures of signatures over the later years.

"I solved the "mystery" of the missing place for the potato peeler. The new, large freezer sits on that space. Good to know my memory was not "gone" after all.

"Both Alan and Gina were receptive of one of my ideas, so I thought I'd pass it on to you, thereby to each person on the mailing list. If work this coming winter holds out, so that I can save ahead toward not working for a week, I may be able to go to CPC for a week, donating time and effort in exchange for room and board. The exchange itself will have to be approved by the board, of course; I'm still investigating how to go about that part of it. But Alan said that if I, or anyone else who wishes to do this type of project, send him a list of skills, he will make sure that the supplies are available. For instance, I can't do ladders (trouble with fear of falling), but I can do scraping and painting at ground level; can mop and dust and sweep; can wash windows; can use a hammer; can plant; can use a shovel, etc. Lots of the buildings are in sound repair basically; just need scraping and painting. Tippi could use a fresh coat of stain, too. The path could always use sprucing. So, my plan is to go the week before the reunion; spend that week just giving back some of what this marvelous place gave me; then join you-all during the weekend. Perhaps others would also like this type of project."

Cheers,
Margaret Allen

Work Around Tipi

"I just returned from my annual week at CPC, and it was spectacular.

"Our group had 100% early registration sign up for next year. The cooks' parade (which we have not done for several years) included a 1 minute standing ovation.

"We started a work project down at the lake front, removed and trimmed trees and shrubs, opened up the view along the lake behind Tipi and past the dingy boats, and replenished the boulders along a section of lake front near Tipi.

"We graded the path from Tipi to the lake and added chipped limestone to the path about 6' wide. We removed all of the debris from the Northwest side of Tipi, dug down and found the old drain lines, pulled them up (clogged with roots and debris), installed new lines, and washed gravel. Then, we graded and reseeded the entire area.

"The water has been flowing for several days now with the big field starting to dry up within a day. I am looking at reshaping the old swales on the west end of the fields to help dry out the grass areas to how they use to be.

"Alan is staining the Cabins white this week, and I am sure he would love to have any qualified volunteer help available."

Brian Gaasrud
Board of Trustees

On the Water

Spend summers on a lake, and you get wet.
You slip off Phymouth Rock while switching dates
-- well not exactly dating, just four kids on a lark
after our supper duties done.
Jack and I, Dorie and Robin.
But I didn't really enjoy Jack, he smoked
and was gosh-awful homely,
not that that mattered, but still he was.
He'd been pursuing a reluctant me
and with guys in short supply I'd said OK.
But not that eve, that time was different.
We all knew each one was solo.
At this point the shore path skirted the lake and was
hemmed in by a towering bank, root encrusted,
camouflaged with trees and undergrowth.
In impromptu tag or hide-and-seek
Robin grabbed my hand, jerked his head upward.
We scrambled high behind a spreading shrub.
"C'mon, let's ditch Œem." and we did.
We hopped from tree to tree, always up
as sky darkened and night set in.
We laughed and walked and talked.
And that was it -- that summer and the next.
He was darn cute and maybe that mattered too.
Well -- tall, handsome, his dark hair waved,
a year and a half older, just right -- 16 and 18.
But that was early forties when war loomed dark,
and like the rest he too went off to battle.
Goodbye -- he lived his life and I lived mine.
And then the other year, surprise, he emailed.
He'd heard I'd written up my summer years
for a gath'ring of that long ago Camp Family
and would I send him one -- just for old times
-- perhaps wond'ring how he might make out!
I sent a raft of pages, he wrote back,
questioning some details he said he'd not recalled.
I returned specifics of dates and times and names.
Capitulating to my surer memory, he asked
"By the way, in those young days, perchance
did I promise ought, but fail delivery?"
Oh my! Imagine that! My retort was quick,
"What an opportunity! I'll think of something."

Eight summers at Conference Point --.
Work was the reason we got to be there
but pleasure was why I went.
It filled the days -- friends, satisfying work --
cottage girl, table waitress, salad girl --
swimming, tennis, softball, hiking, crafts,
walk and cycle all around the lake
band concerts, rollerskating parties,
fold dance, vespers, ice cream jaunts,
campfires, sneaking food, the Point Palaver
inspiration challenges, growing up.
boyfriends, girlfriends, mentors,
learning jobs and skills and life to make
the larger part of the who I did become.

The life was good and warm and fun
and sometimes funny too.
One year ten seated close at table mess,
announced a kinship loudly.
We were a family -- Gunn by name.
The eldest Gerry (teacher, oh so old)
was Pistol Packing Mama (a song, you know?)
with hillbilly offspring round about --
Tommy, Ack-Ack, Squirt, BB, and Ray,
and Sub-machine and Shot and Spray,
I was Gunn Moll, the married daughter. Ha,
We thought we were so clever.

Another time I walked with Cyn
along the Shore Path quite a ways.
A rowboat plied by friendly gals
showed up and offered us a ride
They tossed the mooring line. I caught
and pulled them close and stepped aboard.
Cyn, young, awkward, long and lanky,
tossed back the line and grabbed the boat
which then was moving back to sea.
Our novice oarsmen, girls, that is,
were inexperienced, ill prepared.
They watched Cyn¹s tootsies grip the pier
and likewise fingers claw the prow
and in between her body stretched
out parallel above the undulating ripples.
We laughed, we couldn't help ourselves.
We pointed, tittered, held our sides,
the tears rolled down, We roared as
Cyn cried helplessly, "HELP. HELP.
Hey guys, this isn't funny!".
But oh it was just that -- kersplash!

Herbie Naumann 6/16/08

Tipi Wakan in July?

It doesn't matter what time of day it is ----- morning, noon, or night. When you remember or talk about your stay at Conference Point it just has the MAGIC POWER OF EMOTIONAL APPEAL. You can be well into your later years of life and for a few moments you can revisit your days as a member of the kitchen crew or your membership on the work crew cleaning out TIPI WAKAN . No matter what job you had it did not take you into a real life straining situation and you had time to develop as a person. You had some fun and cultivated some life long friendships and perhaps found your ultimate destiny in life.

As our Reunion Of Camp Family comes up July 11,12,13 2008 please join us if you can. From time to time a little news has been sent out about some of the memories we all have about CPC. Some of the history about the first camping by Rev. Joseph Collie has been found and sent. That time frame was way back in 1868 according to church records of Dr. Collie. Those records still remain at the church he served in Delavan , WI.

Barbara and Edwin Goodwin have promised to join us this year. They were main stays at CPC for many years. Sue Kopp Chee plans to be there as well as Palmer Delap's daughter. Joe Angner plans to be there. Richard Seed and Rob Rowland are also on the possibility list. And that is just a few. And we can't forget the real DEACON OF CPC---- TOM ALLEN ---- Palmer's old friend.

CPC was a defining moment in the lives of many.

the old album guy don brandeau

Save the Date - 2008 Reunion

July 11 thru 13 is our Camp Family Reunion. Please join us. Reconnect with old friends. Exchange the stories of your lives.

Perry Johnson has a question...

I was walking around the Chicago Botanic Garden yesterday when I heard the carillon signaling 12 noon. It reminded me of the summer when CPC had a carillon in the Chapel. I believe they only had one for one summer--not sure about that, but I know it was for a limited period. I think they might of discontinued it because it could be heard all over--possibly the neighbors objected to the noise--that is just a conjecture. I thought it was beautiful. I was sorry that it was discontinued. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I think it was just a trial. Does anyone else remember the carillon?

The Sunday School Leadership Training Class of 1917, as a parting present , gave the camp "THE SPOONHOLDER". The giving of a gift was the tradition of the time where as a class completed their training at CPC a gift was given in appreciation for the training received for their future service to GOD. THE SPOONHOLDER rests half way up the steep hill right at THE POINT. It is a concrete structure in a semicircle and is noted for being a rest area.

Now this story actually originates a little before that . There was a GRAIL SEAT that appears to be just west of that long flight of steps up from lake side to the Nichols Chapel. A photo of the GRAIL SEAT will be placed in the PHOTO ALBUMS for our REUNION of 2008. This GRAIL SEAT appears to be located right above the old Administration Building when it was right at THE POINT. The time frame had to be some time before VESPER HILL got it's name. One of our CAMP FAMILY MEMBERS had the thought that he (TOM ALLEN ) and Palmer DeLap placed the first cross on the hill about 1937.

At TIPI WAKAN there is that famous fire place where we had the corn roast last year. Many of us found the name "THE GRAILERS" carved into the stone. Now could it be that the class of 1917 as a more permanent memory had THE SPOONHOLDER made and removed THE GRAIL SEAT because of it's risky position on Vesper Hill ?

The GRAIL SEAT appears to have had a capacity to seat 12 or more.