Making your Dash Count

Summer Camp November 24, 2007

As I write this I am listening to an LP record circa 1969 of the girls of the now defunct Camp Trebor in East Stoneham, Maine. The singing and poetry take me back to a time when my biggest care was whether to choose red or blue for the enameled pin. When my daughter asked me whether or not it was a Jewish camp, like the camp to which she went (and hated,) I answered. Well, no. I think most of the campers were Jewish but it wasn’t a Jewish camp; the best way I can describe it close to 40 years later is that it was a camp that promoted Jewish values using the universality of Native American crafts and legends, the herald of Maine summer camps in 1969.

I made some of my closest childhood friends in the four years I went to Trebor. I remember a few names, although we have had no contact since camp. Liz M. from Metuchen, NJ and Sue B. from Greenwich, CT (whom I think moved to St. Louis later in her life) were two of my closest camp friends.

The girls of Camp Trebor were proud the summer of 1969. That was the summer that Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Life magazine featured a picture of a younger Buzz Aldrin at his summer camp in Maine, the same site where we now lived. To this day I remember that picture of Aldrin “on the rock” overlooking the lake.

In addition to Trebor, I went to Camp Truda in Oxford, Me. Although I have some significant memories at Truda, specifically being the youngest camper my first summer (5) and being “Old King Cole” for my team’s color wars and being the best “floater” in the the water competition, I was older at Trebor and remember more day to day things. My parents owned the boys camp down the road, Tall Timbers in Casco. I think I ended up at Truda at 5 because I was too “old” to wander the all boys camp.

Anyway, lots of memories from ages 5-10 rolled through me as that LP spun, crackles and all. If by chance you went to Trebor or Truda, let me know. It could be fun reviving some of those old camp relationships.

NOTE TO FORMER TRUDA and TREBOR CAMPERS: I am so glad you found this blog. If you are interested in rekindling relationships with other campers, there is a group on Facebook: It is called the “I Went to Camp Truda (Trebor) ” group. (yes, adults CAN use Facebook, no matter what your children say!) There is also a Camp Truda reunion blog at: camptrudareunion.blogspot.com that will also point you to facebook. Tell them Betsey from wordpress sent you!

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