Since I needed some place to start, I've selected some of the E-mail I've received. If you want some or all of yours removed just let me know. Additional contributions gratefully accepted!
I am trying to track down guys who attended camp idlewild. My brothers (Peter Cole and Jim Cole) and I all attended camp there during the late 60's and early 70's.
I was a Middler in '67-'68 and a Senior in '69.
My Middler Counselors were Shelley Fine and Tom Getty. For the life of me, I can't remember my Senior Counselor, but I was in a cabin "up on the hill" on the way towards archery and riding. My last middler year I broke my middle finger (playing Capture the Flag with the seniors...) and got some notoriety for having a cast that seemed like I was giving the bird to everyone...
When I was a Middler, we had a CIT who was kind of a rebel (can't remember his name either) but taught all of us 12-year olds all the words to "Louie Louie"...Played in Gus's Band for Saturday night awards ceremonies...Riflery from Jim Nichols...and I remember when Middler head counselor Fred Kerrick had his heart attack...
Watched the first men step on the on the moon from the office cabin down by the docks...(where we used to get our hair cut...)
Got stung 16 times by bees in the old Windmill up past the baseball diamond and Tennis courts..
Sunday hot dogs over campfires out at Big and Little Sandy...geeesh! brings back memories
Having $15 (for us single month types) to spend at the store...it seems I bought those postcards of the Lunch Hall, maps of Lake Winnepausaukee, combs, et. al....too..
Was it Saturday when we could buy candy (1)?....Ed Roys son (forget his name) would always tend the candy store...
Wasn't there some way you could win a candy bar (Reese's Cup) at the Saturday awards ceremony..?
Waiting for the mailboat to come in...to see if they unloaded chocolate milk for lunch/supper...
Corn fritters...(..seems to me this was the favorite for everyone...)
Taking turns picking up your cabin's food from the serving window...
One of the counselor's (can't remember his name) giving the sermon at the Sunday church service and playing 'Eve of Destruction' on a tape player as part of it... (I think that was Doug Miller - chuck p.)
That same counselor serenading LD Roys with a rendition of "Nobody knows the Trouble I've Seen") ...(..."Nobody knows but LD"..)
20 kids sitting on toilets in the Middler Gables...
The Grenier brothers...
When we all became "owners" of a
piece of the camp, and charged "rent" to anyone (including
visitors) who used our piece..(I think the pine needle owners
made a killing...)
My name is Mark Hershberger. Just for fun I entered Camp Idlewild on Yahoo. Yours was the only hit. I also went there between 1966-1970. My father ,Dick Hershberger, was also a counselor there in middler camp. I have not heard from anyone there since probably 1971. Let me know if you remember me. (Yes - Chuck) I was 10 in 1966. Some counselors I had were: Chuck Ruetlinger, Tom Zimmerman, Steve Whalin, others are a blur.
John Haboian was the waterski guy also from Michigan. he had two boys that were also there. They were a years younger than me. I had sisters that went to camps in Vermont. My dad was in the canoe dept with Ed Smith up till approx 1970.I would be interested in a CI web page, my dad has a lot of stuff from camp(including many pictures) and I still have my award jacket with chevrons, bars, circles, diamonds, etc
I spoke to my dad and he has a picture of you [chuck] and Spencer [Delin] (the cooks son) on a canoe trip where you are about to capsize and have a terrified look about you.
I was at Camp Idlewild from '65 to '75, except '74. I had George McCelland (Jr), John Morehouse and Bob Reed (Mid) and Rod Mundy and Doug Miller (Sr). I ran in to George when I worked at Data General in the early 80s, and he was the Treasurer there. I was a Senior CIT and a Senior Counselor in Canoeing.
As a counselor, going off the Island in the evening was a major project. At 9PM you had to get your kids quiet, get down to the shore, paddle to Harilla (aka Gorilla) Landing, drive 15-20 miles to wherever, have a beer (or so), drive back to the landing and paddle back. You never paddled back as quickly as left. The paddle was about 1.5 miles. We used to have a little competition for who could paddle over fastest. The last season Charlie Reidy and I made it in 15 min and 55 sec, besting Frank Livas' previous record by almost a minute. Try it sometime!
How about trips over on the barge with laundry as CITs, or the Nomad and old Bus for trips? Parents visits at Gus' Lodge meant a ride on the pontoon boat and spagetti.
Phil mentioned the Rifle show on the golf course (only once I think). I remember a Soap Bar (Ivory no doubt) being shot with a hollow point as well as can filled with water. I was impressed.
I never did like the showers, too many spiders, mildew…ick.
One time on a canoe trip to Squam Lake we were camping near Holderness, where On Golden Pond was later filmed. I was in a tent by myself. The counsellors, Rod Mundy and Dick Hershberger were in a tent *far away* from the campers, and the rest of the campers were in a big tent on a platform which was at the site. We had gotten in late and had barely enough time to eat dinner before dark. We didn't dispose of the cans from our spagettio's or stew.
About 2 in the morning I awoke to the sound of an animal going through our trash. Being alone and close by, I had nothing to do but get scared and assume the worst by myself. It was cold and I remember between that and fear, it was the only time in my life that my teeth were chattering and my knees knocking. I was sure that there was a bear out there, cause that's what always eat your trash, right?
Finally, after 45 minutes I was dressed, had my flashlight and a couple rocks with which to make my last stand. I snuck out, swung my light at bear level. No bear. I swung my light around at Raccoon level. No raccoon. I swung my light around a skunk level. Skunk! About 10 feet away. We looked at each other and backed away slowly. Finally the skunk decided to high-tail it…right under the platform with the tent on it! Of course I ran down a woke up the counselors. They begrudgingly checked the situation, decided to toss the cans deep in the woods until morning, and went back to bed, the skunk went back to dinner and I lay awake for the rest of the night.
As far as Idlewild goes, I met someone who had purchased property on Big Sandy and had built a house there.
Anyway, George Randall, who was head of outdoor
stuff for the middlers (you know, hiking, fires, knives, etc.)
was working the island as a contractor of sorts. Had a bulldozer
and everything.