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Rene O'Brien Harlow has recently written with some 60's memories...Thanks, Rene!
My days at Tegawitha were some of the best days of my life... At Tegawitha I learned to be independent and friendly. I was as happy as a lark there. At Tegawitha I learned how to play sports, swim, do crafts and be part of a team. I was on the White team for 5 years. I loved dress parade on Saturday evenings and running up to the dining hall afterwards to eat hamburgers. I remember sitting in the lodge on Sunday nights (white team on one side and blue team on the other) for "campfire" which was the ceremony where chevrons were given out and team points were awarded. I loved but also dreaded sitting for hours on the hard wood floors practicing for Song Contest. I was always in awe of Helen and Margo Scavullo. I loved it when they would sing together in the lodge with their guitars. My father knew Mr. Scavullo via business in New York City. One of my favorite memories is of playing jacks in the lodge while listening to the juke box during a free hour. We all had sacks of Jacks with rubber balls included. There were some great matches on that lodge floor. We also played pick up sticks sometimes. I will never forget the woman who came to teach us dancing. The classes were in the lodge. I don't recall her name, but she always had 2 poodles in her car. She taught us how to walk up stairs and how to approach a seat from behind...we had to walk up to the seat and when our leg hit the back of it we could sit down...but only with our full body sitting down. She often played "What the world needs now" on her phonograph while teaching us to dance. Then there was Ms. Ludders, the craft teacher. Her younger sister, Gretchen was a camper. Ms. Ludders always made me take back my mosaic project because it wasn't full enough. I loved the laniards I made in her class. I couldn't wait to pick up all my craft pieces at the end of the season. And, Ms. Fleming...she was the camp disciplinarian. I recall a time or two being called to her office to answer a phone call from my mother. Oh and of course dear Mrs. Rose Lynch. When I was there her 2 daughters did a lot of the heavy lifting on her behalf. It was always a delight to be called (during rest hour) to Mrs. Lynch's porch to pick up a package from home. And, was it Wednesday or Thursday nights when we had dinner outside around the campfire...hot dogs, beans, cole slaw, bug juice and for dessert a huge plate of glazed donuts. I ate more glazed donuts on those nights than anyone should be allowed to eat in an entire lifetime! I remember the dining hall and the red, yellow and green plastic pitchers on the tables. Oh, and how great when they would surprise us with Cokes! The breakfast pastries made in that kitchen were beyond belief. In that era, I read a bazillion "Archie" comic books during rest hour! My first year at Tegawitha I was in Forget-Me-Not. My counselor was Ms. Kauffman...she was a swimming instructor and later taught me how to ski on the "Ski Doodler". My second year I was in HoneySuckle. Third year I was in Water Lily (Ms. Detweiler and her bagpipes?) Fourth year Wake Robin (Ms. Henerson)? and 5th year ________ (can't remember) |
