Musings: Best of Days

Camp Wawbeek

I determined Junior year that was interested in the therapeutic recreation field. Elmer recommended contact Wisconsin’s Easter Seals as their Camp Wawbeek at the Wisconsin Dells was a pioneer in providing natural setting experiences for kids and adults. Director Guy Wharton who was in grad school at Carbondale agreed to meet in Saint Louis. He hired me on the spot due to his knowing Elmer.

The first week or orientation opened a new world. Learned how to transfer people in and out of chairs, beds, toilets and provide other types of care. Each counelor was typically assigned one or 16 David Eveland two campers that needed adl assistance with their other 4 or 5 able to care for themselves. There were six 12 day sessions, two for children, one for teenagers and 2 for adults, and a final week at the end for those wanting to bring a parent or attendant. The job was to make sure campers were well taken care of and to do all one could to help them have a great deal of fun. Us staff had fun too via water basketball, person in the middle, and local establishments on nights off.

There were some campsites aways from the main camp lodgings and each session counselors could team up and take their group camping or go on their own. Same for cookouts. I did a lot of those as was good at making fire quicky enough to get the brats eaten. Fellow counselor Steve Avery and I took our teenagers to Crow, the most primitive site on the 400 acre camp gronds situated above the Wisconsin Dells. After getting settled in one of the kids asked what the modernized shelter Iroquis was like. Steve said well theres a girl group there right now lets go look. To get to Iroquois meant having to trek on a dirt trail for a mile. Most of our kids were ambulatory but Michael who had Ducheenes dystrophy used an electric wheel chair when on the main campus but for the campout we got him a manual one which we pushed. Within a couple hundred yards of our hike Mike started to complain about soreness which meant needed to move him some. Then another minute complained again. This kept up for aways and then Avery and I talked about what to do next. Do we continue on or do we go back? We had been going up an incline since leaving Crow but knew the trail would level off soon. We asked Michael. He said lets keep going and his complaining dissipated.

Everyone was happy we made it all the way to the other campground and then back to ours. That night we had a huge fire in the circle ring. Kept it going till dawn. We fed more wood as there was always at least one or more including Mike still up enjoying the warmth and glow, and bobcat's eyes. It was the best feeling to know that had a part in their happiness. I think that was the gift of Wawbeek. We learned that the more effort that was put into camper enjoyment the more energy we had to keep going, and the more fun we had too.

The hours were exahausting. Night duty often assigned met needed to turn some of the campers two or more times. But the physical difficulty at times was nothing compared to what many of the campers dealt with every day. Avery and I built an minature golf course one session and another we got everyone at camp to sleep out under the stars three nights in a row on the main campus open field. Kept a big fire going then too.

Working at camp had a tremendously positive impact on my life, and think that in turn has made a difference for my family and that the people that served throughout my career. Camp Manito wish was awesome too and the campers there were on a tract that would lead to prestige colleges and high paying jobs. The children and youth at Wawbeek on the other hand were on a much more challenging physical path, which for some would mean limited years. For that and other reasons for me the work at Wawbeek was so much more rewarding. And truth is I fit in better there. It became, although thousands of miles away, my second home.

So many life long friends made from time spent at Wawbeek summer of 1970 and part of 1971. Several have stopped off in Hawaii, and have visited with a few on mainland trips but there are many have not seen in the past 55 years, and hoping they are at the upcoming reunion.

Those were the best of days, those days on the hill above the Dells.

Avery 1977 Poamoho trail

1970 camp staff

Les Jane Zoomer

Trutti and Lynn

Jane and John 2024

Sally 1981

Ron 1971

Pat 1971

Several of the people in these photos have stopped off or vacationed in Hawaii. Lynn and her husband Bill, a physician filled in for the regular MD on Lanai for a month and spent a few days here on Oahu with us. Steve and Barb Avery have been here three times the most memorable when on their honeymoon stayed in my studio for a week. Mise as well been camping out as I only had one towel in those days and plenty cockroaches.

Les and I did a great hike in the Makiki forest and have seen him a number of times when in AZ as he lived not far from brohter John. Susie Truitt got to see once with Les in AZ for a mini reunion. Jane Stoltz and John were here in 2024 and we ate din sum in Chinatown at the same restaurant where hung out wiht Sally and Dan. Sallly was also here a couple of times when she had layovers on the way to or from teaching gig in Austrailia. Then her and husband Richard vacationed once with their kids and we had a ball at Lanikai with the raft. Pat was here the summer of 1975 taking clasess at UH Manoa. I took her and roommate Wendy around on days off. Those were fun times. Ron never made it over here but he and I did a canoe trip in the Quetico on one of my Army leaves. Mertie also never made it here in person but her spirit did.