Camp Lawrence in the 60's

[Captain Bob]

Back in about 1966, my friend and I were going to be camp counselors at Camp Lawrence. We were in high school - we signed up with a guy in Lynn, Mass - and sure enough we caught the Camp Lawrence boat in Glendale to go out to the island. I was going to be an assistant waterfront guy, and my friend was goiing to be a tennis guy. But when we arrived a week before the kids, we had to spend that week basically fixing a gravel tennis court. I think we were not ready to face the rsponsibilities of handling the campers, and we both bailed the day before they showed up. Thought someone might have a better history at Camp Lawrence.

[upthesaukee]

My uncle was a counselor back in the 30's, I went there in the 50's and my son went there in the 80's (daughter to Nokomis).

My first summer, I cried. Not when we left the dock to go out. When I had to come home after two weeks. Next year, my folks scraped up enough for me to stay for a month. the next two years was all summer, understanding that C/L was my Christmas and Birthday presents combined. That is where I learned to waterski, row a boat, paddle a canoe, sailed (1 session...never heard the sound so I didn't "duck the boom" :D ), riflery, archery, swimming and diving, camping, hiking, hiking up Mt Washington 3 times and Mt Chocorua 4 times (at least). Overnights in the Pemigewasset Wilderness at Ethan Allen Pond. Counselors who were a ball to be around, liked to work with kids, had a lot of pride in the camp and its facilities. Did I mention the 'bat hunts' in the mess hall? Get up on the table with a broom in your hand at night, and when they turned the lights on, try to whack a bat or two. They sure made a mess out of the tables.

A ton of great memories and they flood back anytime we head over to Bear Is.

Thanks Mr & Mrs Tinker, whereever you are!

[Captain Bob]

A ton of great memories and they flood back anytime we head over to Bear Is.
Thanks Mr & Mrs Tinker, whereever you are!

That is so great to hear. I'm really glad.
Captain Bob

[Lucky2Bhere]

A good friend of mine went to Camp Lawrence in the 60's. Several years ago he visited in the fall and we took a boat ride over to the camp and walked around. It was his first time back in over 40 years and he was flooded with memories.

I was at a different "Y" camp at the same time. It was my great experience there that led me to love the peace and beauty of dirt roads, lakes, and mountains. So much so that I live here full time now after 15 years of weekends.

Camp develops comraderie, independence, and self confidence. I never understood parents who couldn't bear to part with their kids for a few weeks or more in the summer. It's a gift to the kids and a joy to the parents to hear their camp stories.

[Captain Bob]

AIt was my great experience there that led me to love the peace and beauty of dirt roads, lakes, and mountains. So much so that I live here full time now after 15 years of weekends..

Have you noticed, and I'm sure you have, that it never gets "old"? The variations and nuances make every mountain or lake "encounter" a new experience. It's great to see something you never saw before, at a place where you've been hundreds of times already.

And YOU still live on a dirt road!

[parrothead]

I worked at CL from 88-94. What a great way to spend the summer. Nothing like waking up in a cabin that is 15 feet from the edge of the lake. I would talk to friends that were home (MA) and they were working in retail stores and offices, while my job had me riding around in a boat all day. For those 10-12 weeks a summer I drove a boat more than a car. If it could still pay the bills I'd head back in a heartbeat. Everytime I make it out on the lake I have to make a trip by the island and see what's happening. As I sit here in a windowless office, being behind the wheel of the Bear sounds like paradise.

[chipj29]

I went to Camp Lawrence at some point in the mid 70's, not sure what summer it was exactly. I have some very good memories about it. But, I have one really bad memory leaving there. I was sick...very very sick. I had something similar to montezumas revenge. Vomit, poop, all kinds of nasty stuff going on at the same time, and it was uncontrollable. :eek: Needless to say, my parents came to pick me up that day. I sure made a mess of my cabin. :(

[Captain Bob]

I was sick...very very sick. I had something similar to montezumas revenge. Vomit, poop, all kinds of nasty stuff going on at the same time, and it was uncontrollable. :eek: Needless to say, my parents came to pick me up that day. I sure made a mess of my cabin. :(

See? That's why I think I made the right decision and baled on being a rookie camp counselor! Hope you had good counselors.

[Captain Bob]

I worked at CL from 88-94. Everytime I make it out on the lake I have to make a trip by the island and see what's happening. As I sit here in a windowless office, being behind the wheel of the Bear sounds like paradise.

That's what the Lake is really all about - being out there, seeing it, experiencing it. Really, that's why I don't update my camp too much, I don't want it to become a second house where I'm inside all the time!

Was the "Bear" the big Camp Lawrence boat? Sounds like you could use a photo of it in your office.

[LuvTheM/VBearII]

Hey, there parrothead - maybe I saw you at CL during 93 and 94 (only pre-camp, Family Camp and post-camp) as I volunteer there. As you can probably tell by my user name, I can't think of anywhere better to be than at the wheel of the Bear.

[parrothead]

I sent you private message. I worked during precamp almost every year from 87 - 92 or 93. Only worked one family camp, which I don't remember what year it was.

[parrothead]

That's what the Lake is really all about - being out there, seeing it, experiencing it. Really, that's why I don't update my camp too much, I don't want it to become a second house where I'm inside all the time!

Was the "Bear" the big Camp Lawrence boat? Sounds like you could use a photo of it in your office.

That's the Bear. I do have a few pictures on my computer which go up as my wallpaper every once and awhile. There are a lot of great memories from my years at CL and CN

[M/V_Bear_II]

Thanks Mr & Mrs Tinker, whereever you are!

Mr. Tinker has gone to the great beyond, but Mrs. Tinker was doing well and looked pretty good several years ago. Her grandson was a camper at Lawrence.

[jkjoshuatree]

...I did walk around the entire camp every fall after all the campers were gone. My family has a place on West Bear and it was a good walk over to Lawrence. Very cool place. I can understand why you all enjoyed it so much.

I've also been to Camp Nakomis (on more than one occasion). We'd anchor off shore, swim in, and then spy on the girls in their cabins. I was only 12 or 13 at the time. The older kids I was with always told me that if we were caught, the camp counselors would make us walk through their huge cess pool barefoot.

We never got caught (chased away every time though) and that memory of Nakomis pops up every now and then, adding to the thousands of memories that Winni has provided for over 35 years.

[M/V_Bear_II]

...I did walk around the entire camp every fall after all the campers were gone. My family has a place on West Bear and it was a good walk over to Lawrence. Very cool place. I can understand why you all enjoyed it so much.

I've also been to Camp Nakomis (on more than one occasion). We'd anchor off shore, swim in, and then spy on the girls in their cabins. I was only 12 or 13 at the time. The older kids I was with always told me that if we were caught, the camp counselors would make us walk through their huge cess pool barefoot.

We never got caught (chased away every time though) and that memory of Nakomis pops up every now and then, adding to the thousands of memories that Winni has provided for over 35 years.
Our counselors warned us off more strongly in the early 90s. We were told that if caught, the Noko staff would do any number of very painful things to very tender parts of our anatomy.:eek:

[Bear Islander]

So on this forum we have....

A councilor that quit the day before the campers arrived

A camper that uncontrollably pooped and vomited all over their cabin

A Peeping Tom that snuck into the camp and looked through the girls windows




You guys are a Camp Directors nightmare!!!!


Camp horror stories, now there is a topic. I remember a camper that took a bullet in the leg even though we didn't have any weapons. He had found a hunters cartridge and was smashing it between two rocks to take it apart and use the shell as a whistle. Cartridges are fairly safe, but if you smash them between rocks they go off.

The bullet went about 4 inches into his leg, we never found the shell. I had to call the mother and explain why her ten year old was headed into surgery. Fun times!

[M/V_Bear_II]

So on this forum we have....

A councilor that quit the day before the campers arrived

A camper that uncontrollably pooped and vomited all over their cabin

A Peeping Tom that snuck into the camp and looked through the girls windows




You guys are a Camp Directors nightmare!!!!


Camp horror stories, now there is a topic. I remember a camper that took a bullet in the leg even though we didn't have any weapons. He had found a hunters cartridge and was smashing it between two rocks to take it apart and use the shell as a whistle. Cartridges are fairly safe, but if you smash them between rocks they go off.

The bullet went about 4 inches into his leg, we never found the shell. I had to call the mother and explain why her ten year old was headed into surgery. Fun times!

In my 18 years at Lawrence, we've had 2 gunshot injuries. Both were ricochets, and both did little more than break the skin (We use .22 rifles). One was a staff member hit in the knee. The other was a 12-year-old camper who took it right between his eyes. Neither is an experience I want to have anything to do with again.

I've also personally dealt with broken bones, dislocated joints, major avulsions, beesting and peanut allergies, asthma attacks and a death. Most weren't preventable - the combination of the location and kids being kids is inherently dangerous. Th ones that were preventable, however, are the ones that eat at you even if it wasn't your fault.