Sunday, March 25, 2012

camp baldy

ellen [baldy] baldwin was the tower hill school girls' field hockey coach back in the fifties.  she also had a kids' summer camp [named camp baldy] located on chemo pond just outside of bangor, maine which i attended, for six years, ages nine to fourteen [i was caught smoking in my last year and not asked back].

i loved it - who wouldn't.  eight weeks in the cool of a maine summer - as opposed to wilmington's ghastly heat and humidity - plus, half of the campers were girls and we got to fish and climb mountains.

fewer than thirty of us, plus counselors, made the trip from wilmington to bangor - making the mad dash to our connecting train from south station to north station in boston.  at arrival we were ferried across the lake in small groups only to collapse into bunk beds, exhausted from our long trip.

baldy was a clever child psychologist - giving us each just enough rope that we didn't hang ourselves, or her.  for example, she let me "teach" the young campers [we ranged in age from eight to fifteen] how to properly row a boat and paddle a canoe - also to dock them...something which at age twelve made me feel incredibly accomplished.  also, we "qualified" to go on a five day trip to climb mount katahdin, then very remote and something kids as young as ten would never be allowed to do today without a helmet and kneepads.  the most fun thing i was able to do when i got a little older was to row one of the boats across the lake and fish for bass in a special spot i had discovered, while everyone else had to take his or her afternoon nap.  talk about a good way to diffuse excess adolescent energy - the rowing i mean.

to further boost our young egos our names were painted on the walls of the dining hall - grouped under our first year of attendance.  a star marked each additional year.

many years later, as an adult and long after baldy was gone i went to bangor to visit an old down on his luck camper friend.  i persuaded him to drive us out to chemo pond - now completely surrounded by mobile homes. we approached the camp by a modern, hard topped road and parked at the back kitchen door.  he told me that the place had been sold to the bangor girl scouts.  we broke in, easily jimmying the door, but only went as far as the dining hall where - i am sure much to the confusion of the girls - our names still graced the walls.

i was proud to see mine - with four stars next to it.

19 comments:

  1. well what a pleasant surprise...I wonder if we knew each other up yonder at Baldy's place! I went for 3 years--'63-'65 and, yes, climbed Katahdin at 10 with more than just a tad of trepidation. But to this day, the image from atop Knife Edge remains etched in my brain.

    We did our share of clandestine smoking as well, but the canoes became lifelong floating sanctuaries; incomparable vessels of tranquility.

    I only vaguely remember the painting of the names in the dining hall. I envy you for having made the trek to revisit them.

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    1. who is this? i've tried to figure it out - can't do so...have you read the katahdin blog? i went to baldy's in the '50s so we didn't meet there. let me know. thanks.

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  2. I also went to Camp Baldy in 1963 and '64. There were a few of us from Friends School who went the same years. It was a very special place. My parents drove me both times and we'd go to the place called the "Wee Hoos" and put the yellow flag on the end of the boat dock, hand crank the siren and wait for the boat to come get you from the other side of the lake.

    If you wanted to play and swim to the floating dock, you had to swim all the way across the lake and back to prove you were a good swimmer. We used to dive for mussels from the float.

    I also remember playing capture the flag with the entire camp boys and girls. We climbed mountains, played games, and had fun but it was also very highly regimented. Morning calisthentics, not allowed to drink anything until finished eating all your food, very strict rest hour with no talking, and no getting up to pee. If you had to pee, you did so in the Pee can! ha ha...oh what memories!

    My name at the time was Mary Beth Keyser. Who else was there then? Did you know me?

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    1. no i did not...my children went to friends but were not lucky enough to go to camp baldy...remember herman? sly bastard...banging baldy?

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    2. So I was at Baldy I think 65,66. Bayard and Jill were head councilors. I have a lot of very deep memories - Ave Maria at sunset on sunday, synchronized tumbling, and making ice cream with Herman (which I didn't do very often as I wasn't a stellar camper.)

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    3. I see these posts are from many (8) years ago, but I just come across thw site. I spent at least one summer at Camp Baldy (c. 1961 or 1962) with a few other boys and girls from Wilmington. My mother knew Baldy from her days at Tower Hill School. I remember that Manning and Teddy Kimmel were there with me and that Paul Malico (sp?) was one of the counselors. The big project was training to hike
      upMount Katadhin. We did this by tromping endless miles up and down a pond-edge trail with knapsacks loaded with stones - God! After many torturous hours over a few weeks, I developed a blister on my foot and could not participate in the excursion. I was delighted. Baldy was quite a character.

      Jamie Thompson

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  3. well to all you camp baldy people.... do you remember a woodie wagon at the camp, do you have any pictures. the reason? i own the car and yes the moose is still on it

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    1. I remember that woodie! I was picked up at the Bangor airport by Herman in that car. Went to Acadia park and Mt. Kataden in it also. I think I remember that the shocks needed to be replaced. When in the back, you would bounce all,over the place.

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  4. Hello fellow Camp Baldy alumnus. I also went to the camp under unique circumstances due to a favor to my father by Chick Laird. I went in 63'/64'. I have so many precious memories, fencing, fishing, sports...frog death trials and the paddy wagon. My name than was Cathy Coulter. I would love to connect with anyone who has memories and any other information about the camp. So happy I stumbled on this blog. I have been trying for sometime to get any information on Baldy and her camp.

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  5. I wrote here in 2012 and then got a bit busy, letting the blog slip to the back of my mind

    But I just read about the reopening of the Old Town pulp mill and was reminded of Baldy ( as well as the awful smell of the mills smokestack exhaust

    Any way, my name is Peter Goldmann. Cathy—your name sounds vaguely familiar. We’re we on the same Katahdin trip?

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  6. I was happy to find this blog after searching for the camp on Google. I went to Camp Baldy around 1958-1960. I went to Tatnall. Several names in prior posts are familiar to me: Kimmel, Laird.

    Things I remember about Camp Baldy: Baldy herself, my first flight Philadelphia to Bangor, the boat ride across the lake from the landing to camp, boys only & girls only swimming (was it nude or something?), the ice house, fencing, archery, Herman's handmade machine stored for going across the ice, training for, camping on & climbing for Mt. Katahdin, listening to music after dinner.

    "Teddy" Henderer

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  7. Wow, I too attended Baldy I was young. Got in trouble checking out the boys bathroom! Nola Black....went with Terri and Tommy May...capture the flag and hand churned ice cream! Good times!

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  8. I went to Baldy 1957,1958. I remember Baldy leading us in camp songs, riding in Herman’s motorboat, swimming across the lake lengthwise for a candy bar reward, playing tetherball, making rag dolls and lanyards, aqua planing, hiking daily after lunch through mosquito filled bogs in preparation for the Katahdin climb at the end of the summer. Although I’m sure the camp toughened this suburban girl up, it also made me detest hiking until I got to college. Now I live in the country and it’s part of my daily life.
    Would love to hear from Jane Trobridge or Mac DuPont- fellow campers.
    Laura Cahners-Ford

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  9. I went to Camp Baldy when I was 8 and 9 in 1957 & 8. I remember Baldy and riding in Herman’s motorboat, making rag dolls and lanyards, playing tetherball, hiking daily after lunch in preparation for the trip up Katahdin...also swimming lengthwise across the lake for a candy bar. Although the camp toughened a suburban kid up it also made me detest hiking ( through bogs filled with mosquitoes) and I avoided it until I got to college. Now I live in the country and it’s a part of my daily life.
    Would love to hear from Jane Trowbridge...
    Laura Cahners-Ford

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  10. I went to Camp Baldy when I was 8 and 9 in 1957 & 8. I remember Baldy and riding in Herman’s motorboat, making rag dolls and lanyards, playing tetherball, hiking daily after lunch in preparation for the trip up Katahdin...also swimming lengthwise across the lake for a candy bar. Although the camp toughened a suburban kid up it also made me detest hiking ( through bogs filled with mosquitoes) and I avoided it until I got to college. Now I live in the country and it’s a part of my daily life.
    Would love to hear from Jane Trowbridge...
    Laura Cahners-Ford

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  11. I attended Camp Baldy in '63 and '64 and remember Mary Beth and Cathy. Flew to Bangor from Philadelphia in terrible storm in which our plane was hit with lightning. Have lasting memories of Jill, Bayard, making lanyards, learning to fence, swimming across the lake, nap time, hiking out to the point, the beach at Corea, Baldy, and her dog.
    Piper Wentz

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  12. I stumbled upon this blog quite by accident. I am Baldy's oldest grandson, camper/councilor from 1952 to 1963. Like all contributors to this blog, my summers at Camp Baldy made an indelible mark on me personally. Several years ago, I was invited by Sally and Dr. George Cahill to work with them in developing a short book on Baldy and her camp. A copy can be found at Tower Hill School Library, Wilmington, DE. I have in my possession her 8mm movies, many photos, philosophical writings, Sunday night sermons, Vision, mission and goals for what Baldy saw as her roll in the development of each of us as campers. This included developing programs to strengthen our physical skills, self awareness and self examination, pride in bettering ourselves, and creating visions for each of our personal lives. I am happy to share with anyone her writings, personal achievements, and impact on each of us as Campers at Camp Baldy.
    My very best, Alan Thorrestrup Baldiwn

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  13. I was at Camp Baldy 68 & 69. My cousin Donald Harnum bought it and I was lucky enough to be there. I find it sad that the whole area has been developed. I would love to get a copy of the 68 & 69 Camp Baldy News Letter. I'm not sure if there was a news letter for prior campers. Jim Perkins Quincy MA.

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  14. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article. Last time my kids are went to the Girls Camp maine and they enjoy and learned many things

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