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Local Mail: Camp Chickagami, P.O. Box 217, Presque Isle, MI 49777
Local Phone (June through Mid-August): 989-595-6752
Toll Free in Michigan: 888-440-2267
From Out of State: 517-699-0846
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August 5th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I just wanted to let everyone know how great of an experience Camp Chick was for me this past summer. As a new counselor I was very nervous when I first arrived but the love and support of all the rest of the staff made me feel completely comfortable! During the two weeks at camp I learned so much about myself and most defiantly strengthened my relationship with God in the process. For that I am very thankful. I think that the camp that is put on in a wonderful experience for all campers and I was very impressed by everything. It was so much fun being a counselor and I miss it already. I can’t wait until next year I want to thank everyone that I worked with at Camp Chick for all of their support and love shown to me during the two weeks. Especially for “Father Goose” (Mr Smith), his HUGE heart and very wise words made my time even more special. He was an amazing Camp Director and I hope to work for him in the years to come! I hope everyone’s summer is coming to a wonderful end.
God’s Blessings!
<3 Kayla
August 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I just want to let everyone know how great the camp is! My daughter has attended 2 times and is getting more friends lined up to go next year. The camp is clean and run so well by a very caring and loving staff! I wish I could go too! Thank God for all you do for our young people!
July 21st, 2008 at 8:07 am
Would love to get in touch but I forgot to leave my email Tjides@gmail.com…tj
July 18th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Well this definitely made my day. I got a call from Mike Way and he told me about this website. I am absolutely thrilled. I spent three summers working at Camp Chick and it still has a special place in my heart. I actually long to spend another summer there. I would really like to connect with others and would also like to be informed about upcoming work weeks. Special “Hello” to Lee, Betty, Dave Eveland and Matt Uren. Looking forward to seeing you soon, but until then, watch out for the “White Wahila”
tj
July 18th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Wow,the names, the memories Maunder Mooney Uren Eveland Alden Alden Porter-my first counselor in cabin 5.
Tim Hall (now Johnides) & I still e-mail each other and get together maybe once per year for a beer were just talking about finding Geoff Flounory and the three of us getting together than I found this web site.
Great reading and great excitement, it’s great to hear the stories would like to hear from some of you feel free to e-mail waymj@jackson.lib.mi.us I’m signing off now to e-mail the site to Tim.
Thanks for the memories.
Mike
June 26th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Hi All,
I’m just back from a quick trip up to Chick. I dropped my oldest daughter and another member of our youth group there to be Jr. Counselors. Katie and Kelly are so excited to FINALLY have a turn to participate in that way. I also led a “Safeguarding God’s Children” workshop with the staff and am happy to report that it looks like Camp Director, Tom Smith has assembled a really terrific bunch of college age young adults to serve at camp. It was especially nice to meet two new Counselors this year. One of them, Sarah, is from St. David’s, Southfield. Members of St. David’s have been coming up to Camp Chick for years and years to do family camp. Anyway, the youth camp staff is getting ready to welcome fifty campers very soon!
I am also happy to report that some of the projects started at Work Weekend time have been completed or are near completion. The tennis court has been resurfaced, new lines painted and a new net installed. The “Head” has three new individual showers with little changing rooms. It’s also received a fresh coat of paint and new interior lighting. That project is partly due to this past week’s Clergy Camp participant Myron Kubbe.
Our board met today as well. We are working on a new fall newsletter. We hope all Guest Book folks will send along snail mail addresses so we can send a newsletter off to you. It’s fun to see all the latest news and photos of the goings on at Camp Chick.
Watch for photos soon of the Camp Staff gathered right at this moment for Pre-Camp Orientation plus the newly resurfaced Tennis Court and the new Archery Range.
Peace!
Kris Forsyth/ Secretary to the Camp Chick Board
June 24th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
What a storehouse of memories!
I was a camper three times in the mid 70’s (I was the guy who broke my ankle playing soccer and still finished the session on crutches in 1974), and I remember several of the staff members from the photos.
The reason I even visited this site is because I’m now a licensed surveyor in Michigan working out of Traverse City, and we got a call today from a woman looking to have her property up by the lighthouse surveyed. I logged on to TerraServer to view a satellite photo of her parcel and noticed how close to Lake Esau she is, leading me to try to find Camp Chick. At first, I was dismayed to see all the residential development apparent in the photo, and not being sure where precisely on the lake shore the camp was located, I started to panic thinking the church had sold the camp for the real estate value. This led me to Google “camp chickagami” and find this site.
It’s great to know Lee Alden is still with us (tophat, too?), and many of the others (I remember Matt Uren and many others in the photo gallery, too).
Thanks for not selling out!
June 18th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
My sister, The Rev. Alice Morse, of Trinity in Monroe, found this web site and shared it with us. How neat! Our mother was cook Ellamae Suter for the summer of 1976. I showed her the site & she remebered many of the staff folks in the pictures. It brought back fond memories of the time spent there and regrets that she couldn’t return. I have a few memories of my own as I visited for a couple of days while she was there. I had with me my then two year old daughter, Micah, who was in potty training at the time. Byrd (Ron) was holding her on his lap and she wet on him & he didn’t freak out! What a guy! We had a good time for those couple of days and I remember some of the names as well. Like Dave Eveland realised, I too came to the reealisation that my Mom was only two years older than I am now when she was cook for the camp. I don’t know how she did it. As far as I know, she had never been in charge of cooking for that many people before, yet stepped in and got it done! Mother is 83 now and living near Ann Arbor doing fairly well. She is a little intimidated by “computer stuff” but I’m going to encourage her to post a few of her memories as well. Great web site!
May 28th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
I have paint in my fingernails. I think it’s called DNR Brown. But like my kid sister who didn’t want to wash after Bobby Sherman autographed her hand, I am reluctant to use a nail brush. Seeing the paint reminds me of a great experience.
I was looking forward to the recent Work Weekend at Camp Chickagami, but I was also a little nervous. How would the place look after 36 years? And what kind of a reception would we old-timers get from the current committee and volunteer crew?
The camp looks great, especially in contrast to the surrounding development. The people were wonderful. I am hesitant to start using names, because I would fill up the page, and I might leave someone out. Everyone was welcoming, gracious, and appreciative. And I in turn appreciate how they indulged Tom, Matt, and me as we painted our way down memory lane.
I am hopeful that the past weekend was the beginning of many lasting friendships. Camp Chickagami has a way of doing that. As Matt said, “It’s not the camp we knew.” But it’s still a special place where people can come together in fellowship and enjoy the outdoors.
Tom, Matt, and I want to return for next year’s Work Weekend. We hope there are other Chickagami alumni who might make it as well. You’ll find good food, good people, and plenty of work. The camp needs you!
Steve Maunder
May 28, 2008
April 27th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Thank you Steve,
Your memories mean so much! I smiled when you were describing my Grandmother in her white nurses uniform. I also wonder if you remember her “Au de le Lysol” that she always carried around with her, and where ever she went, Lysol was always there too! My Grandmother died in “74 and my Grandfather, “Grandpa Heikkennen” came to live with us in Blacksburg, VA until his death in 1979 or so. We still have some rocks from the Camp. Once again, Thanks for the memories!
Christine
April 26th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
I remember the Heikkenens very well. Mrs. Heikkenen was the nurse at camp for many years. I know she started in the early ’60’s, and her last summer there was 1970. She was very professional in her role as nurse. She always wore a complete nurse’s uniform, including the hat, a starched white dress, and even the white stockings. She was no-nonsense in dealing with the myriad of camper ailments ranging from a variety of cuts and bruises to cases of poison ivy. She was sympathetic, but didn’t mollycoddle her patients. However, when a homesick camper found his way to the infirmary, she was quick to realize there was no medical problem, and she shifted into a grandmotherly role. Several nine and ten year olds away from home for the first time were comforted by Mrs. Heikkenen.
Mr. Heikkenen, we never called him Herman, was the stuff of legends. He was tall, erect, and austere; quite scary to many young campers until they got to know him. In reality, he was a great guy and a wonderful story teller. As far as I know, he did not have an official job at camp, but he performed many volunteer projects. The camp owned a Lightning class sailboat that was in terrible condition. One summer, Mr. Heikkenen took on the restoration of the Lightning. With campers and staff lending a hand, he resurrected a boat that many thought was doomed either to the Presque Isle County Dump or the bottom of Lake Esau. Mr. Heikkenen loved to take long walks along the shore of Lake Huron. He usually went alone because he routinely was on the trail before it was light out, and also because there were few people who could keep up with his brisk pace. He would find rocks along the lakeshore that had holes worn completely through them, and would mount them on the side of the nurse’s quarters. I always thought this was cool, and would look for similar rocks, but was never able to find a single one. Mr. Heikkenen also enjoyed telling us about his experiences in World War I. Looking back, I wish I had listened more attentively and more respectfully.
The summer my grandfather, Leonard Maunder, picked me up at camp, Mr. Heikkenen and I became kindred spirits. Probably, because they were so close in age, Grandpa and Mr. Heikkenen started chatting. As it turned out, Grandpa was from Hancock in the Upper Peninsula, and Mr. Heikkenen was also from the Copper Country. Although they had never met formally, they had many common friends and memories of the early 1900’s when things were booming in the Keweenaw. Through further conversation they realized that they had been on opposing teams for a July 4, baseball game, Grandpa having played second base for Quincy Mine, and Mr. Heikkenen played the identical position for Atlantic Mine. The reason they were able to figure this out was because there had been a fatal accident in one of the mines the day before the game, and that was something they both remembered quite clearly.
Every summer I would return to camp after that meeting, Mr. Heikkenen would always take me aside and refresh my memory about my grandfather and him. One final memory I have to share is of one evening I was visiting with the Heikkenens before a campfire. We were sitting in those metal lawn chairs next to the Nurse’s Quarters. Mr. Heikkenen was telling me about being a student at Northern Michigan University in Marquette when one day he looked up and saw a beautiful nursing student coming his way. At this point, Mrs. Heikkenen interrupted by saying, “Oh Herman!”
And the rest was history!
April 25th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Hello, I remember visiting my grandparents at Camp Chickagami when I was a little girl They worked there every summer. My grandmother, Ingebur Heikkenen was the camp nurse, and my grandfather Herman Heikkenen also worked at the camp, but I really did not know in what capacity. They must have been there in the early 60’s. Does anyone have any memories of them? Please post and let me know. I just remember what a beautiful place it was and from looking at the pics-still is!
Thanks! Christine Heikkenen
April 1st, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Clearly there enough folks viewing this site (and I surmise at least an equal number of us that occasionally Google: “Chickagami”) that building on this history is a worthwhile endeavor. Matts pictures are great, not just because they coincide, to a large extent, with the time I spent at there, but to my eye they are artistically superb. They also do an excellent job at capturing the spirit of the place as I experienced it. Chuck Case’s description of what happened after 1980 was very interesting to me. The numbers he cites for ‘84 an ‘85 have brought me to wonder about attendance numbers over the years. I recall that my “buddy” number was number 101 during one of the sessions I attended as a Pioneer camper. The history of the directors, other staff, and their terms, would be interesting. My recollection is that there were four directors during my attending years but I would be hard pressed to assign which years to put beside TG, BO, LA and DC. As some surely know DC does not refer to one of the posters on this guest book poster, Douglas Coutts – Although do I recall correctly Doug that you were one of the ever important guitar player when you were on the camp staff? I think singing around the campfire is generally my fondest memory of camp. That and breaking a window in the camp bus with a softball when I hit the ONLY home run I ever hit, anywhere.
March 25th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Near the end of the sixties, Bill Price worked closely with Earl Kaufman and eventually assumed all the maintenance duties year round. Bill and his wife Irene maintained a close association with camp through most of the 70’s. Eventually the became a bit much and Mickey Pagels who,lived just down the road a bit from Freda Kaufman, long time outstanding cook, took over the camp maintenance.
I mention this because Bill and Irene put a lot of themselves into the camp… even drafting their Larry to do much maintenance of the camp vehicles.
The whole Price family group often came over to clear the winter snow off the rooves. I wouldn’t want their majour contribution to go unremarked. Lots of people have contributed to camp… all adding their bit and making camp a bit of their own. Thank you.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Greetings to all the guest book writers. I notice that several of you mention coming to Work Week 2008 at camp. Please let me know when you will arrive when you will leave, and how many there are coming so I can plan food and sleeping quarters.
Peace,
Nancy Case/Registrar (and work week cook!)
Camp Chickagami Board of Directors
ncase@campchickagami.org
March 16th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
AFTER CAMP CHICK WAS CLOSED IN 1980…
the boys’ program was combined with the girls’ at Camp Holiday (which was renamed Gordonwood) near Ortonville, MI. George (Micky) Pagels was retained as maintenance man, having taken the job when Earl Kauffman became incapacitated (in the 1970s?).
After 1980,anyone who knew the “secret” could call Tom Grove and reserve space at the Camp–and not many people knew.
At the Diocesan Convention in October, 1983 a resolution was passed that established a Task Force to try to “resurrect” the Camp by marketing it for any use the Task Force might find for it. An annual subsidy of $7000 was authorized. The Rev. Mark Neumeier contacted people who might be interested (at least he called me, I suspect he did all the calling) and the first meeting was held in January, 1984.
Usage, from 180 people in 1984 and 350 in 1985, grew as Parish Camps, Scout campouts, school nature camps, weddings, and family reunions were booked.
In (help me here) ownership of the Camp was transferred to the new Diocese of Eastern Michigan as the Diocese of Michigan split for the third time since it was formed. The dream of the new owners to have Diocesan youth camps again at Camp Chick was realized several years ago. Who else uses Camp Chick today? Check the calender elsewhere in this Website.
Anyway, old campers, that’s how Camp Chick became what it is today. Here’s to many more years of enjoyment of this magical place.
March 12th, 2008 at 9:05 am
I also thought Camp Chick has ceased to exist as we knew it. Had stopped by a few times over the years but not much seemed to be happening. So pleased to see this new site and know that the Camp is up and running again. Great pictures - if you folks would like more, I’d be happy to send them on. Many fond memories of my years there as a camper starting at age 8. Later was worked there as a counselor to help rejuvenate the sailing program during Lee Alden’s time.
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:37 am
I was a camper at Camp Chick from 1959-1962 and a staff member from 1963-1965. Have stopped to visit at various times over the years but never when anyone was around. Most recently was 2/24/08 when I went ice fishing for a couple hours at the deep part of the lake just off shore from the quanset hut.
One of my favorite memories of that area took place after I was married to someone I met at Camp (Tom Grove had asked three of us to continue working after the normal camping season was over and Camp Chick became the site of a one-week retreat for Episcopalian teenagers…she was a camper during that week). I was living in Alpena at the time and Fred Brunson and Gordy Smith (both Camp Chick staff) visited in the winter…this was probably 1969. After visiting camp, Gordy drove his 4WD Scout from what is now Besser Natural Area down the two track to Rockport. We didn’t make it because the wheels fell through the ice and the car was hung up on its axles. And…all we had was an axle jack and lots of discarded and rotting rail road ties for leverage. All four of us were soaked from trying to move the car. We had to walk all the way out in the dark to Opechee’s on US-23. We must have looked a sorry mess. The owner called a friend and he drove us back into the wilderness with his wrecker and pulled us out. Never charged us a dime. If don’t believe Fred or Gordy ever visited Camp again!
February 23rd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
In the spring of 1980 I graduated from high school and was accepted the the U.S. Air Force Academy. For many reasons, some even funny, that didn’t work out. In mid-July of that year I called Lee Alden at camp humbly asking if I could work at camp again. I would have worked for free. Lee said he couldn’t pay much but that he would take me. I was there the next day. I heard a rumor later that Lee took no salary that summer.
That 4-5 weeks provided the healing I needed to move on to college that fall at Western Michigan University. I ended up working at Camp Holiday where I eventually met my wife to be. We’ve been married 20 years.
I can’t explain in a “guest book” how important Camp Chickagami is to me. But I will say that Lee’s act of kindness is one of the most Christian acts I’ve ever experienced.
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I remember the day that The Garden of Eveland showed up at Camp Chick. My parents had created the masterpiece while Jack and I were at camp, probably for third period. They had taken our pop up camper trailer, painted it grey, pasted paisley flowers all over it and emblazoned it with it’s title. It wasn’t a proud moment actually.
Steve’s comments about working in the laundry brought back my similar story. I was a third year pioneer camper and sometime before the closing campfire Lee asked me if I would like to stay and do laundry for the 4th period. I’m sure I didn’t hesitate, but how would I live up to the work of Maunder the Launder? I still fold laundry in the particular way that some staff members required. It was a very exciting time - I couldn’t wait to return the next year. I am also going to see what I can do about attending the work weekend in May. I don’t know how I’s swing it at this point but perhaps I can work it out.
Dave
February 17th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Until last year, I thought Camp Chickagami had ceased to exist, except as a place for retreats. I stumbled across this website about a year ago and have kept an eye on it ever since. Thanks to Greg, Lee and Bette Alden, and Tom Grove for getting things started. Tom Mooney alerted me to Dave Eveland’s posting. Thanks to Dave for checking in, and your moving tribute to Gordie Beaumont. I knew that Gordie had died, but had no idea of what the circumstances were. I do have one burning question for Dave: Is “The Garden of Eveland” still on the road?
In 1966, I was lucky enough to achieve my lifetime career goal. That summer, just after turning 15, Bob Ouellette hired me, along with four other campers in Pioneer, to join the Camp Chickagami staff. From the time I had started as a camper in 1962, I had dreamed of being on the staff, and getting to spend nine weeks at camp, instead of just two. Since then, I have been hired for many jobs, but none of them came close to the thrill I felt when I was offered $10.00 a week to do the laundry at Camp Chick.
After that summer, I returned to work at camp for five more years, and my memories of those years are among my best.
I have often thought about what made camp such a special place for me. First, it was a place where I felt that I fit in. By nature, people like to feel a sense of belonging. Every year that I returned to Presque Isle, both as a camper and counselor, I felt the anticipation of returning to a place that I belonged. Next, the people there were the greatest. Many of my oldest friends are ones I originally met at camp. As a camper, the guys on the staff were heroes to me. When I joined the staff, I tried to be the kind of role model that would make campers want to come back the following year. Also, it was the place itself.
Lake Esau, Lee Field, the Huron Shore, Crystal Springs, and the surrounding woods & trails created the perfect environment for spiritual cleansing and growth. Finally, camp was a temporary escape. It was possible to go through a summer without looking at a television or reading a newspaper. We seemed less affected by what was going on in the real world. It was as if we could hit a “pause button” in our regular lives for a couple of months every summer.
I have been a public school teacher for over 30 years. The biggest influence on my choice of career was my experience at Camp Chickagami. When people ask me why I became a teacher, I tell them that the best job I ever had was as a camp counselor, and since camps don’t operate year round, teaching was about as close as I could get. I truly believe that my best teacher training was at camp.
Since it is obvious that Camp Chickagami has meant so much to me, I have decided to try to do some giving back. I am going to do my best to make it to the work weekend this May, and I hope to see a few familiar faces!
Steve Maunder
Monterey, California
February 16th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Greetings!
I just wanted to encourage all of you who visit the Camp Chickagami website to send and email with your contact information to “Contact Us”. We’d love to be able to send our newsletter off to you by snail mail so you can see all of what is taking place at Camp Chickagami at the present time.
God’s Peace!
Kris Forsyth/ Secretary
Camp Chickagami Board of Directors
February 15th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
I spent 2 summers at camp,in the early 60’s.My frist year their my counselor was a fellow by the name of Fred Bronson from Det.This was my first time away from home,Fred maided my first stay grate,at the end of camp I did not want to go home.Fred and I wrote each other for a long time .This was a grate lesson and time for a young man.But the best time was out in pioneer camp.The campers out their were in there own little world,it was grate. This camp holds a very spical place in my heart, and always will.I’m so happy that it is still running,so other boys can have the fun and the learning that I was luckly to recive.God Bless You All.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
For me this has been an incredible week of reflection. After my original post, Greg Forsyth sent me a picture of myself sitting on a bench with the assistant cook Connie. That certainly brought back memories. I have a son who is now about the age I was in that picture. Then the next day there are 600 photos of Camp Chick posted. The rush of memories exploded. I called my brother (some of you will remember him as Happy Jack) and we went through many of them together while talking on the phone. Then I see posts from Matt Uren, Lee Alden, and Bette Alden. I really would like to connect with you folks and so many others that I shared experiences with at that most special place on the shores of Lake Esau.
I live in Madison, Wisconsin now. Yesterday we had about 20 inches of snowfall and I had to walk a couple of miles to get home at the end of the day. I was listening to an old Cat Stevens record, during my trudge, and heard the song Wild World. Gordie Beaumont sang that song at camp when he was a staff member there. A couple of years later I was walking down the street in Kalamazoo and there was a guy with red hair wearing a Camp Chickagami staff shirt. At first, from a distance, I thought it was Matt. But it wasn’t, it was Gordie. We went into Dairy Queen and reminisced for a while. I never saw him again. He was actually shot and killed while working at Kalamazoo College, trying to help someone stay out of danger. Kalamazoo College still awards “The Gordon Beaumont Memorial Award; to a deserving student who displays qualities of selflessness, humanitarian concern, and willingness to help others, as exemplified in the life of Gordon Beaumont.” The ultimate Honor Camper. Anyway hearing that song yesterday brought that memory back.
Again many thanks to those that are putting this website together. I think that it would be great to see a ‘where are they now and what are they doing’ section. And I am really happy to see that that a real vitality continues to be present there.
I guess that’s all for now.
Dave
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:41 am
Greg and Kris Forsyth deserve high praise on publishing the “moments” of Camp Chickagami which taught everyone who passed through its gate to see, to learn, to love, and to be still. To all the former campers and staff: You’re still on Lake Esau.
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:59 am
Wow!! And Super Wow!! I am astounded! I just looked through ALL the photos in your “Photo Album” and it was a wonderful trip back in time… the faces and the places — what memories!! I loved it!
This is a wonderful site. It is comforting to hear that Camp Chick is still ongoing and serving the Diocese! It is a magical place. So much good has occurred there and it means so very much to me and thousands of others!
Thank you for designing, building and posting this website.