My memories of summer fun at Girl Scouts Camp Edey

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By MARILYN MONSRUD FRESE

Class of 1963

I recently found these pictures from 1956 and scanned them to send to Kathy Stahlman Zinn, who was in my grade. We were Girl Scouts together and often talk about it. This is the Girl Scout Camp Edey, out east on Long Island. So many of our old classmates were in Girl Scouts. My mom was a troop leader for the older girls.

The girl in the boat with me is my younger sister, Susan class of 1965, on visitors' day. We would go to camp for two weeks and the weekend in the middle of those weeks we could have visitors. The photo of the outhouse will bring back many memories and a few nightmares to those who spent their time at the camp. I'll never forget those trips to the latrine at night with only a flashlight and lurking spiders, and we had to sit on a board with a hole in it.

We had rotating 'jobs'. The best were camp fire builder and KP. The dreaded one was latrine duty. We had to wash the whole thing down with industrial strength cleaner that smelled as bad as the latrine. Notice the little basin to wash our hands after using the latrine. And the poor girl walking towards it. I just know how she was feeling.

The photo with the sign that says "BIG DIPPER" was at the swimming area of the lake for those who knew how to swim. We had to turn over our number when we went in. Then there was Little Dipper for those just learning to swim. And it was always the buddy system.

Camp Edey, which is still there, was always great fun. There were no creature comforts, so this was true camping. The best part of the day was Taps at sundown which gave me chills. As the sky was beginning to darken the campfire was lit and the night time fun began.