Memories of Camp Claire…….

 

“Here are some memories of Camp Claire from an old timer.  Spent many summers there as a camper in the 50’s, worked one summer as a Junior counselor and spent many work weekends there for Pilgrim Fellowship and with my family when my husband, Carl was on the Camp Claire committee.  All good and really fun memories.  I still remember making bug juice, sitting for hours with a nail and making lanyards , sitting by the campfire and singing so many songs that I still remember today, walking to that beautiful and rustic chapel in the woods and most of all walking down to the beautiful Connecticut River for swimming and boating.  Those were the days when the river was pristine and clean; we took our lessons there and canoed and boated.  Sometimes we even were able to swim across the river to the rock, if we had passed a certain swimming test.  The one thing I remember the most is an overnight camping trip we took to Devil’s Hop Yard.  We had no sooner arrived there and started pitching our tents when the skies opened up and we were soaked to the skin.  We grabbed all our supplies and walked for who knows how long until we came to a farm and a friendly family who let us sleep in the barn for the night out of the rain.  That would never ever happen in this day and age.  Have memories of so many people still around today.  It was a very lasting and memorable experience in my youth and growing up in first Church.  Thanks for bringing back all these great memories too many to tell here.”………..ALICE KOPP KUTA, MERIDEN, CT

 

 

 

I attended Camp Claire for two weeks each year of 1942,’43 and ’44.(in fact I was there when the war was over!) However, I do remember the first year I went (I was 10) I cried for the first week…I was so homesick. I was in first cabin after the place where we ate, did crafts, etc. I remember very vividly sitting on the bank of the river right down from our cabin at night singing “This is our Father’s World”. I can still sing most of it! I attended with many girls from Meriden, but most importantly Marjorie Brown Fox whom I went to kindergarten with up through rooming with in college and we still see each other at least every other year. I loved Camp Claire (after getting over my homesickness) and also can always remember that twice in the first year a mouse had her babies on my middy blouses in the bureau. How’s that for a 74 year old to remember?? I do remember that at the time I attended the “head” of the Camp was Beaula Pinks (the first name I am sure is spelled wrong, but you get the idea)...... BARBARA KNOX BUNNELL Redwood City, Ca

 

 

 

ELIZABETH POST HAND…..Betty has been an Alumnus of Camp Claire for well over 75 years.  She started her camp experience at age 10 when camp was split into two camps, one for Girls and one for Boys, they went separate weeks. 

As I sat and visited with Betty at her residence, The Connecticut Baptist Home in Meriden, we started to talk about her memories of Camp, her eyes and smile turned her face into a Camp Claire Camper, “such memories!” she said.  “I remember the beautiful sky at night.  All we girls took our straw mats and slept under the stars.  The tents were too hot.  You know we only had tents, the cook, the dining hall, everyone was in tents.”

“I also remember the big boat from Reynolds boat house.  It would come pick us up and we would spend the day going down the river to Essex, shop and look around, have our lunch then come up the river back to camp.  Oh! What a day! We would also walk to a clearing on the river and stay overnight-we ate tin can pancakes.  A large boat going from Hartford to New York would always blow his horn to us”

Betty also told me she went at age 10 through High School.  She was a counselor also.  The fun about Camp Claire she said “were the friends you had there! Everyone went to Camp in the summer- many of my friends!  I was never alone!”

Mrs. Hand, as she was known to her students taught for many years in Meriden, as a primary grade teacher.  She has passed her love of Camp Claire to her grand-daughter Jennifer.  I haven’t interviewed Jennifer yet but spoke with her and could feel that Camp Claire smile light up as we spoke.  Her memories started to bounce around in her head.

BARRY CANFIELD - I was happy to find the Camp Claire website during a Google search this morning. I was a camper in the summers of 1977-1979 and a CIT in 1980. It was hard for me to remember what years I was there until I remembered carving “Barry 77” in the rafter of Robinson cabin. One of my fondest childhood memories is the two weeks a year at Camp Claire. If anyone from those years would like to contact me, I’d love to hear from you. I also did a search for Scott Leslie who was a counselor during those years and was a strong influence to me. I also remember “Mr. A” fondly and “Nursie”. I can still remember the smell of the arts and crafts building down by the beach and the long overnight hikes to the Devil’s hop yard and Gillette castle. Those were very vulnerable years for me as a kid and the influence of Camp Claire helped shape who I am today and I’m very thankful for that. I live in San Diego, Cal. and have 4 kids of my own now and I would love to send them back east to Camp Claire. It would be a great gift for them. Attached is a shot of my family now. I had hair in 1977. Please share my posting.

I can’t wait to talk with many of you about your experiences at camp, which I will be trying to do in the coming months but feel free to email us your thoughts to campclaire@snet.net and light up our smile………thank you….Cindy Eddy