Christmas in July I remember the year we did Christmas in July. We set up the Chippewa lounge with a fir tree and decorated it with Christmas ornaments that each cabin made. We worked on those ornaments during rest hours. The lounge was decorated in a holiday theme and Christmas carols were piped over the loudspeaker all day. We had a festive dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes and vegetables and desserts and everything was holiday geared. Campers made Christmas presents at arts and crafts to give to their favorite counselors, senior campers and campers. The director was dressed up as Santa Claus during afternoon activity and a few counselors were elves. We cut up tissues in minute pieces and threw it all around the lounge for snow and had a fire going in the fireplace and at night after we sat around telling Christmas stories, we enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies. Musicals Every year the staff put on a musical production. This was selected at the first planning meeting in the lodge and planned the summer to take place the night before the final council fire. This was a massive undertaking. This was coordinated by the Musical Director and the Drama Director. The Arts and Crafts Director also had a lot of planning to do for this. I can remember some of the ones while I was at ONT - South Pacific, Lil Abner, Oklahoma, Oliver, West Side Story, Wizard of Oz. Once the productioin was selected, the characters were picked and the scripts were printed up and handed out so that the staff could rehearse their lines. The Arts and Crafts Director met with volunteers to help on all the sets which were designed by staff and senior campers in the windmill. Once they were drawn they were painted. Props were also designed and made. This was ongoing in the windmill during free time and after hours once the campers were put to bed. Costumes were designed and created and worked on by whoever was good at sewing and designing helping the particular character create their costume. Musical Director put together the songs and materilal for piano or to be played in the background. Toward the end of the season, rehearsals would start at night in the lodge and dining hall. They were endless! Finally, the big night. Campers were all excited and staf was jittery and scurrying about to get everything all put in place and ready. Every productioin was so unique and so well done. I can remember being the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz and the main female character in Oklahoma. I remember the surry we created and set up in the dining hall where the productions took place and singing with Caroline Freno beside me. I can remember studying fot the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz. I was so paranoid that I would forget my lines. But, everything always worked out and a good time was had by all. Banquet At the end of each trip was a banquet. There was always a theme to the banquet in the dining hall. The planning for the banquet was fun. Decoratioins were made and put up and favors were made and given out. Sometimes specified attire was designated and worked on in arts and crafts. The kitchen staff planned the delicious menu which was more than the normal. Mrs. Baker always made extra special things not in the normal menus. I can remember turkey, ham, with all the fixings and delicioius desserts. It was a festive meal with music and the campers got to usually sit with their favorite senior camper and counselor. This was an occasion that was always FUN and longingly anticipated. During the meal, we usually were able to stroll around and talk to everyone Vespers I loved vespers. I loved planning them and always volunteered to do the 2 Sunday ones. I can remember the Reflection books, the beautifully illustrated, vivid colored magazines that had the most beautiful thoughts and verses. These were kept in the Chippewa and Shawnee lounges. I would sit for hours going over those books and putting together the program and recruiting speakers. We always had vespers at one of the campsites along the lake and I remember dragging out tables from the lounges and carting them to the site. I then draped the table with a white sheet and fir branches. We would set up candles to be lit during the ceremony. We would sing - Kumbaya, Tell Me Why, We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder, All Night All Day, Michael. I remember staff in our Sunday whites and ONT shirts or sweatshirts. My favorite part was when it got slightly darker and all the candles were lit. It was such a comforting feeling being there on the lake in the dark with candlelight and the smell of the pines. If it was raining out, we had it in one of the lounges and always had the fire on. It was nice when one of the staff had an instrument and played. Campfires One of my favorite things at ONT were the ever abundant campfires. It is winter here in New England now and it always evokes memories of the warmth of the campfires. I can remember learning to select the different types of wood and how to assemble the fire correctly and then lighting it and tending to it to keep the fire going perfectly and evenly. Those campfires were the most relaxing, peaceful memories. I remember sitting around them and feeling comfort, warmth, friendship,tranquility and safety with everything around me at the time. Just staring into them, would evoke such melancholy emotions. Many times we would be sitting there toasting marshmallows which to this day are a comort food to me. I used to toast mine till they were jet black as I used to love the gooey insides. Occasionally we would make smores with the marshmallows if we had the rest of he ingredients. Who would think that now 40 years later, smores would be so popular! They now have everything in the smore line from coffee beans, hot chocolate, smore bars, icecream, cereal. Last Christmas I even bought my daughter Michele a smore kit for making smores when she has company for dessert as a conversation piece. I can still remember singing all the camp songs around the fire. As I hold my baby grandaughter and rock her to sleep I sing all the ONT songs to her. She will know them by heart by the time she is grown! I can still smell the smoke, see the flames, and feel the warmth of those campfires and the memories still warm my heart.

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