“It’s like a little slice of heaven,” says Sue Rapple, referring to her time at the Vineyard Sailing Camp, which is hosting its first reunion in 43 years on Saturday, August 3.
Speaking with Rapple and fellow reunion committee member Heidi Duncanson brought back fond memories of my camp days in the Berkshires, where, similar to their experience, friendships reigned supreme.
The Vineyard Sailing Camp was located on Lagoon Pond, and operated by the Massachusetts Girl Scout Council from 1938 to 1981. A group of pioneering women started the camp, and that spirit was going strong when Rapple and Duncanson first became campers in 1974.
“It was completely awesome,” Rapple remembers. “It was primarily a sailing camp, and there were a lot of activities around the waterfront, like swimming and marine biology.” But in the Girl Scout tradition, campers had to learn how to cook over a fire, craft jewelry from shells, and other such skills. Group sings were important. “It was the fabric of what brought us together,” recalls Rapple.
“Also, we brought our bikes to camp, and would ride them in lines of like 25 kids,” she laughs. “Back in the day, bike safety was not a real thing. We would bike to Gay Head [Aquinnah] on our three-speed bikes with no helmet, no snacks, and no water. But nothing happened. The worst was sunburns and jellyfish stings.”
During its operation, the Massachusetts Bay Girl Scouts would hold a reunion every winter in Waltham, where they were headquartered. Unfortunately, when the camp closed, the large reunions stopped.
Over the past four-plus decades, many former campers have kept in touch through high school, college, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. A small group of camp friends got together last year to begin exploring the idea of a reunion at the former campsite now known as Sailing Camp Park.
“Vineyard Sailing Camp had such a lasting impact on our lives that we wanted to bring as many people together in person as possible,” explains Rapple. “I have stayed in touch with a small group of camp friends, and have loved our annual get-togethers, but we knew many more people were out there who would love the opportunity to see old friends in the place where we all met.”
The endeavor began last fall, with eight camp friends forming a reunion committee. Appropriately, the festivities will be at Sailing Camp Park in Oak Bluffs, the camp’s original location. So far, nearly 50 former campers and staff members have registered. Many alums were connected via the Vineyard Sailing Camp Alumni Facebook page, and committee members have made a special effort to find more old friends. Participants are coming from as far as California, and several attendees loved the Island so much that they made it their home.
Committee members have discovered that some attendees have stayed in touch with their friends while others have not, but are coming to the reunion because, Duncanson says, “they know it will be their tribe.”
The day will include camp songs, trivia, a slide show, T shirts, group photos, and a catered lunch by a female Island caterer, Chef Lori Edmonds, in the dining hall where alums enjoyed daily meals years ago. But clearly, the heart of the gathering will be reconnecting with one another.
Recalling conversations with her friends, Duncanson says, “We feel that camp made us the women we are today. It was all girls, so there wasn’t the distraction of boys. You just had fun; you weren’t self-conscious about things. We were totally goofy and totally nerdy.
“Our camp friendships cemented us moving forward in the world,” she continues. “I didn’t know anybody when I went to college, but because of my camp experience, I knew I could land and start to make friends and work within groups.”
“When I think about the crux of the Vineyard Sailing Camp, it taught us all to lead at a time when girls were not really leading,” Rapple chimes in. “But it also taught us how to follow, and be part of a community. And it was such a joyful time in our lives. Heidi is spot-on. It really did shape the women who were products of it. If you look at that list of alumni, there are a lot of accomplished people.”
For more information about the Vineyard Sailing Camp reunion on Saturday, August 3, from 12:30 to 5 pm, contact vscreunioninfo@gmail.com.
