Camp Songs of the 70’s

Chris Sawyer started me thinking about camp songs. We sang many but generally based on what staffers Nancy Bram, Cathy Herrmann, Bart Tuthill or Bert could play. Some were homegrown, classic or religious or contemporary. Many went on to be Chanco standards.

How many can you recall? Here’s my list of favorites. Add to it!

• White Rabbit
• Eve of Destruction
• Junior Birdman
• Suffocation
• Pruney
• Mountain Dew
• The Rainbow Song
• Amen
• Rise and Shine
• I Wish I Was a Little Bar of Soap
• Stuck in Revelations
• Here we sit like Birds in the Wilderness
• Kum Ba Yah
• I’m Thinking
• Children of the Lord
• The Ants go Walking.
• Day is Done

Camp History:

Early camper and staff person.  Attended as a camper 1968, 1969.  Became a junior counselor at 16 in 1970 under Father Tom Byrne, Counselor in 1971 under directorship of Charlie Hughes.

First Order of Chanco

A Chanco family:  Both of my children have been on staff (Molly Tatman 2000, and Will Tatman 2005, 2006); two nieces and 1 nephew were also on staff. All are order of Chanco tto.

Outside of Camp History:

Administrator at ODU for 25 years, live in Virginia Beach

I have the privilege and the honor to be the first person inducted into the Order of Chanco. Check it out. That’s my signature in its adolescent scrawl on the handcrafted tea-stained fake parchment paper hanging in the back corner of the current dining hall. Now my kids (who are very tired of hearing his story by the way) tell me that it is so long ago that I am now the ” Ancient Order of Chanco” as opposed to the younger members of the “Old Order of Chanco or the “Order of Chanco.” How did that happen? Did we get segmented by decades??  continue reading »

I have way too many Chanco stories as all of us do. I made a listing of my favorite ones and it just went on and on. Like many Chanco stories, the humor and meaning is often an "inside joke" for those who were there. However, the recent poll for favorite counselor made me chuckle and reminded me of a story that might resonate with any counselor that had a memorable camper. Mine was a familiar name on the poll list - LaEunice Brown! Oh, what an unforgettable camper!

Yep, I was La's counselor in 1970,  continue reading »