Camp Miniwanca

DAY TWO: We drove Sunday from Painesville, OH, where we had stayed at the Villa Rosa Motel, to Ludington, MI, where we spent last night in the Motel Lakewood. The highlight of the trip was a visit to Camp Miniwanca, near Shelby, MI. Camp Miniwanca is run by the American Youth Foundation, and it was attended by Shirley in August of 1954, when she was being oriented and trained in her new role as a "Danny Grad," under the auspices of the Danforth Foundation, founded by William H. Danforth. It was in this role that she went to Pittsburg State Teachers College, in Pittsburg, KS.(Cf. my blog "Then and Now" for March 7, 2014). We have several letters and post cards Shirley sent home from Camp Miniwanca. Katie will be getting these later this summer as a continuation of the project of Letters Home from Wellesley.

William H. Danforth, second from right, one of the founders of Camp Miniwanca.

Church in the Dunes at Camp Miniwanca

 MSRP is the logo for Camp Miniwanca: it stands for the Four-fold life, Mental, Social, Religious and Physical. The Camp motto is, "My own self, at my very best, all the time."

William H. Danforth wrote an inspirational book, titled,  I Dare You  which lays out the philosophy behind this logo and motto. There is a story to tell here, but I'll have to tell it later when I have more time to write. Camp Miniwanca is quite a place, and I am very glad we got to visit it.