Retro Happy Stokes Campers

Image June 3, 2022 Elaine Van Develde

Stokes girls’ cabin 1978
Photo/Angela Carpenter

A reprise in honor of the culmination of the usual end of the sixth graders’ trip to Stokes State Forrest

It’s all about another stoked for Stokes moment. The year was 1976, and a bunch of girls gathered in their cabin for that classic snapshot of sixth grade bunk mates.

These girls were typical of cabin crews at the annual (50-plus-year) trip the week after Memorial Day to learn in the great outdoors at Stokes State Forrest. They were posing either before setting out for their daily classes, settling in for a night full of innocent mischief or, maybe, just posing for that Instamatic camera.

One thing’s for sure, though, they obviously had fun. And another thing that’s a sure bet is that at least one of these little girls ended up being a counselor (or CAT) for the young(er) ones when she was a senior at RFH in 1982. That would be Angela Carpenter, who provided this retro shot. Can you spot her? And can you spot the RFH CAT in this pic? I do believe it’s Edna Mae Waters, now gone, unfortunately.

Carpenter, though, has told us that while her most salient memory of the trip was the “bug juice,” both times were a blast. However, “going as a senior counselor was a whole new level of fun!!” for Carpenter. Pranking level of fun, that is. Us, too! But, since there are no longer senior counselors, we’re guessing the pranking has been left to the adults. Hmmmm. We know they try, but their efforts to hoist unmentionable things up on flagpoles and the like have been significantly squelched.

Here’s the twist: RFHer Doug Borden, pictured in another Retro Pic of the Day as a CAT and I (this R-FH Retro publisher/editor) were both CATs on the Stokes trip back in ’78.

Your favorite CAT? Who are these girls? And, can you tell us the best prank played and gone undetected by trip supervisors? Hmmmm. What stories will they come back with this year?

Thanks to Angela Carpenter for this trip back in Stokes time!