OKOBOJI chapter 50

After graduation I enjoyed the summer with friends and took my second trip to Okoboji. Our church had summer camp meetings there every year since 1935. Named after the Okoboji Lakes region of northern Iowa, the camp was located in Arnolds Park, Iowa, a town with an amusement park, rental cabins, boat rentals and nice beaches. To attend camp, you found your own accommodation and made your own meals or mooched off some kind family,

The camp had a huge tabernacle with garage doors on both sides to be opened on beautiful nights. They rented a church across the street where youth meetings were held. Most of my friends went to the youth meetings, but I don’t recall I ever went. I did go to the evening meetings. There was always a big emphasis on missions.

There were too many distractions in the area. The biggest was the Amusement Park. There was the Legends roller coaster, a wooden structure still in operation. I liked the Tipsy House with the rolling barrel exit. It took time, but I eventually learned to get out of there without falling. The Ferris wheel was fun just for the view. It was a great place to hang out and meet girls. It seemed we wandered down there after most evening services just to be in the glow of bright lights

The board wall was definitely a tourist trap for teens. I really didn’t need to ride that much, I just enjoyed being there and because of the shoe store I had extra money. Both years I was in a rental cabin with some of the boys from the church. I seemed to remember a kitchen, but don’t remember making many meals. I know I didn’t cook. Seems like we often ate with different parents.

I don’t remember all the guys I stayed with, but I was getting closer to Al. One night we were walking past some cabins and one of the guys found an unopened can of beer. It got passed around. I doubt many had tasted beer. Not everyone had a taste. Many of us were still caught up in the “don’t” factor of the church of the day. I was shocked that the one guy who was my Christian model had a taste. It shook my cozy little world. You see I was a believer in the doctrine of sinless perfection. I didn’t believe that doctrine applied to me, just to everyone else. I knew I couldn’t stop sinning.

I laugh at those feeling now. Teens experiment and perfection on this earth is not possible. I didn’t take a sip, as I was a prude in that regard. There were some big sins for which I was certain that if I participated Jesus would return to earth and I would go straight to hell. That was one of them.

In the summer of 1960 I met a red headed freckled boy named Roger from Lincoln. We hung out together but he really had to watch the sun that he didn’t become a lobster. I liked Roger and he wanted to show me a trick he learned. So one night after the amusement park closed we went to the boardwalk with two straws. There was a case style pop dispenser with the top lid where bottles were removed by sliding them along a track to the first stop where they could be removed, after you paid your 10¢. We opened the lid, used a bottle opener, popped the lids inserted the straws and emptied the 6oz bottles. I felt evil, but enjoyed the sensation.

There was another night when several of us tried to stay up all night on the beach. Some propped out along the way. I stayed but had to sleep when everyone went to the morning meetings.

The big conflict my last summer at Okoboji was that I met Beth. It was created because I had mostly been dating the same girl for a while and went off with Beth without saying a thing. I was definitely sneaking around. I don’t know that she ever saw me, but all of Arnold Park was close to everything else and many friends did see me. As always happens with teens, everyone found out. I got negative comments and nasty looks from nearly everyone, especially the girls. “How could you?” I actually never gave it much thought. After so many comments I faced the fact that I had hurt a friend I cared for very deeply. We talked, resolved little and as we returned home I began to drift away for the old gang. I have no idea how others felt about that event, but I felt horrible and began to avoid everyone. The looks and comments did not end with the camp.

It wasn’t long after getting back to Omaha, that I stopped going to church. I still got up each Sunday morning and walked out the door to go to church when the rest of my family left, but after a few blocks I returned home. It was always OK to be back before them after church, as I had always been home first. I didn’t want my parents to know.

Similar cabins to the left. Boardwalk much the same, newer places and considerably cleaned up.

New entrance  to the roller coaster. The same roller coaster from the 50's minus the fence.