I’ve written before how the key factor in my management of diabetes was attending summer diabetic camp in Maryland called, Camp Glyndon.
The camp was founded by Dr. Abraham Silver, who was pretty ancient back then. Even with web searching could barely find any information on him, a nostalgic photo of him in 1958 published in a University of Maryland publication. Wow, he looked kind of old 12 years before I even met him in 1970.
But I know he had an infinite amount of care and concern for children with diabetes, and was vigilent about kids learning to be able to manage their own care, to do their own insulin shots. He had a kind of gruff exterior, and I recall one time, when I was more of a loud mouth teen-ager, when he tried to scare me by saying. “If you don’t straighten up your act, you’ll be blind by the time you are 25, and dead by 30″.
Happily, Dr, Silver was wrong on that one.
Not that his statement had any impact; I did the minimal amount of care uuntil ym late 20s, eating what I liked, and pretty mush just taking my daily insulin shot. I am lucky, as modern studies show every bit of good control extends your diabetic life.
It is disappointing I cannot even find any historical information on Camp Glyndon, it is not even in its original location, northwest of Baltimore, I think it is moved to Charles County at Camp Merrick.
In fact, at a high school reunionm one classmate told me he lives in a suburb that was built on the camp land.
I more or less grew up there going every summer from age 7 to 15, then being a counselor from 16-19, and had a lot of “firsts” there. That photo of me is maybe my first year there, getting my stuff dropped off. Check out those cool striped 1970s jeans I am sporting. Stylish, indeed.
There was so much fun activity then, sports, arts and crafts, swimming, campfires in the woods on “Mount Smokey”, Green and White Day, Sadie Hawkins Day, mail call… all that plus learning about living with diabetes,
I did find a photo on a site about the history of diabetes with the caption
Testing urine for sugar is a serious business for the young campers at Camp Glyndon, Maryland. WHO photo by J. Gordon, (Baltimore City Health Dep).
I don’t remember the kids in that photo, but I recognize the old shower/bathroom building we used to test our urine 4 times a day, each with our own labeled test kit and pee cup on the shelves. It was the old 10 and 2 method in a test-tube and a drop of Clinitest tablet, and hoping we got a blue color. It seems almost stone age.
Did you know... Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2000. This is based on the 69,301 death certificates in which diabetes was listed as the underlying cause of death. Altogether, diabetes contributed to 213,062 deaths. (from National Diabetes Fact Sheet)
See more diabetic facts...
June 24th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
Hi,
I accidently stumbled upon your blog here. I just wanted to tell you that I first attended Camp Glyndon in the summer of 1987, when I was four years old. It was still located in Reisterstown MD. This summer will be my 20th consecutive summer at Glyndon, and I am the Program Director for the first time. I was a camper for 13 years, a counselor for 6. We still call the camp “Glyndon” even though Lions Camp Merrick now houses the program. I have 1000’s of photos from over the years, several scrap books, and I even began making memory webpages. I have loved this program my whole life and it’s good to see a fellow Glyndoner who loved camp and everything it stands for as much as I do!
June 27th, 2006 at 6:17 pm
Just came across your blog and could not resist the urge to tell you that I feel exactly the same- there’s not enough info on the internet about the “old” Camp Glyndon- the one that was actually in Glyndon, MD- not the one on the Eastern Shore. I too was a repeat camper over several summers in the late 80’s and early 90’s and I would love to get back in touch with other fellow campers from that time period! Keep up the good work! I’ll keep your blog as a favorite and check back often…
Good luck!
-Polley
March 10th, 2007 at 3:06 am
would have thought that all the laps from the dining hall to the mailbox and around the softball diamond at camp would have given you a good start on your life of running.
former camper/CIT/JC here in TN so far removed from that great time & place - keep promising myself to look for more info on sites to catch up with those with similar memories. guess this is a good place to start.
p.s. if it’s good enough for Forrest . . . .
March 13th, 2007 at 6:47 am
Thanks for finding this site Brian, though it’s hardly a hoisting of the green and white flag! I’ll look into a proper place to host a catch up web site.
When were you at Glyndon?
July 4th, 2007 at 6:38 am
I went there two or three times. I went there in 1977.
July 13th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Hey, I was there in ‘77! What bunkhouse where you in? (like I would really remember)!
July 20th, 2007 at 4:24 am
Hello, Alan! This is Manny, from TuDiabetes.com. I learned about your blog because I have seen visits to TuDiabetes coming from here, but I don’t see where the link back to the site is… Sorry to bug with such a silly question.
Anyway: in case you aren’t aware of it, I want to invite you to join http://tudiabetes.com. It’s a growing global community for folks touched by diabetes. Lately there are many people who attended camps as children who have been joining too.
November 25th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
I find the comments to be very interesting. It gives me great pleasure to read about former Camp Glyndon campers. I was a very good friend of Dr. Silver and assisted him in the founding and building of Camp Glyndon for Dibetic Children. Dr. Silver’s first camp was off of Deer Park Road in Randalstown at a site that was a day camp for part of the summer.The session was short and the demand by many in need of a camp experience with Dr. Silver increased and we recognized it was necessary for more two week sessions. I with Ed Myerberg and Dr.Silver visited the Glyndon site and decided this was the place to build a camp for dibetic children. I could write more about my good friend Abe and some of the problems that were encountered in the early years like when the camp was vandalized one Easter Sunday.
Please write me at Gfairway.com if you wish more information. I will be happy to talk about my dedication to the camp. I was known by many as Uncle Gordon and I was the MC at many of the fund raisers at the Painters Mill Theater in Owings Mills.
My best wishes for good health and joys.
February 10th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I also stumbled on this blog while researching Camp Glyndon. I was siting down with my son the other day, talking about my diabetes, when I told him some of my Camp Glyndon memories. I even found two years books one from 1979, andother form 1987. The small and green year books with black and white photos. I wen every summer from ‘79 untill ‘88. I also have a samll dull pin that reads “Camp Glyndon Badge of Bravery. I gave My Own Shot Today”.
I had a true impact on my life, and I looked forward to it every year. I felt like a part of my was gone when I found that Glyndon had been sold. I remeber where i was, or what cabin. redwood….oak..walnut….ring any bells?
anyone with memories, pictures, i’m at capemedic32@verizon.net. I can try to scan pictures from my year books if anyone is interested.
Shane Clark
February 17th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Another “stumble” when researching camp glyndon! Hey Alan, I think I recognize you from that picture on your fist day at camp!
I had searched for some former campmates previously, only to discover they had passed away. Glad to see you are doing well. Oh, and I hate running too, but don’t subject myself to the torture. Glyndon camper, CIT and counselor from 1971-can’t recall…1979 I think was my last year. But I came back to visit since my brother was Asst Director. He keeps in touch with “uncle dan” and mickey, so I do hear that they are both doing well. There’s got to be someone out there who can design a site for the old green and white, isn’t there? Keep up the great work, and would love to hear from any and all former bunkmates. squidsdc@yahoo.com
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Thank you Alan and everyone for posting to and constructing this sight. I was looking for some info on Camp Glyndon today and I too stumbled onto this blog. I am a huge fan of Camp Glyndon! I was a camper, CIT and counselor there, from 1988-1993. I was looking for info on Camp Glyndon because my co-worker’s daughter passed away this week, and she too was a camper at Camp Glyndon. In lieu of flowers, my co-worker’s family has asked that donations be made in her daughter’s memory to Camp Glyndon.
I tell you there is no place like Camp Glyndon, a place where you can go and not feel like you don’t have “I have diabetes” tattooed on your forehead, and even if you did have such a tattoo, that’s ok ’cause everybody has diabetes!
Cheers, Erika
June 27th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I was there from 1976 thru 1982…last place I was in was Dogwood……Miss the campfire night…and Sadi Hawkins Day
I have a few yearbook still….
July 9th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Hey - I was a camper there in 1974, a CIT in 1975 then a junior counsellor in 1976 and was intrigued to find your site. Didn’t know the ‘old CG’ had moved - I live in Scotland now so haven’t kept up. My daughter is also diabetic and the British Diabetic Association run 1 week camps for kids over here throughout the country as well as family weekends for the whole family to learn more about diabetes. Because of my experience at CG I convinced her to go to Abernethy (in the highlands) and she loved it!
I had a brilliant time at CG and have good memories of the place. Are ‘Uncle’ Dan and Dr Silver still alive?! And what about Lonnie the former Marine drill sergeant - he was the PT instructor - he was fantastic! I remember the old urine testing as well - my daughter moans about the 5 sconds blood test she does now - when I told her about the urine she just said ‘gross’. I have some pictures from my time there - can’t believe it’s been 34 years since I was first there. Spent the bicentennial summer of ‘76 as a JC there - my first paying job! The senior camping trip was brill and the food from the campfire much better than the kitchen - sorry boys!
I’ve been fortunate - I had a kidney transplant in 1995 and then a pancreas-after-kidney (guinea pig - first successful in Scotland!) in 2003 so am no longer considered diabetic! Let’s hope they find a cure soon…and a big hello from anyone who remembers me…
Cheerio the noo! from bonnie Scotland
Kathy
July 21st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I like most of the others above stumbled upon this site and reading the notes above I am flooded with memories most great (a few not so great) of the old Green and White. I was first a camper at Glyndon in 1982 and every summer until 1988 when I came back as a CIT. Then for the next 5 years I worked as a councelor and maintenance (does anyone remember Tom?). My older sister Michelle also worked at, and attended, camp.
Who else can still recall the song… Hey Camp Glyndon thats where we go… I know that the song was there long before I was.
Thanks for the memories. I loved camp Glyndon, and no mater where it is, in my heart it will always be a summer home away from home.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:09 am
Wow, the Camp Glyndon-ers are coming out of the woodwork- I’ll look into setting up a Ning or Facebook group perhaps. My name memory neurons are dusty, but I know I was there!
Let’s see, Mike, I think parts of the song was
Hey Campy Glyndon, that’s where we go
Swimming, hiking, and ______ to an fro
Learning our A vegetables and our B ones too,
Camp GLyndon, we’re for you
Eeek, I am missing more.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Okay, for all former Campers, I just set up a “Hey Camp GLyndon” Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26427442066
July 24th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Remember the Alba milkshakes, “The Grove” and the nasty bathrooms. Remember all the hikes and swimming every afternoon and who can forget the Green and White Day. I attended from 81 -86 then was a counselor for several more years. What memories!!!
July 29th, 2008 at 8:36 am
I loved Camp Glyndon! I was a camper from 1981 to 1988. As was said by the other Erika (not me), it was the one place you felt “normal”…because everyone was giving shots and eating snacks all the time!
Still remember the song (or at least the version from the 80s):
Hey, Camp Glyndon, that’s where we go,
Swimming and hiking, they help us test real low.
We learn our exchanges, about insulin too,
Doctor Silver’s the one to thank, for a camp to go to!
Up in the morning, off on the run
Insulin and testing, they make it so much fun.
They teach us how to care for ourselves to last the whole year through
Camp Glyndon, we’re for you!!
August 17th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Hi,
spent a wonderful summer 1988, working as a nurse in the small infirmary along with three other british nurses under the watchful eye of Tina a local RN. By day at the sports field, singing and raising the flag and by day testing all the great kids. Sad i can’t remember many names, seemed to remember a boy called Michael Himelfarb. Happy days indeed. hi to anyone who remembers me and best wishes to everyone else.