A handwritten letter from Reiko Ishii to Dr. A. A. Kidess, administrative Vice President and foreign student adviser of Springfield College on July 15, 1964. Miss Reiko, originally from Ikimacho Nara, Japan, received a Master in Recreation and Youth Leadership from Springfield College in 1964. In the letter, Miss Reiko describes her camp experiences in Trail Blazer Camps and the Girl Scout camp at Buzzards Bay near Plymouth. Miss Reiko’s experiences at the two camps were far from similar. At the Trail Blazer Camps, Miss Reiko reported having no time for herself, and she described the campers being disobedient, aggressive, and not willing to wash themselves. Even though she had a hard time at the beginning, she found her experiences “precious”. Miss Reiko had a much better experience on the second camp. Miss Reiko found the campers agreeable and obedient at the Girl Scout camp and she was able to teach them a little about Japanese culture, through food, music, and dance. Campers and advisors made Miss Ishii comfortable and she expected her next camp experience in Camp Treetops to be as enjoyable as in the Girl Scout Camp. Finally, Miss Ishii asked a favor to Dr. Kidess regarding paperwork she forgot to present before she left Springfield. For more information on Attallah A. Kidess, see: https://springfield.as.atlas-sys.com/agents/people/579.
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