What started as a summer of fun soon turned into an absolute nightmare for kids at this camp in Moultonborough, New Hampshire!
Camp Quinebarge, a very expensive two-week sleepaway program for children between the ages of 6 to 16 that has operated for almost 85 years, abruptly closed six days after its opening earlier this month. According to the Concord Monitor, Executive Director Eric Carlson notified parents on July 2 that the place needed to shut down immediately due to an ongoing lack of staff members and problems with late deliveries from their food supplier. The camp leader reportedly wrote at the time:
“While we can work through many issues at camp, this is not one in our control. Many camps are facing the prospect of closing today. This is obviously an untenable situation. A few minutes ago, I was forced to inform our staff we will close down for the summer, beginning tomorrow.”
However, disgruntled parents soon discovered that there was a whole lot more to the story. In addition to staff shortages and improper food, The Boston Globe reported several instances of children getting attacked by other campers, kids becoming sick without parents being informed, and staffers constantly screaming at each other. A counselor was even punched in the face by a child at one point! WTF!
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We seriously cannot make this s**t up, and the stories only get worse from here!! One unidentified father claimed he found a note in his 12-year-old son’s pocket just days after the camp unexpectedly ended, which strongly hinted at the terrible conditions. It allegedly read:
“We have been in tears, bored, and devastated the whole day. [The camp director] is lying to you all. You have to trust us. You have to. We are not joking, and we are not having fun. So many things are wrong with this place.”
It was so bad that Quinebarge has been deemed “the summer camp equivalent of Fyre Festival.” Like the disaster music fest that falsely promised luxury accommodations in the Bahamas, the attendees at Quinebarge were definitely not given what was detailed in the brochures. A staffer named Caliban Chesterfield, who worked in food prep, told the publication that someone was served a raw meatball at one point, and kids were often provided dirty dishes during meals.
Talk about disgusting!!!
Despite being advertised as an “LGBT friendly summer camp,” several trans counselors felt uncomfortable at times — especially after a couple of kids left the location because their parents disliked the idea of them residing with a trans staff member.
Multiple camp counselors were also reportedly hired a couple of days before the camp started and lacked basic training. MJ Lowry explained his minimal preparation before the start of the summer to the outlet:
“I was hired about 4 days before campers arrived. They just kind of said, ‘Hey you were referred, we’ll send you the application. You seem to be qualified, do you want the position?’ I played kickball and got to see the turtle and the frog in the pond and learn about tadpoles. It was stuff like that.”
While Carlson confirmed that some counselors had started late due to hiring difficulties, he also claimed that “at no time were corners cut with regard to the vetting of staff or our mandatory trainings.”
So you say…
According to The Boston Globe, Quinebarge will remain closed for the rest of the 2021 season but plans to reopen in 2022. After this mess, we doubt anyone wants to send their kids for some “summer-filled fun.”
Reactions to this whole ordeal, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Image via Movieclips/YouTube, Grace Helbig/YouTube]
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