My family went to
Orchard Mansion for 1 week the summers of 1959, 60 and 61. My brother and
I looked forward to it each year with great anticipation. There was
always so much to do and a week was far too little time to pack
it all in. The Kabatznicks worked really hard. Herb was all over
the place. He drove a school bus during the off season. They had a
son Moise I believe a year or two younger than me (58) who used to participate
in everything. I believe they also had a younger daughter but she was not
around as much. I believe the Kabatznicks inherited the place from Rose's
parents.
They had entertainment every night usually a movie a couple of
nights a week that would break at least once. Saturday night was the big
night, everyone would go up to the barn for square dancing. The biggest
thrill was next to the entertainment building was the kitchen where Max the
baker would be baking all the baked goods for the next day, as for
everything at Orchard Mansion was freshly baked on the premises. If the kids
begged enough and you were quiet during the entertainment Max would give you a
roll to take back to the room.
After the entertainment we would go back
to the room and my parents would go to Banner Lodge to visit a cousin who was
more well to-do then us. If you told Herb you were going off the grounds he
would have someone check on you every half hour, but everything was always safe
at Orchard Mansion. When my daughter was small, now 24, I wrote to them
requesting a brochure and of course it came back with no such place. I
then wrote to Banner Lodge and I think it was a computer camp. It was a
simpler and better time and wonderful memories.
--Stuart Baum
