By Noah Stein
In the past week, I’ve had many conversations with members of our camp family. I’ve received thoughtful messages from fourteen-year-olds to eighty-year-olds. Current campers, counselors, and those who haven’t set foot at Camp in decades reached out. The support has been overwhelming, humbling and heart-warming.
In these recent conversations with the camp family, I’ve thought a lot about “community” and what it means to me. I consider a community to be a group of people unified by a connecting force, a glue that holds the group together. As messages poured in from campers, parents, staff, and alumni, I was so awe-struck by the strength of our community, by the deep emotional investment in Camp Nebagamon that spans generations and geography. So, I spent some time considering what that glue is in our community by reflecting on the messages I received. As I read, a theme emerged: it’s all about the people.
Alongside kind congratulatory messages, some camp family members additionally described what makes Camp so important to them. Former campers and counselors illustrated the ways in which their time at Camp sculpted them into the people they are today, while parents and caregivers shared about the effect Camp has had on their children and families. Some anecdotes emerged from last summer and some from sixty summers ago. Some memories took place on trail, and some at projects, but across the board the stories revolved around the people.
Folks reminisced on how that one counselor supported them when they needed it the most. They reflected on their fond memories with cabin mates and how those memories have become foundations for their sturdiest friendships, friendships that have changed their lives! The stories highlighted something I love about Camp: at Nebagamon we can all change lives. When we walk past the sign in front of the Big House and read the words “This shall be a place of welcome for all,” we can take that as a call to action. We can go out into our community—whether that be our cabin, or trip group, or village at camp, or our school, or workplace, or home during the “offseason”—and make them “a place of welcome for all” by doing things like making a friend or helping someone out.
While I was reading these amazing stories about the impact of individuals in our community, I felt the impact myself! I am so thankful for the welcoming words from across our community, and for the generations of campers, counselors, and families who shaped Nebagamon into the welcoming community it is today. At Camp Nebagamon we agree to live by the words on that sign, and because we do, we’re all the glue.
