By Noah Stein
A couple weeks ago a remarkable group of Camp Nebagamon alumni gathered for our Cincinnati reunion. In the same room every decade from the 1940s to 2020s were represented: a rising first-year junior counselor sat alongside nonagenarians, and representatives from generations in-between. We talked about all of the things we share– memories of cabin cookouts and CNOC, canoe-over-canoe and Council Fires. We recounted epic Boundary Waters adventures (we learned that trips there were once called “Sawbills,” after Sawbill Lake, and are now sometimes referred to as “B-dubs”) and efforts to earn high ranks. We told stories of great counselors and cabinmates.
Canoe over canoe in 1953…
We also celebrated some of the changes that had taken place over the years like the addition of a climbing wall, waterskiing, and pickleball. Our youngest alumnus described The Grand Pursuit (which began in 2013), while others swapped stories of meals from times past, notably “ambrosia salad,” served on Sundays…yum? As we reflected on change, folks flipped through photo albums from last summer echoing the common refrain: “It looks just like I remember it.”
Similar scenes unfolded across the Midwest (in addition to Cincy– Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and Louisville) in October. At every stop our Camp community came together to connect over all that we have in common. Some people came to build upon decades-long friendships; others walked in knowing no one at all. If I had to sum up our first round of reunions in a word, it would be warmth. Sure the weather was unseasonably warm, but even more so was the feeling in each room.
Over the summer we filmed our new promotional video (coming soon!). During the process we interviewed some campers to share about their experience at Nebagamon. I was so impressed with the insights they all provided. They detailed how fun the activities are and how amazing it is to spend time in the wilderness on camping trips. Some dug even deeper and described the independence they gained at camp, the goals they had set for themselves, the growth they’d experienced, and the friendships they had forged. One ninth grader said something that stuck with me:
…and in 2025, now with five more lifejackets!
“Camp is gorgeous and it’s on a beautiful lake with these huge, tall trees everywhere you look, but it’s so much more about the people than the place.”
Of course, our beloved 77 acres are hallowed ground. The place is a museum holding our most cherished childhood memories. But that camper was right. The ties we have to one another are as important as the place itself. Regardless of our era, we can relate with stories of projects and trips and (for some) even the distant taste of ambrosia salad. Whether we call our canoeing trips Sawbills or B-dubs we can understand what it’s like to paddle and portage through the Boundary Waters. Whether we were campers in the 1940s or 2020s we can relate with the idea that at camp we grew in more ways than we can count. We don’t need to have known every great counselor or cabinmate to understand the impact of the people who have shaped all of our lives at Nebagamon for going on 97 summers. Our experiences connect us across generations.
However, when that camper spoke about the importance of “the people” in our community, he meant something deeper than our shared experiences. It’s the warmth that fills a room whenever we gather. It is the bond of a community diverse in background (37 languages now hang on our sign) but unified by shared values. Anywhere in the world, when we walk into a camp home we feel it: the warmth of welcome for all.
Whether you attend a reunion every year or you never have, whether your last summer at Camp was 1940 or 2025, gift yourself some Nebagamon warmth this offseason and join us at a reunion near you!
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