By Spencer Brown
When Adam asked me to write this update, I thought about the last few days and all of the exciting opportunities and moments we had together. These few days just seemed magical and just seemed to fall in perfect line with each other. It is almost as if the stars aligned to allow for 3 perfect days in a row here at camp. I don’t know how to describe it… but they have been perfect.
I know Adam wrote about the Council Fire this past Sunday, but there was something special that happened immediately following. As I was walking through the LJ village and talking with a few staff and campers, a camper stopped me and said, “Spencer, you gotta come check out the moon!” I walked with him to the water and clear in the sky was a brilliant orangish red moon lighting up the lake. It was so beautiful! A few moments later, the camp lakefront was filled with 40 Lumberjack campers after word had spread and we spent the next 45 minutes sitting on the beach and admiring the night sky. There was something special about the oldest boys in camp, the 14-15 year olds, sitting and admiring the moon. A couple of counselors had guitars and were playing soft tunes…nobody had a care in the world and it was so peaceful. Campers had conversations about their upcoming trips, talked about the projects they had been wanting to attend the next day, and pointed out some of the stars they recognized. It was a peaceful way for the Lumberjacks to end their Sunday…a perfect ending to an amazing council fire.
Monday morning brought more excitement for the boys. One of the ways in which we have been starting our morning lately is by getting the daily update from Noah about the Tour De France and the gripping competition between Pogacar and Vingegaard. The Rec Hall has been deeply divided between the two. Cheers of “There’s still nope” and “There’s no hope” have filled the Rec Hall daily in support of the two respective bikers/teams. This Monday morning started with Noah creating a fun way to announce the final results of the Tour De France. Being the last stage of the race, the four village directors rode into the Rec Hall on mountain bikes in anticipation of the announcement. Some Axeman campers also joined the fray by painting Vingegaard across their chests to show their support. The final announcement came and the Rec Hall exploded with excitement, cheers, and joy. It was a fun way to end the Tour De France here at Nebagamon and to engage in some friendly silly banter. The fun didn’t stop there…
Monday night is reserved for our program called Cabin Cookout. The boys love this night! Campers get a chance to use the skills they learned in the Camp Nebagamon Outdoor Center (CNOC) and help create a delicious meal with their cabin. Then they get to eat the meal in the woods. It is a great time for cabin bonding. Each cabin works together to create the meal planned out for them. This week, cabins dined on caesar salad, baked ziti, and a dessert crepe filled with berries, and cream. As a village director, I get to walk around to all of the groups and see them work together. I get to see different groups of kids helping each other chop vegetables, make up a salad, build up a fire that needs some care, and enjoy the time in the woods. Admittingly, Cabin Cookout is one of my favorite programs we do here. It pushes kids (and some adults) out of their comfort zone and, for some, they get to be chefs for the very first time. Campers get to eat outside as a cabin group and to appreciate the natural world around them. As a parent, I am appreciative of the skills my own child learned when participating in cabin cookouts as I’m sure many of you parents out there might be as well.
And the fun continues. On Tuesday afternoon, camp offered an all-camp race called the Push-Up Pop Preakness. Camp sets up about a mile and a half race course throughout camp with the prize at the end being a push-up pop ice cream treat. While there was a winner, many run the race to just have fun and to say they ran it. Some campers choose to run, some choose to walk, and some choose to be creative in how they participate in the race. I saw Swampers and Axeman team up in 3-legged pairs. One group of Swampers decided to do a 5-legged group as well. There was a group of boys who carried another boy in a chair. There was even an Axeman camper who walked the race banging a drum the whole time. At Nebagamon, some run the race as fast as possible, but for others it’s about making memories with your friends and being silly. Nobody was upset about not being the first to cross the finish line. There may have even been a push to finish last…and at camp, that’s okay.
Today is Cruiser Day; on Wednesdays, each village creates a day typically based on a theme. There isn’t regular programming and one of the highlights of the day is the weekly trip to the Dairy Queen. Throck and their counselors recommend you try the Buster Bar!
The Swampers are participating in Heist Day, a day designed around decoding secret messages, getting through a maze, and creating cool getaway cars to retrieve treasure taken by an evil villain. The Loggers are enjoying their annual Klondike Day. Campers are split into various teams and search for gold and silver around camp while also searching for the bandits who are attempting to recapture the gold and silver from the campers. Axeman are cruising the lake and spending a majority of the day swimming, paddleboarding, and chilling out on the lake in what was deemed Yacht Day. The Lumberjacks are participating in the LJ Hunger Games where teams are competing for prizes from sponsors in competitions in order to have an advantage in the ultimate contests in the afternoon…don’t worry, there will be no Tributes!
The last few days have been full of exuberance, excitement, and pure fun. It just continues to be amazing around here and we can’t wait for what the next few days will bring.
All is well in the Northwoods…
