By Noah Stein There was no wakeup bell this morning. Instead, campers arose to the excited cheers of four of our oldest campers, running from cabin to cabin, blowing whistles and shouting into bullhorns, “Wake up; it’s Paul Bunyan Day!” For our new readers, Paul Bunyan Day is our first session all-camp competition day. Camp is divided into four teams or “logging companies,” (a nod to camp’s lumberjack theme), Red River, Great Lakes, Long Bell, and Weyerhaeuser. As campers descended on the Rec Hall for breakfast this morning, they donned the colors of their respective teams: red, blue, yellow, and green. Their excitement was palpable.
Throughout the day the companies compete against each other in a range of events like tug of war, fire building, speedball (a game that integrates features of soccer, football, and handball), quiz bowl, field hockey, water pushball (a camp classic in which teams push a massive yellow ball from one side of the swimming area to the other, scoring points when the ball crosses the other team’s goal line), Euchre, rice weighing, and dozens more. The logging companies earn points based on their placement in each event throughout the day. At the end of the day, the team with the most points is named the “greatest logging company in the Northwoods.”
There’s a big banner which always hangs on a wall in the Rec Hall that says: “win or lose be a good sport.” That motto is never more relevant than on Paul Bunyan Day. On Paul Bunyan Day, we live those words all day long. The day is ripe with competition, but our campers see that while it’s great to win events, we all win when we’re having fun. On Paul Bunyan Day, we compete the Nebagamon way. We try our absolute hardest while prioritizing sportsmanship and fun.
I’ve seen that philosophy in action already today. During the pail filling relay, I saw a Lumberjack camper on the Great Lakes company leading cheers for the Long Bell company. I saw opponents high five and hug after a close battle in canoe tug of war, and another camper helped a friend up when he fell while playing speedball. Much of this excellent sportsmanship can be attributed to each company’s leaders.
Four 9th grade campers, the same campers who ran the morning lap around camp waking up their peers to start the day, captain each company. We call these campers Boss Loggers. Becoming a Boss Logger is a high honor as they are elected by their peers. Before the election, we encourage the campers to think about who would be best suited to make Paul Bunyan Day as fun as possible for the rest of camp, can provide leadership and motivation, and can support younger campers when they need it. It’s not a popularity contest or an opportunity to vote for the most athletic camper; it’s a chance to acknowledge Nebagamon style leaders.
This summer, the 9th graders did an especially impressive job in their voting. Our four Boss Loggers have spent years establishing themselves as people who live the values of camp. They have gained reputations for their inclusion and kindness during their camper careers, making their cabins and villages places of welcome for all over the years. These Boss Loggers understand that success on Paul Bunyan Day hinges on fun rather than victory. The fact that Paul Bunyan Day has felt so good so far today, in terms of sportsmanship and teamwork, is in large part thanks to the work of these Boss Loggers.
As I write, campers are concluding this morning’s waterfront events and getting ready to head to lunch. We’ll pick up again for an afternoon of more fun and competition, and, before we know it, the time will come to say goodbye to Paul Bunyan Day until next summer. We will conclude our day with a unique Council Fire, written by a couple of particularly funny counselors. This is iconic Nebagamon: the campers whole heartedly throw themselves into a day of competition, trying their hardest to win, and then, that evening, easily put aside the competitive juices and enjoy a Council Fire with ALL their camp friends, together, as one camp family. We’ll laugh along with the goofy skits before hearing the results of the day’s competition. One team will come out on top, but we’ll all win. We’ll go to bed with ear-to-ear smiles (and very hoarse voices!!) from an unbelievably fun day.
Happy Paul Bunyan Day!
All is well in the Northwoods…
