The following has been updated from a Keylog story from 2010. But of course, sermonettes are eternal…
It is a small, metal note card file that appears to date from the Truman Administration. Rusting and slightly warped from the years, it is an eminently unassuming container. But open it, and it is like an antidote to Pandora’s box, releasing wit and wisdom, exhortation and epiphany, life lessons and clever turns of phrase. As the fading letters on the top of the box tell us, these are SERMONETTES – part, as Jessie Stein Diamond well puts it, of the “transmission of values… built into so many rituals at camp.” And as Nebagamon traditions go, few are as entrenched as this pithy pre-meal practice.
Yet it is also a box full of mystery, its origins largely lost in the Nebagahaze over the decades. Joe Hirschhorn once recalled that when he started at camp in 1940 sermonettes were usually given by Muggs Lorber himself. Now, of course, an ever-changing parade of campers reminds their peers that “nothing is harder on your laurels than resting on them” or that “the largest room in the world is the room for improvement” or that “the size of a man is not found by measuring his feet, but by measuring his footsteps.”
Where do the sermonettes come from? Considering the diversity of the note cards themselves – white cards, yellow cards, pink cards, most typed, some written, from a vast spectrum of sources – the genesis of each is a tale of its own. Back in the day, it wasn’t unusual for staff or older campers to offer Muggs sayings that they found meaningful. Roger Wallenstein used to lift clever adages from his datebook and type them onto note cards using an old IBM Selectric. Steph Hanson has come across quotable quotations while surfing the Internet. As a teenager, Jane Stein Kerr stumbled upon a catalog of inspirational posters – “the kind,” she says, “that now make me groan but to an adolescent seemed profound.” She added a handful of them to the box, including a well-known classic concerning lemons and lemonade.
That particular note card is well-worn, missing a chunk, clearly a favorite among the mini-sermonizers. In fact, a trip through that sermonette box offers hints at preferences and quirks. Some oft-repeated cards are wrinkled and stained. Others appear crisp and new – not-yet-noticed bits of wisdom. On a few occasions, the same sermonette can be found on two different cards, as if discovered by two different generations. Often, the cards have been revised in an attempt to be non-gender specific – “man” and “him” having been changed to “person” and “them.”
Often, too, the sermonette sources are given credit on the cards themselves. Packed tightly into that box are a collection of writers (Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry David Thoreau, Elie Wiesel), philosophers (Nietzsche, Voltaire, Spinoza), presidents (Lincoln, Wilson, Eisenhower, Carter) and various icons (Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart). That 11-year-old relating words of wisdom to his peers just may be quoting Somerset Maugham or Margaret Mead or Oliver Wendell Holmes.
More interesting than the expected sources – the likes of Shakespeare and Einstein and Churchill – are the more obscure ones that have inhabited that metal container over the years. British Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell? Mid-20th century romance novelist Faith Baldwin? Celebrity columnist Lloyd Shearer? The list ranges from Reverend R. Inman to Rabbi Morris Adler to agnostic icon Robert Ingersoll to Yiddish humorist Leo Rosten.
Indeed, humor is a sermonette staple. Sometimes it comes in the form of accidental irony. For instance, Ben Franklin is credited with saying, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” However, on the note card it is spelled “Frenklin.” So much for knowledge. Usually, the comedy is intentional, often begging for a rim shot (“If someone is talking behind your back, then you’re probably heading in the right direction.”) Roger Wallenstein once contributed a line from Groucho Marx: “These are my principles, and if you don’t like them, I have others.” But to his chagrin, it remained largely unread. “I hope the card remains in the metal box,” he says.
But it may not, and that fluidity is another fascinating aspect of the sermonette box. While some join the club, others are edited for space. The Steins recall one autumn vacation in the 1960s when a drive to Chicago with relatives became a laugh-a-mile riot as they sorted through the box, separating the keepers from the rejects, some of which were staff or camper pranks. One of the discarded: “Boys are more in need of models than words.”
Still, some peculiarities remain. Like this one: “Never insult an alligator until after you have crossed the river.” And this one: “Any time you think you have influence, try ordering around someone else’s dog.”
Yes, some sermonettes can be an acquired taste. But Sally Stein has a decent explanation. “One man’s pithy saying,” she says, “is another’s puzzlement.”
The Rec Hall is a dining hall much in the way that the Waterfront is merely a little beach. SO MUCH MORE happens there. While the meals have been a longtime communal experience at camp, so have GTCs and movie nights and rainy day activities and (back in the day) political conventions. Here is a gallery of 30 photos covering nearly 90 years, proving the point:
We all know the iconic Rec Hall features – the second- and third-generation names that are quickly filling up one wall, the “WIN OR LOSE BE A GOOD SPORT” sign, the mounted deer head above the fireplace, the 1964 “Survival Big Trip” poncho… But there are somewhat hidden treasures amid the hodgepodge of history at the heart of camp, too. Here are a bunch of them, described in the captions below the photos:
The “WIN OR LOSE” sign is familiar, but did you know there’s a cabin and date written on it? “Swamper 6, 1941.” So the “Win or Lose” sign arrived just before the U.S. entered WW II.
Dozens of campers and staff served in that war. Muggs and Janet Lorber collected and framed photos of nearly 40 of them.
Roger Wallenstein’s face is depicted on the Paul Bunyan Day mural on the Lumberjack porch. He’s skating around a frying pan.
Orange paint dots are on the floor, marking where Swamper and Logger tables are centered.
Can’t find an overflow spot in the Rec Hall? You might find a few extra tables in the rafters.
Cabin photos — from 1929 — are part of a framed homage to Nebagamon’s first summer.
Resting beneath the Deacon Seat is a small, self-explanatory box — “JUDY’S SOAP BOX.”
The oldest Big Trip plaque might be the canoe paddle announcing the “1935 Big Trip Rostrum.” But there are quite a few pioneering plaques in the Rec Hall, including a 1952 Porcupine Mountains excursion, as well as Isle Royale and Madeline Island adventures in 1967. And the smallest? A spoon-sized, unadorned understatement: Big Trip ’65.
In 1978, 20-year staff member Bob Blackbourn gave Nardie and Sally Stein an unexpected gift, now hanging in the Rec Hall.
The bookshelves behind the Logger tables in the Rec Hall brim with countless, largely forgettable old tomes. But one, at least, was rather prescient concerning the off-season travels of a certain camp director: Adam of the Road.
Want an inspiring way to experience CN year-round? Leave it on your coffee table. There are still copies of THANKS FOR THE PINES: A Celebration of Camp Nebagamon available here. Hundreds of photos, dozens of essays, countless memories. Open it any time you’re feeling wistful.
Keep us posted! You can send life updates to Louis Levin in the Camp Nebagamon office (louis@campnebagamon.com) or directly to Keylog editor Brad Herzog (brad@bradherzog.com).
Joe Kirkish (Houghton, MI 52-58), now 96 years old, was the camp photographer (both officially and unofficially) for many years. He has published a 330-page memoir, Long Exposure. It is available online from various outlets, where it is described as “a lively and probing self-portrait by Joe Kirkish, a living legend of Michigan’s Copper Country.” Here’s a snippet from Joe’s Amazon.com bio: “Besides teaching from 1956 to 1988 in the Humanities Department at Michigan Technological University, Kirkish also founded WGGL (the FM campus station that became one of the charter NPR stations). For over sixty years, he has been a columnist for Houghton’s Daily Mining Gazette… Kirkish’s career as a photographer also spans many decades. Beginning in his teens, he did freelance work, first for the Gazette and eventually for college and daily newspapers throughout the region. In addition, he developed the photography program at Camp Nebagamon (Wisconsin), which houses a collection of his work shot there from 1952 to 1967.”
Joe Kirkish
Hugh Broder (Detroit/NYC 66-69, 74-75, 16-19) and Jeremy Kotin (Chicago/NYC 94-96) teamed up to produce the film He Went That Way about a remarkable road trip in which a serial killer and man who trained a famous chimp wind up together on a road trip. Believe it or not, it’s based on a true story. They are hoping to release the film (starring Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinto) early next year… Matt Hoffman (Glencoe/Highland Park, IL 73-78, 80) picked up a statuette at the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards last December. He won for editing “Sweet Home Chicago,” a music video that raised a good sum of money for the Arts For Illinois Relief Fund. The video featured performers ranging from Julia Louis Dreyfus and Jim Belushi to George Wendt and the Joffrey Ballet. Matt also was nominated for the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s “Celebrating Sir Andrew Davis: From Mozart to Stravinsky.”
Larry Held (Houston/Armenia 74-78, 83-92, 14-17) is currently heading USAID’s Armenia Integrity Project, a five-year project intended to reduce opportunities for corruption and reinforce public demand for improved governance and accountability in Armenia. Before that, he spent nearly four years in Ukraine, and he sent in a sad update regarding the tragedy there and experiences of his wife Sara and son Ari: “Yes, the situation in Ukraine has been devastating all around. Mostly Sara and I are feeling helpless sitting here in Armenia and wishing we could help folks in Ukraine more. Fortunately, my former staff there is safe and sound but a couple had harrowing experiences getting out of Kyiv. One in particular was trapped in a basement in Bucha for 10 days. One of Ari’s basketball teammates had his apartment complex destroyed but he and his family survived. No words.”
2016 village directors
Peter Blair (Memphis/Charlotte 86-90, 92-98, 01) has been named President and CEO of the Lynnwood Foundation in Charlotte, NC. The foundation maintains and preserves The Duke Mansion (a national historic site in Charlotte) and operates The Lee Institute, which focuses on building collaborative community leadership… Nebagamon associate director Adam Fornear (Duluth, MN 92-94, 96-97, 01, 04-22) was named Member of the Month for January by the Lake Nebagamon Volunteer Fire Department… Rob Wile (Chicago/Miami 97-01, 03-05) is a business news reporter for NBC Digital… Sam Prince (St. Louis ’02-’07,’12,’15) is the Regional Admissions Counselor for his Alma Mater, Bard College. Traveling to high schools that are west of the Mississippi River… Travis Timm (Austin, TX 12) is a firefighter in his hometown… Jonah Docter-Loeb (D.C. 11-17, 19-21) was awarded a $5,000 prize for his start up, Reveal, as part of a Carleton College Start Up Fellowship competition… Arthur William Brook Young (Isle of Skye, Scotland 15-16, 19) has started a new folk band, called Carnan, with a friend…. Heidi Serwer (Chicago, family camp) has released a new record called Palm Tree on the Drywall. It’s available for digital download on Bandcamp and iTunes, or you can check it out here!
Our productive alumni:
Andy Cohen (St. Louis, New York City 78-83) — Lucy
Andrew Schram (Boston 94-99) and Yuan Zhang — Eli
Tucker Slosburg (Kansas City/Seattle 93-99, 02-11) and Krista Slosburg — Adira
Barry Dan (New York 95-01) and Jackie Iger — Miles
Derek Iger (Culver City, CA 98-03) and Alix Henick — Olive
Joel Saslawsky (Memphis 02-08, 10-12) and Stephanie Saslawsky — Sophie
2021 family campers… Front row: Joey Apter, Steve Apter, Andy Mack, Marilyn Gordon, Brian Adler, Chuck Adler, Hugh Broder, Jon Colman, Hank Carne, Bud Herzog, Bill Hensel, Jaime Hensel, Jaye Hensel. Second row: Adam Kaplan, Katie Neusteter, Mark Carman, Mike Singer, Brian Kramer, Allen Bennett, Eli Striker, Bob Striker, Keri Rosenbloom, Aimee Knutson, Bud Friedman, Adam Bezark, John Bezark, Steph Hanson. Third row: Alex Gordon, Matt Goshko, Brad Baumgarten, Jim Koretz, Mark Caro, David Serwer, Ben Serwer, Jeff Cohen, Jon Star, Brad Herzog, Peter Braude, Dana Gustafson, Jean Gustafson, Ken Kanter, Tony Blumberg, Bruce Rogen, Jon Rogen
The Camp Nebagamon Charities website www.cncharities.org is dedicated to both the Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund (CNSF) and Camperships For Nebagamon (CFN). Learn about different donation options, read about each charity, and more.
New Level of Alumni Support for Nebagamon-Affiliated Charities
Nebagamon’s alumni community has stepped up support for our affiliated charities in recent years in meaningful ways. In addition to generous direct support for both Camperships for Nebagamon and the Camp Nebagamon Scholarship Fund, alumni have increasingly encouraged donations to one or both funds as memorials and to honor happy occasions. Camp Nebagamon Charities also instituted a virtual keylog program, a means of giving while thanking someone special (you can donate and fill out a message here). Contributions are split evenly between Nebagamon’s two affiliated charities. You will receive two separate emails confirming your contribution to each fund. If you’d like to give a unique donation to CFN or CNSF of if you’d like to give a gift in honor or memory of someone, please use the CFN-specific and CNSF-specific donation pages.
CNSF helps hundreds of children and teens who experience poverty and disability attend non-profit summer camps that specialize in meeting their needs. Recipient camps (located near communities where Nebagamon campers live) offer expert therapeutic and adaptive recreation and a nurturing environment for kids who have been exposed to adversity and trauma. Children are among peers and role models for success at these camps as they enjoy friendship, adventure and personal growth — opening new possibilities for a more positive future.
CNSF was founded in 1947 by Muggs and Janet Lorber, Nebagamon’s founding directors, and administered for 50+ years by Nebagamon’s former directors, Nardie and Sally Lorber Stein. Check out our Instagram and Facebook page to learn more!
The following individuals, foundations, and corporations supported CNSF from November 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022:
Jerry Abeles, Kahn-Abeles Foundation
Kathy and Rick Abeles
Scott Abramson
Steve Addison
The AK Guys
Mary Allen
Hayley and Max Alpert
American Express Foundation (Matching Gift)
Anonymous Donor
Pam and Tom Arenberg
Steve Arenberg
Susan Arenberg
Art and Marian Auer
Andrew and Elizabeth Baer
Camilla and Frank Baer
Deb and Joe Badt
Nancy and Richard Baer
Kathy and Stuart Barnett
Bob and Linda Barrows
Charlie Barrows
Jim and June Baumoel
Herb Behrstock
Rick Bendix, Jr.
Allen Bennett
Patricia Bentley
Babs and Bob Benton
Ronald Berk
Howard and Rhoda Bernstein
Rita Bernstein
Peter Bloch Family
Michael Blonsky
Adam Bloom
Lisa and Paul Blumberg
Jim Blumenfeld and Chris Cooney
Carolyn and Rodney Borwick
Elizabeth and John Breyer Jr.
Hugh Broder
Dale Brodsky
Matt Brody
Nyda and Phil Budig
Jeff Burnstine
Jeffrey and Susan Callen
Mark Caro and Mary Dixon
Larry Cartwright (In Memory)
Leway Chen and Marilyn Ling
Jessica Cheng
Bob and Stacie Chukerman
Ellen and Scott Chukerman
Reid Chukerman
Andy Cohen
Carol Bayersdorfer Cohen and Ed Cohen
Evelyn and Louis Cohen
Jeff Cohen and I. Autumn Le Greenberg
Mitch Cohen and Stephanie Tomasky
Bonnie and Mike Cole
Jeff Colman and Ellen Nissenbaum
Zack Colman Family
Buddy and Marilyn Cooper
Jim and Suzy Cornbleet
Stuart Cowles
Neal and Sally Cukerbaum
Charles Dan
Jennifer Daskal
Gene Dattel and Licia Hahn
Becky and Raven Deerwater
Michelle and Stan DeGroote
Dan DeHovitz Family
Elissa DeLuccy
Michael Deutsch
Bill and Leann Dexter
Jessie and Scott Diamond
Lou and Marilyn Diamond
David Dreifus and Jennifer Sosensky
Jed Dreifus
Jon Dreifus
Bill Dubinsky and Elizabeth Moss
Ellen and Henry Dubinsky
William Eastman and Cynthia Garnholtz
Sarah Eberhard
Steve Ehrlich
Bob Elisberg
Peter Fechheimer and Jeannette McNeil
Kelli Cohen Fein, M.D. and Martin Fein
Jim Feldman and Christine Taylor
Nancy Fendrich
Amarinder Bindra and Amy Foxman
Amarinder Bindra and Amy Foxman Wedding (In Honor)
Brad Foxman
Judy and Ron Foxman
Marjorie and Terry Franc
Cindy and Steve Frank
Roxanne Frank
Janet Freed
Bill and Laura Freeman
Dan Freund
Marilyn Freund
Barbara and Richard Fried
David and Debbie Friedman
Jodi and Matt Friedman
William Friedman
Greg and Osnat Gafni-Pappas
Faith Haber Galbraith
Betsy and Spencer Garland
Alan Geismer, Jr.
Ben and Logan Gerber
Diane and Toby Gerber
Aliza and Jim Gerstein
David and Ellen Gibbs
Ricky Gitt
Bob and Susan Glasspiegel
Brian Goldberg
Lindsay and Michael Goldberg
Bill and Susan Goldenberg
Chad and Debbie Goldenberg
Stephen Goldfarb
Elaine and Mike Goldman
Thomas Goldman
Abby and Michael Goldstein Family
Joanie and Mark Goldstein
Jonathan Goldstein
Jack Goodman
Marty Gradman
Jim and Martha Gray
Josh Gray
Roger Greenbaum
Greene Family Foundation
Scott Greenwald
Debbie and Paul Guggenheim
Bill and Cheryl Guthman
Alan and Julie Halpern
Howard and Wendy Handler
Jon and Judith Harris
Ted Harris
John Hart
Paula Hassinger
Sara Feinstein and Larry Held
Barnett and Shirley Helzberg, Jr. Foundation
Bill and Jaye Hensel
Jaime Hensel
Alice and Joe Herz
Barbara Herz
Bob and Karen Herz
Amy and Brad Herzog
Bud and Hazel Herzog
Dana, Oliver and Quincy Hirt
Jennifer Hodges
Ellyn and Matt Hoffman
Joanne and Richard Hoffman
Mitch and Sara Hoffman
Douglas and Hallie Hohner
Cathy Ann Kaufman Iger and Mark Iger
Dan Jackson
Ted Jadwin
Craig and Shari Jankowsky
Jan Jankowsky
Anne and Fred Joseph III
Ed Juda
Caryn and Harlan Kahn
Ken Kanter
Stephanie Hanson and Adam Kaplan
Laura Dembo and Andy Kaplan
Cheryl Bondy Kaplan and Mark Kaplan
Jean and Steve Kaplan
Michael Kaplan
Jami and Nick Kasle
Jennifer Gilbert-Kaufmann and Robert Kaufmann
Dmitri and Irene Kaznachey
Euan and Jane Kerr
Wendy Bloom and Arthur Kessler
Micki Klearman
Aimee Kleiman
Heide and Jim Klein
Klein Family Foundation (Steve and Yael Klein)
Jay Kolbrener
Bud Kolbrener II
Lauri and Ron Koretz
Rick and Stephanie Koretz
Alan Korn and Claudia Simons
Kerry Kornfeld and Andrea Wilson, M.D.
Andrea and Brian Kramer
Eric Kramer and Sara Jill Rubel
Danielle Brinker and John Kramer
Janet Koestring and John Kupper
Laura Lai
Emily and Michael Laskin
Joe Laskin
Dan Laytin
Nancy Laytin
Michael Lefko
Rose Lenehan
Bob and Cissy Lenobel
Syd Lerner Family
Jill and John Levi
Jeff Levinson
Lia Grigg and Dan Levis
Joshua Levy
Hoagie Lippman
Steve Loeb
Tom Loeb
M.J. Lowe
Richard Lowenthal
Leslie and Paul Lux
Ken and Laura Mack
Kitty and Mike Maidenberg
Jorie and Robby Malk
Nancy Marcus
Dru Margolin
Margot and Patrick Materer
Todd Maurer
Jack and Lynn May
Nancy Brown, M.D. and Andrew May
Matt and Norah Meadows
Medtronics (Matching Gifts)
Beth and Mike Melton
David and Deborah Mendelson
Mike Mendelsohn
Julia Gittleman, Ph.D. and Tom Mendelsohn
Misa Galazzi and David Michel
Malcolm and Paula Milsten
Zach Mollengarden
Erika and John Montag
Jamie and Leah Myers
Kristin Ahlberg and Phil Myers
Bill Nefsky
Bob and Mary Nefsky
Brian Neil
Rick Cohn and Ben Neuman
Lee Anne Hartley and Tom Nevers
Robert Oppenheimer
Brenda and Sandy Passer
PepsiCo (Matching Gifts)
David and Rachel Perlman
Jan and Joe Plas
Jim Platt and Deborah Snyder
Jennifer Pritzker, IL ARNG (Ret)
Arthur and Henry Pulitzer
Lisa Pulitzer
David and Kim Reich
Steve Reichert
Gloria and Lionel Reiman
Leon Jacobson and Lissy Reiman
Renee Reiner
Frank and Joan Revson
Joshua Berman and Lillian Ringel
Jay and Jennifer Riven
Hana Ruzicka Rivkin and Steven Rivkin
Larry and Michele Rivkin
Don Robertson
Janet and Lee Rodgers
Cindy and Jon Rogen
Anthony and Marya Rose
Jim and Sherri Rosen
Kathy and Skip Rosenblatt
Ellie and Trent Rosenbloom
Carol and Roger Rosenthal
Marc Rubenson
Trish Russell
Chris and Frank Sachs
Karen and Ken Saland
Mike Samuels
Jon and Sue Scharff
Karen Schiff
Bennett and Shelley Schmidt
Helen and William Schneider
Fred and Pat Schonwald, Jr.
Lynn and Max Schrayer
Carol and Jeff Schulman
Andrew Schwarz
Monique and Robert Schweich
Arlene Semel
Colleen Carroll and Mitch Semel
Joe and Sara Shacter
Jodi and Tom Shapira
Susie Ansehl and Rand Shapiro
Jackie Mack and Ted Silberstein
Bob and Natalie Silverman
Linda and Ron Sklar
Daniel and Rey Skora
Bill and Judy Sloan
Grace Slosburg
Krista Nelson and Tucker Slosburg
Geula and Josh Solomon
Nancy Chasen and Don Spero
Frank and Mindy Star
Irene and Norton Starr
Elena Stein
Nardie and Sally Stein
Perrin and Ted Stein
Corky and Rick Steiner Family Foundation
David Stern and Mary Elizabeth Calhoon Stern
Bob Striker and Patrice Tetta
Philip and Rebecca Susser
Theo Tannahill
TAWANI Foundation
Alan and Jo Anne Travis
Madge Treeger
Donald Ullmann
Jackie and Steve Waldman
Judy and Roger Wallenstein
Esther Starrels and John Wasserman
Catherine Weber
Harriet and Paul Weinberg
Michael Weinberg II
Cathy and Craig Weiss
Adam and Deborah Winick
Lee Wurtzburger
Emily and Jason Yale
David Zalk
Cory Zigler
John Zuraw
Camperships for Nebagamon (CFN) was established in 1995 to enable children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to have a camping experience. Over the years, the CFN endowment fund has provided camperships for boys to attend Nebagamon and girls to attend Camp WeHaKee. Campers receiving camperships help to diversify their camp communities by virtue of their racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic status. In addition, CFN continues the tradition of support to sons and grandsons of Nebagamon alumni who demonstrate financial need.
Over the past decade, more than 500 Camperships have been given out to more than 250 boys and girls attending Nebagamon and WeHaKee. Over $2 million has gone to support the cost of tuition and related expenses for these boys and girls.
The following individuals, foundation, and corporations supported CFN from November 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022:
Keith Abeles and Amy Levin
Kathy and Rick Abeles
Cecelia and Mickey Abramson
Scott Abramson
Steve Addison
Chuck and Ruth Adler
The AK Guys
Richard Allman
Hayley and Max Alpert
Amazon Smile Foundation
Pam and Tom Arenberg
Jeanne and Michael Aronoff
David and Lisa Aronson
Art and Marian Auer
Deb and Joe Badt
Andrew and Elizabeth Baer
Nancy and Richard Baer
David and Karen Balser
Drew and Jenna Barnett
Kathy and Stuart Barnett
Bob and Linda Barrows
Charlie Barrows
Brad Baumgarten and Deborah Ernest
Jim and June Baumoel
Lynn and Robert Behrendt
Herb Behrstock
Rick Bendix, Jr.
Allen Bennett
Babs and Bob Benton
Peter and Sarah Beren
Bert and Joan Berkley
Bob Best and Linda Tate
Adam Bloom
Alison and Andy Bloom
Bob Bloom and Alison Kamine
Lisa and Paul Blumberg
Susan and Tony Blumberg
Jim Blumenfeld and Chris Cooney
Ronald Borod
Adam and Julie Braude
Elizabeth and John Breyer, Jr.
Hugh Broder
Dale Brodsky
Barbara and Jim Bronner
Ann and Ken Brown
Jean and Mark Burnstine
Jeff Burnstine
Mark Caro and Mary Dixon
Larry Cartwright (In Memory)
Bob and Stacie Chukerman
Ellen and Scott Chukerman
Carol Bayersdorfer Cohen and Ed Cohen
Jeff Cohen and I. Autumn Le Greenberg
Lisa and Sherman Cohen
Bonnie and Mike Cole
Kevin Cole
Jeff Colman and Ellen Nissenbaum
Jon and Suzi Colman
Mary Connelly
Joe Crownhart
Jennifer Daskal
Jerry Dattel
Jane Davis
Becky and Raven Deerwater
Michelle and Stan DeGroote
Elissa DeLuccy
Michael Deutsch
Bill and Leann Dexter
Ian Diamond
Jessie and Scott Diamond
Steve Domsky and Deborah Pollack
David Dreifus and Jennifer Sosensky
Bill Dubinsky and Elizabeth Moss
Bob Dubinsky and Sara Rubenstein
Steve Ehrlich
Deborah and Joe Eppstein
Fred Fechheimer
Dan Feldman and Gayle Weiswasser
Jim Feldman and Christine Taylor
Mary and Richard Fisher
Brad Foxman
Dan and Julie Frank
Michael and Molly Frank
Adam Frapart
Bill and Laura Freeman
Bill Friedman and Marissa Jones
Jane and Sam Friedman
Jodi and Matt Friedman
Lisa and Steve Friedman
Greg and Osnat Gafni-Pappas
Judy Garfinkel
Betsy and Spencer Garland
Alan Geismer, Jr.
Scott Genshaft
Ben and Logan Gerber
Laurie Bruder and Tom Gerson
David and Ellen Gibbs
Ricky Gitt
Heather and Seth Gladstein
Bob and Susan Glasspiegel
Bill and Susan Goldenberg
Chad and Debbie Goldenberg
Stephen Goldfarb
Frederick Goldsmith
Malcolm and Mildred B. Goldsmith
Jonathan Goldstein
GOOGLE, Inc. (Matching Gifts)
Janice Anderson and Tom Gram
Jim and Martha Gray
Josh Gray
Greene Family Foundation
Scott Greenwald
Debbie and Paul Guggenheim
Bill and Cheryl Guthman
Jon and Judith Harris
John Hart
Paula Hassinger
Mike Heldman
Bill and Jaye Hensel
Jaime Hensel
Joel Hensel
Amie and Fred Herbert
Alice and Joe Herz
Barbara Herz
Bob and Karen Herz
Jennifer Herz
Amy and Brad Herzog
Bud and Hazel Herzog
Carol and Richard Hillsberg
Jason Hirschhorn
Marilyn and Joseph Hirschhorn
Douglas and Hallie Hohner
Anne Ledell-Hong and Nathaniel Hong
Maggie Horvath and Alex Stone
Cathy Ann Kaufman Iger and Mark Iger
Derek Iger
Helaine and Warner Isaacs
Dan Jackson
Amy and Craig Jacobs
Craig and Shari Jankowsky
Kathy and Mike Jay
Anne and Fred Joseph III
Ed Juda
Bob and Fiona Kahn
Caryn and Harlan Kahn
Amy and Jim Kalishman
Diane and John Kalishman
Nancy Kalishman
Ken Kanter
Daniel, Suzanne & Noah Kanter
Steph Hanson and Adam Kaplan
Cheryl Bondy Kaplan and Mark Kaplan
Marjorie and Robert Kaplan
Benjamin Katz
Jennifer Gilbert-Kaufmann and Robert Kaufmann
Dmitri and Irene Kaznachey
Euan and Jane Kerr
Klein Family Foundation (Steven and Yael Klein)
Tom Kolbrener
Bud Kolbrener II
Elissa and JK Koretz
Lauri and Ron Koretz
Rick and Stephanie Koretz
Kerry Kornfeld and Andrea Wilson
Eric Kramer and Sara Jill Rubel
Danielle Brinker and John Kramer
Roberta De Araujo and Ron Kreisman
Dan Laytin
Nancy Laytin
Eli Lehrer
Rose Lenehan
Bob and Cissy Lenobel
Jeff and Suzanne Levi
Jeff Levinson
Lia Grigg and Dan Levis
Hoagie Lippman
Courtney and Eddie Loeb
Henry Docter and Elizabeth Loeb
Tom Loeb
Andy Mack
Ken and Laura Mack
Jorie and Robby Malk
David Manowitz
Fred and Joyce Marcus
Dru Margolin
Julie and Steve Mathes
Robert Matz and Peggy Warner
Erin McDaid
McKinsey & Company (Matching Gift)
Matt and Norah Meadows
Bill Mendelsohn and Peggy Tracy
Don and Marji Mendelsohn
Lauren Martini and Matthew Mendelsohn
Mike Mendelsohn
Julia Gittleman, Ph.D. and Tom Mendelsohn
Audrey and Danny Meyer
Bo and Lois Meyer
Nancy Meyer and Marc Weiss
Misa Galazzi and David Michel
Zach Mollengarden
Jean Moog
Zach Muzik
Spence Myer
Kristin Ahlberg and Phil Myers
Bill Nefsky
Bob and Mary Nefsky
Andy and Peggy Newman
Gregg and Jodi Newmark
NMSC – New Markets Support Company (Matching Gift)
Sundays are special at Camp Nebagamon. It’s surely obvious to all of you who spent summers at camp—a bit like saying that DQ blizzards are refreshing. But I’ll say it again: Sundays are special. In fact, I’d argue that the whole day is refreshing.
It starts with a late wake-up, which is always nice (unless you happen to be a Swamper counselor), followed by a breakfast of cinnamon rolls or coffee cake. No complaints about that. Ever. So the camp family actually starts the day refreshed.
Then the Sunday Service, which is always a wonder to me on several levels. First, the camp family arrives in silence. I always find it remarkable that the same campers who turn the Rec Hall into a cacophony of sound can muster up the restraint to arrive quietly at the Chuck Hirsch Shrine and remain respectfully silent for the duration. Refreshing.
The Sunday choir is always a revelation, too. Over the years, it has transformed only slightly. What was a piano back in the day may now be a guitar accompaniment, or a bongo, or maybe even a saxophone. And there are at least as many campers as counselors in the choir (this may have something to do with escaping cabin cleanup duties). And the songs aren’t always traditional (Cynthia Rolfe opted for “Monster Mash” a couple of summers ago). But always, it’s comforting to hear a subsection of the camp family singing beneath the whispering pines. And always, the songs are relevant to the subject matter.
1994
That subject is chosen by the speaker, of course. And as you’ll see in the “SUNDAY MORNING” piece in this newsletter, there is no shortage of topics. But we choose the speaker, and it’s a deliberate choice. When Stephanie introduces the person and highlights their background, I am constantly reminded about how impressive our staff’s accomplishments are—both within camp and beyond it.
Then, of course, once they start speaking, I’m reminded further. Surely, alumni recall their favorite Sunday Services. I’m certain the current campers and counselors will, too. Two summers ago, when associate director Adam Fornear talked about how “There is always a way,” the notion of finding a means of solving problems via advice and imagination undoubtedly resonated with campers who might be eyeing a big trip or trying to make the archery team or navigating relationships with cabinmates. And when Jaye Hensel discussed her lifelong experiences with a physical disability, there was certainly nobody sitting under those pines who wasn’t profoundly moved. In this day and age, when it seems like civil discourse and an appreciation of wisdom can be in short supply, respectful listening is, yes, refreshing.
Larry Cartwright, 1974
Another Sunday tradition: watermelon. Always refreshing, too. And quite the tradition, as you’ll see in the photos in the “SUNDAY AFTERNOON” section of this Keylog.
1988
And then, of course, the Sunday evening activity (see “SUNDAY EVENING”)—a Council Fire. I suspect there aren’t too many alumni who didn’t participate in one way or another—either as a writer, a speaker, or a cast member. I’ve always contended that the Council Fire is the best part of each week. Through skits and monologues, humor and profundity, we get a full understanding of camp’s connections, camp’s challenges and successes and lessons, camp’s summer-specific inside jokes, camp’s magic. From the beginning (“Our camp family is now assembled”) to the end (“All Night, All Day”), Council Fires are the heart and soul of camp.
Take initiative. Challenge yourself. Support a friend. Make good choices. Have a good attitude. Be your best you. Whatever the topic, it is always another reminder—of the creativity of our staff and the amazing ways in which they are able to mix a dollop of silliness with a heavy dose of perceptiveness.
1963
They do it all in front of a comfortable crackling fire that fades as darkness descends. And then it is time to, yes, refresh that fire. The Keylog Ceremony may be my favorite moment of my favorite part of my favorite day at camp. It offers several things:
Opportunity: A camper or staff member can offer a very public thank you or homage, whether it’s toward a counselor who helped them overcome homesickness, or a friend who helped through a challenge in the Boundary Waters, or a family member struggling at home. More than a few campers simply find the words to thank Nebagamon itself.
Inspiration: I find it inspiring that anyone, whether age 8 or 68, can find the courage to stand in front of a few hundred people and emote. I suspect it stems from gratitude and a certain self-realization. But I always find it life-affirming.
Finally, a physical metaphor: All of that gratitude, that emotion, slowly but surely rebuilds the fire into a raging flame. It punctuates the Sunday with an exclamation point—just before we head back to our cabins, we warm ourselves by a fire generated completely by the kindness and consideration of the members of our family. And after all, we all aim to Keep the Fires Burning.
When Nardie and Sally Stein retired from camp and cleaned out their files, Sally purged the file containing all of her Sunday Services—a move she regrets. So her recollections about the sermons she imparted through thirty years of mornings at the Chuck Hirsch Shrine are understandably general. “Hmm, what subjects did I talk about all those years? I know I discussed evaluating change and how to adjust to it, using all of your senses (I passed around examples of taste and smell, also played part of a beautiful violin concerto), being alert to the world around you, living an optimistic life. And I often sent a message to empower social action,” she says. “I am in my late eighties now, and perhaps after all those Sunday sermons, the numbers might be with me. Hopefully among the hundreds of campers and staff who heard my talks, there are those who remember other messages I hoped to send into their lives. ”The same goes for all of the camp directors who gave myriad Sunday talks through the years. Of course, for most Camp Nebagamon staff members, the opportunity to give even one Sunday Service is a seminal experience. Jon Colman, for instance, still owns the notes from his 1976 service. So we wondered: With an old photo to spark a memory, how well do camp alumni recall the messages they sent out on a singular Sunday morning.
Jon Colman (1976): My speech stressed the importance of being your own person and making up your own mind and not giving in to outside pressures. And if you do your own soul searching and make a decision that is best for you, this will lead to a better and fulfilled life and path for you.
Charles Hirschhorn (1977): Who ever forgets their Sunday Service? My topic was “common sense.” Since I led bicycling trips on the trip staff that summer, I discussed assembling a bicycle as a metaphor for putting together the elements in assembling practical, usable common sense. At the end, I asked for a volunteer to ride the bike. I chose a front-row Swamper, but unfortunately I forgot to lower the seat, which had been installed very high. My ending did not reinforce my topic! Much more recently (2013), my talk was: What I Learned Playing 4-square. From having fun to serving others, lots of great life lessons are found on the 4-square court.
Hank Pulitzer (2016): That one was about “finding your inner camp person.” The idea, more or less, was that a “camp person” is someone who see what needs to get done and just does it without being asked. It’s someone who goes the extra mile and does the job no one wants—and with a smile on their face. I spoke about people in my camp life who helped me find my inner camp person and gave specific examples of things they did that left a mark on me. Then, in closing, I encouraged everyone to look around and find someone who was helping them to discover their inner camp person and then to go one step further and take that camp person into the rest of the world outside of camp.
Josh Davis (1983): OMG! When was I that young? I spoke about Martin Luther King, Jr.—and about standing up for what you believe in. I quoted from his speeches and tried to explain what real courage is. I made a terrible attempt to connect MLK to To Kill A Mockingbird. I remember boring the whole camp.
Jason Hirschhorn (2018): I gave this service on the topic of gratitude. Since I was (and still am) a high school teacher, I decided to assign some homework to the camp family at the service’s end. Here’s what I told everyone: “It’s 11 a.m. now, and we sing ‘Taps’ at 9:30 p.m., which means you have ten and a half hours left in the day. Take a small fraction of that time to think about someone at camp who’s done something for you and who often doesn’t get as much gratitude from you as they probably should. Make sure you know their name. Ask it if you don’t know it. And then go up to them, say hello, and tell them why you’re thankful for who they are and what they do.” I think it’s a good assignment for all of us to keep working on!
Bob Chukerman (1977): Thanks for taking me back in time. Not many pictures available with the beardless Bob. I do remember that day, nerves and all and I believe my service was about Communication. Those days had me working in the Axeman Village with a bunch of young teenagers, trying to build a strong cohesive group and thinking how important it was for them to learn to get along. Better communication and the ability to learn to express oneself seemed like a great place to start. One highlight of my talk that I remember is my discussion of the Jops. Back then, there were few dividers and no doors, so going to the Jop was a VERY social event. A lot of communication was done sitting around with your friends and also maybe somebody you really didn’t know so well. My guess is that it might have helped us all to learn that we are all more alike than we ever really thought. Well times have changed. Progress has been made, but who knows if the old ways wouldn’t be better for us and the art of communication.
Adam Fornear (2006): I decided to speak about wilderness…What is wilderness to you? For some, it’s being camped out in a 40-foot RV in Yellowstone National Park/ For others, it is backcountry paddling in Quetico Provincial Park. Were not here to judge, but what is important is that we all have a little bit of wilderness in our lives. And as an added bonus, the Nebaga-choir brought it all home at the end by singing “Dixieland Delight” by Alabama. Love those Sunday mornings at camp.
Raven Deerwater (1979): First of all, I had the camp choir sing “Ain’t no Stopping Us Now,” the first use of a disco song at a Nebagamon Sunday Service. Second of all, the unseen chart to my left contained a list of eight words that served both as an outline of the service and steps to think about as you approached your problems and situations. I don’t remember all eight words, but, in general, it was about making plans, carrying them out, and then evaluating to see if your plans worked and how they could be applied or modified in future endeavors. So I would say that overall it was a plan to create and carry out plans!
Jacob Blumenfeld (2013): The Sunday Service I presented was titled “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and it was about sincerity. I quoted a line from a “Calvin and Hobbes” book that I first read as a camper on the back porch of the Waldorf. My theory was (and is) that sincerity is the secret ingredient that makes everything at camp so great: men, women, and boys who 100% buy in to everything they do. The opening music was a Bach cello suite performed by my brother Sam. That quiet morning, surrounded by friends and family, listening to notes written over 280 years ago float through the pine trees was—sincerely—one of the most transcendent experiences of my life.
Hugh Broder (1975): While I no longer have the copy of my Sunday Service, I remember the subject. It’s hard to see in the photo, but hanging over my left shoulder is the painting of Muggs from the Big House living room in which he is sitting on a log, smoking his pipe, and there are thought bubbles or maybe puffs of smoke, sort of, representing what he is thinking. I can’t remember what’s in the specific bubbles/puffs, but my service was inspired by that painting, and it had to do with dreaming and making dreams come true.
Roger Wallenstein (1997): Sunday services always gave me an opportunity to communicate thoughts I had during the year. I often made a few notes to jog my memory as the first Sunday of the camping season approached. As a former camper, I had memories of the staff who truly made a positive impression on me. So one Sunday I fetched some photos from the archives to talk about these people and how I was impacted by their words and actions. Of course, one objective focused on raising awareness by the staff that they could be one of those individuals whose memory and influence would be felt years later. And I wanted our campers to realize that these folks were right there in their midst. All they had to do was be open to them. Those were wonderful Sundays.
Throughout the session, Director Noah Stein and other staff will post updates to keep you informed of the activities taking place at camp. If you would like to speak with Noah directly, call him at (715) 374-2275 or by email at noah@campnebagamon.com
