By Noah Stein
Camp Nebagamon is a summer camp and a museum.
In the Big House we flip through photo albums from past summers. We ask, “was it mandatory to wear white tank tops in the 1950s?” “We used to have horseback riding?” “What happened to those canvas tents when it rained?”
In our cabins, photos of past cabin groups line the walls. Scanning the photos we wonder what each group was like and the nature of the friendships they formed. In the photos, some groups struck poses, or held props. Others chose to match. We notice groups who all wore flannel shirts and think, “gee, they really took this Lumberjack thing seriously.”
In the Rec Hall, between bites of brownie glop, we study Big Trip plaques crafted by Lumberjacks upon their return from expeditions to Isle Royale National Park and Quetico Provincial Park. The images painted on them and the “names” of the trips– designated by the campers in the group based on a theme from their adventure– invite us to tell ourselves stories about what happened on that journey. We speculate about what Pink Floyd songs they sang as they paddled on Dark Side of the Loon, and the validity of the stories behind the iconic 1964 Survival Big Trip, which boasts on its plaque: 12 days of rain, one day of snow, six forced base camp days, fevers, and sub freezing temperatures!
While these memories and friendships live on in perpetuity through Camp’s exhibits, they also live within everyone who has spent a summer at Nebagamon. That truth is never clearer than at a Camp reunion. In each city we’ve visited this winter, alumni– some who haven’t stepped foot on the grounds in decades– have shared stories from their camping days. They’ve told tales documented in the Big House albums. (It turns out it wasn’t so fun when it rained on canvas tents). They’ve described how friendships, first captured in cabin photos, blossomed throughout their lives. (Bonding over mutual appreciation for flannel is a great way to start a friendship)! They’ve even elaborated on the stories behind their big trip titles. (We’ve heard the tales from Survival were all real)!
Alumni have also shared stories about the values instilled in them at Nebagamon. One alum talked about showing up at Camp for the first time as an Axeman. Many of his cabinmates knew each other already, but they went out of their way to make him feel welcome. He said he’s carried that kindness with him ever since. Another described how navigating conflicts with his cabinmates helped him grow in empathy. Yet another shared how living in a cabin group with campers from around the country, and around the world, shaped his understanding of inclusivity as he recognized there is so much we can learn from all of our different experiences.
When we flip through the Big House albums, crane our necks to check out cabin plaques, and daydream of bygone big trips during a meal in the Rec Hall, we see the memories and friendships forged through experiences like horseback riding, and white tank tops, and Pink Floyd-themed backpacking trips. (…hey, it was the ‘70s)! We also see the names and faces of generations of our Camp Family and know that they are out in the world carrying with them the values they took away from their camping days.
Every summer when we explore Camp’s exhibits we’re inspired to follow in the footsteps of those who came before us by bringing Camp’s values like kindness, empathy, and inclusivity back home with us. We are inspired to make our worlds feel a little more like Camp Nebagamon.
