The Arrowhead

Camp Nebagamon's Monthly Newsletter

Volume XCV

Number 6

June 2023

We are squarely in the throes of pre-camp right now. These special two weeks set the table for the summer. The pre-camp crew puts in all of the camp docks, cleans all of the cabins, rakes every inch of this place, paints buildings, and a variety of other tasks so that when the kids arrive in just 18 days, their new home is just that…. a home.

Every summer, all of this work is executed by our pre-camp crew. Given the fact that this work begins just after Memorial Day, our pre-camp crew is usually made up largely of college students. This year, several of the crew are recent graduates. It is a really special couple of weeks here at camp as our numbers are smaller and while we still eat in the Rec Hall the smaller group results in a bit more of a family meal feel to things…. with less arguing of course! Given the fact that some of the crews are fresh from their graduations, and I will be heading in just a couple of days to watch my first child graduate from college (Yeah…little Joshua is graduating from Carleton College. And in a flash, I graduated too…. with a degree in OLD DUDE.), it is not surprising that a good deal of conversation has centered around the idea of graduation.

This is graduation season. In late May and early June, graduations are ubiquitous. From full-blown pomp and circumstance affairs like high school and college graduations to less grand middle school graduations, the traditional graduations abound. In recent years, the graduation circuit has become even more clogged with elementary school graduations and even pre-school graduations! (I can only imagine how hard it is to find a cap and gown in a 4T.) Throw on top of those ceremonies the after school pottery class graduations, the Tadpoles swim class graduations which mark the auspicious and life changing rite of passage into the Minnow class, and the graduation ceremonies marking the change from bottles to solid foods that are a hallmark of so many Mommy, Daddy and Me classes every spring (considered to be the absolute pinnacle of prestige for anyone on the commencement address circuit). Yes, there can be little doubt that this is the season of graduations.

While it is certainly fun to give a little grief to the pervasiveness of all of this graduating that is a part of the modern world, I actually am a firm believer in marking the comings and goings of different chapters of our lives. To be clear, while I don’t truly believe that a graduation from elementary school is that gigantic of an accomplishment, I really do believe in the value of marking the end of something. By doing so, we are gifted with the opportunity to look back at the forest, when so much of the hustle and bustle of our lives requires us to pay attention to just the trees. Graduation encourages us to look back and take stock….a very healthy endeavor.

But there is more to it than that….

It has been noted, I am sure many times, that graduation ceremonies are commonly referred to as “Commencement” ceremonies. Isn’t it fascinating that a ceremony that is all about celebrating past activities and previous accomplishments should be called “Commencement?” In my mind, this is a beautiful choice of words, for captured in that very small semantic decision is a very powerful statement. We are encouraged to look back with pride at our accomplishments, but also to understand that the end of one period of time leads to the beginning of another. Whether that new stage be entering the workforce, going to college, matriculation into middle school, or just moving into the revered Minnow swim lesson group, graduation does not signal solely an end….rather the end of one stage and the beginning of another.

I love that the graduation time of year juxtaposes so perfectly with the beginning of camp. Campers and staff alike will likely be looking back with pride at all they have accomplished throughout the school year. And while they are enjoying that sense of achievement, they will also be looking ahead. At this graduation time of year, with docks freshly erected at the waterfront, cabins cleaned and waiting for their summer occupants, the project board perfectly clear with only possibilities ahead, and a brand-new summer at Nebagamon about to begin, this is truly a COMMENCEMENT. It is all ahead of us. We will run hard, learn hard, play hard, laugh hard, and camp hard…until that last Council Fire on August 11^th. That Council Fire is written and performed by our 9^th and 10^th grade campers on their very last night as campers at Nebagamon…ever. It is their graduation night…Their commencement ceremony.

Can’t wait for our commencement ceremonies to begin on June 19!

Please Remember to Complete Your Camper Forms!

With camp just around the corner, our office has been busy checking in forms and getting ready for the first round of campers to arrive on June 18^th. Regardless of which session your child is attending at camp, please submit his required paperwork if you have not already done so.

Please make sure the following items are completed as soon as possible:

- Doctor’s Orders: A form signed by a doctor authorizing camp to administer daily over the counter supplements, vitamins, over the counter (OTC) medicines. These must be filled through CampMeds.
- Health History Form: Parents, make sure to complete all sections of this form (including medications and vaccination records) so that we are able to accurately understand your camper’s health history and prepare for his arrival. If your child needs daily medications, please place your order with CampMeds, Inc. at www.campmeds.com. The ordering deadline is 30 days prior to your son’s arrival at camp.
- Physician’s Examination Form: We need paperwork showing that your son has received a physical exam within the past 12 months. You may download our physician’s examination form for your child’s doctor to complete or submit a copy of similar documentation from the doctor’s office. Please note that any immunization records provided by your doctor should also be entered in your son’s online health history form by you.
- Medical Treatment Authorization Form: This form MUST be signed by a parent/guardian prior to camper arrivals. A copy of his health insurance card should also be attached.
- Objectives & Personality Form: This information helps our counselors prepare to guide your son towards completing a happy and productive summer. You may also email a more detailed letter to his counselors at [email protected].

Last, but not least, when you have logged in to the camper forms system, make sure YOUR contact information is up-to-date and that you have listed two emergency contacts besides a parent/guardian. You may do so by clicking on “Update Addresses/Phone Numbers” under the Your Family section.

Important Information Regarding Camper Luggage and Travel

LUGGAGE TAGS:

These should be firmly attached to every bag a camper brings with him, whether it is being checked in, carried on an airplane, or taken on the Chicago bus. This applies to everyone, regardless of airline or travel arrangements to camp. It is important that we, and airline personnel, are able to identify all baggage by the yellow Camp Nebagamon tags.

DUFFEL BAGS/LUGGAGE:

ALL Airlines: Please pre-pay baggage fees for your son’s return flight. (Please note that if for some reason the airline does not allow you to pre-pay, we will pay the fees on the return trip and charge your son’s spending money account.)

If you need to ship bags to camp, please notify Briggs ahead of time and send them at least one week prior to your son’s arrival at camp. Camp’s physical address (needed for any UPS/FedEx deliveries) is 11454 Camp Nebagamon Dr, Lake Nebagamon, WI 54849. Please note that if you also want the luggage shipped home at the end of the camp season, it is simplest for our office (and our local UPS & FedEx drivers) if you can mail to Briggs’s attention at camp ([email protected]) completed FedEx/UPS tags or forms. (Please note that due to limited storage space at camp, and our arrangement with the MSP airport, we do urge you to check bags on the trip home if possible, especially on Delta Airlines.)

CAMPERS TRAVELING VIA AIRPLANE:

If you are booking your tickets through our travel agent, Travel One, any questions about airline tickets should be directed to Travel One at 800-245-1111. Travel One issues electronic tickets for each camper, so do not worry about receiving a paper ticket for your child. If you are arranging travel independently, please submit the information via the online transportation form.

News of the Camp Family – June 2023

Compiled by Louis Levin

This winter, I watched a handful of episodes of an old Japanese show that popped up on Netflix called Old Enough! It was fairly popular, but if you haven’t seen it the show’s premise is both simple and charming: Japanese toddlers embark on their first solo errand, walking and riding public transit to pick up groceries for their family, with a film crew following behind. Most of the trips are pretty formulaic, and include a bit of preparation, followed by embarking on the journey, and some sort of hiccup (the toddler gets turned around, or they miss home, or they forget something they were supposed to do). The toddler works out the trouble, completes their task, and returns home triumphant. It’s very consumable, feel-good TV, and is as cute as can be.

I’ve been working with our new parents for a few years now, helping them prepare their campers for their first summer at camp. And while four or eight weeks away from home for the first time can be more daunting than an afternoon stroll to the corner store for an extra gallon of milk, I delighted in some of the similarities between our campers and parents, and the journeys on Old Enough! A classic shot on Old Enough! is the nervous parent hoping the journey goes ok, juxtaposed with the confident toddler leaving the house alone for the first time. Similarly, a refrain I’ve often heard from some of our new families is that the person who will have trouble this summer isn’t the camper, rather, it’s the nervous parent back at home. Perhaps on the show, a toddler gets lost and turned around, and luckily, there’s a helpful shopkeeper ready to assist in helping the child find their way. Just as at camp, when a new camper is having trouble picking projects on the first day of camp, the helpful cabin counselor is looking out to help them design their day. And every so often, a toddler fails on their mission – they return home empty handed, or with the incorrect grocery, or not having even found the correct store. But the toddler picks themselves up, gives it another go, and after another try, reaches success. A lot of new campers and parents are nervous about failure as well – failure to make friends, or to make camp feel like home, or to succeed at a new activities. Luckily, I know of no better place to practice failure than Camp Nebagamon, where the support of our community encourages campers to pick themselves up and give it another go.

It seems to me like growing up, striking it out on your own, and taking that big risk has a familiar shape to it, whether you’re a camper embarking on your first trip to summer camp, a parent sending your camper away for the first time, a staff member taking on a new summer job, a camp administrator trying to write a monthly column for the first time, or a Japanese toddler, uh, picking up a bouquet of flowers because Grandma is coming over tonight. I’m excited that in just a couple weeks, a few hundred firsts are about to happen, and I’ve been waiting all winter, watching these mini dramas play out on TV, looking forward to the adventures that are about to begin.

As for Arrowhead news, we’re on hiatus until October, but I’m sure you’ll have plenty news to share over the summer. Keep the news coming to [email protected], and have an incredible summer — for you lucky folks coming up to camp this year, I’ll see you soon!

Go Kyle! Think he’s going to make pop-can chicken?

Wedding congratulations go to… Spence Myer (St. Louis, 2002-’07, ’09-’12, ’14) and Kristen Herbst, and to Sam Muzik (St. Louis, 2004-’08), and Sammy Schlessel.

Engagement congratulations go to… Michael Tolan (St. Louis/Cambridge, MA, 2003-’07, ’11-’12) and Nikki Haddad.

In the bibs and diapers department… It’s a boy, Eugene Baldwin-Yates, for Sam Baldwin (Chicago/Oakland, CA, 1996-2001, ’03-’05) and Lisha Yates. It’s a girl, Eloise Judith Scharff, for Adam Scharff (2000-’04) and Kayleigh Scharff. It’s a girl, Lainey Mae Scharff, for Jimmy Scharff (2002-’08, ’11-’12) and Brianna Moreland.

In the where are they now department… Ben Edmunds (Portland, 1993-’97, ’99-2004, ’07-’08) was honored with the 2023 Russell Shcerer Award at the Craft Brewers Conference, the industry’s highest honor in brewing and innovation. Kyle Hopkins (Kansas City, 2002-’06, ’08-’09, ’12) is appearing on this season of Fox’s MasterChef, a reality cooking competition airing Wednesday nights at 8/7c. Luke Herzog (Pacific Grove, CA/Amherst, MA, 2011-’16, ’19) won the John Cauble Award for Outstanding Short Play at the Kennedy Center Amercian College Theater Festival for his original play, Pulling the Switch.

Caretaker Joe Wraps Up Spring

By Joe Crain

The final vestigial snow pile in camp

I’m very happy to report that the weather finally turned to more spring like conditions at the start of May. Still, it took most of the first two weeks of the month to melt off the huge snow piles that had accumulated through the long winter. As it turns out we had the most ever recorded snow fall in our region, so what seemed like ridiculous amounts of snow this winter were actually that and not just an “it seems like.” The official total out of the Duluth National Weather service station was 136 inches!! The annual average there is 79 inches. The area known as the “Snow Belt of the South Shore,” near Ironwood, Michigan, hit a total of 168 inches, which seems like a lot but was actually shy of their annual average of 173 inches. Some here in the Lake Nebagamon area had unofficial amounts measured at around 150 inches, and “it seemed like” that was the case. The persistent snow delayed the spring grounds blowing by about two weeks; we normally start spring blowing the day our seasonal caretaker starts in mid-April, but this year we had to hold off until May 1^st. Even then, we had to blow around several persistent snow piles here and there. The spring blowing was also greatly affected by all of the tree limbs that the record-breaking snow brought down. A job that normally takes two caretakers about four to five days to accomplish was stretched to nine days for three guys to finish. We roused Alex Fuller, an annual kitchen crew member that many of you know well, to come help out for a couple weeks. Alex and another annual kitchen crew member you all know well (and current seasonal Caretaker) Cody Keys cleared the downed limbs ahead of me as I came along with the blower clearing the grounds of the usual winter’s accumulation of detritus, plus all of the small limb bits that were left behind as they cut up and hauled the downed limbs off. After we finished, all of the grounds looked very good! It was not as satisfying as most spring clean ups because of the small piles of debris that were left when the snow piles we had to bypass melted. We decided we would put that bit of clean up on the pre-camp crew’s list – after nine days of blowing and tree limb clearing, we had had enough!

I’m also glad I can report that camp is hosting at least two active fox dens again this spring. The vixen that maintains the den in the hill behind the target shooting range had a three-kit litter. I was delighted to get to watch those little buggers at play several times as I was passing by. The second active den was on the County Road B hillside of the Upper Diamond. I was thrilled on two different occasions to see that vixen trotting down the side of the County Road B with a squirrel in her mouth headed to her den and kits.

Things have really been hopping around the grounds now that the road restrictions have come off the local roads. We had a new strip of asphalt installed on the road behind the Rec Hall as well as new asphalt installed in the Swamper Village. The four-square games will be much less prone to odd bounces this year, and all the participants will have to rely on skill instead of a stray bump for the win! At about the same time the local roofing contractor showed up to reroof Logger 7, Range Cabin Fir, Target Shooting, and Kozy Corner. The work is moving along quick and as of yesterday, he had only L-7 left. I was out to all of the Jops and installed new forced air hand dryers, so now you have a choice other than your pants leg to dry your hands when you forget your towel! Just yesterday a big trailer pulled in and delivered six new sailboats to the waterfront, Associate Director Louis Levin reported that the new boats, which will replace the well-loved Barnett 1400 sailboats, are sweet easy-riggers that the kids are going to love. The Rec Hall kitchen also got a bit of a face lift as well; the old unused phone booth was removed at the north end of the Bread Room, increasing the usable space by about 10 square feet. It doesn’t sound like much but increases the work area in the room a lot. We installed white pebble board on the walls and a new prep station in there and the results will defiantly be enjoyed by the Kitchen crew, it’s really bright and spacious.

Anxiously awaiting the joy and merriment that comes with “The Boys,” it’s Caretaker Joe At Camp.

Mailgabber: Pre-Camp Perspective

The Mailgabber features writing by members of the Camp Family. This month, we present a look in on the Pre-Camp crew’s preparations by former camper and current Logger Push, Ric Best (2001-’07, ’09-’11, ’14, ’23). Interested in writing for the Mailgabber? Send submissions to Louis.

This is how Ric arrives at camp every summer, no matter how many years it has been

My parents recently retired to the Blue Ridge Mountains. This past December, when I visited them, I found myself with my father in Asheville, NC, learning about its famous son, author Thomas Wolfe, who is best known for his novel “You Can’t Go Home Again”. Upon returning this summer to camp for the first time in nearly a decade, I know one thing for certain: Thomas Wolfe clearly had never been to Nebagamon.

When I arrived, the sun had just begun to set, blanketing camp in soft light and long shadows, which made the idea of taking a stroll around these venerated grounds irresistible. For all the new additions – a renovated cabin, a new game by the Lower Diamond, countless new plaques hanging in the Rec Hall – I was more captivated by how many small, familiar things I had forgotten. This influx of nostalgia was comforting and emotional and told me, in a loud and unambiguous voice, that I had truly come home again.

There’s a distinct smell, that of the clean Northwoods air whistling over the lake and through the pines, that greets you upon arrival. The same birds chirp their familiar songs, and when the sun sets, the same brilliant stars illuminate the waterfront. One of the neatest things about pre-camp, when much of the camp is still hibernating from winter and before the boundless energy of summer sets in, is how much the relative tranquility allows camp’s natural beauty to shine. It’s calm, serene, and absolutely lovely.

My reflection on Nebagamon’s changes hasn’t been limited to its physical elements. The pre-camp crew is a wonderful mix of familiar faces and new friends. I’ve been working alongside Jason Yale, my counselor from when I was twelve, and Noah Stein, a ninth-grade camper when I was a JC in Voyageur. Yet, the majority of the pre-camp crew are folks I met just a few days ago.

Every night, after a hard day’s work, we gather, exhausted but satisfied, in the Rec Hall for a family-style dinner. We exchange smiles, crack jokes, and savor the moment of relaxation after completing our daily tasks. Despite meeting some of my fellow crew only days ago, it feels like we’ve known each other for years. That’s one of the beauties of camp: we’re all united by our love for this place and our shared mission of creating an exceptional summer experience. I’m already gratified by the new friends I’ve made and look forward to the many more I will meet this summer.

Nebagamon has always been a lively mix of familiar customs and new traditions. I’ve delighted in learning new words, songs, and rituals. In the years since I was last here, I’ve acquired my own repertoire of new games, songs, and jokes, which I’ve enjoyed sharing with my new and old friends in the pre-camp crew. The living tapestry of traditions that continues to grow and evolve as the camp Family expands is a treasure whose worth is most readily apparent after a short time away. I find myself appreciating that aspect these days more than ever before.

As we continue to prepare the camp for the burst of summer activity, it’s gratifying to reflect on the value of our work. I relish in creating for returning members the same kind of thrilling homecoming I experienced and for newcomers, a breathtaking first impression. Just yesterday, as I refreshed the rocks next to the Big House with a new coat of white paint, I found myself daydreaming of buses full of campers arriving and seeing these rocks, glistening and rejuvenated. While they might not consciously notice the fresh paint, maybe, subliminally, it’ll make that precious first moment just a bit better. That thought alone was more than enough for me the delight in the task at hand.

I’m happy to report that while camp has changed in many ways, in so many others it remains the same. For all of us who call Nebagamon home, it is still exactly that. I’m excited to be here, and we’re all eagerly awaiting the rest of the Camp Family. There’s no doubt about it: 2023 is going to be an amazing summer.

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Presenting the 2023 Camp Nebagamon Staff

Look at this crew! We’re very excited about the 2023 staff we’ve assembled, so take a look see at the fine folks leading our campers this summer below!

At the helm for 2023 are our returning directors, back for their 20th season, it’s Stephanie Hanson and Adam Kaplan (surprise surprise!). We’ve got a full suite of village directors to boot — returning as Swamper Push is David Sachs, as Axeman Push is Matthew Wilhelm, and as Lumberjack Push is Noah Stein. The team is rounded out with first time village director Ric Best in the Logger village and with 5th Push, returning administrator Larry Held.

We have a great variety of new and returning cabin staff for 2023. This summer, Senior Counselors include Jason Shacter, Joey Rivkin, Eric Portillo, Ethan Pittham, Noah Billingsley, Tommy Bellaire, Ben Hanson-Kaplan, John Bellaire, Rafail Panagiotidis, Joe Rothschild, Jordan Carlin, Josh Hanson-Kaplan, Ben Shacter, Tyler Gray, Charlie Davis, Jesse Herzog, Ethan Edgar, Solomon Wexler, Benjamin Dammeyer, Andrew Guest, Harry Bartlett, Aron Dudas, Patrick Baggaley, Calum McGinn, and Joel Matthew. Junior Counselors include Nelson Mendels, Michael Cohen, Nick Fleisher, Jacob Laytin, Aidan Capes, Josh Marcus, Adam Eberhard, Haze Nobel, Ben Hackney, Nathan Starhill, Anthony Gutierrez, Sebastian Alderman, Ben Polonsky Asher Friedman, Milo Peterson, Jack Krupnick, Ocean Wang, Andrew Condrell, Emmitt Gerstein, Jacob Lutsky, Jonah Rontal, Max Kennedy, Griffin Scissors, Jasper Braunschweiger, and Sam More.

Leading our Trip Program are Trip Director Jason Yale and returning Assistant Trip Director Jonah Domsky. Packing out trips this summer is returning Quartermaster Jon Star. Wilderness Trip Leaders this summer include Isaac Schiff-Lewin, Salma Schwartzman, Billy Galpern, Jesse Chan, Trent Flegel, Henry Burns, Louisa Goltry, Ben Kessler, Tenille Flegel, Jaden Beltsman, Kam Denney, Adil Najar, Sam Brandstad-Phillips, and Megan Raths. And Bill Hensel, Ron Gaare, Amy Mack, John Fawcett, Hugh Broder and Gordon Schreiber will drive trips for us this summer.

Full time Associate Director Louis Levin will be Program Director this summer, and there’s a bunch of returning and new Specialists helping execute a great program. Leading our waterfront are Waterfront Directors Mary Trezise and Isaac Murray-Stark. Staying on the waterfront, Amelie Sadler is back to lead our sailing program, and Theresa Nevins returns as our waterskiing instructor. The Craft Shop is being helmed once again by Sean Kennedy, and both Craft Shop Specialists Nora Starhill and Ellie Friedman will be back to help with all of your tie-dye and watercolor needs. Whipping up new recipes in M.O.C.A. is Laila Maidenberg. Rose Mendelsohn is back at camp leading the Nature Lore program. Wyatt Logan and Hermine Charrier will be on-belay as our Climbing Wall Specialists. Troika Brodsky will head the C.N.O.C. program this year, and returning to the project area he started is Nate Mendelsohn as our Music specialist. Arvind Sharma will be our camp photographer, as well as the head of darkroom photography. Simon Topf takes on a new role as our Rangemaster, and Brad Herzog will be a specialist at-large this summer.

Returning to run our office and operations is full time Associate Director Joe Briggs. He’ll be joined in the office Josie Hanson-Kaplan, Adena Rosenbloom, Annalise Humphrey, Maddie Scharff, and Emily Yale, and Allen Bennett is back for another year as town driver. Our Caretaking team is being led once again by Andy Mack, with year round caretaker Joe Crain, and seasonal caretakers Jair Torres Ponce and Joseph Garabed. Returning as Big House Housekeeper is Xiemena Nava Cervantes. And Amber Burvall is returning to lead our infirmary, with nurse’s assistants Lindsey Fleith and Linnea Lindell.

Leading our kitchen this summer is Jay Scott, and he’s joined by our two cooks, Cody Keys and Sam Roach. They’ve got an all star team of kitchen staff working with them, with returners Alex Fuller, Ruben Perez Angel, Sofia Reyes, Noe Alvarez, Alejandra Rodriguez Jimenez, Marco Torres, Camila Sanchez Garcia, Paula Sanchez Garcia, Alexa Madrid, Erika Cante Ortega, Arley Gutierrez, Alejandro Rodriguez Jimenez, Emilio Tlatelpa Reyes, and Karla Cortes Hernandez.

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Congratulations to our June Birthdays!

This month’s birthdays include…

June 3rd – Matt Wilhelm

4th – Andrew Condrell, Judah Thacker

6th – Ben Bernstein, Spencer Scissors

7th – Sam Vincent, Valentino Borracci

8th – Nate Feldman, Nate Mendelsohn, Rose Mendelsohn, Sam Schwartz

10th – Chase Kornblet, Jesse Herzog

11th – Ryan Glickman

12th – Allen Bennett

13th – Isaac Murray-Stark

14th – Nate Struass, Sam Branstad Phillips

15th – Noe Alvarez

16th – Henry Burns, Rollie Cohen

18th – Drew Malk

19th – Ben Polonsky

21st – Micah Stone

22nd – Benjamin Dammeyer, Hadley Goldsmith

23rd – Logan Segal

24th – Joe Rothschild, Nathaniel Kehrberg

25th – Emmett Brown

27th – Eitan Kaminsky

28th – Alaster Vigness Culhane, Judah Gladstein, Nathan Starhill, Tanner Toback

29th – Holden May

30th – Ruben Perez Angel

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