By Adam Kaplan
Those of you that have been around camp since we became the stewards of this wonderful place have likely heard me describe camp as “The Radical Utopian Experiment.” By this I mean, that at camp, we try to do everything as well as we possibly can. We try to create a community that is kinder, more thoughtful, more caring, and more cooperative than the outside world. It is our hope that as we attempt, every summer, to build this community for ourselves at camp, that we will take these ideas with us into the “real world” when we leave camp.
I am often asked to write reference letters for counselors and staff. Truth is, I really enjoy writing them; it gives me the opportunity to spend some time thinking about each person. With that said, I have found that there is one phrase that I consistently use when describing our better staffers. I refer to them in the letter as a Camp Person, and then explain what I mean by that. In short, I mean someone who is willing to do ANYTHING that needs to be done regardless of whether or not it falls within their job description. It means that, in addition to providing kids with positive growth experiences and rollicking fun, our counselors are sometimes vomit cleaners, our office staff are sometimes plumbers, our infirmary staff are sometimes art teachers, and our trip staff are sometimes baggage handlers. It just does not matter to a Camp Person. A Camp Person just sees what has to be done and does it…period…for the good of the community.
The truth is we need more Camp People in the outside world. Anyone that has had a job can remember situations in which someone notices something that needs to be done and says, “Hey…not my job.” (I am not sure that they use the ellipses in their sentences…but they really should…such a great writing tool…perhaps my only writing tool!) I would argue that the lack of Camp People in the outside world is one of the very real factors that leads to unhappy and dysfunctional workplaces. Truth is, when we are only focused on whatever specific tasks we have been assigned, we lose sight of the big picture and become isolated. On the other hand, when we are looking at the big picture and how we can help, we feel much more connected to each other and the work we are doing. We take greater pride in that work, and become a team.
The summer of 2021 at Camp Nebagamon will succeed for exactly this reason. Camp Nebagamon is simply chock-full of Camp People. This summer we will be asking a great deal of our entire camp community and I have no doubt we will all rise to the challenge.
[To be clear, we are feeling really good about the likelihood that this summer will feel largely normal for all of us that will be up there. After a year of relative isolation and restriction, kids will be able to roam freely, make choices about how to spend their days, participate in Paul Bunyan Day, Council Fires, GTCs, and every major event that a summer at Nebagamon offers. ALL OF THEM. Sure, some things may need to be tweaked in order to ensure safety for the community, but it will still be a classic summer at Nebagamon. To make this happen, we will need the cooperation though of the entire camp family.]Already, our full-time staff has stepped into roles they have never had before. This past summer, our program director, trip director and office manager became part of the maintenance team building a flow track and improving the lower diamond field. This winter, they are becoming experts on researching and implementing safest practices to ensure a successful upcoming summer in a pandemic. These were not responsibilities delineated in their job descriptions, and yet, they are doing it without hesitation. Whether it be reworking our first week schedule, or determining best practices for janitorial work in the era of COVID, or researching the best thermometers for large-scale, regular temperature taking, or the building of 35 brand new picnic tables so that we can convert the Lower Diamond into an outdoor Rec Hall…they are all on it. And happily so.
But the teamwork doesn’t end with our full-timers. We are counting on everyone to be a part of making sure our summer will be a success. We need parents to do their part to ensure that, prior to camp, kids are properly tested and quarantined. We need staff to be willing to not only do the typical things that we ask of them, but likely other tasks…including living within our camp bubble for the summer. And we need campers to be mindful about the protocols we put in place in order to protect the camp experience for all. (As already mentioned, at this point we do expect that after the first week, camp will be able to return to a fairly normal routine.) Indeed, summer 2021 will require that we all pitch in to make it work.
But I am not worried…
The Camp Nebagamon family is absolutely full of Camp People…and that is all we need.
This past weekend was no exception. We had another great crew of friends down at the local ice park. Being the rookie that I am, I’m continuing to work on my footwork and learning the sounds of good ice so when I swing the axes in so I can step up. Sunday, I found myself down on the shores of Lake Superior at 6:30 am for a bike ride out on the lake. I love sailing, fishing and ice skating on Lake Superior, so I knew biking out on the big lake would be bring the same smile. The sunrise was a disappointment, but fresh snow was an acceptable substitute. My friends Dave and Jon saddled up on the aluminum ponies and started pedaling up the shoreline towards Two Harbors. Not much flatter surface out there to ride on then a frozen lake — I didn’t get winded once. There were some larger pressure cracks that we had to find the right place to cross over but there was on average about eight inches of ice, so we felt relatively safe. After a while we turned back and rode back into downtown Duluth. It would have been great if the Portland Malt Shoppe was open, but we had to settle for some homemade shortbread that Dave’s wife made for us. Again, another satisfactory substitute. All in all, it was a beautiful morning be out on Lake Superior.
This COVID-19 is just beating me up in the news reporting. I need our reunions back so we can catch up in person and of course to get news from all of you. Please help me with making you famous in the Arrowhead! Perhaps I need to sweetn’ the pot with leftover Briggs Surprises or spots on Derby Pie day…but until I check with our legal department on that, send me some news! Shoot me some news via email at 
All of that cold and dry weather (we have only had about 6 inches of snow this February a month that on average receives 16 inches) hasn’t kept us from preparing for the warm months of camp ahead. This month, we kicked off our biggest shop project of the winter to build 32 new picnic tables for this summer’s COVID-safe al fresco dinning hall. Of course, as the saying goes, there’s not need to reinvent the wheel. We decided to use the tried and true picnic table design that the Lumberjack village uses for cabin cookouts out on Lorber Point. The tables are big, with a 3 foot by 8 foot top, and very sturdy with their 2X6 construction that all adds up to a hefty table of about 200lbs a piece! The design has also stood the test of time, having withstood every sort of abuse that rough and rowdy boys from 3rd to 9th grade can come up with. These tables have lasted all of my 25 years at camp and I-don’t-know-how-many-more years before I arrived as a caretaker!
4th Grade Campers: Jonah Tone. Jude Alderman, Chase Barnett, Jacob Carlin, Josh Desenberg, Judah Gladstein, Lucas Goldman, Ben Green, Perrin Griggs, Max Hesser, Walker Karp, Digby Karsh, Elliott Kleiman, Paul Korman, Holden May, Kane Moscoe, August Pereira, Bradley Rittenberg, Lazer Rosenbloom, Isaac Sands, Grant Singerman, Jake Wallenstein, Solzy Wasserman, Max Yarbrough
8th – Jonah Karafiol