Compiled by Louis Levin
Hello Camp Family! This is Louis, and I’m really excited to start bringing you the news of the camp family. Just as a refresher, I have been an Associate Director working year-round for camp for five years, and have spent 16 summers at camp as a camper, counselor, Swamper Push, and most recently, four summers as Program Director. And, for five years now, one of my jobs has been editing the Arrowhead Newsletter — I’m excited to start writing a little for you all too!
This month, of all months to start bringing you the news of the camp family, I have a big piece of news to bring you myself: I got married! My wife Maggie and I decided that our ideal wedding would be at a summer camp, not only because of our ties to Nebagamon (Maggie, despite never actually having worked at camp, has spent plenty of time there over the course of our relationship), but because of the unique opportunities a camp wedding affords. We liked the idea that we could spend a whole weekend with our loved ones, not just a single evening, and it would allow for folks to bond and interact over more than just dinner. Plus, we wanted to spend as much of the weekend as possible outside, and a summer camp is the perfect place. Of course, we were nervous about two things in particular. First, while there were plenty of Nebagamon staff members and alumni at the wedding, the vast majority of our guests did not have summer camp experience, and so we wondered if they would play along. Seriously, sleeping in a cabin, eating meals in the dining hall, and playing a softball game? It just seemed like a lot to ask. Would folks see the benefits of spending a few days in the woods with us? Second, we were putting a lot of extra work on our plates — we didn’t just organize a ceremony, dinner and dancing. There was climbing, archery, a softball game, five meals, oh and yes, a ceremony, dinner, and dancing! How were we going to pull off what basically became summer-camp-for-a-weekend?
With all my camp experience, I should’ve known how it would go. When a new 3rd grade camper arrives at camp, they might feel a little nervous at the thought of interacting with new people, in a new place, without the comforts of home. But for the most part, in 24 hours that 3rd grader has made a few friends, explored their new environment, and made their cabin feel like home. At our wedding, it seemed to happen even faster — as soon as our guests arrived at camp, they were all acting like 3rd graders. I mean that in the good way! Folks were making new friends, going on walks through camp, and really enjoying their time spent together. They all bought into the idea that we could build a community, not in a month, or even a week, but in just a weekend spent together outdoors. After a few days of camp, a 3rd grader knows that you need to contribute to making Nebagamon run smoothly — KPing, cleaning the cabin, and the likes. This “camp person” spirit seemed to flourish at our wedding, and helped us make so many fun things happen for our guests. When we needed food and drink moved from the dining hall to a pavilion, of course the Nebagamon folks at the wedding were ready to pitch in (as guests at a wedding!), but what was even more heartening was having our families, friends from Detroit, and all-comers finding ways to contribute to making sure everything went smoothly. And when Maggie sprained her ankle in the middle of the dance floor, it wasn’t just our phenomenal Nebagamon trip staff who jumped in to help — Maggie’s coworkers from Detroit were the first to make sure she was taken care of (click here for a terrible picture). It seems to me that there’s a little “camp” in all of us, and with the right mindset, we can all access it and build the kind of community we want to live in, be the community members we want to be — really, we can be 3rd graders!
As you can see below, I’m new at this News of the Camp Family bit, so I could use your help in filling up the news section! If you have something you’d like to share next month, please send me an email at [email protected]!
WEDDING CONGRATULATIONS GO TO: Louis Levin (Northbrook IL/Detroit, ’05-’10, ’12-’15, ’17-’23) and Maggie O’Hara (Barrington, IL/Detroit).
IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT: It’s a boy, Jack Fox, for Michael Cohen (Atlanta/Savannah, ’05-’07, ’09-’10) and Emily Cohen.