by Brad Herzog
Trails Forward is an opportunity to mix Camp Nebagamon’s THEN with its NOW, bringing camp alumni back to chat with current campers about their interesting jobs — and sometimes to create projects together. A couple of summers ago, I had the opportunity to talk with campers about the writing life, including a number of rhyming alphabet picture books that I’ve written about everything from baseball and the Olympics to the environment and immigrants. Then a half-dozen campers — Jordan Carlin, Emmitt Gerstein, Aidan Capes, Atlas Barnes, Linus Quinn-Pasin, and Matan Radwin — assisted me in brainstorming an alphabet rhyme about Camp Nebagamon itself. The following is our collaborative creation:
A is for arrival. The yellow light! There’s Paul!
We’re so glad to back home at “A Place of Welcome for All.”
What a beautiful place to B, from the Brule to the BWCA.
The Big House, bug juice, the Buddy Board, and the bell to start the day.
C is for campers and counselors, for CNOC and candy lines,
Cabin cookouts, Cruiser Days, the climbing wall above the pines.
D is the directing duos. Through the decades they have shown
There’s a destiny that guides us, but none goes his way alone.
Rub your eyes and yawn. The wake-up bell is ringing.
It’s E – “Everybody Rise and Shine.” The kitchen staff is singing.
Four-square, fishing, family camp… F means lots of fun.
It’s for the friends we’ve found here. We cherish every one.
G? There’s lots of options for our next Nebaga-rhyme.
G-swim! The Grundy Undy! A GTC! That’s a good time.
Head down to the Waterfront. No camp has one that’s better.
The swimming dock is in good shape. An H. That’s our next letter.
I is the infirmary staff that keeps us on our feet
For a trek to Isle Royale, the 8th grade Big Trip treat
J is for the J-stroke. Keep paddling. Don’t stop.
It’s also for a place to rest. We call it the Jop.
At each Sunday Council Fire, full of laughs and learning,
K is for a keylog to Keep the Fires Burning.
The Lower Diamond, Lorber Point, the lake we know so well.
The Logger Lover. The Little House. That’s our letter L.
M is MOCA, the MOD, and mountain biking, too.
And don’t forget to fill your jug with good ol’ Mountain Dew.
N must be for Nature Lore, a place to celebrate
The wonders all around us that make the Northwoods great.
The O-tent, the O-Cup… At Orienteering every day,
We use a map and compass to help us find our way.
Paul Bunyan awaits us. That’s our letter P.
It’s the Project Board, village pushes, and photography.
The quiet of the Quetico, paddling a canoe.
This Big Trip destination is our letter Q.
R is for the Rec Hall, our raucous dining hall.
The heart of camp just may be in this place most of all.
Sleep late on a Sunday before you rise and shine.
S is for a Sunday Service at the Chuck Hirsch Shrine.
“Thanks for the Pines” – that’s our T. It puts us in the mood
To appreciate the camp we love and express our gratitude.
Let’s climb to the Upper Diamond. That’s our letter U.
Up high, under a massive sky – an unforgettable view.
Swampers, Loggers, Axemen, Lumberjacks… What we do call these?
V is for the villages – camp’s communities.
Wilderness trips from Wisconsin. That’s our W.
The Waterfront, the Wanegan, the fun of Wanna-do.
X is for the X-boats. Catch a cool lake breeze
And skim along the water, sailing past the trees.
Y is for the Yo-Yo Islands, a land so far away.
There’s Ug. There’s Mug. Let’s all salute and welcome Chief A.K.
Z… Zero days left of camp. Oh, it’s such a bummer.
We zip our duffels and count the weeks until we’re back next summer.