When Nardie and Sally Stein retired from camp and cleaned out their files, Sally purged the file containing all of her Sunday Services—a move she regrets. So her recollections about the sermons she imparted through thirty years of mornings at the Chuck Hirsch Shrine are understandably general. “Hmm, what subjects did I talk about all those years? I know I discussed evaluating change and how to adjust to it, using all of your senses (I passed around examples of taste and smell, also played part of a beautiful violin concerto), being alert to the world around you, living an optimistic life. And I often sent a message to empower social action,” she says. “I am in my late eighties now, and perhaps after all those Sunday sermons, the numbers might be with me. Hopefully among the hundreds of campers and staff who heard my talks, there are those who remember other messages I hoped to send into their lives. ”The same goes for all of the camp directors who gave myriad Sunday talks through the years. Of course, for most Camp Nebagamon staff members, the opportunity to give even one Sunday Service is a seminal experience. Jon Colman, for instance, still owns the notes from his 1976 service. So we wondered: With an old photo to spark a memory, how well do camp alumni recall the messages they sent out on a singular Sunday morning.
Jon Colman (1976): My speech stressed the importance of being your own person and making up your own mind and not giving in to outside pressures. And if you do your own soul searching and make a decision that is best for you, this will lead to a better and fulfilled life and path for you.
Charles Hirschhorn (1977): Who ever forgets their Sunday Service? My topic was “common sense.” Since I led bicycling trips on the trip staff that summer, I discussed assembling a bicycle as a metaphor for putting together the elements in assembling practical, usable common sense. At the end, I asked for a volunteer to ride the bike. I chose a front-row Swamper, but unfortunately I forgot to lower the seat, which had been installed very high. My ending did not reinforce my topic! Much more recently (2013), my talk was: What I Learned Playing 4-square. From having fun to serving others, lots of great life lessons are found on the 4-square court.
Hank Pulitzer (2016): That one was about “finding your inner camp person.” The idea, more or less, was that a “camp person” is someone who see what needs to get done and just does it without being asked. It’s someone who goes the extra mile and does the job no one wants—and with a smile on their face. I spoke about people in my camp life who helped me find my inner camp person and gave specific examples of things they did that left a mark on me. Then, in closing, I encouraged everyone to look around and find someone who was helping them to discover their inner camp person and then to go one step further and take that camp person into the rest of the world outside of camp.
Josh Davis (1983): OMG! When was I that young? I spoke about Martin Luther King, Jr.—and about standing up for what you believe in. I quoted from his speeches and tried to explain what real courage is. I made a terrible attempt to connect MLK to To Kill A Mockingbird. I remember boring the whole camp.
Jason Hirschhorn (2018): I gave this service on the topic of gratitude. Since I was (and still am) a high school teacher, I decided to assign some homework to the camp family at the service’s end. Here’s what I told everyone: “It’s 11 a.m. now, and we sing ‘Taps’ at 9:30 p.m., which means you have ten and a half hours left in the day. Take a small fraction of that time to think about someone at camp who’s done something for you and who often doesn’t get as much gratitude from you as they probably should. Make sure you know their name. Ask it if you don’t know it. And then go up to them, say hello, and tell them why you’re thankful for who they are and what they do.” I think it’s a good assignment for all of us to keep working on!
Bob Chukerman (1977): Thanks for taking me back in time. Not many pictures available with the beardless Bob. I do remember that day, nerves and all and I believe my service was about Communication. Those days had me working in the Axeman Village with a bunch of young teenagers, trying to build a strong cohesive group and thinking how important it was for them to learn to get along. Better communication and the ability to learn to express oneself seemed like a great place to start. One highlight of my talk that I remember is my discussion of the Jops. Back then, there were few dividers and no doors, so going to the Jop was a VERY social event. A lot of communication was done sitting around with your friends and also maybe somebody you really didn’t know so well. My guess is that it might have helped us all to learn that we are all more alike than we ever really thought. Well times have changed. Progress has been made, but who knows if the old ways wouldn’t be better for us and the art of communication.
Adam Fornear (2006): I decided to speak about wilderness…What is wilderness to you? For some, it’s being camped out in a 40-foot RV in Yellowstone National Park/ For others, it is backcountry paddling in Quetico Provincial Park. Were not here to judge, but what is important is that we all have a little bit of wilderness in our lives. And as an added bonus, the Nebaga-choir brought it all home at the end by singing “Dixieland Delight” by Alabama. Love those Sunday mornings at camp.
Raven Deerwater (1979): First of all, I had the camp choir sing “Ain’t no Stopping Us Now,” the first use of a disco song at a Nebagamon Sunday Service. Second of all, the unseen chart to my left contained a list of eight words that served both as an outline of the service and steps to think about as you approached your problems and situations. I don’t remember all eight words, but, in general, it was about making plans, carrying them out, and then evaluating to see if your plans worked and how they could be applied or modified in future endeavors. So I would say that overall it was a plan to create and carry out plans!
Jacob Blumenfeld (2013): The Sunday Service I presented was titled “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and it was about sincerity. I quoted a line from a “Calvin and Hobbes” book that I first read as a camper on the back porch of the Waldorf. My theory was (and is) that sincerity is the secret ingredient that makes everything at camp so great: men, women, and boys who 100% buy in to everything they do. The opening music was a Bach cello suite performed by my brother Sam. That quiet morning, surrounded by friends and family, listening to notes written over 280 years ago float through the pine trees was—sincerely—one of the most transcendent experiences of my life.
Hugh Broder (1975): While I no longer have the copy of my Sunday Service, I remember the subject. It’s hard to see in the photo, but hanging over my left shoulder is the painting of Muggs from the Big House living room in which he is sitting on a log, smoking his pipe, and there are thought bubbles or maybe puffs of smoke, sort of, representing what he is thinking. I can’t remember what’s in the specific bubbles/puffs, but my service was inspired by that painting, and it had to do with dreaming and making dreams come true.
Roger Wallenstein (1997): Sunday services always gave me an opportunity to communicate thoughts I had during the year. I often made a few notes to jog my memory as the first Sunday of the camping season approached. As a former camper, I had memories of the staff who truly made a positive impression on me. So one Sunday I fetched some photos from the archives to talk about these people and how I was impacted by their words and actions. Of course, one objective focused on raising awareness by the staff that they could be one of those individuals whose memory and influence would be felt years later. And I wanted our campers to realize that these folks were right there in their midst. All they had to do was be open to them. Those were wonderful Sundays.