Camp Nebagamon

Updates

Spring Break-ing the Routine

By Adam Kaplan

Happy March, everyone! I suspect for many of us, the onset of March is a very optimistic time. For some, it indicates that winter is beginning to release its icy grip on their lives and that warmer weather is right around the corner. (Well…except for us upper Midwestern folks. With a temperature reading of -9 degrees this morning, that hopeful calendar page-turning moment is actually June…but I am talking about people that live below the Arctic Circle!) For some, the beginning of March means that spring training baseball games are about to begin, and that means that once again, the Twins could maybe, just maybe, have that magical season. I mean, after all, nobody has a better record than them…yet. (Yes, I am attempting to adopt the local historically hapless team. After years as a Cub fan, I am used to haplessness!). For others, the arrival of March hearkens back to a hopeful time in ancient history in which the reign of Julius Caesar was ended and the era of Augustus began signifying major changes in the Roman Empire. (Ok…not many people fall into this category, but I didn’t want to leave anyone out!) Nonetheless, for virtually all of us, the arrival of March means that right around the corner is SPRING BREAK!!

I am not sure what it is about Spring Break, but there is just something extra celebratory about this vacation. Sure, the break over the holidays during the winter is a big deal, but Spring Break has a significantly more jubilant vibe to it. (And in fairness, MTV’s television programming during the 90s perhaps contributed a bit to this sense of euphoria…but we will set that aside for the purposes of our summer camp newsletter!) In my experience, Spring Break takes a backseat only to the last day of school in terms of kid excitement.

Obviously Spring Break looks different for different families, but, no matter how you slice it, Spring Break marks a break in the routine. And, occasionally, breaking the routine is important to do. Oftentimes, it is during these breaks in our routine that our most indelible memories are created.

As a camp director, I am well aware that it is imperative to quickly establish a predictable routine for the entire group up at camp. Our newest boys, nervous about leaving home for the first time, need to feel secure, which is facilitated by knowing what to expect on a daily basis. Our returning campers need to know that their second home is, in fact, still their second home; things have not changed and it is still the same place that has become so important in their lives. Our staff need a predictable framework to most effectively enable them to help our campers grow and have a great time. With all of this in mind, we work very hard at the beginning of camp to establish a very stable and reliable routine for all.

While the establishment of this routine is important, it is also really important to shake up that routine sometimes so that camp life is not static. Camp needs to be dynamic. It is with this in mind that our Wednesday Cruiser Days were invented. On those days we cancel our routine activities and engage in totally different and creative days planned by our amazing staff. So too, there are special days, and special evening activities peppered throughout the sessions. Whether it be Paul Bunyan Day, or The Grand Pursuit, or turning the Upper Diamond into grass tennis courts for our own Wimbledon tournament, or Guinness T. Nebagamous, or All-Camp Capture The Flag, or whatever brand new activity we come up with this year (!), these events serve to break up the routine, and also provide us all with truly unique opportunities to have fun and make memories that really last. SPRING BREAK!!!

For my family, this year marks a unique sort of Spring Break. The Spring Break dates of each of our three children have zero overlap. It is indeed a bummer to not be able to get our family completely together this year, but I guess this is just part of the cycle as kids get older. So, we have had to get creative and figure out how to still get a break in the routine, albeit not all at the same time.

So, with the arrival of March and Spring Break right around the corner, let’s all be sure that on some level we seize this opportunity to do something different, something out of the ordinary, something to break up the routine and make some memories. To be clear, this doesn’t have to be a massive and expensive vacation. Rather, that routine can be broken up in many other ways. Engage in new topics of discussion at dinner, eat different foods, play different games, explore a new part of town. There are so many possibilities to have a different experience than what you have been doing in the preceding weeks…or maybe years. So many new memories waiting to happen.

Enjoy!!

What If?

By Adam Kaplan

As most of you know, much of my winter is spent travelling to various cities around the country to reconnect with campers, alumni, and staff, and meet prospective new families. Admittedly, the amount of travel that I do can sometimes be a bummer as it means so much time away from my family. In an effort to improve my spirits, I spend most of my flight time binge-watching television shows that interest me. Lately, I have blown through a series called The Plot Against America based on a novel by the same name written by Philip Roth. The show posits the question of what would the world have been like if Charles Lindbergh, a Nazi sympathizer and isolationist opposed to entering WWII, had run against and defeated Franklin Roosevelt in 1940. (Spoiler alert…the world would be a much different and more awful place!) This genre is called a counterfactual in which causes and effects of different events are sort of turned on their heads and looked at in a different way. In short…the counterfactual is a massive exploration of WHAT IF?

One of the main points that I took away from watching this show was that, seemingly, all events, no matter how large or small, can have a huge impact on the future. It gets you thinking. For example, certainly the ramifications of Columbus’ journey to North America have been felt throughout the world, on so many levels, since that fateful day in 1492. What if he actually sailed to India instead of North America as he intended? What if Alexander Fleming had been a more fastidious man, and had decided to clean his Petri dishes before heading off on vacation in 1928?

As the miles pass and I let my mind wander a bit more, I cannot help myself from doing a bit of musing myself. Camp Nebagamon counterfactuals began to flood my mind.

Muggs ponders his missed opportunity at Super Bowl fame and fortune…

What if… Muggs Lorber (a college quarterback from 1922-24) had decided to enter the NFL instead of dedicating his life to the growth of young men? What if… Muggs and Janet had decided to found a co-ed camp? What if… Nardie and Sally had not decided to beef up our in-camp program by adding four designated project periods to every day? What if… Roger and Judy had not chosen to formalize and expand upon Nebagamon’s Campership program? What if… E.J. Hahn had not improved and formalized our Big Brother/Little Brother program by creating the Big Brother/Little Brother soiree? What if… Frank Sachs had not created new programs at camp like Wannado and Guinness T. Nebagamon to keep things fresh? What if… Bendt Rorsted had not come over from Denmark and introduced orienteering to camp in 1952? What if… Troy Brodsky had not revamped the Cabin Cookout menus to make the food both more tasty and more interesting to cook? What if… the sugar shortage during WWII had not necessitated the creation of the All-Camp Birthday on July 25, 1942?

On a less serious note, What if… the Dairy Queen decided to stop accepting camp checks? What if… the Bike Shack was still a functioning hot dog stand within camp? What if… campers were allowed to bring as much candy as they would like to camp? What if… the camp water fountains flowed with bug juice? What if… the third round of Sunday morning sweet rolls tasted as good as the first? What if… the wind and rain the night before had not washed the signs away? What if… A.K. Agikamik was added to the Department of Homeland Security’s NO-FLY list?

Whether serious or silly, big or small, one thing is very clear. The events and people of the past, present, and future play a major role in shaping what Camp Nebagamon has become and will become. Some of these events were very deliberate changes that were instituted to make camp a better place, and some others were wonderful, serendipitous occurrences that also helped to shape camp.

The primary realization that I walk away with after thinking about all of this is that camp is a great place for What if… At camp we are in the enviable position of being able to ask What if… all the time. Each day of each summer we are presented with the opportunity to ask ourselves What if… and then explore the idea. What if… I try out the photography program for the first time today? What if… I face my fears and sign up for that Boundary Waters trip I have been thinking about? What if… I reach out to that kid that seems so unhappy lately and extend the hand of friendship and support? How will my world be different? How will I affect others’ lives?

Let’s all start to ask ourselves What if… on a regular basis. The possibilities are endless.

Holiday Hullabaloo

By Adam Kaplan

‘Tis (or was) the season once again. The holiday season has just completed its annual massive disruption of our lives. Depending on who you are, and what your experiences in life have been, this time of year is either one that you are passionately excited about or passionately unhappy about. Either you are one of those folks that gets excited about all of the family time, parties, copious eating, gift exchanging, and bright lights, or you get sweaty and anxious even reading about those things in this article! (Yes, I realize that there are folks that lie somewhere in between these two extremes, but it works best for the article if I categorize everyone into these extremes.) No matter what your take on the intense holiday season that we experience annually, there can be little doubt that it affects us all.

My recent trip to the mall and the subsequent HOUR sitting in traffic just to get into the parking lot availed me with a good deal of time to think about the whole concept of holidays in general. While admittedly, the frustration of sitting in my car waiting to enter the parking area did not predispose me to positive holiday feelings, I actually found myself feeling good about the whole idea of holidays.

Holidays can serve as the routine-breakers in our lives. Don’t get me wrong; I am a firm believer in the value of a routine. We are all comforted and stabilized by set practices and routines that we can expect from most of our days. In fact, one of the best ways to help a new camper get past his homesickness issues is to get him settled into the routine of camp life. Once he learns that routine, he is comforted because he understands that things at camp are fairly predictable and operate on a set schedule; he knows what to expect. Having said all of that, if our lives were strictly routine and never varied from that set schedule, they would be boring.

That is where holidays come in. They shake things up. They force us to stop the routine, think about new ideas, and do different activities for a while. This is really healthy for all of us. Taking a break from the routine serves as a sort of punctuation mark in our lives. These punctuation marks give us opportunities…

We pause and look back at what we have done and how our lives have progressed until that point. We take stock in our accomplishments and figure out what we could have done better. These punctuation marks also give us time to think about the future, to plan out how we would like to either subtly tweak our lives or maybe radically change them. Without holidays, without these punctuation marks in our lives, we might get so caught up in the routine and our day to day schedule that we might not take the time to reflect on our lives.

Camp, as a microcosm of life, proves this point as well. At camp, we work very hard to establish a routine early on in the summer. As I mentioned earlier, this routine is comforting to people who are away from home for the first time. And, truth be told, the routine is comforting for the rest of us as well. We like to know what to expect from life. At the same time, at camp we need times when the routine is shaken up a bit. We need events to help us reflect, consider, and plan how our time at camp is being spent. With that in mind, we build “holidays” into the camp calendar. Certainly, every Sunday we have something of a “holiday” and a break in the routine as we settle into our wonderfully reflective Sunday Services and Council Fires. Every Wednesday is also a “holiday” at camp with exciting Cruiser Days. And then we make sure that each session is peppered with other types of “holidays” to keep things fresh at camp. Whether it be Paul Bunyan Day, The Grand Pursuit, the Fourth of July, the Chef’s Cap competition, a visit from A.K. Agikamik, or the Northwoods Invitational (hopefully returning this summer!), the camp schedule is full of these special events. These events not only are a ton of fun for us all, but also help to punctuate our camp season, give us time to take stock of all that is going on, and allow us to fully appreciate how fortunate we all are to have this time at camp.

So…back to the grind and the routine this week. But take heart, National Bird Day (Jan. 5) is just around the corner!

Adam Gives Thanks

By Adam Kaplan

Without a doubt this has been a tough couple of weeks for the Camp family.  As most of you know by now, we lost Nardie Stein earlier this month. Nardie, and his wife Sally, were the directors of Camp Nebagamon for thirty years and so much of what camp is today is a direct result of their efforts, creativity, and absolute commitment to children. Nebagamon is Nebagamon because of what Nardie and Sally poured into the place.

Nardie was truly one of the central figures of my youth, adolescence, and adulthood. I credit a great deal of the man that I am today to Nardie Stein. I will always remember his unflinchingly high standards, his resolute commitment to ethical behavior, his unrelenting dedication to hard work, and his incredible sense of humor.

Truth be told, I have been off my game quite a bit since his passing. There is a sadness and void that I have been dealing with that has affected me in very real ways. It’s been a struggle…until late last week…Thanksgiving. You see, its part of the job description of a Camp Director to engage in the campiest and hokiest of activities whenever possible. So despite my sadness, I spent some time on my drive to Chicago for the holiday taking stock of my life and thinking through all of the things I am thankful for. Some I won’t share with you here (yes…even Camp Directors have private lives!), but I thought I would share some of them.

I am thankful for Paul Bunyan. That simple statue that stands so powerfully just inside the front gate to camp. Paul has welcomed thousands of boys to camp over the years. Paul has re-welcomed thousands of alumni as they make a pilgrimage back to camp after many years away. Paul is always a wonderful symbol to all of us that we are home.

I am thankful for the smell of camp, the one that hits you the moment that you arrive at Nebagamon after some time away. It is hard to put one’s finger on exactly what that smell is. It might be the pine trees. It might be the fresh unpolluted air of the North Woods. It might be the smells that waft off of beautiful Lake Nebagamon. Most likely it is a combination of all of these things. Impossible to define…yet we all know it and recognize it the moment that we arrive at camp.

I am thankful for camp Big Brothers, those older boys who take it upon themselves to make camp a more comfortable and welcoming place for new campers every year. In an era when folks often talk of the self-absorption of 13-16 year olds, we are all thankful for the special ones that come to camp and unselfishly focus so much of their attention on creating a true camp family.

I am thankful for the camp staff, those men and women that forgo the siren call (and occasional parental command) of the “real job” to spend the summer providing for the safety, health, happiness, fun and growth of the boys that venture into the North Woods every summer. While there can be little doubt that our staff takes a huge amount out of their own summer experiences (and that is just in salary!!), ultimately camp’s success every summer boils down to the quality and commitment of those special people. They have positively impacted and improved the lives of literally tens of thousands of boys over camp’s 93 years.

I am thankful for pizza nights, those raucous meals every Sunday night when we all let loose a bit. (A return to that beautiful museum known as the Rec Hall is in the works for this coming summer!) We eat (way too much), we sing (way too loud), we dance like nobody is watching us…and we laugh…and laugh…and laugh.

I am thankful for Cruiser Days, those wonderful Wednesdays when we all get a chance to break up the routine and engage in Dinosaur Days, Harry Potter Days, Iron Chef Days, and other silliness that reminds us all about how much fun it is to play and be a kid. On that note, I cannot forget to be thankful for Dairy Queen Blizzards…chock-full of all things chocolaty, sugary, and sweet that I know I should not be eating!

I am thankful for Council Fires, those hours that we all spend together as a camp family gathered around that huge roaring fire laughing together, learning together, sometimes crying together. No matter from what era they hail, anyone that has ever been to camp will tell you that it is the Council Fire that helps us to understand what friendship is…what kindness is…what Nebagamon is.

I am thankful for camp friends and camp family, those folks with whom we love to play, with whom we love to debate, with whom we love to lie on our bunks after taps and swap stories, with whom we love to joke around, and with whom we just love to spend time. They are the people that help us when we are struggling and support us when we need a shoulder to lean on. Certainly we all have friends that exist outside the camp world…but there is something different about our camp friends, something more enduring, more accepting, more understanding, and more unconditional.

I am extraordinarily thankful for the campers and camp parents that put so much trust and faith in me. I am profoundly grateful for the mere act of either deciding to come to camp, or to send one’s child to camp. It is a message of great faith and one that both humbles me and warms me. I am profoundly grateful for their messages of support and trust in challenging times as well. The power of those messages cannot be overstated.

Finally, I am thankful for Nardie Stein. Since the 1950s, Nardie has served, in many ways, as a second father (and in some cases a first father) for literally thousands of boys. I am without a doubt one of those guys. I am indescribably thankful that he was such a central part of my life since I was ten years old. He taught me to be kinder. He taught me to work harder. He taught me how to lead songs. He taught me how to forgive. He taught me how to hold myself and others accountable. He taught me how to dress uncool and still come off as cool. He taught me that coming off as cool was unimportant. He taught me how to be a Camp Director, father, and friend.

Thank you Nardie.

We’re Back on the Road!

By Adam Kaplan

Today, as this hits all of your inboxes, I am en route to Detroit for my first off-season reunion in nearly three years. And while to many of us adults, three years is a relatively quick expanse of time, to our kids, three years is a VERY long time. Many of our campers probably only have vague memories of camp off-season reunions. In fact, statistically speaking, about half of our current campers have never even been to one!

Certainly, the decision to suspend camp reunions in the off-season was a prudent one. With the pandemic in full swing, it seemed unwise to gather folks together for camp parties.  But it has been a huge bummer for the camp family…and for me personally. I am just so happy to be able to get back to it again!

While the reunion tour results in significant time away from my family, I admit that I have always loved the tour. I love the perks of traveling around the country, eating at the “it” restaurant in every town, visiting iconic landmarks, sampling the gas station coffee in dozens of 7-11, Kwik Trip, Holiday, Pilot, Kum & Go, Buc-ees, and many others. (For the record, Buc-ees House Blend is the winner in my book! Also for the record, the Bon Appetit cheese and cherries breakfast danish remains consistent across the different convenience store platforms and, I suspect, across many years after its production date…but man they are delicious!)

And oh yeah…I get to do camp reunions in about 25 cities.

We will look at photo albums from last summer, view a video put together by our talented associate director, Louis, and watch a slideshow with other photos from last summer that I get to narrate. The latter is important in order to give the kids a reminder about how much fun it is to have me drone on and on for significant chunks of time peppering them with my carefully crafted HILAROUS jokes…my personal gift to the kids that come out to see me! And while these activities are certainly fun and the “meat” of the reunion, the truth is, the reunion is more about connecting.

It is about connecting with your camp buddies. It is about connecting with alumni friends. It is about camp families connecting. For some, these connections are old and very comfortable ones. People get a chance to reconnect with their best friends from camp last summer…or their old cabinmate from decades ago. For others, the camp reunion is about coming together with some people for the very first time. Whether this be your first reunion as a relatively new family, or an alumni who has recently relocated to a new city, the reunions are sometimes an introduction to brand new folks. And yet, for everyone, the common thread, Nebagamon, draws them in and welcomes them like few other institutions can do. In this beautiful way, our little two-hour reunions mirror the camp experience. The veterans are ecstatic to be with their best friends in the world and the new folks come in with open minds and are quickly made to feel welcome and included.

The opportunity to bring a little taste of camp into the off-season lives of campers, staff members and alumni across the country is amazing. For campers, the school year can be a quite a slog. Most of our boys pour their hearts and souls into their schoolwork and work to do the best they can at school. For some this can be stressful and challenging. Just as during the summers, camp is in part meant to be a break from this stress, so too, in the off-season, our reunions serve as a break in the intensity of school life…and a reminder of what is on the other end once they make it through the school year. Canoes, sailboats, bows and arrows, laughs, friends…and s’mores! Really the same can be said for our staff and alumni. There is no replacement for the fun break provided with a little walk down camp’s memory lane.

So…nothing too deep or profound this month. I just want to make sure that everyone knows that THE NEBAGAMON ROADSHOW IS BACK this year after our pandemic-caused hiatus. I want to encourage all of you to come, if possible, to your local reunion to connect with each other and relive some camp memories…And please laugh at my carefully crafted HILARIOUS jokes…I am a fragile man!

 

Welcome Home

By Adam Kaplan

For those of you that are unaware, my family and I just moved from Boise to Minneapolis.  If I am being totally honest, this move filled me with more than a little trepidation.  I truly love Boise and the life that I carved out there felt more like HOME than anything I had experienced since childhood.  And while the reasons for leaving Boise and coming to Minneapolis were good ones, I was nervous.  I liked my house in Boise, I liked my bed in Boise, I liked my friends in Boise, I liked the food in Boise….I was just comfortable in Boise…Boise was home.

When I arrived here in Minneapolis, it turned out that my nervousness about the move was well placed.  The house wasn’t the same house.  It’s smaller and a bit less comfortable.  The bed wasn’t the same bed.  My favorite mattress ever didn’t make the trip to Minnesota and I have been forced to get used to a different one.  My friends here in Minnesota aren’t the same as the ones in Boise.  While I am lucky and have some pre-existing friendships here (thanks to camp…and Steph’s family), it’s not the same as the folks in Boise that I have seen regularly for nearly 15 years.  My favorite Indian, Chinese, and pizza places are all in Boise and I haven’t been able to find their match here in Minnesota yet.  It just didn’t feel like home.

….and then it dawned on me.  I’m homesick.

Who’d have thunk it?  Homesick?!  A grown man, a professional in the field of creating welcoming spaces, and an expert on homesickness no less!  But for sure that’s what it is.  Given my prowess in these areas, you might think that I would be able to shake my homesickness simply by becoming aware of it.  But, that’s not how homesickness works.  I am often asked how we handle homesickness at camp by new parents.  I suspect what they are hoping for is a tried and true sure fire quick fix that we have perfected at Camp.  What I tell them though, is that there is no silver bullet when it comes to adjustment issues (the camp director’s nomenclature attempting to rebrand homesickness!).  Ultimately homesickness just takes time.  Certainly, you can make that time easier by staying active and engaged, and leaning on people around you that care about you and want to help (although even your favorite homesickness expert spent a few days trying out the method of seclusion and wallowing….it didn’t work!)

Well, believe it or not, while there may not be a ton of experts on homesickness here in Minnetonka/Hopkins (I live on the border), this place seems to have naturally developed a way of helping someone through their adjustment issues.  It started with some of our pre-existing relationship folk reaching out to make sure that we felt welcomed and ask if we needed anything.  A lunch invitation from a close childhood friend and his wife, several dinners with the extended family, a gift of some delicious banana bread, some homemade pesto in a mason jar and it was made clear to me that our folks here did care and wanted to make sure we felt connected and cared for.  Just like any good counselor would do, those that already felt a sense of responsibility for us, stepped right up and did their part.

As helpful as a counselor can be in helping with a camper’s homesickness, just as important is the help that other campers, those folks that you share the space with and are a part of your every day life….in my case, my neighbors.  I feel so fortunate to have landed in one of those neighborhoods where people go out of their way to make sure you feel a part of things and welcomed.  These are the kinds of people that don’t let you walk by without a friendly word at worst, or far more common, engaging in a warm and welcoming conversation.  They stopped by the house, they invited us to sit down as we passed their homes.  They clearly were deliberate about making us feel comfortable.

Now as I said before here, experience has taught me that there is no magic cure for homesickness.  So, if I am being honest with you all, I am still working on some adjustment issues with this move.  I know it takes time.  The warmth and caring of my new community here in Minnesota is certainly making things much easier and will undoubtedly shorten that time.

Now I realize that this was a pretty darn self-indulgent article as I worked through my internal struggles with all of you (ok…the two or three of you that made it this far in the article!), but I just wanted to share with you how once again, the lessons that we learn at camp are applicable and invaluable to our lives long after we have left camp.

….and…if someone new has moved into your neighborhood, make it a point to reach out and make them feel welcome.  Not only will it mitigate the possibility that the new neighbor will show up on your porch, start wailing and yelling at you to send them back to where they came from, but more importantly, YOU can make your neighborhood A Place Of Welcome For All.

Northwoods Inspiration

By Adam Kaplan

Every year we publish nine issues of the Arrowhead. Nine times a year I am faced with the challenge of coming up with something relevant and interesting to write about. (Those of you that know me are well aware of how rare it is that I am able to speak about things that are relevant and interesting, let alone write about them… needless to say, the monthly Arrowhead articles are a challenge!) Compounding this challenge is the fact that I am forced to write eight of those articles in the basement of my house, with little camp gestalt to inspire me. But the June Arrowhead is the exception. Every year I get to write the June article sitting in the Big House dining room. There is something about sitting here that just makes it easier to think on a “campy” level.

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that, as I sit here, there is an enormous photo of Nebagamon’s founder Muggs Lorber standing in front of the Paul Bunyan statue staring at me from its place above the fireplace in the Big House dining room. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that, as I look around this room, I can take in many photos and relics from countless Nebagamon summers over the years. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that, being up here at camp presents my other senses with inputs that are totally unique to being here. Camp has a certain smell to it, certain sounds associated with it, and that water in my glass (particularly from the Big House kitchen) has a certain taste to it that we all know!

More likely, it has to do with the folks that are sitting around the table right now as I write this article. Our pre-camp crew arrived on Monday to transform this place from its state of winter dormancy… dock-free, boat-free, and whirligig-free (those really cool Herb Hollinger creations that are placed around the Hill and do cool things when the wind blows) … to its more natural state (natural in the minds of so many thousands of campers that is!). It’s a space that screams for the infusion of that unbridled energy that can only be provided by hundreds of boys! It is sitting around the table with these folks that allows me to think so single-mindedly about camp.

This year’s pre-camp crew, as ever, is a wonderful mix of old timers, first-timers, and people brand new to camp. Conversation is free and easy… about goofy, camp-specific topics, sports allegiances, politics, zombie apocalypses (many of our pre-camp work crew are college students, used to noon wake-up times… they would make excellent extras on the Walking Dead at 7:00 AM when our work day begins!) and the best brands of frozen pizza (the answer by the way… Home Run Pizza). These are the exact kinds of discussions that take place in every cabin in camp throughout the summer. In short, within minutes, camp goes from that surreal (and wonderful) state of silence and isolation, to full on camp, and all it takes is the arrival of just a few camp folks, a crew working together towards a common purpose, a big family table to sit around together, and… of course… The Pines.

Looking forward to an amazing two months of experiences, laughs, challenges, and learning with all of them… and so much more. Here we go!!!

The Nebagamon Through Line

By Adam Kaplan

Since 1929, Camp Nebagamon has consistently striven to execute its mission. Now I know that in the modern world, the modus operandi when it comes to mission statements is to make them short and to the point. Essays are not de rigueur in the world of missions. But anyone who knows me is well aware that I absolutely refuse to say in a few words what I can say in many! Apparently, I am not alone in this propensity to both discard convention and use lots of words when articulating our mission at camp. I have been going through some of the mission statements from the previous directors and have found that words are not used sparingly at all! There are lots of historical mission statements to sift through, and lots of words in all of them! Which of course makes sense since we do SO MUCH at camp!

But, in truth, they have all said the exact same things. The mission of Nebagamon has remained the same since 1929. In short (I know… I have already admitted that I can’t do anything “in short”….except for, obviously, my stature!), our mission at camp is to provide boys with life-changing experiences that will teach them about independence and interdependence. We nurture an environment that teaches ethical behavior, one in which people are accepted and accepting of others’ beliefs and backgrounds. We are here to provide a place that allows boys to discover who they are, to gain competence, and to take safe risks. We are committed to fostering an appreciation of nature and the determination to respect and protect it. We are an institution that fosters connections and friendships that are truly enduring, stabilizing, and supporting. And oh yeah, we are a place that exists to create a tremendous amount of plain old summer fun!

No matter which set of directors wrote up that mission and however they articulated it, that core mission has remained the same…for nearly 100 years.

Sure, there have been some alterations to the program over the years. It used to be that Nebagamon was open only for eight-week sessions. It used to be that all boys arrived at the beginning of the summer by train to a nearby town, and a parade of folks from town would pick up the boys and ferry them to camp (can you imagine!?!?!). It used to be that our summer daily schedule was significantly less structured. There used to be no climbing wall and no waterskiing. It used to be that the Rec Hall was a MUCH quieter place during meals than it is now (sorry about that one Sally, Nardie, Roger and Judy…I am a loud guy and the noise just follows me!) The list of alterations and improvements to camp in order to keep it relevant to its era (and to put together the best camp program possible) is a long one.

These changes have often caused some angst when introduced. (Want to hear the one about my bringing two new songs to camp, from the previous camp I ran, when I started directing at Nebagamon? Want to see the emails I received from unhappy alumni about my dangerous changing of camp?!) But each of them was only adopted by the directors with the sole intention of better delivering on the mission of Nebagamon. Still, every time something new is introduced at a place so steeped in tradition, a camp that has been delivering on its goals for so long, it makes some folks uneasy. I get it.

But the truth is this: NONE of these changes really altered anything about what Camp Nebagamon is. None of these changes altered anything about what Camp Nebagamon strives to accomplish. None of these changes altered anything about how camp FEELS to the boys who call it home every summer. And amazingly, whenever alumni visit camp and spend some time walking around and soaking in the place, they ALL come to the same conclusion. They say, “It’s amazing! I cannot believe how much this place is just like I remember it!” This quote is repeated by folks who have been gone for five years…and for fifty years. They all say it…they all feel it.

So, admittedly, Steph and I were a bit nervous about our big announcement last week. We were nervous that folks would fear the alteration in camp’s “back of the house” structure. But we have been truly humbled (and relieved!!!) by the numerous expressions of support from so many corners of our community. At the same time, we want to be clear, we understand if you are feeling some of that nervousness. It is totally natural, especially given how much Nebagamon means to so many of you.

The transition of Camp from private ownership to a non-profit organization run by an alumni board is just like every other alteration made in Nebagamon’s history. It is being done to further our mission and to ensure that we are delivering on this mission for as many kids as possible and for as long as possible. The camp experience, that every camper and every staff member enjoys while spending a summer at camp, will not change, and this transition will ensure that kids get to experience it in perpetuity.

I hope that you are all looking forward to YOUR visit to camp, whether that be in a couple of years or in a couple of decades. I hope you are looking forward to wandering the grounds and soaking in the sights and sounds of children playing and growing and thriving. And I hope you are looking forward to saying, “It’s amazing! I cannot believe how much this place is just like I remember it!”

BTW: Some IRL Changes @ Camp in 2022!

By Adam Kaplan

As I have written many times, one of the tricks of serving as the director of Nebagamon is finding a way to, at the same time, preserve the 94-year-old traditions and history of Nebagamon, and to keep the place current so that today’s kids will be able to relate to the happenings at camp. This tension requires us, when something new comes along, to evaluate it and try to ascertain whether or not the “next big thing” is compatible with Camp Nebagamon and what it continues to stand for 94 years after Muggs and Janet Lorber founded the place.

Before I introduce the changes that we are planning for this summer, it is important that I spell out, as a baseline, the core philosophies of Camp Nebagamon. It behooves us to enumerate the values and ideals that are incumbent upon us, as stewards of the institution, to promote and to protect.

One obvious tenet is that Nebagamon is an institution that fosters connection and community, whether it be children connecting with each other, connecting with role models, or connecting with nature. It is a goal of Camp Nebagamon to promote and nurture these connections for everyone that passes Paul Bunyan, even for the first time, on their journey into the camp family.

It is with this lofty ideal in mind that we are proud to announce that we are embracing one of the most important tools for “connection” that has ever been created…social networking. For those of you that are still unplugged and in the dark ages, social networking has revolutionized and streamlined communication and connection like nothing before. Through online chatting, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and whatever exciting new platforms are on the horizon, it is now possible for people to engage in their interpersonal relationships without ever having to go through the trouble of physically meeting with their friends. All that they need to do is connect through their phones virtually. This way people can constantly be connected to their friends and know what they are doing almost all the time. Want to know when your buddy is reading the newspaper? He can simply post “Reading the newspaper” on his Twitter account. Dying to know when your pal is about to brush his teeth before bed? Simply log on and he will likely have posted that information. Just got to know if that greasy burger joint that you went to for dinner resulted in some gas for your girlfriend? Well, not only can she tell you about it through words, but Twitter even has the option for some audio updates. What better way to stay connected?

Starting this summer, when each camper hops off of the bus, they no longer need to be worried about having to get an uncomfortable hug from Steph, instead they will each be issued an iPad along with pre-generated Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter accounts. Instead of wasting time down at CNOC learning wilderness skills, campers will be offered tutorials on how to best share all of the details of their lives with the entire cyber world, both within their cabins and with the world at large. Talk about life skills!!!

Sally has been Tweeting from the camp office since 1977!

For the skeptics out there, one needs only look back at one of camp’s tenets outlined in the third paragraph of this article to see how this new program perfectly supports that goal. First, connecting children with each other is obviously fulfilled by their ability to electronically get together without ever having to do more than click a screen. Plus, an added benefit on this front is that it allows the campers to avoid physical contact with each other, ensuring a healthier camp. Not to mention how much easier it will be for kids to sleep since there will be none of that annoying “talking” thing going on in the cabin… just typing…and what better than the rhythmic tapping of keys to gently lull one into sleep.

Secondly, connecting with role models will be supported by this new program because, in addition to the boys being able to follow their counselors’ social media accounts, we will help the boys connect with other tweeting role models out there. With hourly updates from countless athletes and pop music stars, I have no doubt our boys will benefit from their tutelage. Why, just today I was reading tweets from my Twitter buddy and role model, Kim Kardashian, and she commented about her current vacation to New York and Florida. She said, “Was a beautiful, sunny day in NY today. Went shopping at Top Shop today, so many cute things!” and “Beach Bunny in paradise!” Great stuff to learn from… great stuff.

Our connection to nature is fostered through our new social networking program because our adoption of this program shows, once again, Nebagamon’s commitment to protecting the environment. The fact that campers will largely stay in their cabins throughout the summer and won’t be tramping all over camp, all day long, will decrease the erosion issues we face at camp and allow the grass to grow at a much faster unhindered rate. More greenery, more oxygen for the environment! Also, given that the new program will be replacing the tripping program, think about how many hundreds of gallons of gasoline will be saved, how many Boundary Waters portages will be left in their pristine untrodden state. Finally, I mentioned before that the computers will mean that the children do not need to speak at camp. This will result in a marked decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. Checkmate greenhouse gasses. No need to thank us. Just doing our part to save the world.

I know that I speak for all of us here at camp when I say, “OMG…this is gunna be so fun. i know ur sooo excited cuz its gunna be soooo fun. i cant wait 4 it. Gunna luv it. ROFL…LOL. TTYL!”

And, oh yes, Happy April Fool’s Day from the camp office!

We promise only one type of tweeting at camp this summer!

Rising to the Challenge

By Adam Kaplan

This is high season for “New Boy Presentations.” You remember the New Boy Presentation, don’t you? It might have been Nardie and Sally, or Roger and Judy, showing up at your house laden with a slide projector and a screen to set up in your living room…or maybe it was Adam Fornear and I wrestling with a computer and your television set. In the past couple of years, I have had to do these over Zoom calls, which brings with it its own challenges.

Regardless, these presentations are filled with photos and lots of information about what camp life is like. One of the things that has always struck me about these presentations is how much time I spend talking about all of the STUFF that we have at camp. In fact, of the 144 photos that I present, fully 135 of them are just about showing the prospective campers all of the “stuff” they will get to play with at camp. (One hundred forty-four photos…I know…learn to edit already Kaplan! But I figure it is only fair to prepare the kids for the long-windedness of their camp director since they will have to endure it throughout their camp careers!) But, anyone that really understands Nebagamon knows that despite the fact that we have some pretty fun stuff at camp, the real magic of the place, and what makes it special, cannot be shown in a photo. The Nebagamon magic happens to all of us because we commit ourselves to building as perfect of a community as we can, and challenge ourselves to become the best versions of ourselves.

I’ve noticed that over the years, as my New Boy Presentation has evolved, I have attempted to communicate this affective facet of camp more and more. I have realized that one of the points that I now make no less than five times during that presentation, is that sometimes what we do at camp is hard. Whether it be getting to the top of the climbing wall, learning to windsurf, getting over homesickness or learning to resolve conflict in a cabin group…sometimes things at camp are difficult.

While I know that “Come to Camp Nebagamon, things will be hard!” is not the greatest tag line from a marketing approach, I intentionally highlight it because I really do believe that the challenges that camp asks boys to accept and face are absolutely key to any formative camp experience.

The truth is, more than ever, I believe that kids today need to grapple with challenges. Like many of you, I am a modern parent. And part of modern parenting is the desire to gift our kids idyllic childhoods free from as much strife and difficulty as possible. With the best of intentions, we modern parents often shield our kids from lots of things that are difficult. When a relationship with a peer in school is a struggle, we might call the parents of that peer. When our kids are having trouble with a concept in class, we may step in and go directly to the teacher. When our kids seem to be getting less playing time on a team as they would like (or we would like!), we go straight to the coach. Again, we modern parents do this out of love and a desire to be wonderful parents…that is not bad. But, an unfortunate byproduct of this is that we may set our kids up to believe that life is always going to be easy, or that someone will always take care of things for them. We deny them the opportunity to address challenges on their own, and that may leave them feeling like they are not capable of handling challenges. Instead of “protecting” our kids, we inadvertently prevent them from learning how capable they truly are, even when things are tough. No, ESPECIALLY when things are tough.

And that is where camp comes in.

Camp is the perfect place for our kids to stretch out of their comfort zone and embrace challenges. It is a combination of the leap of faith that our camp parents take when they trust us and make the decision to send their son(s) to camp, the distance from life as they know it, and the roughshod communication that parents receive from their kids (yeah, I know the quality of the letters you sometimes get from your sons! If you want some help with that, you can read more here, from Adam’s Updates), that allows kids at camp to grow. Removed from the parental safety net and the expectations of their community, campers are more willing to try. They learn how to navigate (with the caring coaching of our wonderful staff) and succeed at conquering those challenges. And in the process it bolsters their understanding of themselves and how capable they are. You can imagine there is very little that feels as good as learning that you are capable of succeeding when things are hard. There is no greater gift that a summer at Nebagamon offers these guys…

Indeed, that New Boy Presentation has changed some over the years. These days it is not uncommon to hear me saying, “Getting up on waterskis is hard, and you are going to fall down a lot as you learn to do it. But, when you finally figure it out, and you are up on those skis cruising around the lake, you will feel incredibly proud of yourself.” Another favorite is, “I like that you will be walking up that steep hill on trail, with that backpack weighing on you, thinking about how hard it is to get up to the top. Because…when you get to the summit and you are eating lunch on top of that mountain, the food will taste better and the view will be prettier, because YOU are the one that made it happen…and that feels great.” Perhaps not the stuff of a camp marketer’s dream presentation, but, then again, those are the folks that wanted us to install webcams all over camp and highlight in the New Boy Presentation the ability for parents to always stay virtually connected while their son is away. Ummm, we took a hard pass on that one.

We are deeply in the throes of planning for the summer of 2022 and we could not be more excited about it. So, here is wishing everyone at camp this year a summer full of physical challenges, social challenges, and even straight up hard things…with s’mores.

Previous Page
Next Page