Happy Independence Day from Camp! We hope you’re having as good a day as our campers, but to be honest, a Fourth of July at Camp Nebagamon is pretty hard to beat, and in my opinion, is just about as spectacular a celebration as any out there. At Nebagamon, we hit all the notes on Independence day.
We started this morning with an all-American classic: apple pie à la mode… for breakfast! Normally at camp, music in the dining hall is verboten, but for special occasions, we pipe in the hits. Katy Perry’s “Firework” and Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA” were looping through the speakers between bites of pie and ice cream… for breakfast! The tone in the Rec Hall was jubilant as campers fueled for the fourth on their first dessert of the day… Did I mention it was dessert for breakfast???
After a joyful start to our day, the whole camp gathered around our flagpole for our Independence Day flag raising. On the Fourth of July, we take a special flag out of its display case in the Big House and hoist it atop the Hill – this flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol building in 2008 in honor of Camp Nebagamon. Our flag raising ceremony concludes with a talk from a seasoned staff member on what Independence Day means to them – this year, we heard from Bill Hensel, longtime camper, counselor, and Wilderness Trip Driver. Bill Hensel reflected on his summers as a camper in the late 60s during the Vietnam War and what it means to stand up to injustice. He spoke about how the story of America is, at its best, a story of people who saw something wrong and had the courage to speak out, to act, to make change. And he reminded the boys that even if they cannot vote, they too can practice this kind of courage, standing up for what’s right and using their voices when they see injustice. It was a thoughtful message to carry into the day.
This afternoon, we walked into the village to take part in the annual Village of Lake Nebagamon Independence Day parade. Now, the village parade is particularly charming due to its small-town feel, which gives it an almost Rockwellian delight. Over the past week, the Art project has been working with campers to create a larger-than-life, multicolored fish float with a body made of PVC pipe and bedsheets, scales of old CD’s and lots and lots of paint, and a colorful papier-mâché head and tail. The campers who crafted the float marched down Waterfront Drive carrying our massive fish float, bobbing down the road alongside firetrucks and decorated cars. The rest of our campers lined the road to cheer on the parade, buzzing as it began in anticipation of the floats, and of course, the candy. The procession circled the main block of the village twice to stretch it out a little bit, and our campers were thrilled to catch candy tossed by locals and enjoy yet another sweet treat this afternoon.
This evening, we’ll head up to the Upper Diamond for a longstanding Independence Day tradition: the Junior Counselors versus Senior Counselors softball game. We’ll have announcers, games between the innings, hot dog and popcorn vendors, the works, so it’s got a real ballpark feeling… outside of the talent. Our counselors have many, many skills, but softball prowess isn’t on the job description. What we lack in dazzling defense and bat-to-ball, we make up for in gumption and enthusiasm! The game will end with Feed ‘em Freedom Sundaes, which is as excessive as it sounds. Campers pile as many toppings as they can on top of scoops from Lake Life, one of the two ice cream shops down the road – it’s one last hurrah for gluttony on a day that’s sure to leave our campers with a stomach ache.
So, dessert for breakfast, candy at the parade, and ice cream sundaes to top off the day. How could it get any better? Of course, with a blowout fireworks show on the lake after taps. Campers will head out onto our docks as the sun sets and splash their feet in the water as the show booms across Lake Nebagamon. The village hosts a spectacular show out on Lake Nebagamon, one that many Northlanders travel across the county to watch, so it’s quite a treat to sit out on our H-Dock and soak in the oohs and ahhs with our campers’ arms draped around each other’s shoulders.
And at the end of it all, the campers will finally shuffle back to their cabins with faces lit up from fireworks, with hearts full of joy from a day of celebrating together, and perhaps with bags under their eyes – both from a long day chocked full of exciting activities and the inevitable sugar crash!
All is well in the Northwoods!