It’s pretty hard to believe that our first session campers left for home this morning… didn’t they just get here? The last few days were a spectacular finish to camp, and yesterday was a really lovely end to a great first session.
The day began with a special surprise for the whole camp. Some backstory: we mentioned in the very first update that a Swamper camper started a petition to add a third candyline to the weekly schedule. What we expected to be a joke for a few days stayed steady through the whole session, one of many inside jokes your four-week campers will try to explain to you tonight over dinner (ask him to do the “slop bucket” dance!). The Swampers collected many, many signatures, made announcements throughout the summer, and badgered Noah and I with requests out around camp. In my uninformed opinion, I do think some of the signatures were pretty dubious, as I don’t recall signing the petition in an orange washable marker, and somehow counselors who haven’t been at camp in years also got their names on the list. Still, this Swamper and soon a group of friends made this their mission for the summer. So, yesterday as we were finishing up lunch announcements, Noah sprinted into the Rec Hall with a massive scroll – a 12’ long petition with a lot of scribbled signatures. The campers had won over the hearts and minds of the two administrators who could grant them their wish, and the Rec Hall erupted at the opportunity to go through candyline one more time this summer. And since we’d had a candyline just yesterday, this one wouldn’t even be tied to letter writing. It was a massive celebration, and the Swampers leading the charge were hailed as heroes.
Then yesterday afternoon, we gathered for our Awards Ceremony. At the end of each session we take an afternoon to celebrate the achievements of our campers in our project areas and in the tripping program. Now, our philosophy at camp is that there’s no such thing as too many awards. When it comes to participation trophies, Camp Nebagamon is firmly in the camp of recognizing everyone who tried hard and put their best out there, as well as the highly skilled achievers who excel in our projects. Each area of camp handmakes awards and certificates for campers to take home with them, honoring campers for effort and excellence in each area. Additionally, many of our older awards have permanent plaques that hang in the Rec Hall. We started with our Big Trippers presenting their trip plaques to the camp family, monuments to their 14 day trips to Quetico or Isle Royale that will adorn the ceiling of the LJ porch. Then, each project area called up campers to recognize their accomplishments. We had awards for our fastest mountain bikers and our best divers, the winning side of the Keely Cup, our soccer tournament for 3-6th graders, and the campers who honed skills and reached top ranks in each project. So many campers received awards for their effort as well: the Broken Racquet, for example, is awarded to those who maybe didn’t win all their tennis matches, but regularly went to tennis to practice and improve on their game, wearing down their racquets from all of their hard work during the session (hence “Broken” Racquet) Many of our projects have “broken awards”; the Broken Paddle (canoeing), Broken Kickboard (swimming), Broken Spoon (MOCA), among others.
Seeing campers walk down to the front of the crowd, shake hands with each project’s instructors, and receive their awards is heartwarming. Our campers worked hard all session long and the handmade award with their name on it is a memento of that incredible effort. Ultimately, I see the Awards Ceremony as a reflection of the core values we hold at camp. Skill building is a cornerstone of Camp Nebagamon. Regardless of what a camper’s passion is – whether it’s athletics, watersports, or creative crafts – we believe that campers deserve recognition for their dedication to building their skills.
After the Awards Ceremony, we gathered for one last dinner in the Rec Hall before our final Council Fire of the session. A senior staff member shared a presentation on the power of wonder, and we concluded, as we always do, with a Keylog ceremony that was chockfull of campers giving thanks for their friends and counselors. Finally, our four-week 9th grade campers threw their final Keylog as campers on the fire, expressing gratitude for their time at camp. A few dispensed advice to our younger campers about savoring their time at camp – “it’s not the amount of time you have left here, it’s about what you do with that time” – while trying to hold it all together.
As we sang together last night at the end of the Council Fire, and as we gathered on the Lower Diamond to send off our buses of four week campers this morning, it was obvious that this community worked. There were hugs, laughter, and sentimental tears as we said our goodbyes. Clearly, these campers did it right.
So far today, our travel plans have been smooth. Campers are awaiting flights at the Minneapolis airport and some are on the bus to Chicago now. To our first session families, thank you so much for entrusting us with your boys for a few weeks of fun in the Northwoods. We can’t wait for you to hear all their amazing stories from the summer. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about your camper’s experience.
For our eight week campers, we’re halfway there! Eight-weekers are spending the day today in Camp doing a Medieval themed Cruiser Day, including shooting sponges into the lake using our trebuchet, before court meets this afternoon to adjudicate important royal matters… which is better, cinnamon rolls or coffee cake?. Then tomorrow is our changeover field trip day. We’ll start with a barbeque at Pattison State Park near camp, then head into Duluth for an evening at The Edge water park.
And for our second session campers… the fun is about to begin! Let us know if you have questions or need help as your camper prepares for the first day of camp on Wednesday!
All is well in the Northwoods!