Engines revving, the opening whistle, the first domino falls… The curtain rises, the book cracks open, Houston, we have liftoff… It’s the start of something, and at camp, it’s the bus bell – our dedicated antique train bell that sits atop the hill and has just one purpose: letting everyone know that THE CAMPERS ARE HERE!
The last eight days at camp have been nothing short of amazing, and it all led up to this afternoon when we rang the bell, scurried up to the front gate, and welcomed our first session campers into camp. Three buses arrived right on schedule, funneling campers from all over the country and all over the world right past the welcoming visage of our very own Paul Bunyan.
So:
LET THIS SERVE AS YOUR NOTICE THAT ALL OF THE BOYS THAT WERE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE TODAY HAVE DONE SO AND ARE SAFELY AT CAMP!
And boy oh boy, have we been excited to greet them. On June 10th we commenced orientation for our brand new staff and the following day our full staff training began. Since then, we’ve had a flurry of meetings covering Nebagamon’s philosophy, child development, and counseling skills. We did a lot of playing too. We competed in the annual staff volleyball tournament and softball game, we jumped in the lake for G-Swim, and watched the staff talent show complete with musical acts, poetry, and something best described as abstract comedy brought to us by the trip staff.
While our staff learned a lot this week and had a ton of fun along the way, what really stood out to me was the way the week felt. The feeling started the first couple days as our new-to-camp staff members adjusted to their new community. I was so impressed by how welcoming our returning staff were. They took our new friends under their wing and showed them the ropes. That sense of welcome set the tone for the week. In no time at all our community felt more and more like a family. As we sat around the Council Fire ring shoulder to shoulder, singing songs that generations of our camp family have sung together a couple nights ago, that feeling was palpable.
As I type this note, the welcoming nature of our community is playing out all over camp with our brand new arrivals… the CAMPERS!!! Today I’ve seen high fives and hugs, introductions and reuniting between bunkmates and counselors alike. The fun and silliness of camp started right back up: as of writing, one Swamper camper’s petition for camp to add a third candy line each week was up to 87 signatures (as the addressee of that petition… I have bad news). At dinner, the Rec Hall was abuzz with name games and excited campers discussing their plans for the summer. And tonight, our campers will make their space feel like their own, unpacking their duffles into their cubbies, making their beds, and turning our (lovely, “rustic”) cabins into their homes for the summer. This process, which we call “nesting,” is very helpful in making camp feel the way it’s supposed to, particularly for our new campers.
The feeling in camp we built over the past week of training has seamlessly carried through to the first moments of our campers’ summers. And while learning names and making beds is important, these first night rituals are only a small part of the welcoming vibe our campers benefit from at Nebagamon. The eye-contact, smile, and shaken hand, the genuine questions in the interest of learning about new peers, and the joyful noise of new friends playing games all are tell-tale signs of the full-throated embrace of our watchwords at the front of the Big House – “This Shall Be A Place Of Welcome For All.” Our staff know that simply putting up the sign does not make camp a welcoming place (although it helps!). Camp is welcoming because of the aura (I’ve run out of synonyms for feeling, and I’ve heard this one is hip with the kids?) that staff and campers intentionally create for camp. Camp is welcoming because of how we treat each other, how we get to know each other, and how we respect each other.
So, welcome to our campers. For those who stepped off the bus and returned home, we’re so happy to have your camper back in their place. And for those who stepped into something new for the very first time, we can’t wait until your camper calls this place home.
As the summer charges ahead stay tuned for these updates every other day. This summer our updates will be written by me, with some guest writers from time to time. We hope these anecdotes will help give you a sense of what’s going on up here at camp. Please remember that if you have any questions throughout the summer you can always reach out to the camp office – we’re happy to help!
All is well in the Northwoods!