Detroit Trip: 1/31 - 2/2

Andy and Dan had a great time in St. Louis. We saw many campers and camp families as well as a handful of NSC alums. We also enjoyed meeting new families at the Summer Opportunities Fair and catching up with several other camps throughout the weekend.

After a quick 36 hour recharge at home, we're back on the road Tuesday morning, headed to Michigan. Here are our schedule stops:

1/31: Michigan State University Hiring

1pm - 4pm at the Career Center @ The Stadium

2/1: University of Michigan Hiring

10:30am - 2pm at the Michigan Union Crofoot Room

2/1: West Bloomfield Camper Fair

6:30pm - 8:30pm at the JCC West Bloomfield (6600 W. Maplewood Rd)

2/2: Eastern Michigan University Hiring

10am - 1pm in the Student Center

If you are a prospective camp family or know someone who is looking for camp for their son, we are also available for home visits. Email andy@northstarcamp.com or call us at 715-462-3254 to set up a visit or to learn more.

Prospective staff who are interested in meeting to discuss our openings but cannot stop by during our scheduled times, email dan@northstarcamp.com or call us at 715-462-3254.

Staff Spotlight: Max Emmerman

Max (L) showing off his moves

Max "Emme" Emmerman will be back for summer #8. Hailing from Chicago, he is a junior at Francis Parker High School. Max is the captain of his school's golf team and also plays on the tennis team. He was recently nominated to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security and Foreign Policy in Washington D.C. He’ll have the opportunity to meet with former heads of the CIA and FBI and will visit areas that are considered restricted zones.

We're thrilled to have Max back as a junior counselor. As you can see he has a diverse set of interests and brings a lot to North Star!

More about Max:

Favorite TV Show(s): Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mother, The Office

Best Place you've ever visited: Madrid

Teams you root for: Packers, Real Madrid

Favorite Camp Meal: Friday Night Dinners/Lazy day Breakfast

Favorite Spot at CampThe end of the ridge or the entrance to camp

Favorite All Camp Activity: Glen's Game

Earliest Camp Memory: Meeting Leb at the Reunion the year before i first went to camp

If you could have a superhero power, what would it be: I would want to be able to read people's minds

Best Hanukkah gift you've ever gotten: A trip to Israel

Preferred Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce: Barbecue Sauce, or Honey Mustard

Staff Spotlight: Robyn Kirk

Robyn (L) after a strenuous Guten Gallop

Many camps have to search far and wide to find a good office manager. Landing someone who happens to have their summer free, is organized, and able to handle all the other fun stuff that comes through the main office isn't an easy task. We didn't have to look so far when it came to Robyn... she's seemingly been a part of the North Star family since the days when she and her best friend Vickie Sandler came to camp each summer to visit Vickie's then boy friend Andy. Vickie, Robyn and Andy have been friends since high school and Robyn was the Maid of Honor in their wedding. 

We're thrilled to have Robyn back for her third summer. She does a great job keeping our office running on all cylinders. She's the friendly voice that you hear when you call the camp office during the summer. She also helps out a lot on our waterfront, both at swim point and at waterskiing. During the year she resides in St. Paul, MN where she’s a deaf educator.

Favorite TV Show: Right now its New Girl, but I also love Modern Family and Jeopardy.

Best place you've traveled to: Sweden

Team you root for: The Packers
 

Favorite Camp Meal: Kosher Delights- Bacon Wrapped Hot dogs cooked over a fire, no cheese
 

Favorite Spot at camp: Either the path to swim point or the driver's spot on a ski boat
 

Favorite All Camp Program: Predator Prey or Pow Wow Day
 

Earliest camp memory: Coming to Hayward to visit my North Star Friends for the first time in 2003 and being scared to actually enter the camp property
 

If you had a superhero power, what would it be: Transfiguration
 

Best Christmas present you ever got: I was pretty jazzed when I got the original Nintendo game way back in the day
 

Preferred Chicken Nugget Dip: Definitely honey mustard. Sometimes the chicken finger just becomes a vehicle to eat more of it. 

Robyn (L) and Kacy out for an evening paddle

Staff Spotlight: Jonah Baim

Jonah Baim showing his mad defensive skills in speedball

Amongst our quality staff, there is one guy who is heads above the rest, and thats Jonah Baim. Jonah quite literally towers above others, measuring in at 6' 5"... at least when we last saw him. Chances are, he'll be closer to 6' 7" by this summer.

At school, he puts his altitude advantage to good use, playing on the Highland Park. H.S. varsity basketball team. He's also a volleyball player. Currently a junior at HPHS, he is also working as a mahonic at his local temple and is becoming a peer tutor. He's an excellent counselor and we're thrilled to have him back as as climbing and sailing instructor.

More about Jonah

Favorite TV Show: Seinfeld

Best Place you've Traveled to Travel: Israel

Teams you root for: The Bulls and Bears

Favorite Camp Meal: Gilled cheese and tomato soup

Favorite Place at Camp: Top of the climbing wall

Favorite All Camp Activity: North Star ball (another volunteer to be the ball runner)

Earliest Camp Memory: Making a rubber band chain that stretched from J-2 to the upper tennis courts

If you had a superhero power, what would it be:Telekenisis

Best Hanukkah Present you've Ever Gotten: Playstation 2

Preferred Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce: A mix of honey and ketchup

St. Louis: 1/26 - 1/29

Andy and I hit the road for St. Louis today and will be there for the entire weekend. We'll be in town for both staff and camper recruiting. Below are the details of our scheduled stops, but we're also available by appointment. If you want to contact us, you can email andy@northstarcamp.com or call 715-462-3254. We're happy to schedule last minute home visits and if you know of any perspective campers or staff in the area, either have them contact us, visit us at one of our stops, or send us their contact info and we'll get in touch.

Friday, January 27th - Wash U Staffing Visit

10am - 1pm @ the Danforth Center

Saturday, January 28th - Summer Opportunities Fair (camper fair)

10am - 3pm @ Whitfield School - 175 S. Mason Rd, St. Louis, MO

http://www.summeropportunitiesfair.org/

A heads up on our upcoming travels, too. We'll be in the Detroit area from January 31st - Feb 2nd. We're staffing at Michigan State, Univ of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, attending a camper recruitment event in West Bloomfield, and, of course are available for home visits.

We'll send updates from the road!

Staff Spotlight: Jeremy Palgen

Jeremy in Quetico on the 2011 Canadian

Every year Andy and I do a staffing trip down to the University of Illinois. There are several current NSC staff and alumni that go to school down there, so its great to see them. We also take any camp folks and prospective counselors out for dinner, the real reason behind the trip. Its become a bit of a tradition that we go out to Papa Del's. Their deep dish pizza is well known amongst the U of I crowd and its a really good excuse for Andy and I to grab a meal there.

Somehow, we've managed to pick up several solid staff members there. Like clockwork, we always leave Urbana, IL having made great connections and ultimately we hire at least one, if not more really solid staff members. The latest to join the group is Jeremy Palgen.  A native of Manhattan, IL, at the U of I he’s majoring in biology and is also President of the Sigma Nu fraternity. At camp, Jeremy is one of our climbing and fishing instructors. This will be his second summer at North Star.

More about Jeremy

Favorite tv show: Big Bang Theory

Best place you've ever traveled to: India

sports team(s) that you root for: Univ. of Illinois, Chicago Cubs/Bears/Bulls/Blackhawks

Favorite camp meal: Picnic

Favorite spot at camp: Top of the wall

Favorite all camp/special program to do at camp: North Star Ball (we'll remember this next year when we're looking for a ball runner

Earliest camp memory or notable camp memory: Sleeping bag fights

If you had a super hero power, what would it be: Rapid Healing (Wolverine Style)

Preferred chicken nugget dip: Honey Mustard

Jeremy is training to challenge Kobayashi at the Nathan's hot dog-eating contest

Staff Spotlight: Kim McCormack

Add doggy lifeguard to Kim's responsibilities

Kim McCormack was actually Kim Hulse when she first came to North Star 14 years ago. As a middle school science teacher, she worked with NSC long timers Steve (Hitch) and Corrie Hitchens, who told her about the opportunity to work at camp as office manager. That seemed intriguing enough, and little did she know that she'd find her eventual husband at North Star. 

We often joke that Kim is a Jill of all trades, and there have actually been years where that title was on her contract. The fact is that for camp to be successful, there are always people who go well beyond their title and do whatever is necessary, and this certainly is the case with Kim. She works with our counselors to make sure that our cabin cruiser days are successful. She assists in Denny's Den, helping make sure that the daily program happens. She also has lots of other daily tasks, ranging from helping sort mail to making sure that counselors get nightly snacks.

Kim did find her husband at North Star. Jeff is currently our CIT director. Their son Lake also makes North Star home for the summer. During the off season, Kim is a middle school science teacher in Evergreen, CO.

More about Kim:

Favorite tv show: The Amazing Race

Best place you've ever traveled to: London as a child & Yellowstone as an adult

Sports team(s) that you root for: I guess any Denver/Colorado team, but it really doesn't matter to me

Favorite camp meal: Tin foil surprise seasoned with minced and chopped bland. I will continue to lobby to have it each cruiser day.

Favorite spot at camp: Swim Point

Favorite all camp/special program to do at camp: UN day is my favorite each year. I also liked the blueberry and cherry festival

Earliest camp memory or notable camp memory:  meeting my future husband (he doesn't remember it though)

If you had a super hero power, what would it be the ability: to teleport this way I could still shower at home while at camp

Best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten: As a kid, it is a tie between a bike and a beautiful doll I got one year. As an adult, I got some sapphire earrings one year. I am always appreciative for gift cards

Preferred chicken nugget dip: Honey Mustard

Kim's favorite cooking spice is minced "Bland"