Storming

“It never rains at North Star” is a famous camp saying. That said, you may have heard about the anticipated weather event across Wisconsin and Minnesota last night. We were being told to expect winds of up to 90 miles per hour in the area along with storms. We picked up our trips that were in the backcountry and we held our trips that were supposed to leave. We prepared our storm shelters, and readied the boys for what that might look like. We explained how the bells would ring, and where the boys would go. We closed the windows and doors, tied down the boats and put everything away.

And then it didn’t rain. Not a single drop.

We ate dinner outside. Then the Villa played North Star ball, the Ridge played beach flags and the Juniors played games in the Fieldhouse. And while there was some anxiety about what might come, the boys still had a great night.

But the weather isn’t the only kind of storming that we are focused on at this point in the summer. Conflict is a natural, normal and expected part of cabin life. Living in close quarters with a group of peers for 4-weeks is a ton of fun, and it also has its challenges. The boys learn to share their spaces and they learn to share their lives. The first week of the session is always a honeymoon, and then the realities of communal living set in. Relationships shift. The boys argue. Boundaries get tested. And while feelings may get a little bruised during this part of the summer, so much valuable learning arises from conflict. The boys learn compromise and communication. The boys learn self-awareness and perspective. And the boys get social feedback in an environment in which they feel safe and supported. So much of the real value of the camp experience is learned in these moments, with the our counselors there to coach the boys to become the best version of themselves.

Tomorrow starts with the whole camp drooling! We’ll be in touch tomorrow night with the results of our all-camp COVID-testing.


Today’s Grace: 
“I am more interested in the future than in the past,
For that is where I expect to spend the rest of my life.”
- Charles Franklin Kettering