Chicago Reunion - November 8th

We'll kick off our reunion season in just over a month with our Chicago Reunion. Once again we'll head to Pinstripes in Northbrook for a fun afternoon of bowling. The reunion has been a great opportunity for campers to reunite with their friends. We'll also see the premier of the Summer of 2015 video. 

Here are the details:

2015 Chicago Reunion

Sunday, November 8th from 3:30 - 5:30pm

Pinstripes Bowling - 1150 Willow Rd, Northbrook, Illinois 60062

We've also set up a Facebook event page that we'll add any updates to. Bowling and sodas are paid for. 

We hope that all, All, ALL campers and staff in the area will join us. New and prospective campers are also encouraged to join us. If you know of anyone who is considering camp for this summer, have them contact us so we can invite them too! 

For our staff and prospective CITs, after the reunion ends, please stick around for dinner. 

If you have any questions about the reunion, email Andy or Dan.

Join Team North Star and Send Kids to Camp!

October marks Camp Moves Me, a month long fundraising effort through the American Camp Association. Camp Moves Me seeks to raise money to send kids to camp. Last year, in the inaugural Camp Moves Me, North Star was the top camp, with more participants than any other camp and we want to keep it that way. 

Anyone can sign up, but we hope that lots of NSC campers, staff, alumni and friends will join in. Anyone interested in helping raise money for camp scholarships can join in by creating their own Camp Moves Me page and then, over the month of October run, walk, swim or do any other physical activity. By finding sponsors (family and friends), each of us can help raise money and help provide camp opportunities to those in need! 

Anyone interested can join the cause. Visit the Camp Moves Me page here: 

 https://rallyup.com/aca-2015 

and register. You’ll get a follow-up email on how to personalize your page and share it with family and friends who will sponsor and donate to your pledge! Then email Andy at andy@northstarcamp.com or Dan at dan@northstarcamp.com and send us your Camp Moves Me page so that we can share it, too!

 

The American Camp Association wants to raise $100,000 to send kids to camp so lets make sure that North Star is a big part of exposing more kids to camp!

Support the NSC participants (more to come):
Zach Blumenfeld - http://bit.ly/1RgARdD
Lucas Kasle - http://bit.ly/1FGx5JF
Ethan Levy - http://bit.ly/1LTIcQr
Dan Lichtenstein - http://bit.ly/1RgAXSx
Jason Mann - http://bit.ly/1RgAOyw
Chad Prater - http://bit.ly/1KXTY6V
Oliver Rockman - http://bit.ly/1RgAShG
Andy Shlensky - http://bit.ly/NSCcmm15
Vickie Shlensky - http://bit.ly/1KXTUEk
Danny Verb - http://bit.ly/1KXTZb1

In Memory of Melo

One of the great things about camp is that all of the members of our community have the opportunity to play an important role. While this refers to our campers and staff, we also have a great contingent of furry creatures who call camp home as well. Our NSC pets add to the character of camp. They make North Star a more fun and comfortable place. This past week we were sad to learn that Melo, one of our beloved camp dogs passed away at the age of 14.

How Melo ended up at camp is a fantastic story. NSC alum Marc Siegel was in his senior year at Tulane University in New Orleans, and during the fall semester Marc fostered Melo, who was about two years old. Marc was only supposed to have Melo for a few weeks, but it didn’t take him long to realize what a special dog Melo was and Marc ended up adopting Melo. Marc returned to camp as a counselor and skiing instructor and brought Melo to camp for his first of many summers.

That fall Marc took a job in Philadelphia and knew that a small apartment wasn’t the best place for a dog. Marc found an amazing owner for Melo in fellow staff member Mandy Sullivan. For the next eleven years, Mandy truly gave Melo the best life that any dog could ever hope for. Melo would call North Star home during the summers of those eleven years. If Mandy was driving a ski boat, Melo undoubtedly would be in the boat with her, enjoying the lake as much as any camper. When Mandy went out for hikes or runs, Melo was at her side. Melo spent several winters at camp as well, living year round at North Star for a handful of years with Mandy. When Mandy got married, Melo gained a great dad in Scott!

Photo courtesy Mark Holz

Melo certainly got the most out of his years. Age couldn’t keep him from his spot in the ski boat. The nature trail could not slow Melo down. Even during his last summer at camp, Melo enjoyed all of his favorite activities and could not be kept from his regular swims in Spider Lake. Melo would visit camp one last time over Labor Day weekend, enjoying all that camp has to offer, and spending time with his best camp friends, both canine and human.

Our thoughts are with Mandy, Scott and Marc. Melo will be fondly remembered by hundreds of campers, staff and alumni. His memory should serve as an example to all, in that if we all take advantage of camp as much as Melo did, we’ll never leave North Star with any regrets.