After arriving at camp to a perfect Northwoods day, the second session of North Star’s 73rd is off and running! The staff and 8-week campers gave us quite the welcome, jumping and yelling with excitement as we got off the bus through a tunnel of raised arms. One of my favorite things about North Star is the interaction across age groups. From the time we boarded the buses, our older boys were introducing themselves to the younger campers, getting to know them, telling them about camp and what was going to happen when we arrive. That continued as we gathered around the flagpole to announce the cabins. From there, the boys headed to their cabins to get unpacked, and that is where the relationship building begins. It is our expectation that by the time everyone goes to bed, they feel that they have one counselor that they are comfortable waking up with a problem or a question and one friend that they are excited to play with in the morning. Because that is when camp starts to feel like home.
The boys are now unpacking and new campers are receiving a tour of camp. As they walk around camp, they will see many of the improvements from the off-season. Our senior village campers will be excited to see their newly renovated washhouse with more showers for them. Everybody will see the continued improvements in the Fieldhouse, which has the completed basketball courts in addition to a new and improved fitness center, a multipurpose room, and an upstairs clubhouse that features ping pong and foosball. Behind the Fieldhouse, a new batting cage is being installed for our baseball players to get their swings in. There is a brand new rocketry room and home for ecology as well as an expanded trip shack. By the time they go to sleep tonight, they'll have played games with their cabins and met some of the other guys their age as well.
Dinner this evening will be burgers, fries and jello, plus the ever present salad bar and Sun Butter and jelly. There will be vegetarian burgers available for those that prefer, and Gluten free options for those that need it. And of course brownies for dessert. Immediately following dinner, the campers will choose their first week's activities.
The evening activities will be followed by the candlelight ceremonies, where each cabin will have a meeting led by their counselors. They will share their goals and expectations for the summer, while continuing to get to know one another. This will be the first of many cabin discussions that are an important part of the "team" building goals that we have for each cabin group, and helps develop the strong sense of community that we strive for at camp.
On Friday night, Ben Mizel spoke at the Council Ring about gratitude. He told a story about getting a van stuck in a ditch. Despite the adverse circumstance, being able to feel grateful for the people who offered him help and the company with him was the difference between joy and sorrow. Throughout the next four weeks, the boys at camp are going to have an amazing time, but it won’t be without some bumps in the road. I am so grateful for our fantastic staff who dedicate their summer to helping each boy, not only when the road is smooth, but also when they feel stuck. Those moments provide incredible opportunities to learn and grow in a safe way. That is what camp is all about and I’m looking forward to a great 4-weeks with your boys.
Tomorrow the kids will have a busy day as our medical team check in the boys. They will take a swim test and find time to play several games of dodgeball. The 8-weekers will he headed out on some great day trips. Evening program will be our first game of All-Camp Capture the Flag. And on Tuesday, we'll be right into regular activities. The boys will have their first three instructional periods that they chose tonight.
FOLLOW CAMP ONLINE
From here on out, you can follow along with the summer of 2017 on our website at www.NorthStarCamp.com/blog. We will also be posting updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/northstarcampforboys and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/northstarcamp.
We post pictures online on a regular basis, and you can access those directly from your CampInTouch page. To access your CampInTouch page, go to www.northstarcamp.com and click "login" in the upper right hand corner. From there you can click on "Photos" to see those smiling faces. If you'd like to set up guest accounts for friends or family you can do that from your landing page by clicking on "Guest Accounts."
Thank you for trusting us with your boys!
Thanks,
-Andy
