A Little Rain Can’t Stop Us!

The extra 30-minutes of rest this morning was much needed for campers and counselors alike! The J-Village always gets the first meal shift, so they gathered at their picnic tables at 9am today to eat bagels, fruit, and cereal for breakfast. Once the I and S Villages got their turns through the food line, morning announcements were made and cabins were dismissed to get ready for the day. The hot temperature has remained fairly consistent for the past week, so we’ve been making sure the campers are sunscreened up and hydrated throughout the day. And hey, great news: there are still no suspected cases of Covid-19 at camp. We are looking forward to getting results back in the next couple of days from the tests we all took on Friday. 

 

Because it’s so warm and sunny out, there is a high demand for water activities each day. We try to accommodate as many cabin groups as possible to have turns in the water, whether that be paddle boarding, sailing, water fights, or tubing. In a normal summer, tubing is only an available activity on Cruiser Days, but this year, we took the extra step to make sure tubing is offered every day of this quarantine period! Campers have also really enjoyed activities like canoeing and fishing during organized free; on days as warm as these, campers will take the fishing rods out on the pontoons with their cabin group, but end up just taking a joy ride around the lake to get the wind in their faces. 

During lunch, the campers loaded up on chicken nuggets, mac n’ cheese, sweet potato fries, and salad, and for dinner, we enjoyed chicken fajitas. Of course, those with dietary restrictions always have an alternative option to the main dish, and our kitchen staff has been working around the clock to make sure everyone is properly fed and dishes and picnic tables are properly cleaned and sanitized before the next meal. Before cabins are called up for each meal, we make sure masks are up before they can leave their bench. In an effort to keep our camp property beautiful and animal-friendly, we ask that campers pick up any trash around their table before and after they eat. The five camp dogs like to run around and greet all the campers during meal times, and we want to keep their meals to dog food only! 

Around 5:30pm today, we had a random rain disruption which led to our first dinner indoors. Cabins were called to the lodge in shifts such that no more than ten cabins were eating in the lodge at one time. They had to come to the food line with masks up, which everyone was already used to, and they were told when to clean up their tables and head out. 

By the time every person in camp had a chance to eat dinner, the rain was gone, so the evening program went on as planned. Tonight’s activity was Cabin Campfire, where each cabin gathered at their own campsite to build a fire, roast s’mores, and reflect upon the week. Reflection leads to growth, so it’s important to get the boys talking about the best parts of the past 7 days, as well as the moments that could have been better. During this time, the counselors help their campers set goals for the week ahead before heading to the washhouse to clean up for bedtime. Even with wet wood, our boys still know how to make an amazing campfire. 

Crossing our fingers for a dry day tomorrow, though the rain helped the temperature drop significantly up here. We’re ready for whatever comes our way!

Be sure to check out our latest video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiJ54Q8P1FY

Today’s Grace:

“Do I not destroy my enemy by making him my friend?”

-Abraham Lincoln

Be seated.

2020 Week 1 Highlights!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! We’ll start this message with what we know you all like to hear: there are no suspected cases of Covid-19 at camp. Breakfast today was waffles with strawberries and whipped cream to fuel up the boys for a day of fun. We played music through our big speakers during the meal to pump up the campers and staff.

 As we began the day, we addressed the conflicting emotions that one can feel on the 4th of July in a country experiencing so much trouble. We spoke of the importance in addressing systemic racism and other issues that we as a nation are capable of handling much better. In reading the Preamble of the Constitution, we were reminded that we never will be a perfect country, but that we should always strive to be “a more perfect union.”  In reading through the Declaration of Independence, we can acknowledge that we haven’t always gotten it right, but we must strive for equality and protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I am incredibly proud of our boys and this entire generation of young people who have already committed themselves to standing up for these values that we hold so dear. So on the 4th of July we both celebrated the good and promised to work to correct injustices.

Every year for the 4th of July, there is a boat parade around Spider Lake that we’ve never had our campers participate in...until this year! Yesterday, cabin groups signed up for the boats they wanted to take out and had the chance to make signs and decorations to display today. Some cabins chose to stay back on land to do other fun activities, but we had quite a few cabins out on the lake, whether that be on ski boats, pontoons, or Hobie Cats. It was a fun change of pace to what happens on an average camp morning!

Following the boat parade, the campers enjoyed mini hot dogs and mac n’ cheese for lunch, accompanied by more upbeat music over the speakers. This was the fuel the boys needed to prepare for a very exciting afternoon: Green versus White. This tradition is an all-camp relay competition that every single camper participates in to contribute to their team’s success.

At the end of rest period, every new camper and staff member was initiated into one of the two teams. One by one, new members of our community were called up within cabin groups, and were sprayed with green or white paint to find out what team they’re on. Once you are assigned to a color team, you are on that team for life, so all returning campers and staff represented the same team they were on last summer. And no, don’t worry, the paint does not stain clothing! Once everyone was assigned a team, the captains were announced for each village. Of course, there were two captains per village - one green captain, and one white captain. The village captains of each teams were the ones to assign stations to their teammates.

There were a total of 53 events in the Green versus White relay competition, and every camper got to participate at one station. Some tasks involved running from one destination to another, some involved paddle boarding to a buoy and back, some involved field games like baggo and frisbee, some involved carrying an egg on a spoon, some involved wrapping campers in toilet paper, and some even involved loading up on sunscreen and hand sanitizer. The final activity in the competition is always “Boil Water Boil.” Two Pine/Manor boys (oldest campers) from each color team need to build a fire and put a can of water on the fire, and whichever can of water boils first is the winning team of the entire competition. In a very close race, Team White took the crown for today. But, as North Star’s motto goes, it just doesn’t matter. The boys understand that no matter what they’re doing or playing at camp, they’re friends before the activity, friends during the activity, and friends after the activity is over. 

For the evening program, counselors and campers played a game called Space Invaders. One counselor from every cabin was asked to act as an alien and go hide around camp’s property. The other counselor stayed with their cabin group to find the hiding aliens. As an alien, they could only make sounds, but did not speak or understand English. When the boys found and chased down each alien, they had to find a way to communicate with them and do a silly task in order to be released to find the other aliens. The counselors had just as great of a time as the campers, and this game got the campers running around camp once more before the final exciting event of the evening. 

Of course, the 4th of July isn’t complete without fireworks. Campers and counselors laid on the tennis courts after the evening program to enjoy our very own firework show, set off on the ball field. This meant the boys went to bed a little later than usual, but for one night, it was well worth it! Tomorrow, everyone will get to sleep in for an extra 30 minutes. We played classic American songs to match the speed of the fireworks, which the campers really enjoyed.

What an incredible day. Smiles were beaming through the masks. This is camp. More fun headed our way tomorrow!

The Friendship Fire

The first Friday Night Service of each summer, since the very first summer in 1945 has been the Friendship Fire. Lou and Renee Rosenblum founded camp to be a place where boys could develop meaningful relationships with their fellow campers and counselors. While many things about tonight’s friendship fire looked different, that value remains at the core of everything we do. Tonight’s keylog ceremony was unforgettable. Not only were the boys so appreciative to be at camp, enjoying the sunset among friends, but they were reflective and sad for their North Star friends who could not be with us this summer, as well as their siblings, friends and cousins who do not have the opportunity to attend camp this summer either. One of our oldest campers summed it up perfectly when he said, “this keylog is for being at camp with friends and having a sense of normalcy while things are so crazy in the world.” We sang with masks and the keylog line was by cabin, but in all of the important ways, it was Friday Night as we know it and love it. 

Today, we had every member of the North Star community get tested for Covid-19 with our on-site testing kits. The results will be back early next week. There are still no suspected cases of Covid-19 at camp. Even if all test results come back as negative, we will continue with our strict 14-day cabin quarantine so that we are working to limit the transmission between pods throughout the entire contagious period.

With another hot day came more water activities. The fun bug area had campers every period of the day, and we made sure to get the tubing and water ski boats out to pull campers. The splash mat is certainly getting a lot of good use these days, as is the blob - a giant floating trampoline with an inflated attachment for the boys to jump on under the sun. Slip n’ slides were brought out and the athletic field sprinklers were turned on during organized free, which made for a fun bonus. Water fights seem to be the new trend at camp, which are both fun to watch and fun to be a part of. 

When walking by the tetherball poles, even the Junior campers were heard saying “let’s sanitize the ball before we play,” and then proceeded to use the nearest spray bottle to spray the ball, his opponent’s hands, and his own before starting their game. The fact that campers are now remembering to sanitize without a reminder from the counselors shows that they are intently listening to instruction, they understand why it’s important, and they want to help their friends stay clean too. This speaks measures to the hard work our staff is putting in to get all (all, ALL!) campers on the same page. We are so proud of our boys for paying such great attention and for doing their part in preventing the spread of germs.

As we concluded Friday Night Services tonight, I referenced a line from Oprah Winfrey that says “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” Those are real friends. We didn’t get a bus for camp, but we got vans...

Today’s Grace:

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Be seated.

Water Fun Has Only Begun

We were lucky to have yet another warm, sunny day up at camp today! The campers enjoyed their cinnamon buns and oatmeal for breakfast before heading to their first instructional period of the day. Water sports like tubing, fishing, and kayaking seemed to be a big hit under the hot sun, while many cabins also enjoyed shaded activities such as riflery, archery, basketball, and climbing. Of course, counselors constantly reminded their campers to drink lots of water throughout the day. And yep, you guessed it: there are still no suspected cases of Covid-19 at camp. Tomorrow we will test the entire community.

While fun activities were happening at camp, a few cabins from the Senior Village headed to Amnicon Falls, Meyers Beach, and the Nam for day trips with their counselors and our awesome Wilderness Trip Leaders. Each cabin enjoyed the change in scenery and appreciated the bonding time in nature. At Amnicon Falls State Park, S3 went on a 1-mile hike and finished the day by swimming in the beautiful Lake Superior. S1 had a lazy day on Meyers Beach where they swam, played frisbee in the water, and bathed in the sun. Pine paddled 9 miles down the Nam, though they spent most of the time out of their boats and floating in the water. They especially had fun going through the fast rapids at the end of their trip!

Campers were particularly excited when they learned today was the first day of Wanegan! Wanegan is when each camper gets to pick out a candy bar from the many offerings of the Wanegan King. This has been a long-lasting camp tradition, and this year has a special touch; we don’t just have one Wanegan King, we have THREE Wanegan Kings: Oliver Borstein, Zach Harris and Ross Krantz! Candy for all!

With the hot weather in mind, we planned an evening activity that would help the boys cool off before heading to bed. Each station was water-related, whether it was playing on the slip n’ slide, in the sprinklers on the ball field, going for a ride in a pontoon or ski boat, or swimming at swim point. The evening program was followed by quick showers in the washhouse before bedtime stories and lights out. To prevent swarms of campers in the washhouse all at once, the campers clean up in shifts by cabin and brush their teeth outside. The washhouse is also divided by village, so each village is assigned to specific toilets and showers. Counselors head to the washhouse with their campers during these shifts to help speed along the process.

As this busy day is winding down, we’re already looking forward to another hot day tomorrow!

Today’s Grace:

“If we have our own ‘why’ of life we shall get along with almost any ‘how.’”

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Be seated. 

Activities, Meal Cheers, and Staff Skits...Oh My!

We’re keeping on the sunny side of life up at camp! It was a whopping 88 degrees today, which meant campers were drinking a lot of water and reapplying sunscreen throughout the day. There are no suspected cases of Covid-19 on camp’s property. The boys are getting really good at wearing their masks when necessary and remembering to constantly sanitize throughout the day. When campers have questions, they know to simply ask. Our staff are always there to help. 

All cabins received a backpack with some essential items for the summer, including a sanitizer spray bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, a deck of cards, a frisbee, a foam football, and a kickball. The sanitizer, sunscreen, and bug spray will remain in the backpack at all times to be carried by the cabin leader of the day to all activities. We threw in the extra equipment to prevent cross-contamination between cabin groups who want to play the same games throughout the day. Sanitizing in and out of activities and meals is twice as easy when you always have sanitation materials with you!

Today was the first full day of activities for the campers. The morning started with a project period and challenge games, followed by pita with chicken, humus, and veggies for lunch. We’ve implemented policies for how cabins should walk up to the lodge to wash their hands and get their food to make sure distance is kept between village picnic tables on their way up. So far, eating outside has been a breeze (quite literally - the weather has been warm and windy!) since the campers have been so good about following instructions, patiently waiting for their turn to hop in the food line, and cleaning up after themselves when mealtime is over. 

Since it was so hot out today, there was high demand for water activities during the organized free period. The campers enjoyed playing on the splash mat at swim point, paddle boarding and fun bugging, fishing, and canoeing. You’d think the campers would be tuckered out by dinner, but the boys were loudly cheering every camp song they could think of throughout the meal. Some of the youngest campers even squeezed in a quick frog-catching session in Sue’s Slip before heading to the evening program. 

Tonight’s evening program was the Staff Talent Show, which every staff member participated in to introduce themselves to the campers, both new and returning. Some staff performed silly skits, while others played instruments, sang parodies, and walked on a slackline. We’re looking forward to another healthy, fun-filled day tomorrow up in the northern woods of Wisconsin! 

In case you haven't seen these videos from our awesome media team:

Cabin Staff Introductions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx3xh5O75tw&t=131s

Arrival Day 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zDZRv0IMeI

Health Staff Introductions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-IZjMAKwlg

And to see pictures of all of the action, you can login to CampInTouch and click "Photos."

Today’s Grace:

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. I felt fear myself more times than I can remember, but I bid it behind a mask of boldness. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” 

-Nelson Mandela

Be seated. More updates coming tomorrow!

Day One Under the Sun

Good evening, folks, good evening, folks…the show is just beginning! Camp is flooded with excitement and laughter – now that we’re all reunited, we’re quickly reminded of why this community is so special and important. Between singing songs at meals, playing cabin games, swimming in the lake, and shower parties in the washhouse, it feels like summer should. 

There are no suspected cases of COVID-19 on camp’s property. The kids have been great about adapting to the new protocols. The main one is to wear their masks unless they are just with their cabin. The boys are continuing to practice sanitizing in and out of meals and activities, and are already doing a great job with masking up at appropriate times. Every camper had an entry physical with our health team today and they look great. They are happy and healthy.

In addition to bringing up the campers from Chicago yesterday, we also picked up a Quidel Sofia 2 Analyzer which gives us the ability to do rapid tests for any suspected cases of Covid-19. This antigen test gives us the ability to receive results on-site at camp in 15 minutes. A big thank you to our friends at PediaTrust for helping facilitate this!

Each boy also took the camp advance swim test today. The swim test included swimming several lengths and treading water. At the waterfront, they were introduced to our water safety rules and got to know some of the lifeguards who will be protecting them this summer. Today was a beautiful, 85-degree, sunny day with a steady breeze, which made it a perfect day for swim tests. The kids were happy to hop in the lake to cool off!

We had our first organized free period of the summer this afternoon, where kids could choose to stay back at the cabin to hang low with a counselor or follow some of their cabinmates and counselors to a specific activity they signed up for as a group earlier today. Some cabin groups played disc golf, some went paddleboarding, some went fishing, some went to riflery, and some even chose to sit in the shade and play chess. Regardless of the activity, it served as yet another opportunity for the kids to continue getting to know each other, especially for the campers who are new to North Star this summer. 

Immediately following organized free, kids gathered at their assigned picnic tables by village to eat spaghetti dinner before heading to the ball field for an epic evening activity: Human Foosball. Cabin groups lined up across the field and tried to pass multiple soccer balls to their teammates outside of their permitted zone to ultimately score goals at each end. This all-camp game was a huge hit because it took strategy, teamwork, and a whole lot of energy from every camper! 

As we remind each other to sanitize hands, wear masks, and keep distance between cabin groups, we are teaching the boys about responsibility and accountability – two qualities that will serve them well far beyond their camp years. Of course, it takes time to create a habit, but our commitment to safety and well-being means we are consistently helping the campers to follow these important procedures and understand why it’s so vital to do so. There’s one thing we already know for sure: this cabin quarantine period certainly won’t stop us from having a blast! 

In case you haven't seen these videos from our awesome media team:

Cabin Staff Introductions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx3xh5O75tw&t=131s

Arrival Day 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zDZRv0IMeI

Health Staff Introductions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-IZjMAKwlg

And to see pictures of all of the action, you can login to CampInTouch and click "Photos."

Today’s Grace:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

-Charles Darwin

Be Seated,

Andy