The Great & Glorious North Star Party!

Today is a historic day at North Star Camp. The new president and vice president, Alex B and Brandon L were inaugurated at the flagpole with a ceremonial flag lowering before our Friday night service. A debate preceding the election took place yesterday afternoon with a record number of candidates. Jack Yonover facilitated the debate with important questions such as “what is the economy?” and “what will you do regarding the return of camp man?” Popular platforms include “double Wanegan” (double candy), bigger cabins, gatorade in the water fountains, a robot to hang up life vests, and a dog cabin (K-9). Posters were hung around camp in critical locations such as above the hand washing station and each camper filled out a ballot at dinner.

As the night winds down with a Friday night service, so does our first session, and what a successful session it has been. For that, we have so many people to thank, starting with our camper’s parents and guardians. If not for you, we could not have ensured that we were COVID free this session. After the initial quarantine and passing our testing hurdles we were able to open up activities outside with minimal masking. This past year has thrown many challenges in our paths, from health concerns to missing after school programs, and we feel honored that you have trusted us with teaching and growing with your camper.

The theme of tonight’s Friday night service was perseverance, featuring a sermonette by our senior counselor MW Gianini. MW spent six months hiking the Appalachian Trail by himself. MW spoke about how when many people think about perseverance they think about the big stuff, like summiting the mountain, walking across the stage at graduation, or finishing a marathon. What matters, though, are the little things. The bumps and the bruises. The cuts and the scrapes. The things that give you reasons to stop, but each time you choose to carry on. Graduation takes perseverance over four years, but the choice you make to start your homework early or to keep your head up in class are the choices that build on each other and lead to success.

MW’s experience on the Appalachian Trail was a wonderful experience for our boys to hear about as they take on their own physical and mental challenges while being at camp. We hope that as our boys head back home or into the second session, and then get back into school that they take the lessons and experiences they’ve had at camp to heart. The key log ceremony tonight was a long one, with the most campers we’ve had this summer coming up to say what they are grateful for. Some of the most frequent mentions include the friends they’ve made this session, their cabin mates, their counselors, and their families for sending them to camp.

As we send boys off to Minneapolis, Madison, and Chicago tomorrow, we do so looking forward to seeing all that our boys will accomplish this coming year and excited to see the men they return as next summer.

U.N. Day

Today was one of the most anticipated and spirited days of the summer: United Nations Day! We have been building up to today for the last week by announcing captains, drafting teams, writing cheers and participating in Field Games and the UN Day Summit. UN Day is a day of friendly competition where the camp is split into four teams, represented by countries from the General Assembly of the United Nations. This year’s four nations were Cyprus, Russia, Ukraine, and Canada. We woke up a half hour early this morning so we could have extra time competing in fun and exciting activities. In order to show their team’s spirit, a majority of the campers started the day getting their bodies painted with colors from their country’s flag. Highlights included quite a few maple leafs from Canada, grape vines for Cyprus, “Crimea River” for Ukraine - a pun of the Justin Timberlake song, and Russia painting “Russia” on Boomer, one of the camp dogs. 

The day was split into four event “series” and every camper was assigned by their captains and advisor to at least three events. The day started with some high energy favorites during First Series including flag football (juniors), softball (ridge/villa), a stand up paddleboard relay, and line soccer at the Council Ring. While Second Series included team sports like speedball, kickball and basketball, it also had some more niche activities such as climbing, archery and riflery. It’s a tradition at lunch on UN Day to have tacos and all of the campers are eagerly anticipating what place their team is in at the midway point of the day.  At lunch, only 28 points separated first and last place: Cyprus was in 1st place, followed closely behind by Ukraine, and then Canada was in third with Russia bringing up the rear. 

Before the Third Series, all All ALL staff competed in a game of speedball to determine which team would eat first at dinner. Understandably, the campers were quite invested in the results too. Russia ended up winning the speedball tournament, so their team was able to eat first later that evening. Third Series kicked off with running relays on the athletic fields and then perhaps the most intense ten minutes of the day: Tug-Of-War.  Campers and counselors alike got loud cheering on their teammates during the frenzy of the competition. Third Series continued with some camp classics including soccer, dodgeball, steal the bacon, gaga and a canoe relay.

With such beautiful weather all day (80s and sunny), it was only fitting that our Fourth Series took place at Swim Point for all of our water events. The Fourth Series events included a medley relay, freestyle relay, individual 25m and 75m races, and a 10 person inner tube relay race. Each team was given an inner tube and had to kick, paddle and flail themselves to the other end of the dock and then roll off the tube so the next person could jump in. It is always very entertaining to watch and this year’s inner tube relay did not disappoint!

UN Day dinner is one of the best meals of the summer: a smorgasbord of food from around the world including spaghetti and meatballs, egg rolls, deviled eggs, mozzarella sticks, onion rings and chocolate milk.  

The night ended with an extended closing ceremony featuring multiple village cheers, a Big 10 fake and multiple major league sports score reports before finally announcing our UN Day final results. Each team did one final group cheer as a team.  Cyprus’s closing cheer was to the tune of “Imagine” by John Lennon. It was a perfect end to UN Day, a nod back to our Friday Night Service from two nights prior where we discussed why we participate in UN Day: to better ourselves as friends, cabin mates, global citizens and the North Star community.

UN Day Results (even though it just doesn’t matter):

Cyprus - 236

Ukraine - 220

Russia - 211

Canada - 207

Morning Grace:

"The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part; the important thing in life is not triumph, but the struggle; the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." - Pierre de Coubertin

One World

One of the pinnacle events of first session is our United Nations Day. UN Day is an all camp event in which the camp is split into four nations, each represented by a country. Our philosophy on competition here at North Star is built on friendship before, during, and after the game. UN Day is an opportunity for us to practice this philosophy and discuss the many nations and backgrounds our staff and campers come from.

The theme of last night’s Friday night service was One World. Charlie J. led the service. Our Camper – Counselor Choir sang Imagine by John Lennon and our Counselor Chorus sang Peace Train by Cat Stephens. Our international staff each gave an anecdote that represented something unique about their home country, and Ernesto Gavier gave sermonette. Ernie is from Argentina and spoke beautifully about camp being his first time in the United States, the inclusive environment at North Star, and told us stories of finding kindness wherever he has traveled throughout the world.

In normal years we often have counselors from Australia, Mexico, South Africa, New Zealand, England, Jamaica, and Scotland to name a few. This year our international staff is more limited, but we still strive to emphasize the importance of cultural exchange between our campers and staff.

Tonight’s evening program was our United Nations Day Summit. The senior captains of each country made presentations about their countries, explaining their geography, history, and some interesting facts that make each nation unique. Each team presented its mascot, as well as a song or cheer. Cypress arranged a parody of House of the Rising Sun with Bennett C on guitar, Teddy S on keyboard, Zac D on saxophone and Sam G on Trumpet. On a more serious note, Ethan A. talked about the lessons of cultural exchange living as a Mexican-American in Saudi Arabia.

As we move towards UN Day, a full day of fun and competition, we keep in mind the importance of unity, sportsmanship, cultural appreciation and kindness that lie at the heart of our community.

Morning Grace:
“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.”
- Oprah Winfrey

We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do

Tonight’s Evening Program was the beginning of our annual U.N. Day competition, with our Field Games competition getting us started. Before talking about the games themselves, we have to start by talking about the sunset that provided such a beautiful backdrop to tonight’s events. I honestly think all the campers stopped their games at one point or another to take a look at this one tonight.

You’ll hear much more about U.N. Day in the coming days as it ramps up, but suffice to say, it is one of the biggest days of the camp calendar. The camp is divided into 4 “nations” joining in the spirit of healthy competition, but also togetherness and sportsmanship, for a full day of competition across the full spectrum of events that camp has to offer. This year’s event features the countries of Canada, Cypress, Russia and Ukraine. The “day” has gotten so big that we can’t even fit it all in one day anymore! So tonight kicked things off with our first official competitions: cornhole, Kan-Jam, bocce ball, croquet, distance running, and a giant 60 person game of Continuous Dodgeball. While these simple games might be fun enough themselves, the spirit of the campers makes the night. Some campers came in costume, others just brought their voices, but I assure you that you’ve never seen so much cheering for bocce ball and croquet.

 

And that same kind of spirit of togetherness was shining from other camp programming today too. Today the cabins of J-6 and S-3 returned from their camping trips, and yesterday J-5 returned from their canoe trip on the Upper Namekagon. All three of these trips, as well as S-4 which will return tomorrow, endured a cold and rainy day on Tuesday. And all of these cabins returned joyous and proud. While we know from their trip leaders that parts of the day on Tuesday were rough, the campers got out of the van telling triumphant stories of making fires with wet wood, paddling the rapids in the rain, using warm water bottles to heat their sleeping bags, and having completed their first portages. You can feel the tremendous satisfaction from the campers in the realization that they completed tasks that they previously thought themselves incapable of. There is a great concept called Type II fun, which refers to experiences that aren’t necessarily fun in the moment, but are fun in retrospect and fulfilling experiences. These moments teach all of us, especially kids, how to manage discomfort, adapt to change, find new solutions and take action - all core skills of building resilience. While they may have been challenged both physically and emotionally, they will long tell the stories of cutting up extra garbage bags to form new rain shelters, paddling directly into a headwind during the rain, singing songs to pass the time, and growing closer to their cabinmates and counselors while doing all that. When your boys get home and they tell you of their trials and tribulations in the backcountry, make sure to ask them what they learned about themselves, what they accomplished, and how they can use those skills in the future.

Morning Grace:
“Keep your face toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.”
- Walt Whitman

Wet & Wild Cruiser Day

Happy Cruiser Day from the Northwoods! As we mentioned last week, each Tuesday here is a bit different from the rest of the week and serves as a cabin day. But once per session, each village has a Village Cruiser Day. Today was the Intermediate Village. These days are so special because they allow the whole village to spend a full day together. The Intermediate Village (also known as “The Ridge”) was able to do things they would not normally do at camp and make incredible memories along the way. Despite a not-so sunny day, The Ridge kicked off the morning with a full water balloon fight on the athletic fields. Whether it was the rain or the water balloons, or the buckets of water that followed the water balloons, everyone was soaked by the end!

Next, everyone attended the first ever intermediate village carnival. The carnival had a bouncy castle, snow cone and popcorn machines, carnival games, and a dunk tank. Many of the campers particularly enjoyed making their counselors fall in at the dunk tank. The campers also had so much fun eating lots of sweets and winning lots of prizes made up of candy and small toys. We finished out the carnival with musical chairs and Bingo.

Finally, we ended the day with pizza from Coop’s Pizza in Hayward and a full scale all village dance party. Between glow sticks and costumes, the dance party had it all. That includes music too. The village danced to Tiktok songs and “Don’t Stop Believing” alike. Campers and counselors had so much fun today making amazing memories today. Their remarkable attitudes and wonderful enthusiasm made the whole day what it was.

While we say “It Never Rains at North Star,” the precipitation fell throughout the day. What it revealed was that the enthusiasm and the positivity of our amazing staff can bring fun and excitement to any situation. These guys are incredible role models for our boys, and teach them so much each day.

The 4th of July

A very happy 4th of July from the Northwoods! Today has been full of patriotic music, healthy competition, goofy body paint, and very enthusiastic chanting. We started the morning with a reflection on what Independence Day means to us here at North Star. As a community centered around inclusivity, accountability, and kindness we want to celebrate our country in a way that is befitting of our North Star values. As we discussed prior to breakfast, our preamble states “in order to form a more perfect union,” but that takes constant work. The celebration takes on different meaning at camp as we also celebrate the 4th of July with campers and staff who come from other countries, and sharing in that process of cultural exchange is a unique part of our holiday.

The energy on the 4th of July is always fantastic. Breakfast comes with sparklers, whipped cream and a lot of music - Born in the USA, Party in the USA, Chicken Fried, and more. The boys come in their red, white and blue outfits and they are ready to dance.

After breakfast we spent the morning on the water, beginning with joining in for the Spider Lake Boat Parade and concluding with an Organized Free period. The afternoon was our Green-White Marathon, which is one of our most anticipated and exciting events of the summer. It is a relay race that includes nearly every event in camp. It starts with a running race and includes fun-bugging, swimming, canoeing, climbing, archery, riflery, biking, skipping, tent building, tennis volleying, bed making, basketball shooting, bucket filling, singing, and more, before leading to Boil Water Boil. In this final event, the whole camp gathers around as the two teams compete to build a fire that can boil a tin can full of water over the top first. It was a very close race with the Green team narrowly winning out at Boil Water Boil to win the Marathon.

For our evening program, counselors and campers played a game called Space Invaders where one counselor from every cabin was asked to pretend to be an alien and 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.

And finally, the right way to end the 4th of July is with fireworks! We all gathered on the tennis courts and watched a fantastic show out over the athletic fields.

Happy 4th of July!

Pine Manor Goes West

We wanted to start by letting you know that our last round of 1st session Covid testing came back with all negative results!

Every year our oldest campers of Pine Manor embark on a nine day backcountry trip through Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. This year, with the US-Canada border still closed, Pine Manor’s Canadian became the Pine Manor Western. Our amazing trip staff worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to camp to put this trip together to ensure that our oldest boys had a capstone camping trip to remember for a lifetime.

The group left camp at 5:00am on June 23 on their charter bus and journeyed west to the Badlands in South Dakota. On they went to the Tetons in Wyoming, where they split into three groups for three days and took different routes on their backcountry hikes. Group came close to summiting Fremont Peak at 13,000 foot peak in Wyoming before turning around to get back to the campsite on time. Groups 2 and 3 hiked through a chain of beautiful lakes including Miller Lake, Eklund Lake, Hobbs Lake, and Barbara Lake. All of the campers, counselors, and trippers came back in awe of the wildlife and scenery they had experienced. “It was the hardest hiking I’ve ever done, but the best views I’ve ever seen,” said Ronan Schmidt.

The highlight for many Pine Manor campers was the second to last day of their trip. After hiking many miles over the past week and a half, the group did a white-water rafting trip in Wind River Canyon. Chase Anders and Zach Green noted that the white-water rafting trip was “immaculate” and was a welcome relief after 10 days without a shower. Other highlights included a moose “50 feet from our tent,” sleeping under the milky-way, hiking 18 miles in a day, Mount Rushmore, and a giant McDonald’s meal to close out the trip. They returned home late last night to a great welcoming from the rest of the campers as the left the bus and erupted in cheering V-I-L-L-A, Villa, Villa, All the Way.

The Pine Manor dinner table tonight was a popular attraction for our other campers as they regaled them with stories of their trip. Other snippets of their incredibly wise and intellectual camp conversations include “it felt like climbing Mt. Everest...but in my mind!” and “it was tremendously immaculate and exquisite.”

With cabin I-2 back from their trip this afternoon, we now have all, All, ALL of our campers back together at camp. We’re excited for a great 4th of July including the boat parade, the Green-White Marathon and Fireworks!

Today’s Grace:
“Good morning, Mister Zip-Zip-Zip,
With your hair cut just as short as mine,
Good morning, Mister Zip-Zip-Zip,
You're surely looking fine!
Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust,
If the bell doesn’t wake you then,
The counselors must,
Good morning, Mister Zip-Zip-Zip,
With your hair cut just as short as,
your hair cut just as short as,
your hair cut just as short as mine.”