We have had an amazing week at camp. It’s been action packed, so here goes nothing:
Green-White Egg Marathon
On Sunday we had our annual Green-White Egg Marathon, which is our biggest Green-White event of second session. To sum it up, it is a giant relay race around camp that involves almost every activity we have. The campers from each team participate in everything including running, swimming, biking, canoeing, three-legged race, climbing, archery, riflery, and more. The whole event concludes with “Boil Water Boil,” in which each team has two campers who work to boil a No. 10 tin can of water. The catch is that each team has to carry a raw egg throughout the whole competition. If the egg is broken, the team must send its egg runner to the office porch to retrieve a new one.
This year’s marathon was as close as they get, with the White team edging the Green team by only a few seconds. It was a great event that demonstrates the enthusiasm we have at camp, as not only does everybody participate in their own event, but they show up at the other events with positive words of encouragement for their teammates, and everybody gathers around the final Boil Water Boil to give their teammates a much needed boost.
Elections
On Monday we elected our President and Vice-President of the Great and Glorious North Star Party! We undergo this democratic ritual every summer, and the contest was heated as always. To the victors go the spoils, and the ability to attend the staff meetings as well as to be Leb and Dan on Camper-Counselor Switch Day. We had contestants from each village, and after a wonderful presidential debate in front of the whole camp, the people spoke. Pine’s Josh B. and Alex F. were elected to serve as President and Vice President for the next year. They ran their campaign like a well-oiled machine, starting on Facebook well before the summer even began. They plastered camp with their signs, and all of their hard work has paid off. Now we’re looking into campaign finance reform at North Star.
All-Camp Campfire
Tuesday we had a great All-Camp Campfire showcasing many of our campers’ talents, most notably in the category of “stupid human tricks.” We saw everything from Max P.’s dazzling yo-yo tricks to Noah C.’s contortionist ways. It never ceases to amaze us how talented our campers are, and we love giving them opportunities to show it off. No camper ever leaves North Star with a fear of public speaking!
Cruiser Day
While there is never a Cruiser Day that goes by that fails to showcase the creativity of our staff, this one was a cut above. Intermediate Village Director Jon K. planned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Day for the whole Ridge. The campers and staff were divided into four teams – Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael – and participated in a full day of Turtle themed activities. These rained from “Ninja Ball” to a “Pizza Hunt” in honor the crime fighting amphibian’s favorite food. Then, to continue the theme, the turtles were rewarded with a pizza dinner. Cowabunga dudes!
The Fun-Bug World Record
On Thursday during our organized free period, Ben M. and Jeremy S. decided that they were going to take being the Fun-Bug Dudes to new heights. They decided that they wanted to set the all-time record for Fun-Buggers in one period. They invited representatives from the Guinness Book of North Star Records to officiate the event and they rallied the troops. They had it set up so that you could stop by and quickly become a Bronze member just by hopping on one of the Fun Bugs, or you could take one out for a spin around the sailboats and back to become a Gold Member. When all was said and done, over half of the camp had come through to participate in yet another display of the goofy and wacky creative energy that our staff brings to the table everyday!
Professor John “Little Bird” Anderson
Thursday night the whole camp gathered in Mike Hall for a special guest. A professor of Native American History named John Anderson came to speak to camp in preparation for Pow Wow Day. John was raised and spent much of his life on the Lac Courte Orreilles Reservation right here in Hayward. John taught us many things about the beliefs of his tribe regarding the land and the animals among us. He explained the meaning of his tribal name “Little Bird” and taught us about his traditional garb. He taught us different dances and chants, and gave us new appreciation for what we have hear at camp. Along with his Wigiwagan (life partner) Mourning Dove, all of the campers and counselors alike really learned a lot.
The Commando Raid
One of the great camp traditions, Friday afternoon it was time for the Commando Raid – an all-camp water balloon fight. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the CITs for filling all of the balloons, the camp was able to spend a hot afternoon doing battle with water balloons. Everybody set after camp’s favorite target – Leb. He knows what to do however, and has his oversized balloon ready to go for any passers-by.
Friday Night Services
On the eve of Pow Wow Day, tonight’s service honored the Native American roots of this region. We talked about the Ojibwa ideal that we are just guest on this land, and that it is our duty to protect it and maintain it for future generations. We talked about understanding our past and learning from it, so that we can always continue to improve. One of our readings pointed to finding the equilibrium between man and nature, and resisting the temptation of greed. It was a beautiful service with a record-length keylog ceremony with so many campers and counselors wanting to give their appreciation.
We are now geared up and ready for the final week of camp. It is hard to think that at this time next week, all the campers will be back in their hometowns. We have an exciting week ahead starting tomorrow with Pow Wow Day and continuing with the Arts and Crafts Show, Espionage, Lazy Day, the Staff Show, Request Night, the Final Banquet, the Dodgeball Extravaganza, the Camper-Counselor Hunt, Camper-Counselor Switch Day and more. It’s going to be a jam-packed week at camp. We’ve got plenty of camping left!
