The Siren: June 23, 2023
In 1945, the tradition of Friendship Fire began at North Star camp. It was on the summer’s first Friday night when campers and staff gathered at the Council Ring to inaugurate this cherished event. Now, 79 summers later, we continue to observe this ritual on the first Friday of the summer. While the camp usually buzzes with energy, cheers, and lighthearted fun, Friday nights offer a serene and reflective atmosphere. We ask campers to dress up according to camp standards, and bring their best manners to dinner. Following the meal, we convene around the flagpole for a formal retreat, featuring cabin reports, a patriotic song, and the lowering of the flag. Finally, we make our way to the Council Ring.
Each Friday Night Service features songs, readings, poems and a sermonette and our Keylog Ceremony. While the Keylog Ceremony every other week is about gratitude, the Friendship Fire tradition involves representatives from each city throwing a keylog into the fire to symbolize the bond of friendship between their hometown and North Star. This summer we have campers from 29 of the United States as well as Mexico and staff members from 16 countries. It is truly remarkable to witness such vibrant cultural exchange within our camp community.
During the event, Cole Hanover delivered an incredible sermonette, sharing his advice gained from making friends throughout his time at North Star. I really appreciated a story that he shared that had happened earlier today. He was teaching archery during 2nd period and speaking to one of his campers about the upcoming lunch, which was our first picnic meal of the summer. The camper said that he was really excited to get to sit with people outside of his cabin. Cole then asked if everything was okay with his cabin. He said that things were great in his cabin, that two of his best friends are his cabinmates, but that he met another camper at sailing yesterday that he was excited to spend time with. Cole asked who it was and the camper said, “I don’t know his name yet but I’m pretty sure he’s going to be one of my best friends too.” Cole pointed out that it doesn’t work like that enough in the rest of the world, and that at camp we should always be working to remove the barriers to just being friends.
The evening continued with wonderful music, meaningful readings, and the backdrop of a cloudy-but-still-beautiful Clear Lake sunset. As the night drew to a close, we sang Forest Green, played Taps, and recited our Camper Benediction, concluding another memorable Friday Night.
Today’s Grace:
– Banksy
“There’s nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place.”
