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 โwhat is the economy?โ and โwhat will you do regarding the return of camp man?โ Popular platforms include โdouble Waneganโ (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 camperโs 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 tonightโs 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.
MWโs 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 theyโve had at camp to heart. The key log ceremony tonight was a long one, with the most campers weโve had this summer coming up to say what they are grateful for. Some of the most frequent mentions include the friends theyโve 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.