Director's Corner - Thursday, July 11

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Is This the End

Is this the end? Are you my friend?
It seems to me, you ought to be free.
You used to be mine when the chips were down.
You used to be mine when I weren't around.
Girl, can't you see how I feel? All these feelings that I feel are real.
Oh, girl, can't you see I need you?

I can’t believe it! Our final day and the final blog of First Session. Wow! It is incredible how fast the time has flown by. After a french toast breakfast, we gathered at Crown Hall for the opening ceremonies of Beber Fest and the culmination of our Fine Arts Fest 2024, where a few more bands performed in front of camp!

Beber Fest is a fantastic break from our usual day, allowing campers to explore a variety of activities all around camp. Campers received a passport and, with a buddy, ventured to any location they desired to enjoy some last-minute fun. They roasted marshmallows at outdoor cooking, took a loop around the aquapark, shot some hoops on the Ron Kaplan Courts, petted the animals at the farm, played on the challenge course or flew down the zip line, made their 5-year plaque or a friendship bracelet, dipped candles, recorded a song, and practiced yoga poses, just to name a few. We even had a sailing regatta where campers competed to win the coveted Beber Cup. Some campers tried everything on the list, while others stuck to their favorite activities.

After Beber Fest, we headed to lunch (Nacho bar) in the dining hall, followed by packing up our belongings. Bunks spent the afternoon gathering clothes from clotheslines, packing their items, and cleaning their bunks. Once everything was packed, they loaded their luggage onto trucks for the journey home. Campers enjoyed some free time playing frisbee, having a snack, and reminiscing until our dinner barbecue on the island. Special shout-out to our operations team and Julia Bessen and Cheryl Kaplan for accomplishing the daunting task of organizing all the campers' luggage and ensuring everyone gets home safely.

Our final dinner BBQ on the island was magical, with a double rainbow over Lake Beulah as we gathered for one last meal.

After dinner, we returned to Crown Hall for our closing ceremonies. We started with a lively rendition of the Beber Boogie. We then honored two 5 year campers (we'll have a lot more next summer as this is an after effect of the 2020 Covid summer). Various hobby areas then presented special awards, including archery, music, Arts and Crafts, Mahjong, sailing, and Swim the Lake. We also recognized our die-hard birders who went birding early several mornings.

Next, we presented the Jane Beber Camper Award. Jane Beber, the daughter of Sam Beber, loved this camp and often visited, impressing the community with her dancing skills. Each session, we award a camper who embodies Jane's spirit.

Staff also had the opportunity to submit nominations for our Beber Belief Awards. Several staff were awarded certificates in areas such as Pride & Ownership, Spirit & Fun, Culture of Gratitude, Health, Safety & Wellness, and Meaningful Jewish Life. The room was filled with cheers for these well-deserving staff. The final award, the Ron Kaplan Staff of the Session Award, went to Nicki Kaplan for her fantastic session and daily embrace of the Beber spirit—she is a true role model.

We also honored campers who gave back to Beber for their B’nai Mitzvah mitzvah projects. Over $10,000 was raised this year. Thank you to all the generous contributors and congratulations on your B’nai Mitzvahs!

Several staff and CITs celebrated their 10th summer at Beber, sharing highlights of their camp experiences and receiving the coveted 10-Year Blanket. We also honored three staff members celebrating their B’nai Mitzvah summer after 13 summers at Beber. They received a lovely plaque to commemorate this milestone.

I want to share part of a 10 year speech that I felt was very moving. “When my parents dropped me off at camp in 2014, I had no idea what I wanted to do in the future and no idea who I was as a person. 10 years later, I still have no clue what I want to do with my life, but what I can say is that I’m confident in the person I’ve grown into. Beber is to thank for that. Year after year as I told my college friends I was going back to camp, they never fully understood why. Everyone I knew was off getting fancy internships or living in New York or traveling around Europe over the summer; I repeatedly chose to spend 10 weeks in Mukwonago, Wisconsin. I find it hard to take judgment from people who have never experienced overnight camp, or experienced an environment like Beber in the first place. I’ve been asking my friends for the past couple days, when I realized I had nothing written down for my speech, how do I summarize ten years in the most important place in my life? The answer is I can’t. But what I can say is that it truly is the people, not the place, and just when you think you might be done, you’ll somehow always find your way back.”

Lastly, we honored Julia Bessen and Russell Wiener for their 15th and 20th summers at Beber.

Campers enjoyed a slideshow and song session commemorating their time here this summer. We ended the night with Shehecheyanu, "Bless This House," and "Tucked Away," leaving not a dry eye in the house. The tears and hugs showed just how much this place means to everyone, and how they wait “10 for 2” as we say here at camp. I will miss seeing all of your kids every day and wish them a year of LO HE HA (Love, Health, and Happiness). This has been a special summer!

We truly had the time of our lives. Is This The End? Thank you for tuning in every night as I shared all of what went on here this session. I wish you all the very best. Until 2025, Beber’s 50th Anniversary!

P.S. Congratulations to those who knew that Richard Marx sang “Endless Summer Nights.”

Christie B
Dennis P
Wendy E
Joel S

Who sang the song  “Is This the End?” Email your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a shoutout in Second Session’s first blog!