Director's Corner - Tuesday, July 16

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Beautiful Day

It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away

It was an absolutely beautiful day here in Mukwonago! The sky was overcast to begin with, bringing a refreshing breeze off the lake that was perfect for sailing and keeping the heat down. Campers are getting into the routine, enjoying all the cabin activities, hobbies, and evening programs. Most importantly, they are making great connections with each other.

Mishpacha Program: Fostering Community
Speaking of connections, this was the theme of the day as the entire camp participated in the Mishpacha program this evening. At Beber Camp, we believe in fostering a sense of community that extends beyond the walls of each cabin. Our Mishpacha program, which means "family" in Hebrew, is a cornerstone of this philosophy. This program is designed to create meaningful connections among campers of different ages, promoting a camp-wide sense of belonging and unity.

The Mishpacha program pairs younger campers with older ones, allowing them to form bonds that transcend their immediate peer groups. This structure provides younger campers with role models to look up to, fostering an environment where they feel supported and inspired. The older campers, in turn, gain valuable leadership experience and the joy of mentoring their younger peers. These relationships enrich the camp experience for everyone, helping to cultivate a nurturing and inclusive community. Our Teen Leadership Program provides this mentorship, with the teens acting as the Imas (Mothers) and Abbas (Fathers) of each family, leading the entire camp in an evening of fun.

Beyond the immediate benefits of friendship and support, the Mishpacha builds on our Jewish value of Sacred Community, stressing the importance of looking out for one another. The connections made through this program often last far beyond the summer, creating a network of friendships that campers carry with them for years to come as they remain in their Mishpacha for most of their camp life.

Tonight's program was filled with engaging team-building activities and opportunities to get to know each other better, culminating in a heartwarming camp-wide song session. The Mishpacha program exemplifies our commitment to creating a camp environment that feels like a home away from home, where every camper is an essential part of our extended family.

As I guide you through your camper’s experience this summer by writing this blog, I will be referencing many aspects of our property that make it so special and unique to our family dynamic. To help you feel a part of the camp family and get a sense of where things are at camp, check out these maps of camp:

Meals Today:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, and a fruit and yogurt breakfast buffet.
Lunch: Grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Dinner: Beef tacos, Spanish rice, refried beans, chips, salsa, and guacamole.

Canteen Fun

Speaking of food, let's talk about the Canteen! Twice a week (Tuesday and Friday), campers get a special sweet treat. They choose one snack and one drink from a variety of options, including Twizzlers, Gardettos, Veggie Straws, Hershey Bars, Gatorade, soda, and juice boxes. Our office team gathers the bunk’s order, and counselors bring it back for rest hour. Campers sit around and enjoy their Canteen as a group, creating a special bunk bonding moment.

Our Pioneers, who unfortunately were unable to travel to Israel this summer, were welcomed back to the community second session but with a really exciting slate of events to make this a fantastic second session. Today they traveled to Hurricane Harbour Water Park, part of Six Flags Great America for a day of water fun. They had an absolute blast traversing the park's water slides and attractions, cooling off and having fun. They returned to camp to join us for dinner and then facilitated our mishpacha program for our second session campers. I am excited to share with you their adventures as they traverse this unique program this summer.

Our CIT’s are busy getting acclimated to their new role, as they get a taste of being bunk counselors by living in the cabin with a cabin group and getting real hands-on experience. I am already seeing them rise to the occasion and their energy and fresh enthusiasm is bringing a very positive climate to the bunk dynamics. I am really looking forward to their exponential growth this session.

We had a fire drill after GA this evening. I feel that it is important to practice this and have an opportunity to answer questions that campers may have about our emergency preparedness. Safety is a top priority here at Beber and our operations team spends a great amount of time making sure we have solid plans in place for all situations and that our staff and campers have the resources that they need to remain safe at all times. A lot goes into this preparation and I really appreciate all of their work. The campers did great tonight.

Campers are really starting to get the hang of the routine. I had a chance to swing down to the waterfront today where our windsurf hobby was trying out the new simulator built by our Surf and Sail director and maintenance team. This simulator gives them an opportunity to use the wind on land to practice changing the direction of the sail while maintaining their balance. They get the feel for it on land before they head out onto the water so that there is some muscle memory of how it feels to use the wind to propel them in the direction that they are choosing to go. It is really pretty cool and a very useful tool for real skill development, which is an important aspect of our hobby program.

A real highlight of my day today was having a sneak into my office with K3 and K4. It was fun providing them a behind the scenes look. I spent the later part of the evening with the CITs brainstorming about a Love of Israel project for camp. I really enjoy spending time with this group of future staff. They have really great insight and have really matured this summer. They are also a lot of fun to be around.

P.S. Congratulations to the following who knew that Katrina and The Waves sang "Walking on Sunshine!"

Jessica F
Amanda S

P.S. - Today’s question: Who sang “Beautiful Day?” Email your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a shoutout in tomorrow’s blog!