July 4, 2005, Paul Froggy Warshauer finds a picture of himself atop a horse, recreating the role of Paul Revere on the 4th of July at Camp Waupaca For boys, sometime in the 1970s the picture is forwarded to all Camp Waupaca alumni via email with a challenge to identify the mystery rider That s Craig Fuller says someone assuredly this email sparks hopes for a reunion in 2006
August 2005, Warren Metzdorff, Rick Passman, and Mike Lurie sip cold beers at the Harbor Bar with Ed Lubejko and wife Sue, and wondered where Froggy was Next year Passman said, we will be back in force True to his word, in the fall of 2005, Paul and Mike began negotiating with Daniel Schnitzer the new camp director at Young Judaea in Evanston, IL for use of our old Camp Waupaca for the summer of 2006 Contracts went back and forth, CYJ board members were contacted, minimums started at $13K to rent we said we are not an agency negotiations continued, insurance battles ensued
Paul Ringel starts sending e-mails when he hears that a reunion might occur Many say we can t do it without some sort of organization The Camp Waupaca Reunion Group is formed as an Illinois not-for-profit board members Larry Lifson, Rick Passman, Larry Gordon, Mike Lurie, and Paul Warshauer all take on honorary titles Michael Chavin wonders what a Sekhem is he uses the Yiddish pronunciation of the Native American term Sachem and we all laugh It s Sachem, as in a chief of an Indian Tribe. He likes the Yiddish pronunciation better e-mails and calls go to Bob Mowen we do everything to try and get him to attend .Maybe next year .
June 2006, and response to the reunion is very low calls to Camp Young Judaea (CYJ) director Daniel Schnitzer to outline our problem he goes to bat for us and gets us a bargain basement minimum contract phone calls and postcards to our members to garner interest go out to all members like a Kol Nidre or Yizkor appeal, we ask for donations from ALL members to ensure our reunion WILL go on as planned
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2006: At 6:02 pm, a jet plane from ORD touches down at the Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay, Wisconsin Rick Passman from Reno, Nevada meets Paul Warshauer at the airport and the reunion has officially begun! They call Mike Lurie in Minneapolis by cellular phone to officially declare the reunion started They drive Highway 54 back to the Grand Seasons, have some barley pops, then off to JR Sportsman Bar
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2006: The boys have breakfast at the King s Table in King and Warren Metzdorff calls he is irritated that they didn t wait for him. It was nearly 10:45. Warshauer uses an old Mike Euer line, Boys ya gotta check with me first At 11:10 we pick up Wonderful Warren and at 11:20 we drive through the gates of Camp Waupaca on Stratton Lake Road we tour the new Rec Hall. Fantastic!! We stake out territory in the infirmary and in Barney Town We meet Daniel and Greg Mike Lurie shows up at noon and now paperwork is completed, checks exchange hands and we are official We then begin the rounds : The Harbor Bar, Weasels, Fleet Farm, Cass Liquors, and the Millhouse at Fox Fire Golf Course We see the good widow Kramer (Waupaca area printer Darrold Kramer s wife) and eventually end up at the Indian Room at Simpson s Restaurant we all notice that all of the Indian pictures are gone the stories and bragging rights continue who has been to more post camp reunions as the drinking increases, so do the stories we end up at a night spot for some dancing
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2006: Mike Lurie gets up early and jogs half way around Little Lake Stratton the rest of us nurse our own hangovers 8:30 breakfast at King s Table again and at 10:00 we have our program meeting with Daniel Schnitzer, CYJ Director. It is short meeting as the Waupaca boyz will do all of our own programming do we have grates and wood for the Boil Water Boil event? Yes. Hula Hoops? Water skis? Bows and arrows? Wait as Daniel and Paul open the archery shed, a large yellow jacket nest is discovered. No one did archery this year so Greg quietly kills the nest and by the next day no one knows about the nest! Was it former Camp Waupaca staff member, Tim Matayas, during a Counselor Hunt in the 1980s who got stung and his face blew up like a balloon?...The new count for this reunion is 47 adults, 16 kids and 3 infants .
11:50 AM - Neal Buzz Malashock is the FIRST camper to arrive! Great to see him He tells us stories about Louie and Mike Burns and a new story about a BB gun and Mike Euer s windshield!...he also mentions that his memories of camp center around property destruction. We all share a lunch of grilled kosher hot dogs and baked beans courtesy of Mike Lurie via the Kosher market in Minneapolis
Herb Beller, Barry Shanoff, and Peter Friend show up and everyone goes down to the waterfront for raft time, skiing and schmoozing slowly the camp fills with campers and staff from the past Herb is the first camper to water-ski
...People wander to the new Rec Hall where there are displays of many camp yearbooks, shirts, photos, hats, etc. ...some folks sit for hours poring over the memorabilia
Jeff Korman shows up with great hats, sweatshirts, and tee shirts all printed with the Camp Waupaca Reunion, 2006 logo!...Adam Wax and Jake Gordon lower the flag at the flagpole ceremony where we meet everyone who has arrived...naturally without a bugler we all sing the lowering the colors song
Harlan Rips is named Camper of the Day as he accomplished something he never did at camp: He swam to the raft all by himself!...
We have a nice dinner of challah, chicken Steve Shyman swims the first of three lakers over the weekend Dan Lyon rows the boat and takes incredible videos all weekend We have a great choose-up softball game Jake Gordon is Player of the Game for his amazing fielding and batting Barry Shanoff hits a nice ball but hurts his tuchas on the way to first base Warshauer up to bat gets a double Did you see my double? Warshauer boasts to Lurie as the teams change sides Lurie comes to bat and laces a triple down the third base line Did you see my triple?? Lurie exclaims to Warshauer we all feel a little older and sorer later After dinner the Ak's have their own tailgate party!...Home was never like this!...The Kettler's take a nice canoe ride through both lakes and folks just wander through the camp remembering Some folks see their names still written on cabin walls We lose the Wax family halfway through the softball game due to illness, but they will be back soon Steve Goldberg arrives and tells us that his happiest days on earth were spent at camp many of us agree
We have a campfire at the horseshoe where Buzz finally tells the definitive Wayne Towne and Al Green riflery story a starter pistol is involved and the famous refrain You re off the range for the rest of the year Does that mean I am off of the rifle team, too? .Wayne is quoted as stroking his chin and uttering the now infamous lament, YEEEEPPPPP.
We sing Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake to the hills to the sky, all is well, safely rest, God is nigh Dan Lyon reminds us that the phrase that followed that song was, Lights out in ten minutes, men Great memories Many stay to make s mores or smoke cigars and have a beer or two
Cabin 9 is filled with Laffs, Cabin 8 is filled with Hollobows Shyman takes a CIT Cabin Many sleep in rooms at the hotels locally back packs, lumpy beds at camp it is all good
.in the middle of the night the Garfinkle clan arrives we meet them at the flagpole no Saunders Brothers or Rick Poole where are they?...
Many campers, staff and families go into town to visit the local watering holes it is all good as lights out on the first full day of reunion 2006
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2006: Lots of folks up early Lurie and Warshauer go on a donut, Danish and bagel run Kosher? Nope so we eat on the picnic table at the flagpole Todd Laff and his family make us all laugh 7:15 George Lamm arrives he drove half the night from McHenry to get to camp glad to have you back
Charlie Garfinkle and Sam Johnson (Todd Laff s ward ) raise the flag
Karamath Khan and his family arrive at 9:30 and again the camp fills up with visitors Warshauer is the first on the waterfront to tube Warren wonders if there is a vest large enough for him
Mike and Greg Berke and their family hit the beach and sand castles rise from the shores of sand bottomed, crystal clear, spring fed, muck raked, glacier formed Lake Stratton a man with a pony tail claims to be a camper Welcome Scott Levine and his lovely wife He is the youngest camper at this reunion as he attended last in 1987 The Levines are also from McHenry hey isn t George Lamm from McHenry as well? It takes a reunion to discover people who live in your own backyard!...
Jeff Levine and Rob Eszak arrive and want to stay in the CIT Village They remember all sorts of counselor stories
Wayne Towne comes sauntering down the path to the waterfront and is trapped by well wishers for an hour on the same path he tells many stories especially about the Eagle River trip and saving former camper, Michael Gordon, without his glasses...We are allowed as a group to drink beer at camp as long as it is in a cup we can also smoke in designated areas what a concept!...Many look over their shoulder to see if Skipper, Loretta, Joe, Mae, Manny or Lill are looking
Lunch is cold cuts Ricky Garfinkle wonders where his salt pill is? He recalls Rosemary Clotiaux, Maxine Greenstein, and other nurses telling campers to drink lots of water
At lunch Larry Gordon and Mike Hollobow bump into each other and, The War is Heating up... Blue Team Chief Mike Hollobow picks Todd Laff as his Little Chief, and White Team Larry Gordon picks Steve Shyman.
The camp meets at the horseshoe to divide teams families are kept together and kids, wives, campers and staff stare at the Super Duper Relay list.
The Ringel's
(Mark and Paul), along with Harlan Rips, Herb Beller, and Barry
Shanoff, take up positions on the raft and bask in the sunshine they watch
with amusement as some of the Blue and White teams practice strange water
events
Tennis players go and practice
the David Wax Patience is a Virtue Event The Little Beaver and Canoe
Obstacle course
The relay began around 3:10 with Mike Hollobow and Jeff Korman preparing to throw three baskets hey Hollobow, let s make them consecutive says Korman, raising the bar both men have trouble getting the 3rd consecutive basket Mike Hollobow gets it first, now Korman has to eat crow and try hard to get the White Team started The race was neck and neck with hysterical antics with Stu Sorkin and Rick Garfinkle in one canoe in the obstacle course with the Levine couple in the other nails were pounded quickly by Jake Gordon and Joel Kettler As the excitement built, the lead went back and forth 2nd to last event is horseshoes, with Mike Lurie against Warren Metzdorff Mike apparently gets his ringer first, only to be honest and declare that it s not Warren really does get the first ringer, and the Blue team is the first to start the fire for Boil Water Boil Lurie takes his time, encouraged by kind words from members of both teams Todd Laff has the right tush movement to fan his fire and give it air the White team finished the relay in 38:50 minutes and Blue shortly after that at 43:45 . Everyone went down to the beach for a G-Swim. Lots of fun for all involved
Flag lowering a dinner of hamburgers grilled over charcoal .lots of singing with Joel Kettler at the mighty 86 (two bad keys on the piano) The Mess Hall reverberated with the singing of Waupaca, Titanic, Green Canoe Wayne and the officials did a Relay Wrap-Up on video and the film should be available online soon
Another choose-up softball game with amazing plays Player of the Game to Warshauer who, after bunting, ran with his bat down the first-base line menacing the opposing pitcher (W. Metzdorff) as the ball was tossed to first base, Warshauer still wielding the bat, prevented the ball from being caught by hitting the ball again out of fair territory-- naturally he was safe! Larry Lifson, Karamath Khan, George Lamm, many kids and several spouses played. Great fun with a final score of 8-6.
A short break and we had another campfire at the horseshoe. Meanwhile Barry Shanoff, Al Sorkin, Harlan Rips, Herb Beller and Peter Friend went to the old Casino and showed off their dancing skills to adoring young women back at camp Wayne Towne told the story of Chief Waupaca sad but he concluded with the famous lines, We are cold and we are hungry and we need new braves He was joined by Brave Larry Lifson holding a brown paper shopping bag filled with Eagle Feathers. (Someone asked if it was an Indian Craft bag ) Brave Larry mentioned that the braves need new members to form a Minyan!...slowly the stories came back to us and Mike Lurie and Paul Warshauer were made braves, 35 years after the last official Braves ceremony at Camp Waupaca, to help the two other braves meanwhile during the ceremony, a fire was slowly being started but wood being wet, no men of the Waupaca tribe could start the fire it took a brave woman, Mrs. Levine, to start it!
The Pappooses were read aloud and all given eagle feathers. Andrew Berke, Samantha Hollobow, Sydney Gordon, Jake Gordon, Rachel Gordon, Joe Garfinkle, Charlie Garfinkle, Kazeem Khan, Kamal Khan, Kallin Khan, Kaela Khan, Sam Johnson, with Benjy and Adam Wax in absentia The Braves created ONE pledge: Rob Eszak who promised and pledged to help us find long lost alumni then the addition of Braves: Larry Gordon, Karamath Khan, Mike Hollobow, and Todd Laff
Amazing night .some of the campers went to the Harbor Bar for more merriment and mingling It was a wonderful way to end Day TWO of the Camp Waupaca reunion .
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2006 very early in the AM, George Lamm said his goodbyes and headed back to McHenry to nurse a sore back Robert Ezsak and Sam Johnson raised the flag stouty souls made it to the flagpole and we then dined on scrambled eggs, toast, potatoes, Coco Puffs, juices, coffee, etc. Joel Kettler played, Rise and Shine and all of us shook our booty and jumped up and down with the lyrics
Outside after breakfast, many goodbyes begin and video tape of all the stories begin to be assembled Warshauer told the story once again about the last year at Camp Waupaca and the Dennis Bravick story Steve Shyman did yet another laker
Last licks at water skiing and tubing folks begin to pack up and head back to the city and other destinations we have a small lunch of leftovers we thank the cook some of us take care packages away FROM camp of cold cuts Kettler plays the camp song some others for the last time he promises to record them and put them on 8-track tapes for all of us . Look for a good version of ALL of the camp songs on the Camp Waupaca.com website soon under music By 1:00 the camp is pretty empty and Mike, Paul and CYJ Director, Daniel Schnitzer pose for a picture
Rick Passman says the reunion is not over so he and Paul Warshauer stay at a local hotel (separate rooms ) for another night and once again go to the Harbor Bar on Sunday night loud birthday party in progress
By Monday we are packed and off to Green Bay Airport many great stories and laughs told en route Rick gets on a plane headed for Reno, his home I guess that is the end of the reunion but the memories are now forever in our heads the long bus trips to and from camp, making friends, learning something new at camp, having fun These are some of the happiest memories of our lives we will meet again on the shores of Lake Stratton, at other reunions forever and forever Waupaca or until The Trail s End .