Carpe diem. With the onset of spring we are excited to share the theme for our 70th anniversary summer of Blue Star Magic…
L’Dor Vador – Camp with Purpose 
As we approach this special anniversary season, we are reminded of and humbled by our rich history and strong foundations. Our theme this year is rooted in an adage from Herman Popkin (Lauren’s grandfather and co-founder of Blue Star in 1948). While Blue Star always has been a “camp with a purpose,” in this year’s theme we shift subtly towards an action statement, reminding our campers and staff to camp with purpose. We want our campers to understand that they are a link in a chain, part of something bigger than themselves. Further, we hope to instill the values of kindness and inclusion, empowering children and young adults to contribute positively to the world around them. This summer’s theme especially highlights our camp’s dedication to social action, social justice and environmental conservation.
In our effort to model these ideals and one of Blue Star’s core outcomes of “doing good,” we will embark on a special project for our 70th season that each of our campers will have the opportunity to participate in and experience. Stay tuned for more information on how our campers will contribute to the addition of a “Harmony Garden” at Blue Star, creating a space for all members of our camp community to enjoy! Our summer theme and our Harmony Garden highlight our goals and hopes for this and future summers at camp; that we will, both individually and collectively, “plant trees, under whose shade (we) do not expect to sit,” –Nelson Henderson.
This summer at camp we all will experience the Blue Star Magic on multiple levels and across generations. As part of our Alumni & Family Camp in May, at our first ceremony in the Harmony Garden, we will celebrate our camp’s deep history and bright future, as well as the unique nature of camp friendships and the power of camp experiences to shape identity and life paths. Our living history will be manifest in 4th generation campers, counselors who are guiding the next generation, leadership team members with children at camp, alumni visiting who were at camp in its founding years, and the Elmore Solomon Chapel still radiating as the spiritual center of camp. Our purpose, on the day of camp’s founding and now, serves as the connective tissue among generations of Blue Star alumni. To that end, our theme this summer is really a celebration of the vision, collective experience and heart of our camp. We are inspired by the many ways in which our shared purpose may positively impact our planet. It feels more important now than ever to recommit to our purpose, learn from the generations who came before us, and continue dreaming big for a beautiful future…
L’Dor Vador, from generation to generation, let’s camp with purpose!