Dear Tribe of the Nani Ba Zhu,
The Honors Program would not be possible without the dues and donations to the Tribe of Nani Ba Zhu. We are solely responsible for all aspects of a camper's five year journey through the honors program.. This includes all neckerchief material and labor, ceremony candles, Honor Keys and all other ceremony supplies. By paying your dues, you help sponsor a camper through the program from their first summer to their fifth summer as a Senior Master Camper. For a camper to complete their honors journey over their five years, it costs approximately $60 in supplies and labor.
Our goal is to have every NBZ alumni feel that they will always be a part of Camp Edwards. This is the time of year when we need all members to dream big dreams and put on their overalls.
We accept dues year round, with our annual drive starting each spring. You can pay your dues now at https://tinyurl.com/NBZDUES2023
If you are able to cover the cost of a camper completing their honors journey at the $60 rate, you will receive a special gift in person at NBZ day on July 15th, 2023.
Help spread the camp love by sharing this newsletter with as many of your camp friends as possible.
On behalf of the 2023 Executive Committee, aspiring NBZ’ers, and the Tribe of Nani Ba Zhu, thank you for your contribution and participation in the Honors Program. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, or suggestions for the NBZ. We can’t succeed without your involvement.
In camp spirit,
Julie Benson-VanEenenaam
NBZ President
773-490-0442
THANK YOU KITCHEN!
If you went to camp in the 1980’s and 1990’s you had the great fortune of eating some of the best camp food around, courtesy of Camp Cook Extraordinaire, Jean. Everything she made was amazing, but probably her most delectable treat was her Black Magic Cake. I can still remember being Hopper and arriving at the kitchen window only to see a plate piled high with chocolatey goodness knowing that there were definitely not going to be any leftovers at that meal.
We are happy to share the recipe with you here! Try not to eat the entire pan. It won’t be easy!
Jean’s Black Magic Cake
Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it by pouring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a measuring cup and filling it to the one cup mark with milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes)
1 cup strong black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13 sheet cake pan.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Jean’s Boiled Chocolate Icing
Ingredients
½ cup salted butter
3-4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in cocoa powder. Once the mixture has melted and comes to a light simmer, remove from heat. Slowly whisk in milk, vanilla, and salt. Then slowly stir in powdered sugar.
Pour the icing over your cake and spread evenly with a rubber spatula immediately. The frosting hardens which locks in moisture, keeping the cake fresh. (Although, I can personally vouch for a kitchen raid or two where we ate the cake straight from the freezer and it was still delicious.)
So this month we highlighted Ryan Marsh to talk about his favorite camp song. But first, I wanted to give some insight to what Marshy is doing right now to shed light on how meaningful some of his answers are.
Ryan is working at Camp Champions right now around Austin, TX. During the off-season he helps run the recruiting site for counselors, build a staff focused website, and discuss current happenings with some media outlets that may contact him. When camp is in session he helps run the boys summer camp.He also has interned with YMCA Camp Orkila northwest of Seattle. Yes, you heard that right. Northwest of Seattle on an island.
First question: What is your favorite song?
Ryan: Olay-lay Tiki Tonga. The repeat-after-me song.
Second Question: Why is this your favorite song?
Ryan: When I (Ryan) came to Camp Champions a couple years ago, they did have a song presence similar to Camp Edwards. So I introduced this song to the boys camp and it started to catch popularity amongst the campers. They started singing it in the cafeteria, in between activities, and in the cabins. It demonstrated to me that the song culture that Edwards has is very important to the camp experience and it will always live in campers and counselors who have spent summers at Edwards.
Third Question: What is a memory you have tied to this song?
Ryan: During some off time several of us went up from camp to a lake house in Michigan. When we were on the beach of Lake Michigan during sunset, one of us jumped in the water and all of us followed. What followed was that pure “camp moment” we have all had. The improvised chorus of “Olay-lay Tiki Tonga” started from the group and with the sun setting it was all of our best friends in one place and enjoying time together.
Welcome to the NBZ board, Kent Wedemeyer!
Kent has been going and working at camp since 1982. He has done just about every job from JL, ACL, CL, packouts, waterfront, all the way to trips counselor. His favorite memory at camp is putting in the docks at project 600. Kent currently works and lives in Madison, WI as a teacher. He enjoys using all of his camp traits to work with students including positive language, keeping calm, and goal setting.
