In any village besides Mohawk, the phrase “defacement of camp property” usually comes along with a negative connotation. In other villages campers are not allowed to write on the new walls or beds so as to preserve the modernity of their bunks. This has never been Mohawk’s policy, at least for as long as I have been there. For years, campers and staff alike have lived in the sacred red cabins of Mohawk (formerly Cayuga prior to 1997), etching their names and with the their legacies into the walls.
While these names may seem insignificant to a casual observer, anyone who has been to camp knows that the names on these walls represent years of history that the new Mohicans will soon become a part of. A cursory glance at one wall can take you back forty years, and while Mohawk has undoubtedly changed in the past forty years, so much of it remains the same. The Mohicans still jump off the bus, full of boundless nervous energy and excitement. They file off the bus one by one, only to leave camp a month later as a unified band of brothers. Strangers rapidly become lifelong friends.
How does this transformation occur? It’s hard to simply pinpoint one defining thing. Maybe it occurs in the village, late at night, as campers and staff exchange stories around a campfire. Or maybe the friendships are formed on the softball field, where campers remain close long after the final out is made and the victor declared. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the setting of Mohawk that forges these friendships, in the rustic red cabins that many a Mohican have called home. Whatever it is, the campers will leave after the July session with 35 new friends.
When I look back on my time in Mohawk I am initially brought back to my bunk, the group of individuals with whom I spent so much incredible time. The late nights spent goofing around in the bunk, the endless roofball games, and the mass monkeys where we shouted at the top of our lungs are all things that I remember from my time in Mohawk. Soon it will be time for the Mohicans of July 2011 to produce their memories.
The village is raked, the cabins are swept, and the trails are lined; the stage is set for Mohawk 2011. The staff could not be any more excited, as they have worked tirelessly to prepare to make this summer the most meaningful in Mohawk’s storied history. Years of tradition will be melded with innovation to make Mohawk 2011 incredible for 36 young campers. Camp is ready for them to create their own history and friendships as the staff and the hallowed grounds of Mohawk anxiously await their arrival.
Greg Kreitzer
Mohawk Unit Head
