Hello CSL Parents and Families,
The time has come that we all are afraid of…Camp is over. All campers and staff are now home getting ready for school, jobs, and various things for the next year. This time of year is never easy and takes a while to recover from. I have been through this for 17 years now and it is not any easier. In fact, it is harder every year. As we get older our futures and “real world” lives become obstacles in our ability to return to Camp. Thus leaving each summer with uncertainty in our future makes it a challenge no one hopes to deal with. Time will tell…
CSL 2013 was fantastic, amazing, wonderful, fun, perfect, spectacular… Any word would fit in that sentence because this past summer was filled with a lot of “stuff.” We did so many things at Camp from bunk nights to dancing at meals to Fight Song to Color War and everything in between. The campers experienced so many different types of experiences that have led to them developing many new skills. They are more independent, mature, better critical thinkers, socially accepting, and extremely confident. Summer camps changes people for the better. And Camp Seneca Lake is the best place in the world at doing just that. I challenge anyone out there to find a better summer camp!
I was fortunate enough to spend this past weekend working Family Camp. It was really surreal to see former campers and staff that I grew up with in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. It was special to see that Camp still means so much to people even years after they have left. As Ari Baum (Assistant Director) has stated many times, Camp never ends or leaves us. This was very evident at Family Camp and I am very thankful for being able to observe this experience.
Cayuga 2013 was the best summer I have ever had. And I have to start out by thanking my staff. They were beyond amazing and did such an incredible job. All of them truly put Camp and Cayuga in their priorities every single day. They loved working together and really wanted to make a positive difference for each camper. I can honestly and proudly say that they did just that. They went above and beyond their job descriptions and exceeded my already lofty expectations.
The Cayugans this summer were so fun and a pleasure to be around. Every day brought new memories and great stories. Both July and August were distinctly different, however both were extremely memorable and enjoyable. The Cayugans did so much in such a short amount of time. Watching them perform in Fight Song and Color War was some of the most special times of the summer. Watching them come together and work as a team for a common goal is the ultimate reward for a Unit Head. I could not be more proud of what these Cayugans did this summer. I hope to see all of them return next summer, perhaps for the full 7 weeks!
Nothing happens by the work of one individual, but rather a team of wonderful people. So many people played a huge role in the success of Camp and Cayuga this past summer. As I mentioned above, the Cayuga staff were outstanding. However, the campers also played a huge role. They were able to make the best of every activity and moment this summer. You guys have impacted your staff so much and taught us so many things. You should be proud of what you have accomplished and experienced. The programming staff this summer also did a phenomenal job putting us in position to do many exciting activities. Thank you programming department for all of your hard work and commitment to CSL, we really appreciate it!
Where else in the world do you get what we get at CSL? Where do you see 8 year olds speaking from their hearts and performing in front of 400 people? Where do you see kids challenging themselves beyond their wildest dreams? Where else do you get groups of people from a variety of backgrounds and ages to work together so beautifully and create magic? There is no place in the world like CSL!
Thank you to everyone out there reading this blog for everything! It will be difficult to top this summer, but we will have to wait and see! Please reflect on everything we have done this summer by going through all of our social media outlets. Be sure to especially check out our video page at www.vimeo.com/campsenecalake to see the wonderful work of Sam Piggott. He has produced some of the most incredible videos you will ever see. It is startling to see what we did this summer because it is impossible to describe in words. Thank you everyone and we look forward to seeing you in Summer 2014! Remember to always say, “I shall return…”
Sincerely,
Max Krieger
Cayuga Unit Head
1997-2013
