Hello CSL Families and Friends,
Thank you Camp Seneca Lake for an amazing summer. Thank you Mohawk for all we did and accomplished. Each summer comes and goes, but it does not mean that Camp has to necessarily end when the August session concludes. We do so much and learn many things; hopefully we are all able to take those lessons with us into the rest of our lives.
Campers and staff should be able to use the values and skills we obtained during the summer and help shape the rest of the year into an amazing time. Who says we cannot stand up in the cafeteria during 6th period and scream Mo-Mo-Mo? Who says we cannot (politely) beg our parents for canteen every afternoon when we come home from school? Why can’t we wear socks and crocks to dances? Why can’t we play euchre and speedball for 12 hours a day? The answers are quite simple…we can. Just because we are not at 200 Camp Road doesn’t mean we have to change who we are. We can control our own personality and actions. If CSL has taught any of us anything, it is that we are individuals who should be proud of whom we are. And together, every individual adds something special to make the group great. I challenge all of you to try and bring a little CSL to your daily lives whether it be at school, home, or anywhere in between.
Mohawk 2014 had one goal coming into the summer. We wanted to leave behind a legacy that would be remembered forever. Our motto of the summer was “The Moment is Now. Legacy is Forever.” We lived by this day and in day out. We urged each other to enjoy every moment we had at camp. It didn’t matter if we were tired or awake, hot or cold, dry or wet, having fun or disengaged. We wanted to take advantage of every single moment. The reason is that every moment adds up and you cannot get them back. In order to leave a legacy behind, you must move forward and perform to the best of your abilities. Mohawk 2014 did just that.
The Mohawk staff this summer cannot be thanked enough. They did such an incredible job from the start and carried it through the entire summer. The emotions on the camper’s faces at the end of each session demonstrated what the Mohawk counselors were able to provide. I am so proud and pleased to have worked with the 20 staff in Mohawk this summer. They all put the campers first and helped shape each of the camper’s summers into amazing experiences. Thank you staff for everything!
Fight Song, Basketball Marathons, Campstocks, Color War, Shabbat Dances, star gazing…and everything in between like chilling around fires, playing cards, and messing around. The 87 Mohicans this summer did a lot. We had our successes and failures, were challenged many times, but ultimately conquered the summer. It was my absolute pleasure to be with the Mohicans this summer and watch them grow into astounding young men. These are the future male leaders of Camp, and we should be excited to see what they will do. If they continue on the path they took this summer, CSL is in for a bright future.
We talked a lot about the importance of knowing where you come from in order to move forward. In Mohawk we constantly talked about the history of our village. We even had a Mohawk History Night in August with former Unit Head’s joining us to share their experiences and thoughts. I truly believe that understanding the past helps you move into the future. I do not know what is in store for CSL in the future, but I can rest assure that this past summer has continued to elevate CSL into the most elite summer camp out there. We will look back on this past summer and know Mohawk left its legacy behind and CSL made its mark on history.
Continue to say to yourself, “I Shall Return…”
Sincerely,
Max Krieger
Mohawk Unit Head
CSL 1997 – 2014
