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 CAMPER TOTEM 
Please enjoy these articles from our Summer Totems, many written by our Mah-Kee-Nac campers.Message from Lynn and Bunkie Morry's Camp Swim-a-Thon Out with the old, In with the new Radio Mah-Kee-Nac Is On The Air! Parents Visiting Day! What is it like being the new kid at camp? The Seneca Summer CAMP MKN Olympic Break!!!  
Message from Lynn and BunkieWhat a summer! In all our years in camping, this was far and away our favorite. If there is an opposite of the "perfect storm" (at camp we never think storm, just sunshine) we had it – great campers, great staff & great weather all equal FUN! Some of the highlights we'll never forget..
Think summer all winter! Bunkie & Lynn < back to top Morry's Camp Swim-a-Thon 
By Perry, Cherokee Bunk 36The Morry's Camp Swim-a-Thon is an event that takes place every summer at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. Morry's Camp is a special camp for kids who are less fortunate than us. Morry's Camp is located in the New York Metropolitan Tri-State area. The campers who go to Morry's Camp are chosen based upon participation with community service and after-school organizations. This year, the Morry's Camp Swim-a-Thon will take place on Sunday July 1st. Throughout the day, campers of all ages will make their way down to the pool to swim laps. For every lap a camper swims, a certain amount of money will be raised and then later donated to Morry's Camp. This is my 4th summer at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac and every summer I have raised money for Morry's Camp. It is a great cause and I feel that everyone can help out. In the end, all of the money adds up and gets donated to Morry's Camp. < back to top Out with the old, In with the new By Jordan, Navajo, Bunk 21 After nearly 40 years in service, we have a new woodshop being erected at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. There is a fully functioning woodshop program in the old nature building, while construction is completed on the new woodshop. As we see its progress from the foundations up, we send Jordan to ask woodshop director, Leo Rowland, a few questions. How old is the last woodshop? The last wood shop was the old infirmary building, in 1969 where we have the chimney where we meet for meals; it was the woodshop, administration building, and a couple other things. In 1969 the art kiln set the building on fire and burned it down. They moved the old health building to the location of the new wood shop and then moved the old wood shop into the old health building. The old wood shop was probably built in 1929 but it was not always the wood shop it was the health building until 1969. Why was the new woodshop needed? The program was incredibly popular and we simply outgrew the old woodshop. I am excited about the new space and all of the new room that we will have after the new one is finished. What are the main differences going to be between the old one and new one? It's one big structure. It occupies the same amount of ground as the old building but it is bigger. Also the new building the ceilings are 10 feet tall while the old building was 8 feet tall. How are these differences going to benefit the kids? The new one will benefit kids because we'll have a place to store their projects, we'll leave the paint indoors and out of the weather so the paint always stays nice. We'll always have wood storage so we always have good wood; we'll have big areas so we don't bump into each other while working, which makes it much safer. The extra space will allow that. When will it be ready for use? As soon as possible! We can't wait to move in and start building! < back to top 
Radio Mah-Kee-Nac Is On The Air!By Joshua, Cheyenne, Bunk 31 A frequently asked question asked at MKN is, what is WMKN? Some people might know it is WCM from previous years though. Marcos Urra heads WMKN up in the media center. WMKN gives campers the opportunities to broadcast whatever they want. Such as music, sports, gossip, and more. In addition campers can put in their requests for their daily morning wake up. WMKN is also a great opportunity for campers to talk in front of people but not directly, with names that they sign on with. WMKN can also give campers a taste of what it's like to be a DJ or a Radio Talk Show Host. Here's what Marcos, the head of WMKN, said about his program "WMKN creates a great program for kids to express through music and broadcasting and a way to inform others about sports and events taking place." < back to top 
Parents Visiting Day!By Jordan, Navajo, Bunk 21 After a long wait, at 9:00am on Saturday 14th July, campers' parents walked down the big hill to start off the 2007 Camp Mah-Kee-Nac visiting day. We had 20 minute periods, a BBQ lunch, and a sports extravaganza all in the same day! During the 20 minutes periods we showed our parents what sports we were doing for that day.After we'd finished showing our parents what we had been doing so far we had a 'Meet 'n' Greet' with our counselors so our parents could meet our counselors that we talked about all summer.The sports extravaganza was time for kids to play along-side or against their parents in many sports, sometimes beating them in archery, launching rockets, or doing many other things. "It was so much fun to see my parents." says Navajo Richard of Bunk 22". Even the counselors played parts. Bunk 20's counselor, Will Emery says, "It was fun meeting all of the parents finally and taking pictures of them together with their kids". < back to top What is it like being the new kid at camp? By Brian, Mohican, Bunk 4 and Damian, Mohican, Bunk 2 While most people at camp Mah-Kee-Nac have attended before there is the usual influx of new kids. So having been here for a couple of years now, I decided to see what those new to camp thought of Mah-Kee-Nac so far. Damian, a Mohican in Bunk 2 found it hard to adjust at first, "I was sad to leave home as I had never been to a sleep away camp, and I missed my mom and dad". But even the bus ride was enough fun to cheer Damian up. "It was fun. I made a lot of friends on the ride like Alex, Brian, Doug and Ethan. They are all Mohicans as well. So that was a good start!" Charlie, Mohican, from Bunk 2, also found some joy in the bus ride despite its length, "It wasn't bad, I got to watch a couple of movies, The Sandlot and The Ant Bully, read my book and make a couple of friends". Jacob, an Iroquois from Bunk 7 savored the fact that there were toilets, "I didn't have to wait till Mah-Kee-Nac to go to the bathroom!" One of the big things about coming to Mah-Kee-Nac for the first time is making new friends. But nearly all of the new guys didn't have too much trouble. Scott, Apache Bunk 1, didn't waste any time in making new friends, "My two best friends in camp so far are Max (Apache, Bunk 11) and Zach (Iroquois, Bunk 8)." Damian is also picking up new friends left, right and center. "I've made heaps of friends in many places. Like in my bunk, in my programs, Art, Archery and the Totem especially". < back to top The Seneca Summer The house certainly was rocking this summer. The Seneca Tribe of 2007 will definitely be missed, and they surely won't be forgotten. What a memorable summer it was. From the opening ceremonies in the Fieldhouse, to the closing night campfire at the lake, the Senecas experienced memories from a summer of togetherness, brotherhood and excitement that will last a lifetime. It all started with a new tradition as this Seneca tribe was the first to leave their mark in the form of a tree planted in front of their house. In the coming weeks, their Seneca flag arrived as well as sweatshirts, sweatpants, and new additions to the common area of the house. Weekly visits to Miss Gwen, trips to the grocery store, and take out orders of pizza and Chinese proved that the privilege of being a Seneca was not a myth. It's truly a grand experience, and there was definitely more to come. Being a Seneca also meant added responsibility. The Senecas had Apache brothers, and did weekly activities with the little guys throughout the summer. Senecas were the spirit of all-camp activities, and could be counted on to bring life to their teams during all kinds of activities, from Green and White to the Carnival to the Olympics. While they were in camp, they were essential to camp, but quite often they were away, participating in all kinds of great adventures. A Seneca's day is often long, but it's never dull. Trips to Albany, Vermont, and Six Flags were a welcome reprieve from regular schedule and a new adventure to Upstate New York for paint ball returned to rave reviews. However, the trip that all the Senecas were talking about by the end of the summer was their 10-day cross-country excursion to California. To a person, the trip was described as "an amazing experience" and was the perfect way to culminate a camper's years at MKN. It was with sadness that we watched this group leave on the last day of camp. We will no longer hear "to the pool" and watch all of them run off together after an evening's activity. We are getting ready to welcome the Senecas of 2008 into camp to begin traditions of their own, and carry on where these Senecas have left off. The Seneca year is unlike any other at camp. It's the perfect way to end a Mah-Kee-Nac career. By the time you leave, you'll have a com-munity of brothers to last a lifetime. And you'll finally understand what being a Mah-Kee-Nac camper is all about. If you don't believe it, just ask a Seneca. < back to top 
CAMP MKN Olympic Break!!!On a wonderful late summer day (and even into the eve-ning) Camp MKN used misdirection to fool campers and build up the excitement for the 79th Olympics.It started around lunchtime with the first "fake-out" of the day. While the Juniors were in their bunks enjoying rest hour, and the Lower and Upper Seniors were still in the dining hall enjoying their meal, the key staff started to hustle around the dining hall and Junior field. The impending buzz was because of something on camp...It was our Assistant Caretaker in a bear costume run-ning around Junior Field being chased by the rest of the Maintenance team...Fake Out! A few hours later into the late afternoon, we assemble all of camp on the Junior Clubs Hill for the next of our planned fakes. In this fake-out, some of the MKN Senior Leadership team performed a Monty Python-esque version of the 2005 jouster break, complete with cardboard costumes, and "horses" (Amazing what a person with split coconuts can do to sound like a horse!)...So after King Arthur defeats his opponent, he promises ice-cream for everyone and into camp drove an ice-cream truck with the familiar jingle of summertimes long ago. Well worth the fake... In our final event of the day, MKN setup a 500 sq foot video screen, complete with 3000 watt sound system...to watch a movie of course, a special showing of the movie "Click". As the movie was playing the MKN key staff was all over camp setting up spotlights, and events to decide the Olympic teams, all while waiting for our Senecas to arrive back from California. Once the Senecas arrived home, we briefed them on the plans and set the "break" in motion. The Senecas surprised the crowd by arriving at the end of the movie, and unveiled not only the flags of the countries but also hundreds of glowsticks that were label for each camper. The campers were instructed to find their glowsticks and to follow the light...when suddenly, the largest spot light MKN has ever seen shone from the swimming pool...To the pool campers! At the pool, the campers learned that their Seneca decathletes would be competing in the first event of the Olympics, not only for valuable points in their decathlon, but also for the right to select their head coaches. It was time for the Swim Sprint. Following a close race in both heats, the order was set and the decathletes began to select their head coaches, only these were not the head coaches...Fake out! Again, the campers were instructed to follow the light and another spot light guided camp to the Lower Senior basketball court, where shrouded in the darkness were the real head coaches. After a survivor like endurance test, a new order for selecting coaches was established and each team unveiled their head coach. All in all, a great break for the Olympics, which begin in the morning. Have fun and good luck to everyone. < back to top |
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| winter: Camp Mah-Kee-Nac • 3 New King Street, White Plains, NY 10604 summer: Camp Mah-Kee-Nac • 6 Hawthorne Rd. Lenox, MA 01240 |