Our Camp Philosophy

COMMUNITY OVER EVERYTHING

The values that make up our camp philosophy date back to our founder, Joe Kruger’s child-centered approach to camp.

The spirit of Camp Mah-Kee-Nac lies in the commitment to our community. Campers and staff feel supported, challenged and encouraged to participate in an action-packed day of sports, outdoor adventure, waterfront, media, and the arts. Through these activities and our elective-based program, campers build confidence by experiencing success. Our boys discover the power of their true selves and the individual role they play as part of the greater community. To us, community over everything is what makes Mah-Kee-Nac extraordinary.  Different then our philosophy is our core values.  Our core values embody our culture and help guide our commitment to our community. Watch the video below and  Read more about our core values here.

Mah-Kee-Nac prides itself on being the most well-rounded boys camp in the Berkshires. Most of the MKN campers love sports, and many of them compete often. However, in addition, Mah-Kee-Nac focuses on its campers having access to a well-rounded camp experience where the waterfront, outdoor adventure, and media & arts programs are equally as strong as our athletics program.

At Mah-Kee-Nac, our competition philosophy focuses on inclusiveness and Healthy Competition. Boys come to Mah-Kee-Nac with varying levels of athletic experience, creating both room for growth and game-specific development. Our individualized instruction is designed to support the progress of all our young athletes. Additionally, with our intracamp leagues, intercamp, and tournament games, all Mah-Kee-Nac boys have an opportunity to compete at a level appropriate to their experience, ability, and passion. Many of our boys enjoy being competitive, but it’s not the wins and losses that define their extraordinary experience.