Camp Blog

Happy New Year!

by: 
Camp Director

Those of us who have spent time in the camp environment understand, intuitively, the role of the camp experience in the education of a child. Camp, as an activity for children, has graced the American landscape for 150 years. Agawak has been there for 90 of those 150 years giving young girls the opportunity to explore who they are surrounded by the natural world. I look forward to growing together with all of you this summer. 

I’d like to welcome the following new campers into our Agawak family: Olivia and Maddie Ferris from CA, Tess Maurer and Claudia Siegel from IN, Isabel Valenzuela from Mexico as well as Madeline Chalmers, Olivia Frankel, Hannah Karlin, Rebecca Klawans, Shayley Polikov, Anna Werman, Emma Zurek and Nicole Zweig from IL. Buckle up and get ready to go full speed ahead!

We truly look forward to an exceptional summer with our new and veteran campers. It will be a summer filled with new adventurers, self discovery, friendships, fun and growth for everyone.  You will not only become friends with people your own age, but you’ll become friends with younger and older kids. That feeling of always having someone by your side is a feeling that all kids should get to experience and I can’t think of a better place to do that than camp.

I will be finalizing staff positions soon and I’m thrilled to report we have an outstanding group of counselors returning. Anita Racz will be back heading up our tennis program and I’m hoping to recruit her father from Hungry who taught Anita so much on the tennis courts as a young girl. It’s hard for me to believe once little campers Kaylie Denenberg, Melanie Pascal, Jen Rosenwasser will be senior counselors this summer.  We have a record number of international staff returning this summer and Karhlia Scata and Hayley Kite are two more recent additions to this already large number of returnees. Rebecca Aronson, Michaella Baker, Jamie Bronska, Karaline Cohen, Lily Cohen, Jessica Granick, Carly Lapins, Ariel Swartz, and Logan Weiss have all risen to the ranks of JC2’s and will be on staff to give all of you a memorable summer.  Lisa Krause will also be back as our number one female ski instructor.  She’ll be back on Blue Lake to help our first time and experienced skiers cross the wake.  

In November, I traveled to LA to visit some of our California campers.  It was such a lovely visit and I felt right at home staying with Molly Lovett and her wonderful family.  We had two separate Agawak gatherings, one at the Lovett home and one at the home of Lila Mass.  Nancy and Steve Lovett and Jane Mass went above and beyond and extended their home to many potential Agawak campers. I was delighted to reconnect with Molly Lovett, Lila Mass, Olivia Hendrickson, and Jamie Kelleher.  We had a fun reunion topped off with swimming and smores. I hope to make it an annual event. Those girls know how to have fun!

A few weeks ago I had cabin 15’s septic tank removed and pulled out for fear of it collapsing while camp was in session. It took an entire day to remove the old tank and replace it with a brand new shiny tank.  When the old tank emerged it was barely recognizable as a tank.  The plumber estimated that the tank was 60 years old. The sides were deteriorating as well as the lid. The expression…..”Just in the nick of time”, quickly came to mind. Brandon and I are working on a few surprises which we’ll let you in on when the time is ready.

Please mark your calendars for this year’s camp reunion on Sunday, February 26th at the North Shore Renaissance on Skokie BLVD in Northbrook. The reunion will run from 1:30-3:30 so clear up your schedules and plan on seeing your camp friends there.  We will host a new camper orientation meeting for all new campers, coming from the Chicago and surrounding area, before the reunion starting at 11:00am at the same location.

It’s been awhile since we saw the last sunset together on Blue Lake, had our last tear dried at final campfire and cried our goodbyes.  There is no more sand in your sheets, no more showers to share and no more listening for the sound of the bell. And no more round-the-clock cabin mates to make it all such fun! I hope the “afterglow” of fond memories: friendships, growth and achievements remain with you until we are once again back together singing …….There’s no place else like Agawak.

I wish you a brand new year filled with every happiness, good health and love.

Camp hugs,

Mary and staff