Malcolm Newmark Sermon

Shabbat Shalom.

My name is Malcolm Newmark. This is my eleventh summer at Camp Kawaga, and my fourth on staff. 

During my first three years working here, I was a Chip counselor. Being a counselor for the youngest campers is a unique experience. To be successful requires a high level of patience. Now I don’t want to make the job sound like a burden; it certainly is not. The kids are awesome and hilarious, the camaraderie you feel with fellow Chip staff is unmatched, and the experience you receive is invaluable.

As a junior counselor, I often struggled to be motivated while on duty. While Chips are fun, I felt my only objective was to get them through the day safely and that I was not having any impact on my campers, positive or negative. I thought my campers would not remember me as they aged, and like so many of those names in the Council Ring, I would become just that, only a name.

Looking back on this line of thinking, I feel a little regretful. It is a little selfish and certainly sells our youngest campers short. I, myself, still recall how positively Jacob Klein, Dave Martin, and Whitey Herzog influenced my summers as a Chip. Chips are more than capable of growth and development during their summers here, and as the Chip chief speech says, they may “unerringly strive towards manhood.”

While my opinions on Chips changed, my fear of being forgotten did not fade. How many campers now know the names of Corey Levin, Eli Schrayer, Aaron Rosen, or even Fred Geraci? These people all left their mark at Kawaga, but I would wager that not a single camper has heard of all four of those names. How does one even leave a legacy in a place where nearly the whole population turns over within a decade?

It’s ultimately impossible to make such a mark at Kawaga as to be known by all campers, even beyond your time. But there are ways to live on.

One way is to have more fun than everybody else. There’s a reason we still sing the Oakland fight song once a week in the Mess Hall, and campers who weren’t even here at the time can sing Tennessee’s Song and Skit from 2018. The people on those Spectacular teams just seemed like they were having more fun. They were loud at every meal, they appeared to enjoy getting last (and near last), and they decided to make the most of their Spectaculars. For the very same reasons, Jonah Satyr’s Gonzaga and WashU songs will last at Camp Kawaga longer than he will.

The most effective method of leaving a legacy at camp is to alter Kawaga’s history itself. Certainly the tallest task I will speak of today, the opportunity to shape the future of Kawaga comes about rarely. Only the privileged few—the Fishers, the Daubes, the Simpsons, among others—have had this possibility. Seldom, the chance will fall to someone like Fred Geraci, forever altering Kawaga with the addition of Fred’s Hydration Station.

Another way is to change the course of your campers’ time at Kawaga. Ask any one of the staff men sitting behind you today, and they will be happy to tell you about that one counselor who forever changed the trajectory of their life. For me, it was Jackson Gruber. While he may not have been the “textbook” counselor, his guidance and advice will stick with me forever. Even amidst the hubbub of camp, I always remember to stop and smell the roses and to appreciate every little detail. While Gruber may be soon forgotten by all those at Kawaga, I will never forget him, and neither will my fellow 2020 CITs. Currently, no staff member excels at this better than Josh Zirin. He truly makes sure to put his cabin responsibilities first to ensure that his campers have the best summer possible. The Group 1s are lucky to have him, and his contributions to their summers will live on in their memory forever.

Ultimately, the best way to leave a legacy at Kawaga is to care. Care deeply about everything you do here. Seek to approach each activity, interaction, meal, cheer, game, speech, inspection, polar bear, and day with intention. Aim to always do what is best for your friends, for your fellow campers, and for Kawaga. It sounds cliche, but it’s true. Why do we love Sean Gooze so much? Because he pours hours into making sure everyone feels included on Full-Kit Friday. Why did Jonathan Levitan return this summer? Because he loves this camp, he loves his brother, and he felt he could prepare the CITs to be successful counselors. Why is Quinn Korach so universally respected? Because he is equally committed to helping and supporting staff while improving camp. Why is Spencer Stone spending some of his last few weeks before senior year at Camp Kawaga? Because he misses his friends, feels he can assist the rest of staff, and because he wants to be there for his campers. Sean, Jonathan, Quinn, and Spencer are all building their legacy here with the effort they put in on a daily basis. With each action, these men are ingraining themselves in the memory of Camp Kawaga.

That has been my goal over the last two summers at camp. Build my legacy. I’ve taken on as much responsibility as I could, tried to mentor both campers and younger staff, and worked as hard as I could make myself. As I said before, it certainly is a selfish endeavor, but if I’m not trying to positively impact camp with every opportunity that I get, then what am I doing here?

At the very least, my hope is that I live on through my campers. Those same Chips, whom I feared would not remember me from my first year on staff, are now my campers again as Mohawk As. When I took on this job as Program Director, I refused to do it without having campers, and I have made it my mission to make 2024 the best summer of Avi, Connor, Isaac, Joey, Oakley, and Simon’s lives.

Regardless of my success in being remembered beyond my time here, I challenge you to answer the same questions. How will you leave a legacy at Kawaga? How much do you care? How will you positively impact this place? No matter how old you are or how many years you have been here, you all have the ability to leave an indelible mark on Camp Kawaga. Challenge yourself, and maybe one day the sight of your name in the Council Ring will remind a friend, a former camper, or a former counselor of all that you did here.

Thank you.