CSA 2021 Year-end Director’s Letter

August 15, 2021

Dear CSA Family and Community,

While the past year-and-a-half has brought us varying degrees of personal challenges and altered plans, anxieties and tragedies, or all of the above and more — ninety-three of us were able to come together at Camp St. Andrews 2021 for a week of desperately needed reconnection with each other and nature, with unbridled laughter, absurd songs, endless creativity, and revitalizing adventure.

I was gratified each day watching campers cheering on their friends old and new, Leader Trainees supporting each other, Program Staff making every session special for campers, and the Counseling Staff carrying the majority of CSA on their shoulders. And while this will be my final stint as Camp Director after many years, I am heartened by the number of outstanding, dedicated staff members ready and willing to take the reins, enact their own visions for camp’s future, and foster the next generation of CSA leaders.

On that note, we will soon hold our annual election, at which our community selects the following year’s Camp Director, Medical Director, Scarf Director, Chaplain, Registrar, and one Member-at-Large (three-year term). This election is extremely important as it ensures that the Camp Leadership Committee truly represents the many voices of our camp community, so we hope to see everyone at the meeting (be it in-person or online). The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Oct. 9, 2021. Anyone who has held a position on the Camp Leadership Committee or attended camp in a staff or LT position in the past three years may vote.

If you would like to nominate yourself for any of 2022’s community-elected positions, please send an email to nominations@campsaintandrews.org. Self-nominations must be received no later than Friday, September 10, 2021.

In October, after the community-elected members have been elected, those interested in a Camp Director-appointed position (Asst. Camp Director, Operations Director, Spirit Director, Program Director, Archery Director, and Bookkeeper) will be able to submit their self-nominations. Requirements and job descriptions for all community-elected and director-appointed CLC positions can be found here.

The tentative schedule summary for 2021-2022 camp events and meetings is included with this letter. All are invited (and encouraged!) to attend meetings. Links to join CLC meetings that are conducted exclusively via video conference can be found in the public CSA Event Calendar.

Again, THANK YOU to everyone who made CSA 2021 so much fun, especially the CAMPERS who make all our efforts worth it. And my eternal gratitude goes out to all the staff who have made my job for the last five years so enjoyable and (mostly) painless!

Sincerely,

Mike Siemsen
Camp Director, 2017-2021
mike@campsaintandrews.org