"AUF WIEDERSEHEN"

L.W. "Pop" Shultz and his wife Cora completed 30 years as directors of Camp Mack in 1956, having served since its beginning. At "Mass Meeting" held June 3 of that year at Camp Mack, Shultz shared what he titled "A WORD OF GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION." What follows are excerpts of that address as recorded in his autobiography, People and Places.

This brief presentation is not to be a farewell address.
It is not a Good Bye speech either.
The Germans have a better word for it - "AUF WIEDERSEHEN"
This means - "Till we see each other again."

This short "Wiedersehen" word is to be today a word of gratitude and appreciation for the heritage that we have received from the Long Ago; a Thank You to all who have made Camp Mack what it is Today; and finally an Expression of our hope and expectation of what can and may happen in the Days Ahead.

Thirty-One Years Ago these grounds were dedicated. The Church of the Brethren in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan planned and built together here. Camp Mack was dedicated to the idea that camping affords a unique aid in the training of the youth of the church....

We are grateful too today that two centuries after Martin Luther, Alexander and seven others "Counted the Cost", broke away from a state formal religion and taught that our faith should be meaningful in everyday life; that there should be no force in religion; that the New Testament should be our guide for living and that we should use every means of grace to increase our spiritual growth. Their successors have handed on to us this torch through the ensuing...years.

Again we are grateful today that so much has been achieved here on these grounds named after the founder of our brotherhood. We appreciate the sacrifice and contributions of so many of you and many others who are not here today. ...

The men of the churches of Indiana have made this auditorium a reality in 1940. During these years the women of the churches have supplied much camp equipment. On June 5, 1949 the youth groups of the camps and churches completed their contribution of the twelve mural panels - something unique in the history of the Christian Church. ...

Finally we express our hope and expectation for the future. We envision many, many campers coming here to be taught our Christian heritage, to fellowship with the best leaders and fellow campers; to learn to meditate and to worship; and to let God reveal Himself through His World, His Word and His Will.

In the days ahead many campers will here be praying that here the

Spirit of the Living God may fall afresh on them, and that they be
Melted, molded, filled and used in dedicated service to Christ and His Church.

Let us be glad today that many here on this Wabee shore will in the future hear the call of the Man of Galilee as he will continue to say:

Come - Follow Me - I am the Way, Make Me your Guide.
Come - Learn of Me - I am the Truth, Make Me your Teacher.
Come - Abide in Me - I am the Life, Make Me your Dwelling Place.

And so as lives are here touched by lives and the Spirit all of us can feel that our prayer has been answered that the Lord establish the work of our hands here.

Auf Wiedersehen.

Source: People and Places, Lawrence W. Shultz