Author: Elissa

When the big kids are away….the little kids will….Have the most insane Color Mudder EVER!!!! To quote our campers who got experience the Mudder,”Iit was the BEST day ever!” We got to slide down the Chenny Zoom to get super wet then off to the giant mud pit where we crawled over and under the rope obstacle course.  After getting super muddy from head to toe, literally, we ran back down the hill only to get doused with colored powder all over our every part of us. Then it was right into the lake to rinse off.

If you have ever seen a Tough Mudder or a Color Run, this was our version of both and the kids LOVED it!!! There really isn’t anything more fun than rolling in mud and not getting in trouble for it. Actually being encouraged to jump in and get dirty. There was more laughter and smiles at the mud pit today it was contagious. Even the kids that were hesitant at first couldn’t stop themselves to jump in the pit.

As a mom of three, I am always telling my girls to avoid stepping in puddles when it’s raining because I don’t want them to walk around all day in squishy wet shoes.  I am sure I am not the only one of us out there who feels the same.  You should have seen your kids faces as they were covered in mud and nobody telling them they need to stop because they will have squishy wet shoes. They played with a sense of pure uninterrupted freedom today and they even taught an old dog like me a new trick; it’s really ok to sometimes have squishy wet shoes. We were all mess and it never felt so good. Sometimes you just gotta let go, play in the mud and walk around in squishy wet shoes.

Our Seniors had a blast at Hershey today. They loved sleeping at the hotel last night and getting a full day at the park. It was day filled with rides, arcade games and a boatload of chocolate. It was s a chocolate heaven and they couldn’t have been happier.

The Supers & GC’s spent their morning touring Boston on a Duck Tour. They spent the day at Faneuil Hall shopping and lunching. The evening was spent on a harbor cruise around this beautiful city, then back to the hotel for a pool party. Could it get any better? Yes it can, as the kids will have a blast at the Red Sox Game.

Our Wanderers spent their day at the greatest place on earth, Disneyland!! Our oldest campers are having the time of their lives. There are no worries, no tests, no pressures just the joy of It’s a Small World. As they depart from Anaheim, California it’s off to Universal City tonight. They will get to experience the fun of Universal Studios tomorrow. These are the best times of their lives and we couldn’t be happier for them. They are enjoying every second!!!

It was an amazing day all around from our Freshmen to our Wanderers. The kind of day that you don’t want to end. As my day comes to an end and I head up to my house,  my wet muddy sneakers are outside my door and all I can do is smile.

Chenny Out

 

Our Supers, GC’s had an early start as their buses rolled out of camp by 7:00am en route to Boston.  It was straight to Harvard Square and dinner at Hard Rock Café. After a great first day, it was off to see Blue Man Group and our campers were amazed & entertained.

Our Wanderers have fully embraced Cali and spent their day at the beach then off to Sea World.

The Seniors boarded their bus for an overnight at Hershey Park. It was straight to Hershey World for some chocolate. It rained a bit but that didn’t damper their spirits as they all headed back to their hotel full of chocolate goodies and getting a great night sleep . They start their day early tomorrow and off to park for a full day of rides and definitely more chocolate.

Freshman through Collegiates had camp all to themselves today and loved every minute of it. We got some great games in today and played our hearts out.

Girls 6^th Grade and below Gymnastics Tournament at Bryn Mawr – Our girls had a great time and finished 10^th Place overall

Girls 7^th Grade LAX – CAW 8 vs. Bryn Mawr 15

Girls 7^th Grade Soccer – CAW 7 vs. Wayne (CAW moves on to the Finals)

Boys 3^rd/4^th Baseball – CAW Red 10 vs. Equinunk 0 and CAW Gold 2 vs. Equinunk White 3

Boys 5^th Grade Soccer – CAW 5 vs. Tioga 2 (CAW moves onto the finals)

Boys 5^th Grade Basketball – CAW 29 vs. Lohikan 20 (CAW moves on to the finals)

Tonight was one of those night’s that standouts above all the rest.  We had so much talent that the campers that weren’t able to perform in our first camper talent show, displayed their unique and entertaining skills for all us tonight. We had 26 acts and every single one of them was outstanding. There is something that happens here that does not exist outside our gates: it’s true genuine overwhelming support for one another. Regardless if you sing, dance, tell jokes, do cartwheels or play piano, you have an entire Rec Hall of friends behind you. No matter if you miss a step or sing off key, it just doesn’t matter here. Your courage to take that stage overrides what you do on that stage. Its awe-inspiring to witness and life changing to be a part of it. Where in the world can you ever go to get this support and encouragement?  We are brave, we are talented and we lift each other up here.

You have to see it, actually you have to experience it as we all did tonight. That’s what we do here, we lift one another up.

Chenny Out.

 

 

Today was one of those summer days we wish wouldn’t end. Having been here for 4 weeks, we have passed the mid way mark and it seems that each day passes quicker than the next. How can we make time stop or at least slow down? We all wait so long to spend 51 days here and it seems to be going way too fast. At this point in the summer, everyone seems to cherish the little things that truly matter the most. Our relationships have grown stronger by the day and our new friends have officially become our family and old friends have continued to enrich our lives.

There is something that sticks out to me every summer I watch these relationships grow and that is benefit of a hug. Something so simple and easy as a hug or a piggyback ride or holding a hand is just what we do, daily. It’s human connection that we all crave and here that itch is scratched. We may not even realize how much we need it until we get here and standing next to your friend or counselor seems awkward without sitting on their lap, holding their hands or giving them a hug. It’s the thread that makes us closer and it fills us up. Doesn’t matter if you are a boy, girl, younger, older or staff, we all need that human contact and here is where we get it, freely and openly. How different the world be if getting and giving hugs happened like they happen here at camp. You can’t help but smile as you watch campers walk arm in arm to an activity. It brings our friendships to a very different level than with our home friends. It is why our friends here become our family.

We played hard today. Our athletes gave it everything they had.

Girls 5^th Grade Basketball – CAW 13 vs. Westmont 21

Girls 8^th/8^th Grade LAX – CAW 13 vs. Starlight 10

Boys 3^rd/4^th Grade Soccer – CAW 0 vs. Starlight 3

Boys 9^th Grade Soccer – CAW 4 vs. Westmont 3

Our Freshmen had an incredible night at camp as they started with a blindfolded candy grab and watched The Incredibles in the Chen-A-Plex in their pj’s follwed by warm cookies and cold milk then off to bed. It was a perfect night for our youngest and most adorable campers.

It was off to the movies for our Juniors, Middies and Seniors. They munched on popcorn and relaxed watching the latest summer releases.

Our Inters and Collegiates spent their night at a bowling alley enjoying their fun filled evening. When they were done bowling, it was into the arcade for some more fun and games.

Seniors, Supers and GC’s were back at camp packing for their big trip to Boston tomorrow and in true Chenny tradition, they had a Road Rally followed by a giant ice cream party!

Our Wanderers landed safely in California today and have officially begun their West Coast adventures.

It is an exciting time here at camp and the fun just keeps going on. We packed a lot into this Super Sunday and with 30 days down; the best news is we still have 21 more amazing days ahead. Call us the lucky ones.

Chenny Out

 

 

A new camper asked me a question this morning that I just couldn’t answer but I completely understood what she meant. She asked me how does this place make her feel so good all the time? Her sweet innocent face summed up what we all feel, everyday here. Then she and her friends ran off as they laughed and giggled all the way to the swings.  As I sat and watched her and her friends on the swings, I witnessed the magic of why this place makes us feel good all the time. It is moments like these, daily moments that bring the magic to this place. They are playing jacks with your friends, they are sitting in the lap of your counselor at line up, they are having dance parties on your porch, they are having a catch with your buddy and they are telling your deepest secrets to your friends who will never judge you. It’s as simple as running to the swings with your friends who push you higher and higher.  It isn’t the buildings or fields but the human connections we make each day that make us feel good all the time here. This new camper, only being here for 4 weeks got it and once you get it, it will always be with you.

It was a good day for some Chenny games and matches.

Girls 3^rd /4^th Grade Soccer – CAW 9 vs. Wayne 0

Boys 3^rd/ 4^th Grade Baseball – CAW 0 vs. Equinunk 1

Boys 9^th Grade Tennis – CAW 5 vs. Weequahic 0

Boys 10^th/11^th Grade LAX – CAW 0 vs. Equinunk 12

Congratulations to our Campers of The week. You have earned the highest honor and we are proud of you all.

Freshman – Jessica Jeffe & Jared Lichetn

Juniors – Brooke Kanganis & Sam Rouder

Middies – Brooke Marshall & Tyler Konigsberg

Inters Jordana Leff & Matt Haber

Collegiates – Haylie Baum &  Eli Kellner

Seniors – Juliette Kaplan & Max Secular

Supers – Amanda Scheman & Andrew Santoro

GC’s – Steph Roth & Jordan Birnholz

Wanderers – Julie Mendelson, Sophia Malkosis & Josh Cohen & Kyle Stern

The night was all about Girls Sing and it was spectacular. The pride, the joy and the honor of this night was tremendous. Each division worked so hard and it showed. When boys side sat is awe for 2 hours, you know it was entertaining and awesome. The support boys side gives girls side is just breathtaking. From our adorable freshmen through our crazy talented CIT’s , they all brought the house down. I could never bring justice to describing the bonds these girls have with one another but watching them up on stage perform together allows us all to witness it for ourselves.  They have all created a sisterhood that will follow them throughout their lives. The decision to pick winners for lower and upper camp was beyond difficult, after an agonizing discussion from our boy Group leaders Middies and CIT’s were named the best of the night.

It’s nights like these that will stick out as one of summer 2013 best nights as it defines all that is good about Chen-A-Wanda. The only word that comes to mind after watching the true affection we have for one another is as simple as it gets… it’s  just LOVE!!!

Chenny Out

 

We spent the day in our swimsuits and played in the water all day long. It was Water Day at CAW and the wetter we got the more fun we had. Campers spent their day in the lake, pool, the Zone but the highlight was the Chenny Zoom. Our newest addition blew everyone away as they zoomed down the 150’ slip and slide. Cannot fully describe the extent of the fun we all had on the Zoom. It was insane, fast, wet and all you could do was laugh as you sped down this crazy ride. There wasn’t a camper who didn’t love our newest attraction. It was all the talk on camp today and everyone can’t wait to Zoom tomorrow.

Not a terribly busy game day at camp but we did have one match. Congratulations to our 9^th Grade Girls Tennis team who beat Westmont 4-1.

The night belonged to boys side who brought down the house with a long standing camp tradition, Boys Lip Sync.. Each division dazzled us with their performances. From the adorable Freshman to the talented and thought provoking Wanderers. You see the amount of time and energy each group dedicated to make tonight a success. Though each group was outstanding there was only one winner for lower camp and upper camp. Tonight’s winners for lower camp went to the Inters as the performed a medley from Justin Timberlake’s life of love lost and found. The Wanderers won for the journey they took us on what life is like as a Chen-A-Wanderer.

As I sit in wonder of this event year after year, I often am reminded that it is their right of passage that documents their journey here.  One Wanderer said it so perfectly as he read a letter at the end of their performance, as this tight group sit together arm in arm. “We came here to Chen-A-Wanda years ago all as individuals and now we are finishing our journey as a family.” You could feel the emotion they had as they just completed their last Lip Sync as Chen-A-Wanda campers. They aren’t afraid to show their deep appreciation for what this experience has brought into their lives and for boys this is truly amazing. To see a stage filled of boys letting loose, dancing in unison, singing together and having the best time is just an awesome sight. Where life today is usually very different for boys as the norm may be intense competition, hiding their emotions or struggling to fit in, tonight was a celebration of our boys just being playful happy connected boys. It was an honor to watch this collaboration of all things fun and all things boys!!!!  The benefits of Chen-A-Wanda are some things we can see and some things we can only feel in our hearts.

Chenny Out.