Author: Elissa

There was a buzz around camp today and it was all about Banquet. The weather was perfect and the mood was great. Everyone knew that tonight was the big dance and the excitement was growing. The morning was chilled out and relaxed and the afternoon was full of anticipation of a great night. We have gone through the entire summer looking forward to Banquet and it’s finally here!!!

Everyone got dressed up in their finest clothes and was ready to impress. There were no Chenny t’s and soffe shorts, it was dresses and colored shirts. Everyone looked amazing and happy. It was a night to celebrate our summer her at Chen-A-Wanda and that is exactly what we did. The entire camp gathered outside the Dining Hall tonight before dinner as we all took pictures together. Groups of friends gathered together as they caught each moment with a picture.  Wishing time would stand still as they do in each frame.

As we entered the Dining Hall to see how the CIT’s and Wait’s had decorated the room, there were cheers of support as the campers entered the jungle. It was an awesome sight to see as our Dining Room became a Safari The room was transformed and looked amazing. We all sat down and had the most delicious meal of the summer. What made this dinner even more fun and perfect was the impromptu conga line that started with boys and ended with the girls. We just have fun here, that’s what we do.

After dinner it was into the Rec Hall for end of summer Awards. It was a remarkable night as we honored our outstanding campers of the year. Congratulations to the following campers who received the highly respected awards tonight. These campers shined throughout the summer.

Lower Camp

Athlete of the Year                      Adam Covey & Skylar Kohn

Honor Camper of the Year        Eli Kellner & Ally Heller

Camper of the Year                      Josh Friedman & Hannah Pollack

Upper Camp

Athlete of the Year                       Steven Bochner & Mychael Schnell

Honor Camper of the Year         Jason Rossell & Paige Mandel

Camper of the Year                       Tyler Loberbaum & Gillian Stapler

Then it was time to party and oh how we danced the night away. The DJ played all our favorite songs we stayed up late dancing with our friends. It was an amazing night that we will never forget. We just loved it and didn’t want it to end. A prefect party to end a perfect summer!!

Chenny out.

 

 

We had a great day today as we all down shifted. It’s that time of summer as we start preparing to pack up and head home.  All the campers got a few more activities in today but it was a day to relax, hangout and just get some great quality time with our best summer friends.  It was just one of those great days we spent with each other. We were playing basketball on the biddy courts, jumping rope on the Rec Hall court and playing some fun BBG on the Lake Court. You could actually feel the joy all throughout camp today. It was just a great day.

As our last official trip of the summer, the whole camp went to out to the movies tonight. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day!  Everyone was relaxed, chilled out and enjoyed munching on popcorn and watching a movie with their campies. When you look around and all you see is a sea of Gold Chenny shirts sitting next to you in the theater, you know that you are part of one very special summer family. We look out for one another and each of us make it whole!

We have a few more great things to look forward to as Banquet and Memory night are still ahead of us. Everyone is looking forward to getting dressed up and dancing the night away tomorrow night at Banquet. It will be a night to remember as we close down summer 2011.

It feels as if we just arrived here at Chen-A-Wanda. It’s hard to believe that we are all going home in just a few days. But before the tears come rolling down, and we know they will it’s party time!!!

Chenny out.

 

 

Today we had a late wake up and boy we needed it. The pace of the last five days was fast and furious so getting some extra zzzz’s was much needed. As camp started to wake up and we all headed to brunch, something caught our eye. It would appear that camp had been pranked. Our Arts & Crafts building was spray painted, colored and splattered. This was a sight to see and as everyone approached with great caution, it was obvious who was responsible. The CIT’s and Waits were the artists and left behind their mark. The new brightly colored building had then inspired the rest of camp to get creative and continue where they left off. Everyone knows that this building is coming down after camp and for the next few days, our CIT’s are responsible for the most beautiful, creative jaw dropping piece of art we have on campus. Great work girls.. You left your signature on a piece of Chenny History. Today, it became the place that we hung out at, cried in, left our own signature on and was a reminder that just like this building, our summer will soon be gone.

Today was a Chenny Championship kind of day!!!

Congratulations to our Inter Girls Softball Team who won the Wayne County Championship vs. Lavi with a score of 10 -0!!! It was a great game, with superb sportsmanship. Excellent work girls. You deserved the Championship!!

Way to go to our GC/CIT Girls Soccer Team who defeated Nesher to win their Wayne County Championship today with a score of 11-0!! We couldn’t be more proud of your teamwork! You all rocked!!

The highly anticipated Late Night with Leahy proved to be one of this summer favorite evening activities. Our Boys Head Counselor Brian Leahy, was the host to his very own Late Night Talk Show and brought the laughter in. He entertained the crowd with hilarious videos and brilliant performances. He produced a fantastic show, one that you just have to see to believe. The Rec Hall was exploding with laughter as we all watched in amazement of how truly talented our very own late night host is. We put Brian right up there with the likes of Letterman & Leno but we bet that those guys couldn’t hold a candle to how Leahy runs lower camp.

It’s hard to believe but we only have 3 days left in our summer home.

Chenny out.

 

 

 

The past 5 days have been exhilarating, exciting and spirited. We have felt the highs of winning and the disappointment of loosing. This Color War we have all just experienced made us push ourselves beyond what we thought was possible. We played the best we could and at times when pure exhaustion set in, we pushed harder but there was no quitting. Not here, not now.

We learned that each one of us counts and matters. We learned that when our teammates got behind us, anything is possible. We learned that Color War is an act of determination, commitment and pride. We learned that loosing is part of life’s process. We learned that winning feels great when you work really hard for something. We learned that even in our celebration, there is always room for compassion as our friends feel the agony defeat. We learned that we all went through this together and are better because of it.

Red Robbers did win Color War tonight and we congratulate them for their phenomenal teamwork and effort. Gold Cops never gave up and fought a long hard battle full of spirit and sportsmanship. After five long days as two separate teams, we are now back to one united camp. It was an amazing week and as this summer comes to a close, we are so grateful for every day we have spent here. Life is truly Great at Chen-A-Wanda!!!

Chenny out.

 

Another spectacular day we had full of Color War games and events. The morning was dedicated to Apache Relay and every camper counted!!! There are 52 events that each team must complete. Our campers piggy backed, leap forged, got wrapped with toilet paper, elephant walked to name a few. No matter if you ran the lake or shot a bulls eye, your part was equally important.  The intensity grew, as both teams were neck and neck. The lead switched twice right at the end but the Red Robbers came in first in this summers Apache Relay.

Boy’s camp had their swim meet today while girls ran track.  Everyone gave it their all and fought to the finish. The commitment every camper and staff showed today was unbelievably commendable. This is the time to shine and camp is shining bright right now. The songs, the cheers, the spirit, the wins, the losses all add up to one fabulous Color War.

The night belonged to Rope Burning. We all watched with great anticipation as the fire starters got their flames roaring. Red Robbers jumped out to an early start as their fire flared up with ease. The campers cheered with excitement and the spirit was off the charts.  We all got behind our teams today and participated in one longstanding Chen-A-Wanda tradition. As our CIT’s got emotional knowing this was their last official rope burning, you saw the spark engage in our first time campers as they now see what they have to look forward to for many years to come.  This tradition runs deep and connects the campers that have come before us, those that are here now and will still be here and alive for campers who will one day call Chen-A-Wanda their summer home.

There is just one more day for the battle between Red Robbers and Gold Cops. They have one more shot to give it there all and be part of something very special in summer 2011.

Chenny out.