Author: Elissa

We all got some needed extra sleep this morning after the past 2 ½ days of Olympic fun. It was a lazy late wake-up morning and then off to The Lodge for a delicious breakfast.  We’ve been on high gear since the Olympic games started so our lazy morning was so very needed.

We got right back into camp action this afternoon with regular activities. The weather was perfect and the mood was ideal. It was great getting back to our regular schedule. We went right back into our Wayne County Tournaments.

 

Middy/Inter Girls LAX – CAW 3 @ Starlight 6

Collegiate Girls Basketball – CAW 34 @ Lavi 29

Seniors – CITs’ Girls Tennis Tournament @ Indian Head – Arielle Ashkenase & Jess Leicther took 2nd place in Doubles

Super Girls Soccer – CAW 2 vs. Wayne 6

Freshman/Junior Boys Basketball – CAW 15 @ Starlight 22

Middy Boys Soccer – CAW 14 @ Poyntelle 7

Collegiate Boys Hockey – CAW 4 vs. Lavi 7

Senior Boys Basketball Tournament @ Towanda – CAW lost both games

Super Boys Soccer Tourney @ CAW – Westmont, Island Lake, Tioga and CAW – CAW wins Tourney 3-o

GC/CIT Boys Softball – CAW 0 vs. Lavi 8

At evening line-up we announced our Camper’s of the Week. There is nothing quite like hearing your name being called knowing that you have done a great job this week. These campers earned it and deserve it. Congratulations to these outstanding campers!! We are so proud of you.

Freshmen                        Hannah Friedman                                Brady Bornstein

Juniors                            Ally Yagaloff                                            Sam Brief

Middies                           Abby Weiss                                              Logan Salzman

Inters                              Alexa Sabatino                                        Jacob Kaftol

Collegiates                      Maya Grill                                              Jake Root

Seniors                          Rachel Novick                                          Zack Isaacson

Supers                           Sarah Gershman                                      Jacob Kernis

GC’s                               Arielle Ashkenase                                    Andrew Roisenberg

CIT’s                             Jess Leichter                                              Max Moritz

Then it was off to an absolutely perfect night for Round Robin as each division took over a spot on camp and had the best time at their own evening activity.

All our Cherokee campers spent their night on a giant Alphabet Scavenger Hunt. They searched for letters we hid all around camp and then it was back to Shields Hall court for a giant scrabble game. The laughs these kids had tonight as they searched hi and low for letters and running back to their team to come up with words was priceless. Mohican girls campers got pampered in their spa party. They were relaxed and in their zen place as they were doing nails, mud masks and hair straightening. Mohican boys were split between Wiffle Ball tournament and Biddy basketball games under the lights. Our Navajo campers loved their choice tonight as it was either watching Bachelorette in the Lodge, The Home Run Derby in the Chen-A-Plex or a Beach Bonfire. The sunset tonight on the beach was picture perfect. A bonfire, some s’mores, friends all around and memories that will last forever. A chill night with some very very happy campers. Another incredible day in the books at Chenny.

Chenny out.

It was another intense day of competition as the campers got into their games.  Our camp was a sea of Blue, Red and Gold. Faces were painted, tutus were in full force, tube socks were a plenty and spray painted hair was all the rave. The race was so close that only 50 points separated the first and third teams as the morning began. Every camper was giving it their all.  It was all about the TEAM today. After a morning of games, it was off to song practice. The teams practiced their Cheer, March and Alma Mater and you could hear these homegrown songs in every corner of camp today.  Mid afternoon it was off to the track field for an afternoon of races.  The campers poured their heart and soul into every competition, every race, every softball throw and their spirit was intense. All three teams wanted the win today and it showed. After all the physical competitions were over, we all entered the Lodge for what was to be this summers INSANE dinner. Every single person inside the lodge was singing on the top of their lungs for the biggest karaoke sing-a-long party of this summer. Don’t get me wrong, we sing and dance at every lunch and dinner but tonight was incredible. We all let go tonight and it was a party like no other. Every song was better than the next and after 2 and half days of intense competition, we all had the absolute best time singing together at the very top of our lungs. When the last song finished, the entire Lodge was chanting, “ONE MORE SONG…ONE MORE SONG!” The kind of singing you do in your car or in the shower when you think nobody is listening, it was that kind of singing but instead of nobody listening….everybody was listening and there was absolutely no fear of letting go and being in that moment. We all shared that moment together tonight and it was AWESOME. One that I know nobody in the lodge tonight will forget.

The Olympic games ended as all three teams presented their songs, banner and plaque inside Shields Hall. Now it was in the hands of judges as the decision of who would win Olympics 2016 was about to be announced. Shields Hall was packed with our campers dressed head to toe in their team colors waiting on bated breath and all at the edge of their seats. The time had come and the judges had a balloon popping race that declared the winner. It was Blue New Zealand who took the Gold tonight!!! This was one close race.

Final Scores:

• Blue New Zealand – 1905
• Red Chile – 1885
• Gold Singapore – 1845

What we learned from these games were that we all played hard, respected the game, supported each other and believed that in the end it wasn’t just about getting the win but being there for one another. Two and half days ago, we began as Red Chile, Gold Singapore and Blue New Zealand and tonight we are back to one camp family.

Chenny out.

Our Olympic games stands out as a true picture to why Chen-A-Wanda is a remarkable place. Victory is not defined by wins or losses. It is defined by our effort. If you can truthfully say, ‘I did the best I could, I gave everything I had,’ then you’re a winner. Today our campers gave it everything they had. Every camper put their heart and soul into each battle and gave it their all in every competition. The battles were fierce, they were fun and in the end it was the undeniable effort that made today such a standout day. In between the rain, we played hard, had fun and in the end supported one another. When you walk around camp, in the midst of hearing all the chants and cheers during all the games, you also heard “great job, amazing effort, proud of you.” There is something equally valuable to encouraging those around us that actually feels better than getting the win.

Being part of a community that comes together and supports one another regardless of the outcome is what makes Chen-A-Wanda Olympics so spectacular.  Tonight was the Apache Relay and everyone from our Freshmen campers to our CIT’s, play an integral role.  Each individual makes up the team and everyone counts.  No matter if you had run around the quad track holding hands with another camper, leap frog from the lake to arts & crafts or ride a bike to the finish line, the team depended on you. Tonight, Gold Singapore finished Apache by hitting that pole first as Max Secular rode his bike on to Camp Rd. knowing that 1^st place was in sight. Blue New Zealand ended the relay in 2^nd place only minutes behind. A moment that stood out tonight was as the entire camp was down at center camp and Both Blue and Gold had already finished the race, the entire camp started chanting “Let’s Go Red, Lets Go Red”. These cheers came from every camper and  every staff member, not just those on the Red Team but the Blue and Gold were right alongside them cheering them on. The cheers and chants were deafening and we here at Chenny, leave no man or woman behind.  Just a few minutes behind Blue New Zealand came Red Chile’s last cyclist, Mack Schnell who was greeted by all three teams cheering him and his team on. The excitement to finish the race was amplified by each member of the team knowing they had a part in something bigger than themselves. It is the essence of belonging to a team and the importance that we all finished this race together. The cheers were electric as each team hit that pole and the pride that accompanied completing Apache filled us all up with a joy that is indescribable.

When all is said and done, it’s not the shots that won the championship that we will remember, or the home runs that matter but the way we treat one another and the respect we all have for our Olympic Games. All of our campers are sleeping peacefully as they rest their bodies for the last day of Olympics 2016. It all comes down to SING!!!

Chenny Out

The vibe on camp today was all about Olympics and if today was the day.  Lot’s of chatter at line-up,  in the Lodge, down at waterfront, inside the bunks and just about everywhere. These kids wanted to dig their teeth into some serious competition and the energy was electric. Every song that played in center camp, every bugle that blew may have been a sign and the Olympic spirit was strong at Chenny today. These long standing camp traditions are the heart and soul of our camp experience. Olympics, Color War, Girls Sing, Boys Lip Sync – they are events we can count on and look forward to. They tie us to those Camp Chen-A-Wanda campers who have walked before us and have done what we are about to do. Entering into an experience that stands the test of time and when so many things change all around us, our camp traditions stay the exact same. We can count on them. We need them and thank goodness, our campers wouldn’t have to wait too much longer.

Before we broke Olympics, our fields and courts were full of Wayne County Tournament games. Lots of campers got to play the games they love.

Middy Girls Soccer – CAW 8 vs. Tioga 2

Super Girls Softball – CAW 5 vs. Wayne 6

Middy Boys Hockey – CAW 9 vs. Westmont 5

Inter Boys Soccer – CAW 2 @ Wayne 5

Collegiate Boys Softball – CAW 7 @ Nesher 12

Senior Boys Tennis – CAW 4 vs. Westmont 1

GC/CIT Boys Basketball – CAW 43 @ Starlight 49

In true Chenny form, we love to fake-out our kids and just when they think they know when and how a break is happening, we give them a FAKE and today was so much fun. The word out in camp was Olympics is DEFINITELY breaking at snack call so as the campers munched on their cookies, fruit and water anticipating the Olympics Theme music to play over the loud speakers, what they heard was the theme from Rocky!!! As all our head counselors were dressed head to toe in American flags and banners, they circled center camp on their golf carts and came to a stop surrounded by all our very eager campers. Associate Director, Brian “Makes Me Laugh “Leahy and Cherokee Head Counselor, Dan “Oh My” Godshall took center stage for what was to be a cookie eating brawl. They circled one another like boxers in a ring, staring one another down. It was like Ali vs. Frazier but instead of punches being thrown it was the amount of cookies they could get into their mouths. The kids loved it and just after Brian won in a landslide, the Rocky music stopped and the sounds of Fake-out rang loud and clear. This was not the time for Olympics to break at Chenny.

The bugle rang and it was off to activities. You could see the disappointment and hear the angst as our campers wanted Olympics. They wouldn’t have to wait too long as just an hour later the Olympic Fanfare song played loud and clear. Where to go? Where was it breaking? The campers scattered around trying to find the location and word quickly spread that Shields Halls was where to go. The energy was intense and the spirit was high. “OOOO-LYM-PICS – OOOO-LYM-PICS” was being chanted by all in Shields Hall and our kids were so loud , I am sure the camp down the road heard us. A video was shown, with highlights from last years battle and it gave everyone in the Hall goosebumps on their goosebumps. It is intense, it is  fierce, it is pride, Olympics is here!!!!

The first Olympic event was tonight and everyone gave their all at Tugs of War. Your kids dug down deep and showed their grit and determination. When our campers tug on that rope that feels like it is attached to a brick wall and they dig down deeper to find that strength to pull harder, it exemplifies the will they have to give it everything they’ve got. You see it in their faces, you can hear it when they grunt on every pull, you can feel it when wont give up. Every single one of us has fire in our hearts for something, and it’s our goal to find it and keep it lit. Let the Games Begin.

Chenny out.

 

 

 

I was overwhelmed by how many of our families at home had reached out to me today about last nights blog. There was a sense of relief knowing that their camper wasn’t the only one that may have had some serious pre-camp nerves and may have been faced with dealing with homesickness while here at camp. So many emails asking if it was their daughter I was writing about, and a ton of messages thanking me for writing about the perils of homesickness and how we help your children through this very real experience. When you at home try to piece together your children’s experience from a photo or a quick frame in a video, or their absence from either, please know that like in life at home, there are incredible days and those that feel less than fantastic. This journey that you have sent them on does enrich their lives and allows them the opportunity to navigate friendships, conflicts, homesickness and everything in between. The smiles you see on the vids and pictures are as real as real is. Even if you get a glimpse of them on the outside of the group or sitting alone peacefully reading a book, your mind may wander and try to create a story of sadness and despair. Not knowing all the details to what you may see or read in a letter written at a time when they may have felt down is a killer and though life is great here, there are those experiences that are challenging for our kids. Those moments are as necessary as the ones of total elation, joy and happiness here at camp. When you are surrounded by love and support, it gets you through those moments you think you can’t handle. When missing mom and dad seems overwhelming and you can’t handle it for one more night, the sun always rises here and your kids get through it with a warm loving embrace. They learn that a friends hug or a counselor just listening to them can make just about anything feel better. So yes, sad moments exist here but the work your kids do to get over their mountains is really what camp is all about and we hope from our hearts you know that we are here to catch them when they fall. They are stronger than you think and more capable than at times you may give them credit for. We see it live everyday as we watch your children step up, face and deal with their fears and learn they can do just about anything. That is why you send them to Chenny!!!

You win some and you loose some but here at Chenny, every game played is an opportunity to learn something you didn’t know. We are so proud of our Chenny athletes and the effort they put into every game they play.

Middy Boys Basketball – CAW 18 vs. Wayne 31

Inter Boys Tennis – CAW 0 vs. Wayne 5

Senior Boys Basketball – CAW 37 vs. Starlight 49

Super Boys Soccer – CAW 9 vs. Wayne 1

Our Navajo kids, had an incredible night watching the Scranton Railriders play ball on a perfect summer night. What says summer more, than watching a baseball game, eating a hotdog surrounded by your friends. The smiles say it all as they had a relaxing night at the stadium.

Cherokee and Mohican campers (Freshman – Collegiates) enjoyed their evening watching the video taped auditions of our new Chenny’s Got Talent Competition. we have some incredibly talented kids here and the competition is stiff. From singers, to musicians, to dancers to comedians. They all brought their “A” game. We all cant wait for the live shows. Stay tuned to see our crazy talented cast.

Chenny out.