Category: General News

The entire camp headed out to the Scranton RailRiders (Yankees AAA).  We all spent the morning in our regular fun activities but everyone was so excited about heading out to the ballpark. We got a few games in before we all headed out this afternoon.

Senior Girls Softball  – CAW 17 vs Tyler Hill 1

Inter/Coll Girls Tennis Tournament @ Tyler Hill – Made it to semi-finals

Middy/Inetr Boys LAX – CAW 11 @ Westmont 12

Senior Boys Basketball – CAW 44 @ Nesher 35

The evening was all about baseball and we had a ball.  Our entire camp filled the stands with Gold Chenny shirts in PNC stadium where we watched 7 great innings of baseball. The night started out amazing as we cheered on Freshman campers Dani Glickman and Landon Miller as they threw out the first pitch. An awesome sight to see our Chenny kids on the field and for Dani & Landon, a night they will never forget. We cheered for our favorite players, we sang songs in the stands, we did the wave and we all had a great summer night together as it was Chenny takeover at the Scranton Yankees RailRider game.  What could be better than hanging out with your friends, eating ice cream and watching a ballgame on a hot summer night.  The spirit was high and the energy was just so much fun tonight. Another standout night spent with great friends.

 

Chenny out

 

To say that this was one of the best days so far this summer couldn’t be more accurate. Our campers had an awesome day all around. Let me explain what your kids experienced today and it will all make sense why today was a summer standout for each and every one of them.

Freshman through Collegiate campers were at camp today and experienced our Chenny Color Mudder. All the campers lined up at the gates and the when the whistle rang, they were off.  They ran up camp road and headed into the Zone where they were dodging counselors hiding behind the huge inflatables with water guns soaking the kids running by. This is where the laughter started. Then it was off to the tennis courts for an insane obstacle course. Our campers had a workout as they hopped over hula hoops, skipped through tires, scooted on flying monkeys and crawled through tubes. No time to rest as they ran the go-kart track, twice and headed down to the giant Chenny Zoom (slip and slide). Running on adrenal and excitement it was straight into the mud pit course and boy did they love the crawling in that mud. It was over mud tower and then belly crawling into the pit. There wasn’t a camper who didn’t love this. They got dirty and messy and loved every aspect of getting muddy. When was last time our kids where given license to play in the mud? It was in their hair and everywhere and our campers were ecstatic but that wasn’t the end. They each headed back down the hill where they were doused with color powder. It stuck to their faces and was bursts of rainbow happiness all over your children. They ran a race that was challenging, fun, exciting, wet, muddy, exhilarating and at the very end as they crossed that finish line, they jumped into the lake with a pride so deep, it will be a camp memory they will have and cherish forever. After showers and getting the mud off us, it was straight into our jammies and off to a night of movies for these kids. Freshman were relaxing to Shrek and the Juniors were loving watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 while the Middies, Inters and Collegiates threw it back old school with Who Framed Roger Rabbit. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Our Seniors, Supers and GC’s spent their incredible day at the State Park bathing in the sun, relaxing with friends, playing in the lake and having a picture perfect summer day. It was one of those days you don’t want to end and it didn’t have to because after their day it was off to the movie theater for a night watching summer blockbusters. What could be better than a full day spent with great friends, a beautiful lake, warm sun and then topping it off with a movie? The busses rolled in and all said it was the greatest day and they can’t believe they did so much in just one day. Our CITs had their day off  shopping, eating and watching movies. As the big kids on camp, they make their own schedule and had a ball. Campers wait a long time to get off days as CIT’s and this group had a ball. They did everything they wanted to and spending days together is just awesome.

There isn’t a camper awake on camp right now. Lights are out and everyone is home safe, sound asleep. Each exhausted with a day spent well. What a great day!!!

Chenny out.

It was another incredible day spent at our summer home. The weather was perfect and campers were happy, active and engaged. You cant ask for more than that for our kids. It is why we do what we do. Seeing the tremendous growth that happens with each and every camper daily is what drives us all.  It takes a village and boy do we have an awesome one. You don’t see counselors without a camper holding their hand, sitting on their lap or catching a piggy back ride. It is such a beautiful sight to see as these bonds that happen and happen so quickly. Regardless if it’s wiping tears away and providing comfort to your  children or just having a catch on a beautiful sunny day. These connections are so special and as a parent who sees this relationship with my own kids, I know that their presence in our kids lives makes them better people. Here, a twenty-something counselor has the ability to provide something us parents can’t. It’s a bond that is set apart and will forever hold an important place in the lives of our children. They learn differently from these relationship and there is a level of trust that is developed and doesn’t go away. We all give our children roots and sending them to sleep away camp is giving them their wings. It’s hard to imagine someone other than you understanding their fears, being there when they cry, tucking them in at night, laughing at their jokes, eating every meal with them and guiding them through their journey but this is what’s happening right now.

Our scores for the days Wayne County Tournament Games:

Middy Girls Softball – CAW 7 @ Westmont 9

Collegiate Girls Soccer – CAW 5 vs. Island Lake 0

Senior/Super Girls Volleyball Tournament @ Camp Wayne – CAW Placed 2nd

GC/CIT Girls Soccer – CAW 4 @ Westmont 5

Inter Boys Basketball – CAW 23 @ Morasha 49

Senior/Super Boys Softball CAW 5 vs. Lavi

GC/CIT Boys Softball – CAW 8 @ Westmont 9

The night belonged to Boys side with the best Boys Lip Sync I have ever seen here at Camp Chen-A-Wanda. We always hear from parents that their boy just wont get up and dance and every year not a single boy opts out as they come together with their division, lip sync, dance and have an amazing time. From the cutest and most adorable Freshman through the hilariously talented CIT’s, these boys put on one heck a show. The entire Shields Hall was mesmerized as they watched, clapped and sang along with the boys on stage. I looked out at the crowd who all had smiles from ear-to-ear as they supported each other. It is the absolute best part of camp watching the support we give each other. We call it Chenny Pride but call it whatever you want, it is how we become family to one another. To see boys let loose, dance in front a packed house with such confidence and joy is awe inspiring. This type of outlet for our boys is just plain beautiful.  We had to choose the winner of Boys Lip Sync 2015 and for lower camp it went the Juniors and for upper camp it was a unanimous decision to give it the amazing CIT boys. What a night we all had. Life is GREAT at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!!

Chenny Out

 

Nothing is better than waking up to Brian Leahy ringing the bugle and announcing that blue skies are here and today will beautiful and warm. You could hear cheers from the bunks as the campers are so excited to get outside and play in the sun. It was a warm sunny day and nothing feels better than putting on that sunscreen and getting on the fields, courts and playing in the lake. There was a pep in everyones step and it was an incredible perfect summer day.

We launched a brand new program today and the campers loved it and jumped in with both feet. We have named this summer, the Summer of Kindness and have challenged our kids to  do 2 kind things a day for someone else. Doing kind things for others will make each one of us feel great and it spreads good will and happy feelings throughout camp. Campers can anonymously submit names into a box with a description of the kind act they wish to recognize and highlight. Head Staff will go through the box daily, collect all the nominations and will choose those campers that deserve to be named Kindness Camper of the week. After we explained the process to all of camp this morning, by days end, that box was stuffed to brim with nominations. There are kind acts that happen at every moment here and we cant wait to have our first official Kindest Camper Awards where we honor those campers with a cool shirt and lots of recognition for being an awesomely kind camper.

Our Wayne County Tournament games resumed today and it was a fun day for our Chenny athletes.

Middy Girls Tennis – CAW 2 vs. Wayne 3

Inters Girls LAX – CAW 2 vs. Bryn Mawr 4

GC/CIT Girls LAX – CAW 17 vs. Westmont 5

Freshman/Junior Boys Baseball – CAW 4 vs. Westmont 3

Middy Boys Hockey – CAW 7 vs. Indian Head 8

Middy Boys Soccer – CAW 7 vs. Weequahic 0

Collegiate Boys Tennis – CAW 4 vs. Weequahic 1

Tonight was a total blast as it was our first Round Robin. Each division had their own activities on camp and they loved every minute of it. The Freshman girls got spend the night in their jammies watching Teen Beach Movie and the Junior girls loved their Cake Wars in the Lodge. Middy girls had crazy fun at Mat Ball which is a new game they loved playing. Freshman. Junior and Middy boys were loving their Ultimate GaGa Tournament in Shields Hall. The Inter & Collegiate girls had their own mini-color war with dodgeball, kickball and gaga. Faces were painted and competition was fierce and fun. Inter & Collegiate Boys were over the moon playing a glad football tournament under the lights. It was Spa night as the Senior girls went zen with mud masks, painting nails and hair styling.  Senior boys arguably had the best night with a Wiffle Ball tournament. Imagine having the best time and multiply that by ten and that is how much fun the Seniors boys had tonight. The entire Super division had a beach bonfire as they chilled out made s’mores while watching the sun set on Fiddle Lake. It was picturesque and a perfect night for a beach bonfire. GC girls were in the Cookhouse enjoying their chocolate making party. There is just nothing bad about dipping strawberries into chocolate they have made fresh. The GC and CIT boys went head to head in their own 3 on 3 basketball Tournament and the CIT girls spent their night in the Chen-A-Plex watching a movie. The night was perfect for every division and there wasn’t a camper who didn’t have the greatest night. It’s so easy to see why Life is Really Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

Chenny out.

There is something quite special spending the 4^th of July at camp. It is a full day of celebrations. Everyone is dressed in Red, White & Blue, faces painted, tutus on and camp is decorated proudly displaying our American pride. Everyone felt the spirit of today. You couldn’t help but part of it, we all were. Seeing our youngest Freshman to our oldest CIT’s all dressed up and proudly showing their American pride is just plain awesome.

The spirit and energy today was following us all throughout the day as we had a giant dance party in The Lodge at lunch. Everyone was up on his or her seats singing and dancing. Nobody wanted it to stop. If you have ever been in a room singing at the top of your lungs and just letting loose by dancing as if no one in the world is watching you, you can understand how we didn’t want lunch to end today.

It was a great day here at Chenny but we all knew that the night was the best part and it did not disappoint. The weather today was rainy but the clouds moved out just in time for our firework show. There was this vibe here at camp that was happy and contagious no matter the weather. No games were able to be played as the weather didn’t cooperate but the fun was still had today.

As dusk turned into night, we all headed up to the outdoor amphitheater and had our first Camper of Week awards. Everyone was head to toe in red, white and blue glow sticks and then it was getting down to business of handing out awards to those campers. A huge congratulations to these standout campers:

Freshman – Meredith Kalina & Aidan Schissler

Juniors – Logan Morris & Ethan Schwartzberg

Middies – Emily Weprin & Jacob Adler

Inters – Morgan Klein & Scott Pinsk

Collegiates – Carly Arends & Dylan Bortnick

Seniors – Sydney Jacobson & Brayden Schwartz

Supers – Brooke Turell & Jacob Werner

GC’s – Maci Rubenstein & Reed Dooskin

CIT – Ashley Haber & Matt Krieger

After awards were given out, the countdown began and the first firework shot up in the air and was spectacular. I truly don’t know what is more impressive to watch; the sky light up with a rainbow of colorful fireworks or the look of amazement on your children’s faces as they watch with such anticipation for each firework to unveil above them.  They were just in amazement of what they were seeing and watching them enjoy it so, was a gift they gave to us. No matter if you are 7 or 77, the 4^th of July fireworks amaze us but spending this day with your camp family makes today a summer standout. Hope you all had a great 4^th because we sure did.

Chenny out