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It was late wake-up today and we all loved the extra sleep, especially after Olympics. It was so nice to hear the bugle at 8:30am and the kids loved it too. We all rolled out of bed and headed to the Lodge still half asleep but what I saw made my day. There was a group of  boys walking to breakfast and they were all arm in arm heading into the lodge. They couldn’t couldn’t be physically closer and there was no conversation just a group of kids arm in arm walking to get breakfast. They were in step and clearly felt a closeness to literally walk to breakfast as a interlocked group. The fact that this was boys made it even sweeter. Human connection and closeness is why friendships here are as solid as they are. What happens here at Camp just feeds the soul. It has to be seen to be believed but trust us when say this is why Life is Great at Chen-A-Wanda.

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” – Vince Lombardi

Middie/Inter Girls LAX – CAW 2 vs. Westmont 8

Super Girls Soccer – CAW 9 @ Lavi 0

GC/CIT Girls Softball – CAW 4 vs. Morasha 11

Senior/Super/GC/CIT Tennis Tournament @ Indian Head – Olivia Leviss & Laine Bishop advanced to second round in doubles.

Freshman/Junior Boys Soccer – CAW 6 @ Westmont 5 (CAW wins in overtime)

Inter Boys Tennis – CAW 0 vs. Westmont 5

Senior/Super Boys Basketball Tourney @ Towanda – CAW WINS TOURNEY!

GC/CIT Boys Basketball Tourney @ Tyler Hill – CAW  played 2 games and lost

It was time for Campers of the Week and we couldn’t be prouder of our outstanding kids! What a Great Week

Freshman – Zoe Heymen & Alex Michaels

Junior –  Sofia Giarratana  & Cade McClure

Middies – Mandy Adler  & Noah Carrasquillo

Inters – Sarah Fernbach  & Cole Weiss

Collegiates – Jess Jaffe & Derek Satz

Seniors –   Jordana Brief & Justin Miller

Supers – Maya Hoffman & Scott Pinsk

GC’s  – Hannah Nissenbaum  & AJ Grisack

CIT’s – Maddy Grabow & Matt Gershman

Tonight was so much fun. One of those nights that every kid loved. It was divisional night and every group loved their activity. Freshman – Collegiates were in Shields playing Let’s Make a Deal – a show that the majority have never heard of but they had so much fun. It was just like game we all know and love. Who got closest to the price of an item, picking door number 1,2 or 3 and of course the Zonks! They had an absolute blast tonight. The Supers spent their night playing backyard games with a firepit and of course S’Mores. The Seniors had Cake Wars, the GC’s had card night and the CIT’s enjoyed hibachi at the Chenny Shack. It was night so perfect that when you walked around camp, all you saw was happy smiling kids. No TV or devices in sight. Just another incredible Chenny night.

Chenny out.

After two and a half intense days of Olympic games, Red Switzerland brought home the victory. The morning was full of games and the Olympic spirit was strong. Everyone gave it all they had. No matter if it was a game of steal the bacon, kickball or basketball the intensity and desire to win was there. Each team fought a great battle to the very end.

After a full day of games and track meets, the scores were too close to call and in true Olympic spirit, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO SING. We loaded into Shields Hall tonight and each team presented their plaque and banner.  The artwork was spectacular and will forever be a part of Chen-A-Wanda Olympic history, as we proudly will display them for years to come. Each team presented a Cheer, an Alma Mater and a March for the judges.  The lyrics they wrote and sang, the meaning and the heart in which they were performed made everyone in the Shields Hall feel as if they were part of something special. All singing in unison, these words will never be forgotten and will leave an indelible mark on all of us. To be present for such a display of sportsmanship, honor and camp pride is quite humbling. It was the following phrase, written and sung by Red Switzerland in their Alma Mater that so perfectly relayed the feelings we all felt today:

Two weeks gone in the blink of an eye.. Only five left to be with you..Without you what will we do? We cannot stop the hands of time and soon we will want to press rewind. SO hold my hand and please don’t let go.. Ooh Chenny my summer home. This special place we call our own. Memories we will keep .. without you we don’t know who we would be. 

What made this summers’ Olympic games so special was to see the elation of each team member on Red Switzerland as they worked so hard over the past few days and reached their goals.  There were tears of joy for winning and there was heartache of defeat for the teams that didn’t win but in the end these three separate teams came back together as one camp family and showed respect for the games and honor for one another. We played fair, we played hard, we played with integrity and most importantly we had so much fun. With our Olympic games, there will always be a victorious team, but everyone in Shields Hall won tonight.  After the winning team was announced, the energy inside the Hall was unreal. The spirit and elation could have literally moved a mountain. Your children experienced something insanely magical tonight which will be hard to explain to you at home but will forever be a part of who they are here at Chenny.

It will be hard to come down from our incredible night we all just experienced but tonight your children will sleep well. It’s late wake-up tomorrow and the kids couldn’t be happier. Olympics 2018 is in the books and boy was it a great one. Life is so Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

Chenny out.

Victory is defined by the effort of every single member of the team. When you do your very best, it develops a confidence that shines from the inside out. Our kids were champions today, not for the ultimate win or loss but how hard they played and how much they supported their team. Every field and every court was packed with kids playing their heart out and if they weren’t playing, they were cheering on their team. It was a sight to see. The spirit, the sportsmanship and the effort was on hight today.  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.”

Tonight was 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 leap frogged from the Lake to Arts & Crafts, had to completely cover a piece of oak tag with paint, sew a button on a shirt or ride a bike to the finish line, the team depended on you. Tonight, Blue Haiti finished Apache by hitting that pole first only to be followed by Gold Portugal 3 minutes later and Red Switzerland bringing in 3rd place.  The intensity around the flag pole at the end of Apache in indescribable. There was a sea of Red, Gold and Blue cheering on their team and the pride is tangible. The dedication, the camaraderie, the spirit and the teamwork are in full force and we could not possibly be more proud of our kids. They displayed the best parts of humanity during todays games and Apache Relay. Inspiring is the word that comes to mind.

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 2018. It all comes down to SING!!!

Chenny Out

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today.  The sun was out and there was a chill in the air. After the heat wave, it couldn’t have been a more ideal day here.  It was kind of a cozy sweatshirt day with the bluest sky you have ever seen.  The buzz around camp was all about Olympics and when it would break. There were assumptions it was today but everyone knows there are just no guarantees of when it would break. The anticipation was driving everyone nuts as a rumor spread throughout camp that this year, we were changing things up and not having Olympics. It spread like wildfire that Summer 2018 would be Olympic-less. Every bugle or announcement was examined with caution.. Was it true or was it false.. The wait was real.

“Do Not Let What You Cannot Do Interfere with What You Can Do” – John Wooden

Inter Girls Soccer – CAW 2 vs. Starlight 3

Super Girls Softball – CAW 16 vs. Wayne 1

Collegiate Boys Baseball – CAW 7 vs. Westmont 9

Collegiate/Senior/Super Boys LAX – CAW 5 vs. Starlight 9

GC/CIT Boys Soccer – CAW 1 vs. Westmont 4

Just when kids were begging to know if the rumor mill were true, it happened. The Olympic Fanfare music starting to play and with that first note, there were chants and cheers, OLYMPICS 2018 IS HERE!! The campers ran to Shields Hall and it was happening.  Our Head Counselors entered the Hall and brought the torch inside which signifies the games are starting.  Our camp is now split in three equal teams, RED Switzerland, BLUE Haiti and GOLD Portugal.

Just when we thought that camp could not possibly get any better, Olympics takes us to a whole new level. Tonight was a great night as we started our battle with Tugs of War. You could see the intensity on every campers face as they pulled that rope. The spirit is off the charts at Chenny. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Chenny out

Part of the Chenny experience is heading out of camp for trips. Everyone puts on their Gold Camp T-shirt and there was an excitement in the air this morning. Though we all love our summer home, looking forward to Trip Day is just awesome.

Our Cherokee and Mohican campers (Freshman – Collegiate) headed to the ballpark for Yankees AAA Rail Riders Baseball Game. There is nothing that says summer more than watching a game, eating a popcorn and hanging with your friends. It is just a fun thing to do with your campies. From the first pitch to the 7th inning stretch and singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” it all makes memories our kids will never forget. The laughs, the cheers for great plays and just sitting in the stands watching a baseball game. Even if baseball isn’t your thing, days like today are. The kids got back to camp around dinner time and it was straight to shower hour then to the Lodge for a Pizza Party. Their night ended with a movie night and the kids loved relaxing to a fun summer movie. It was just an incredible day for our Cherokee and Mohican campers.

Navajo Camp (Seniors-GC’s) spent began their day at Camel Beach for some fun in the water park. It was great way to beat the heat while having the time of their lives.  They swooshed down the toilet bowl, got lazy down the lazy river, slipped down the slip and slide and got bounced off the giant bungee blob. Then it was time to dry off and head out to the Crossings for some fun shopping and eating and that is exactly what they all did. It was a packed day of fun for our Navajo campers.

Our CIT’s enjoyed a packed day as they enjoyed breakfast at Binghams. If you have never been there, it needs to be on your bucket list as the world Best Breakfast!!! Then it was off to Syracuse for a camp tour and a pit stop at their student store. These kids are getting closer to college so any chance to check out a campus, is super fun for this group. After being blown away by touring campus, it was off to the Syracuse Mall for some serious shopping. They had the absolute best day. When they rolled back into camp around 11:45pm, they were exhausted. It was a jammed pack day of excitement and fun for this amazing group of kids.

All the campers are safe and sound back in their bunks, all exhausted from an amazing day out. What a successful  trip day, full of memories that will last their lifetime. Your children were absolutely fantastic and every place our Chenny kids were today, we received praise on how well behaved and respectful our campers are.  Gotta love that. We sure do.

Chenny Out