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When I refer to us as a family, I am truly not exaggerating and need to share what happened today that is the perfect example of why we are all so deeply connected to one another. During lunch today, the kids were loving eating the most delicious meatball subs when I we heard from our travel Director that was with the GC’s on their way back to camp, they would be rolling into camp in 10 minutes. I started sharing that news with some Head Staff to get them in position to greet our GC’s as they rolled back into Chenny after their amazing trip out West. Well, what happened next, took my breath away. Kids were hurrying and rushing to finish their lunch so they too could greet the GC’s. All you heard throughout the Lodge was, “The GC’s are back.. Hurry…we have to meet the bus when they get back to camp.”  There was such an excitement and eagerness for our entire camp family to welcome our GC’s back with open arms, it was just incredible to witness. They were welcomed with cheers and hugs, they were embraced and missed. From the freshman to the CIT’s, they all wanted and actually needed to be there when they came back home. And when those kids came of the bus, it felt like a part of family was right back where they should be. It is always great going away on vacation but there is nothing quite like coming back home. The relationships we create are real and strong and stand the test of time. It was a special moment and I am always so grateful to get to watch the beautiful things your kids for one another all summer long.

And straight from Sports Center:

Inter Girls Basketball – CAW 20 vs. Lohikan 12 – CHENNY GOING TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!

Collegiate Girls Basketball – CAW 32 @ Westmont 30 – CHENNY GOING TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!

Dance Comp @ Tyler Hill – Chenny Places 3rd for Lower Camp Dance

Freshman/Junior Boys Soccer Tourney @ Towanda – Game 1 CAW 0 vs. Towanda 4  Game 2 CAW 1 vs. Island Lake 2

Middy/Inter Boys LAX  – CAW 2 @ Towanda 8

Collegiate Boys Tennis – CAW 1 vs. Starlight 4

Our Supers are still on their trip through Boston and they are loving their experiences on the road. They shopped and ate and experienced Boston in all of its glory. There were Duck Tours and Harvard Yard, shows and more. They are just loving this trip and having the absolute time of their lives.

We surprised our incredible CIT’s today with a mystery trip and as they began their day, we had them running throughout camp following clues and hints to what might be happening… or or what might not be happening. With each passing clue, they got more confused and more excited… The anticipation was building and at 2:30pm, we finally brought them all into the Chen-A-Plex and announced that Yes, TODAY is the day for their mystery trip. We started playing a One Republic song and they went nuts.. They had exactly one hour to get ready for a summer concert at Montage Mountain and they were beyond excited. Screams, and cheers could be heard all throughout camp. They ran to the Hill, got ready and off they went. A night they will not soon forget. They danced and sang and were arm in arm together under the stars listening to music with their best friends by their side. It was a magical night and we were so beyond happy to give this gift to our incredible CIT’s as they are two weeks away from their camper years coming to an end. Their journey has been a remarkable one and tonight was definitely the cherry on top of this amazing summer.

Chenny out.

 

 

When the big kids are away… the little kids will play. As the Collegiates were having a great time at Great Wolf Lodge, Seniors were enjoying their trip to Hershey Park, Supers loved their time in Boston as they toured Fenway park and hung out at Harvard Square and our Wanderers spent their last day in Phoenix before they return to camp tomorrow afternoon. Our Freshmen through Inters had camp all to themselves and had an amazing day here. It was lower camp takeover with our camp favorite Color Mudder and our youngest campers had the absolute greatest day. They all ran the course that included a giant mud pit that they loved. It was squishy and icky and muddy and awesome. They army crawled through the pit and mud was everywhere. They couldn’t get dirtier and it was incredible. After they were head-to-toe in mud it was off to get colored with neon color powder that stick to their muddy messy clothes and everywhere else you can imagine. Then it was off the lake to take a dip and get that mud off as best they could. They campers loved todays events and the messier and dirtier the better. Where is the world can our kids be encouraged to slop mud all over them, jump into the mess, get your clothes dirty without a worry in the world? It happened today at camp and it was AWESOME!

The big event of the day was Wiffle Cup 2017. Boys side was dressed in all black and girls side was everything neon. This game was a nail biter as girls side jumped ahead to an early double digit lead. The girls were hitting dinger after dinger and their defense was great so they held boys side off until the tide turned and boys side caught up. They played 6 innings and it came down to the very last out as Bret Schuster hit a homerun which gave them  a 27 vs. 26 victory. Boys side went crazy and they are the official Wiffle Cup 2017 Champions!!!

Girls Side Payers: Abby Bussel, Elizabeth Kamelhar, Annie Isaacson, Samara Goldman, Brooke Gordon, Lola Housenbold, Sammy Keane, Lexi Nelson, Sloane Pariser, Sammy Leon

Boys Side Players: Max Coffman, Jake Mongeluzo, Logan Hoffman, Max Eber, Austin Bernstein, Ethan Mallah, Alex Berger, Brett Schuster, Jack Bazarnik, Jason Kimmelman

MVP for girls side – Elizabeth Kamelhar who had an incredible defensive presence on the field and it happened to be her birthday so she had one awesome day today.  MVP for Boys Side was Ethan Mallah who hit 2 HR’s and had amazing defense today.

Our Collegiates and Senior campers are back home after their awesome trips to Great Wolf Lodge and Hershey Park. It was a perfect summer day and all are back in their bunks as everyone is looking forward to late wake up tomorrow!!!!  The GC’s enjoyed their last day in Phoenix and are headed home and we can’t wait to hear all about their amazing trip they just took. Our CIT’s spent their day off at the largest indoor Waterpark in America, Kalahari and they had the absolute best time.  It just doesn’t get better than this for our Chenny kids!! It was busy and fun trip day for our oldest campers who love the trips but nothings quite like coming back home… We are just waiting for our GC’s to arrive back in the morning, and for our Supers who are having a great time in Boston to come back on Thursday and then this Chenny family will be complete and whole again.

Chenny out

 

It was a big trip day here at Chenny as our Seniors headed out for their 2 day trip to Hershey Park. They loaded the buses so excited for their first official Chenny overnight at the sweetest place on earth. They have 2 fun days to play in the park and eat their faces off. Chocolate will be coming out of their ears at Hershey Park and these campers were bursting with excitement.

After the Seniors left it was our Supers turn for the journey to Boston. Their first day was spent at Howe Caverns  for an amazing journey into cavernous galleries deep below the earths surface. It was an incredible journey down below and the kids loved it. Then it was off to Boston for an incredible show, Shear Madness. This was HUGE hit especially when one of the actors came out on stage in a Chenny shirt. Our kids went crazy with some serious Chenny pride. After the show, they dined at a really cool Chinese restaurant. It was a absolutely winner of a day for our super Supers!!!!

The GC’s enjoyed their last 2 days at a resort in Phoenix and after the action packed trip they are on, they were loving the downshift of what the resort in Phoenix offers. It was spa day for the girls with mani’s and pedis and the guys loved hanging in the pool and enjoying the waterside. Today was just rest and relaxation for our GC’s. Tomorrow is their last day of this incredible trip they are on and we can’t wait to have them back home. It’s good to be a Chenny kid!

And from our Sports Center:

Lower Camp Gymnastics meet @ Bryn Mawr – CAW takes 5th Place

Freshman/Junior Girls Basketball – CAW 18 vs. Tioga 4

Collegiate Girls Soccer – CAW 1 @ Wayne 2

Collegiate Girls Basketball – CAW 10 @ Tioga 28

CIT Boys Flag Football Tournament at Tyler Hill – Game 1 CAW 6 vs. Equinink  Game 2 CAW 20 vs. Trails End

Our Freshman through Collegiates, all got wet, wacky and wild with Powerhouse Studios for our evening activity. We did crazy silly races, got pied in the face and was slimed by the giant booger blaster.  It was just over the top hilarity. Everyone had a ball with the rubber chicken toss and hobby horse races. What a fun night we had and you could literally hear the cackling of laughter coming from Shields Hall. Chenny is a fun place to live all summer long. We are definitely the lucky ones.

Chenny out.

 

I was watching our Collegiate boys play basketball against Camp Morasha in a Wayne County tournament game this afternoon. We just couldn’t land a shot and their offense was on fire. The other team shot out to an early lead and at half-time we were down by 20 points. You could see the frustration on our kids faces and they were giving it everything they had but their opponents were just that good today. After the 3rd quarter our kids circled around each other and though the score was 46 – 29 them, our coaching staff told them that we never give up, we never stop pushing and we aren’t done with this game.” The coach asked one simple question in that huddle, “Do you believe we can, because I know we can.” Each camper started chanting, “I believe we can” and just like that, the spark was lit. We didn’t miss a shot and our defense was resurrected. Their lead of 17 points was shrinking fast and you felt the tide turn. Our opponents didn’t know what was happening but shot after shot, our confidence grew and our kids were ballin’. With 10 seconds to go, we were down by 2 when Morasha turned over the ball and we took that last shot and it wasn’t just any shot, we sank a 3 pointer that gave us the win. You could hear the screams of joy all throughout camp. The boys went out of their minds and ran out of the gym sharing this news with anyone, with everyone. They won not because our talent was that much superior to theirs, we won because they believed they could. That moment after the 3rd quarter changed their approach when their coach asked them if they believe they could and then they did. Down by 17, they didn’t see it as defeat  but an opportunity. I watched your boys dig down deep and believe in themselves. They will certainly not win every game but todays win was so sweet as they proved to themselves that when you believe, truly believe that you can, you very well just may be able to do great things.

More scores from our awesome athletes playing hard today:

Inter Girls Tennis – CAW 1 vs. Wayne 4

Super Girls Soccer – CAW 1 @ Westmont 11

Collegiate Boys Basketball – CAW 53 vs. Morasha 52

Inter Boys Softball – CAW 4 @ Equinunk 6

Inter/Collegiate Boys Hockey – CAW 6 vs. Lavi 8

Senior/Super Boys Softball – CAW 8 @ Westmont 5

Super Boys Baseball – CAW 7 vs. Westmont 4

 

Tonight was Round Robin and that is where each division had their own activity all around camp. There was Dodgeball in Shield Hall and Trivia in the Lodge. We had spa night and a Road Rally to name a few. It was a perfect night for our Chenny kids. They embrace every day and every night in this very special place they call their summer home.

Chenny out.

 

If you were to bring out a deck of cards and told your kids that is what he/she and their friends will play with for hours on end day after day, would you ever think they would go for it? Not in my house either, but there is something about a deck of cards in this house that can entertain your children all summer long. I was sitting with a group of collegiate boys who were teaching me a card game I never played before. They were so excited to teach me this game and each took pride listing any and all of the rules. They each new this game inside and out and took pride in conveying their strategy on how to get to the end. We all sat under the apple tree, with a deck of 52 cards playing a game that used our minds and gave us over an hour of capturing our attention. So as the time flew by and we all laughed, played, told stories and had a ball I was just so struck by the fact that all we had were those 52 cards. When life is simplified, life is simple. It’s not always about the latest and greatest that make us the most happy. Sometimes its just a deck of 52 cards.

It was time for Camper of the Week awards again tonight and you can only imagine the look of pride when each name is announced. When you think about what it takes for these campers to raise to the top and excel is pretty awe-inspiring. They have been great friends, they have been amazing helpers, they have been a positive force in and out of their bunk and they are so deserving of this honor bestowed upon them by the staff who are so proud of their accomplishments. Way to go to each and every camper who deserve this award.

 

Freshman          Dylan Schissler                   Alex Minkoff

Juniors                Charlie Halpern                Chase Goldman

Middies               Lexi Klein                            Zach Gelfman

Inters                   Amanda Horn                     Robbie Shields

Collegiates          Molly Isen                            Justin Miller

Seniors                Cami Delillo                         Jake Root

Super                   Emily Kushner                    Alex Kapusta

GC ( kids are away on Cali Trip)

CIT                      Sami Miller                           Lucas Krieger

It was an incredible camp favorite night as we all loved watching Head Staff Lip Sync Battle. Each Division was represented by a Head Staff member who rocked the house with their fierce lip syncing abilities. They blew our minds with their choreography and delivery of each awesome song they performed. The crowd was in it and the level of entertainment was high. There were 8 performances and the top 5 are moving on. The competition was fierce and the scores were so close but there had to be a top 5 that are moving on to the next round. The kids were in it all the way and the roof just about blew off Shields Hall as each finalist was announced. Tonight was one of this nights that was just crazy fun and the staff put their best foot forward and gave our kids a night to remember. It is hard to imagine how will they top tonights performances but we have a crazy inclination that they will bring it for the finals.

Chenny out.