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The fun just continues here with our divisional day trips today. Everyone enjoyed their day out of camp.

Our adorable freshman campers had just about the cutest day ever as they went to Claws and Paws Zoo. They saw cool animal exhibits and went on an animal scavenger hunt. They got back to camp and couldn’t tell us fast enough about how great their day was showing us their cool shark tooth necklaces they got and the minerals and rocks they collected too. It was back to camp for a pizza party and into the Chen-A-Plex to watch The little Rascals (which they LOVED).

Juniors & Middies had a ball at Leahy’s fun park playing in their giant arcade and mini golf course. After an afternoon winning prizes and having a great time, it was off to the movies to see this summers blockbuster. Our kids munched on popcorn and goodies and watched some fun summer movies. When they got back to camp after their fun day, it was a pizza party of them too. The night was beautiful and it was outside playtime for these campers as the Junior and Middie boys battled it at the Wiffle Ball Field. Middie girls had their own fun in a giant dodgeball game while the Juniors spent t heir night playing kickball.

Mohican Camp (Inters & Collegiates)  spent 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. They had an absolute awesome day.

Seniors and Supers had an absolute blast at Aquatopia, a giant indoor water park that took them to new heights. They park was empty and the kids went on ride after ride after ride and had an absolute incredible day.  It was a full day in the water and our campers spent their day loving it. Just another great day for our Navajo kids.

The GC’s had the most amazing day at Santa Monica Beach. They shopped, they ate, they played in the Pacific Ocean and they are having a trip of a lifetime. Then it was back to the hotel and out to City Walk for a movie. They are living the dream. It’s good to be a GC.

CIT’s spent their day at Syracuse University. They shopped, toured the school and had a perfect off day. They came back to camp ready for another incredible day of CIT’ing.

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 a 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

When we talk about teachable moments, they happen every single day here and today a few of our boys learned a life lesson that will forever impact them. We had a team out playing baseball at a nearby camp today and as Chenny was easily winning and the boys were feeling pretty confident, a few comments were made to the other team during the game that made one of the opponents feel pretty bad about himself. The comments were made in jest and never truly intended to hurt anyone but none the less offended a player on the other team. As group mentality would have it, making a negative comment or two was intended to get a laugh and the boys who made it had no real idea the effect it had on that player of the opposite team. We were made aware that these comments made this boy feel so bad it brought him to tears. Now these comments that were made regardless how benign the intentions were, made another human being not feel so great about themselves and their abilities on the field. We told our kids how disappointed we were and how their words effected another human being in a negative way. They truly had no idea how much a comment said even under their breath would effect someone else so deeply. These boys felt instant remorse and realized instantaneously that they have to make this wrong a right. They asked to go back to the camp and apologize in person to this boy they had unintentionally offended. The way in which they made this wrong a right was what made this moment so powerful. As they sat in front of this boy they did not know, they asked for forgiveness and apologized for their behavior. They only wanted to make their friends laugh without truly having regard for another’s feelings. One of our kids said, “This will forever change how I try to impress my buddies at the expense of another.” They showed empathy and compassion and the boy from the other camp, graciously accepted their genuine apologies and said to them, “If this game allowed you guys to see that words can hurt, maybe it happened for a reason.” Our kids won the game today but that took second place to the teachable moment it presented. Our kids walked away with a lesson in empathy and understanding that will forever stay inside of them and be part of who they are. It was real and it was raw and the lasting effects of facing a mistake, dealing with it head on was a lesson they will never forget.

Todays Games:

Inter Girls Softball – CAW 14 @ Westmont 7

Super Girls Basketball – CAW 20 @ French Woods Sports 22

Middy Boys Soccer – CAW 5 vs. Lavi 4

Senior Boys Baseball – CAW 15 @ Tioga 5

Super Boys Basketball – CAW 33 @ French Woods Sports 28

Simon Says we had a great evening activity tonight. It was optional evening activity for Navajo and they all wanted to relax in the Chen-A-Plex and watch a movie. But for Cherokee and Mohican, it was an incredible night of Simon Says. They were trying so hard ti beat the best, Steve Max as he dazzled our campers with the hardest game of Simon Says anyone has ever played. It was boys vs. girls and it was fun. Not a camper could resist trying to win this game but had a ball in the process.

The GC’s are wandering on the West Coast and loving  it. Their first stop was touring UCLA followed by dinner at City Walk in Universal City. Lots of fun so far and it’s only day 1. Life is Great if you’re a Chenny kid!!!!

Chenny out.

 

 

 

What an absolutely incredible day we had with all our families here at camp yesterday. It was spectacular day and we love showing off our summer home but today it was back to camp and everyone was ready to play. I rarely get the opportunity to sit and watch the kids play but I took some time today at the waterfront and it was mesmerizing. Fiddle Lake was glistening and all I saw were happy kids playing in it. I walked down to the dock where two boys were contemplating jumping in. One was a bit more tentative than the other and without missing a beat, he reached out to his buddy, held his hand and said,'”Let’s jump in together” and that is exactly how one camper encouraged his friend to jump in the lake. They did it together and then swam off in that glistening inviting lake. I was so happy I was present for that moment. The tentative camper took his hand, literally and jumped in literally. If you could have seen the happiness on his face, it was priceless, truly priceless. Then I just sat and watched all the kids in the lake. I turned off my walkie, sat back and watched what was right in front of me. A lake full of happy kids without a care in the world. Being up here in this little secluded space allows us to breathe, to play, to not worry, to live in the moment, to let go, to be brave, to cope and to appreciate the simple things like jumping in a lake with a friend. For 7 weeks, there is no Breaking News Story that our children see on the news of some horrible shooting we try and shelter them from and have difficulties trying to explain why they happen in the first place. I truly believe that is why they are so free here. So I sat and watched your children play so fearlessly and full of life. It is a joy I cant quite explain and a privilege I treasure.

Our GC’s are going out of their mind with excitement as they are within hours of leaving on their West Coast trip. The buses pull out of camp at 2am heading to JFK for a trip of a lifetime. We sat with the GC’s today going over the itinerary and all the amazing things they are going to experience for the next 11 days. An absolute trip of a lifetime. My exact words to them were, “Enjoy every minute, treasure every experience, keep your eyes wide open and appreciate that you will never ever again travel with 50 of your friends the way you will for next 11 days.” Every single camper in that meeting had a smile on their face and excitement in their eyes. This is the ultimate best of both worlds. They are a true camp family and they have grown closer and more inseparable over the years but this trip bonds them together forever in a away that no teen tour can ever do. It is they own teen tour as a group of 50 incredible positive, happy Chenny Kids!!!!! Off they go to have the trip of a lifetime…

I must apologize but i don’t have any scores form todays games. I will post them in the morning.

Tonight brought a whole new level of greatness as our Head Staff battled on the stage with a camp favorite, Lip Sync. It was incredible. The lip syncing, the choreography, the entertainment, the costumes and the sheer brilliance of how much fun they all had. Each competitor involved the campers of the division they were representing. It;s a must watch when the video comes out. The kids LOVED tonight’s evening activity and 9 acts went down to 5. The Lip Sync Finals are going to be one amazing show. Chenny Head Staff  brought it tonight.

Chenny out.

What we all experienced today was magical.  The weather was unbelievably ideal, the day was perfect and the Chenny love was felt al over camp today. It was our plan to show you what an amazing time we have been having here so far and from the looks of it, you got it. You experienced a glimpse of what happens here at Camp Chen-A-Wanda and how your children have made this place their summer home.

Watching you embrace your children and holding them so tight was beautiful. You just can’t prepare for the emotions that happen on visiting day. Today belonged to you and your family and we hope you had an amazing day. We sure did. Hopefully you saw your kids happy, safe and loving their summer home.

After you all left today, it was back to camp life and believe it it or not the kids had room for dinner even after all the goodies you left them with. Their evening tonight was group activity night and each group had a blast. There was Quest in Shields Hall for all of Mohican, Supers enjoyed a movie in the Chen-A-Plex, Cherokee campers had trivia night in the Lodge and Seniors & GC’s spent their night chilling in their bunks relaxing after a great day. CIT’s were hanging out together in The Hangout playing cards and having a great time being together.

What makes today so special other than the obvious of spending time with family, is the bonding that happens after you leave. So many emotions and tons of tears but when your camp friends and counselors wrap their arms around you and pick you and tell you everything will be alright, those bonds are why these friendships are so strong. It’s at these moments of vulnerability that bring us together and why our camp friends become our family. There is nothing fun about watching your family leave on visiting day but when you are literally surrounded and embraced by your camp family, there is nothing you cant get through. All the tears dried up and were replaced with laughter, all the sadness went away and instead it was a feeling of being supported and our campers coped with all these feelings tonight with friends by their side. Not one camper is stuck. Not a single one. They get through it here, they face it here, they overcome it here. I always tell our campers to be the river, not the rock. Tonight all of your children, chose to be the river.

We have had three amazing weeks and cannot wait for the next four. It just gets better and better. We are living the dream up here and are so glad you had a day to experience what our summer home feels like every single day. Thank you all for a day we will never forget.

Chenny Out

We all know what is happening tomorrow and we just can’t contain the excitement. We spent the day getting our summer home ready for you and it looks beautiful.  In just a few short hours, our families will be lining up down camp road and visiting day 2016 will officially begin.

Our athletes were focused and fierce today as they played hard on the courts and fields.

Inter Girls Soccer – CAW 7 @ Wayne 2

Collegiate Girls  Softball – CAW 11 vs. Starlight 2

Senior Girls Tennis – CAW 6 @ Poyntelle 1

Super Girls Tennis – CAW 4 @ Poyntelle 1

GC/CIT Girls Basketball – CAW 33 vs. Westmont 44

Collegiate Boys Soccer – CAW 0 vs. Starlight 7

Senior/Super Boys Hockey – CAW 7 @ Wayne 11

Another fantastic week has passed by and another huge congratulations to the following Campers of the Week!!!!

Freshmen –                         Ellie Berlin                 Chase Goldman

Junior –                               Emma Plotkin            Landon Miller

Middies –                            Julia Fitzsimmons      Brett Hafkin

Inters –                               Cori Holzman               Ethan Schwartz

Collegiates –                      Maya Hoffman              Jordan Yagaloff

Seniors –                             Charlie Feldman           Ben Brett

Supers –                             Gabby Katz                     Ben Einzig

GC’s –                                 Rachel Stulberger         Jacob Hersley

CIT’s                                   Daisy Zand                    Alex Croen

We have some extremely KIND campers and the overloaded submission box was packed to the rim this week. The nominations were beyond kind and heartfelt. Our campers saw the special things their fellow campers did for one another and there is nothing sweeter than them taking notice and nominating their friends.

This weeks Kind Campers are:

Shelby Myers, Molly Isen, Sara Agsteribe, Maddy Grabow, Jamie Scheman, Sophia Jaffe, Shaya Roth, Ally Yagaloff, Sydney Rosenberg, Maya Hoffman, Julia Peskin, Daisy Chaskin, Jordan Stone, Jordan Goldklang, Jed Katz, Jack Komson, Jack Santoro, Jack Bazarnick, Ethan Simpson, Eli Kellner, David Stulberger, Max Leff, Matt Glickman, Matthew Doncheck.

Tonight was off the charts fun with our annual Chenny Jam Basketball Game. Girls were head to toe in pink and boys wore all black. It was Girls vs. Boys in this extremely high energy crazy fun game of basketball. When the video comes out, you gotta watch how much fun we all had. The game was insane and the free give-aways all throughout the night was so much fun for our campers. The players put on quite a show tonight. Boys side brought home the win tonight but everyone left with a smile on their face as if they had floor seats at the Garden. What a great night we had.

Only a few more hours until you get to hug your children and hold them tight. We can’t wait to see you in the morning. We wish you nothing but an incredibly joyful day with your family tomorrow. Happy Visiting Day.

Life is Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda

Chenny out.