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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.

There is something prideful about each girl camper having a “camp wrist”.  That is where you have layers and layers  of friendship bracelets adorning your wrist. It is a badge of honor and right passage to wear that camp wrist as long you can. Even when the kids back from camp, they just cant part from their camp wrist. Each bracelet has their own meaning on who made it and it defines so many relationships here. Camp wrists aren’t limited to younger campers or older ones, as this is a girl side thing.  There was a large group of  Super girls in jewelry making today that spent their time making friendship bracelets for one another. They each picked another camper to make this symbol of friendship for. It was so sweet to see these girls sit around a table intently making something beautiful for a friend. They all sat around the table weaving threads of beautiful colored string, not for themselves but for their friends. The best part was listening to all of their conversation that was had during this group experience. They chatted and laughed and connected with one another as they spent their time creating something beautiful that had so much meaning. As they finished each bracelet and put it on the wrist of their friend, it bonded them together as they experienced the act of giving something from their heart. With each new bracelet that went on each camp wrist, it told a story of friendship and love. What a great day of camp love, tradition and friendship.

A 1st Place Win and off to a few more Championship Games!!!! Chenny athletes Rock.

Gymnastics Competition @ Starlight – Chenny wins 1st Place Team Overall / Cami Platt 2nd in Vault 3rd in Beam and 3rd Overall/ Riley Jacobson 3rd in Floor 3rd on Bars  and 3rd Overall/ Jordana Yacht 2nd Vault 2nd in Floor/Zoe Gorsky 2nd in Vault / Ava DeRose 3rd on Floor.

Inter Girls Soccer – CAW 8 @ Tioga 0 – Chenny Going To Championship Game!

Collegiate Girls Basketball – CAW 34 vs. Lavi 16

Senior Super Boys Hockey – CAW 6 vs. Starlight 4 – Chenny going to Championship Game vs. Westmont

Tonight was our Hypnotist show and the kids loved it. The counselors were up on stage dancing like Britany Spears when a they heard a whistle or howled like a lonely dog when their right shoulder was touched or even liked the bottom of their shoe when told it was an ice cream cone . It was hilarious to see our counselors loose control and do things they may never do without being under hypnotic suggestion. The kids loved it, the staff couldn’t believe they did the things their campers told them did and the night was a epic. Another outstanding day and evening at our favorite place in the world. Best news is that we get to do this all again tomorrow.

Chenny out.

It was a hot one today and Fiddle Lake was full of campers keeping cool. The pool was packed and the slip and slide was getting a ton of use today. There is nothing quite like taking a dip when the weather is hot and today our campers kept cool. It was that kind of day you just didn’t mind if your friend poured their water over your head… you actually asked them to do it.  As I was watching the kids at the lake, I noticed a group of boys huddled around a an area off to the side. They were in full discussion and it intrigued me so I wandered over and took a listen. They found a frog and all these junior boys were creating an entire story about this frog, their new friend they call Green Bean. Each one of them added to who Green Bean was and why he was at camp with them. They were cracking up and so was I. Each played a part in this incredible story about Green Bean and each one of them asked me if he could stay in their bunk tonight. They were trying to convince me that they would take such great care of him and what a great addition Green Bean would be as part of their bunk pet. After explaining that having a frog live with them may not be the best idea, they let that go but what came next was amazing. One camper literally knelt down and told Green Bean that he shouldn’t be scared, even though he was alone because he was at Camp Chen-A-Wanda and this is where you are never alone. He said , “You can make and find frog friends like we all did.” It was such a sweet moment that I shared with this darling group of junior boys. They stayed with Green Bean until the activity period ended and I know that tomorrow, those boys will head directly back to the lake to see if Green Bean is still there. What cold possibly be better than searching for a frog with your friends.. Just doesn’t get better than that.

Here is our scores from todays games:

Inter Girls Softball – CAW 10 vs. Westmont 9 – CHENNY HEADING TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!

Collegiate Girls Soccer – CAW 7 vs. Tioga 0 – CHENNY HEADING TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!

Middy Boys Soccer – CAW 1 vs. Westmont 2 (went into overtime)

Inter Boys Hockey – Lokanda Tournament / CAW went 0 for 3

Collegiate Boys Basketball – CAW 26 vs. Weequahic 43

Collegiate Boys LAX – CAW 8 @ Wayne 12

Senior Boys Baseball – CAW 15 vs. Tioga 0

Navajo  (Seniors, Supers and CIT’s) spent their evening at the Scranton Yankees baseball game. It was food, friends and ball. A perfect way to spend a summer night. Hot Dogs and ice cream were in a plenty and our kids chilled out at the ball park. Collegites had their own special night with a bonfire and s’mores on the beach. It was a beautiful night with a perfect Fiddle Lake sunset and our Collegiate kids had a ball being the big kids at camp tonight. Our youngest campers took the stage tonight with our second Chenny Got Talent Talent Show. There is just so much talent and your kids shined pretty bright tonight. Watching them get up on that stage with a fear in the world to only perform in front a Hall full of their friends encouraging them all the way through, makes you feel pretty darn good on the inside. There was dancing, and singing and card tricks and tumbling and after each performance, the audience screamed, YOU ARE A SUPERSTAR!!!! That room was so full of love and kindness tonight, it was contagious. No mis-steps or an off key note would damper their spirit tonight. They had an absolute ball tonight getting up on that stage just like they were home in their living room, performing for you at home. This is their living room, and they are performing like their home because they are!!!

Chenny out.

So today is exactly the halfway mark to our incredible summer here at Chenny. We have traveled exactly halfway though this journey and the best is yet to come. The first half was incredible but we are just getting started. Our engines are full throttle now and we are full speed ahead. I have received so many emails from you since Visiting Day and I literally wish you could read what we read.. You all say the same thing, that you can’t believe how happy your kids are here and for the new campers, you all have relayed your astonishment how quickly your camper took to this place and how at home they feel here. With every email, I sit here at my desk with chills because you all see, feel and say the same thing..That you know your children have made a home here and they feel safe here. With each email we read, our heart gets bigger because you see what we see every single day. Even when the lessons they learn are hard ones, the ones that make our heart ache because we want everything to be easy for them. Each one of us are as happy as our unhappiest child but the growth from learning tough lessons and getting through hard moments is exactly how they develop their character. Roots and wings. They all know where they come from and by sending them here, you have given them their wings. I know that sometimes getting that sad letter is a killer or hearing them cry on the call is a pain in your heart that you want to take away but you can’t. Trust us when we say they get through it. They really do. It may take a moment or two but they figure out how to navigate their feelings and get to a better place.  They always do. Our children are constantly evolving and are much stronger than we may give them credit for. So if you get that letter with a tear mark she drew or that call that breaks your heart, believe they are strong, capable, and can get through those sad moments. They always do.

Fields were rocking today:

Freshman/Junior Girls Soccer – CAW 3 vs. Westmont 4

Middy Girls Soccer – CAW 0 @ Starlight 2

Senior/ Super Girls Soccer – CAW 7 vs. Island Lake 8

Inter Boys Baseball – CAW 16 @ Nesher 7

Epic night tonight with our very first but will be annual Miss Chen-A-Wanda, evening activity. It was hilarious and the kids LOVED it.. Each division had a male staff member chosen to represent their division in this true pageant like no other pageant we have ever seen. There were tiaras and evening wear. There was talent and of course the question/interview portion of the show and it was over the top hilarity. Our bellies hurt we laughed so hard. Maybe because our favorite male counselors were dressed up with full makeup and lashes, painted nails and gorgeous gowns. They were incredible and this new evening activity will forever be a part of our Chen-A-Wanda experience. Ask your kids about it and they will confirm that we have some really pretty guys here who look fab is pink chiffon!

Life is so Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda

Chenny out.

 

There is something quite special about heading out of camp on trips with your campies. Everyone is wearing their camp shirts and we all load the buses to some amazing fun places. It unifies us as a group as we exit our gates for some fantastic adventures. Each group had a ball today as they enjoyed themselves beyond imagination.

Our Cherokee campers had a great day at the State park as they played in the lake, tossed the ball around, relaxed on their towels, listened to music and spent a perfect afternoon soaking in the sun. Then it was back to camp for a giant pizza party and movie night for the Freshman and Juniors. They got cozy in their jammies and relaxed with a summer night Flick. Middies played the Quest in Shields Hall and it was so hilarious.

Inters and Collegiates spent their trip day at Dorney Park. It was a full day of coasters and rides that the kids got to ride over and over again as the park was almost empty so our kids loved their day at the park. Our campers just had the absolute best day at Dorney. As the kids rolled back into camp and off the buses, they were exhausted but so beyond happy as they walked by and said, “this was the best trip ever.” Just an awesome day for our Mohican campers.

Navajo campers got wet wild and wacky at Camel beach. The temperature was hot and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day to spend at a water park. After they got swooshed around the giant toilet bowl and played in the wave pool, it was off to the outlets for some retail therapy and our campers shopped till they dropped. An incredible afternoon for our Navajo campers today.

The GC’s are still wandering and spent their day at Sony Studios touring Hollywood highlights and loved it. They spent the day in Seinfeld’s apartment then to the set of Wheel of Fortune followed by checking out The RV in Breaking Bad. After their tour it was off to Magic Mountain for a great day at the park of crazy roller coasters and insane fun. They are having an absolute blast in Cali.

The boy CIT’s had an incredible day playing paintball and told us to was their best trip yet. It was just an awesome course and they played all afternoon. Couldn’t have been a better day for our CIT guys. The girls went to Dickson City and spent their day  lunching and shopping. They were relaxed and stress free on their day off.

All our kids are back home at camp safe and sound. It’s just about 1:00am and at this time of  night, camp is quiet, peaceful, awkwardly silent and still. It’s a far cry from when everyone is up and running around camp full of life, full of love, full of spirit and energy. So at least for the next handful of hours, your children are soundly sleeping, exhausted from their adventures day. You know that feeling when it’s so much fun to go on a trip but there is nothing quite like coming home!!!  Life is Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

Chenny out

Without a doubt, today was amazing. It was a regular day of activities for our campers and they enjoyed every minute of it. As the day went on, the temperature got hotter and everyone wanted to cool down. Our Lake, Pool and the Zone were full of campers beating the heat. It was picturesque watching it all happen.

 

It was fun day for our athletes playing the games they love. Our kids are fierce and having an absolute ball on the fields and courts.

Girls Swim Meet @ Starlight – Chenny Did AMAZING!!!

Inter Girls Tennis – CAW 5 @ Poyntelle 0

Senior Girls Soccer  – CAW 7 @ Poyntelle 1

Freshman/Junior Boys LAX – CAW 0 @ Westmont 5

Middy Boys Hockey – CAW 4 vs. Lavi 11

Inter Boys Basketball – CAW 24 vs. Lavi 45

Collegiate Boys Baseball – CAW 11 vs. Westmont 0

Inter/Collegiate Boys Tennis Tourney @ Tyler Hill  (Alex Brandoff reached Semi’s)

Senior Boys Baseball – CAW 13 vs. Westmont 0

 

Tonight we had a great night in Shields Hall watching our incredible talented campers perform at this years Talent Show. There were so many kids that signed up we had to split it into 2 nights. So on this first night of our Talent extravaganza, our kids took center stage and rocked the house. There is something amazing that happens here that our campers cant wait to show off their talents. You see when they walk on that stage and look out into the audience who is cheering for them, encouraging them and so eager to watch them perform it gives each performer that moment when they are a star. Imagine if you can, a room full of friends who get behind you and love hearing you sing, watching  you dance and give you a standing ovation after you’re done. That happens here and it happened tonight. No matter who you are, its scary to walk out there, sometimes alone and bear your talent to everyone at camp but when they smother you with adoration and support, it builds you up and makes you smile from the inside out. You can actually see the transformation that takes place here because we got each others back here and that is how confidence is built. It was incredibly special to watch your kids on stage tonight but there is a deep pride and respect for those in the audience who allowed them a room to shine in full of love and support. So what if you sang off key or missed that one dance step, you got up there and did your thing. So proud of every single kid on camp who made tonight pretty magical.

It was the first day of our GC trip out West as they Wandered to California. Their first day was spent touring UCLA and I must say as I am and will always be a faithful Bruin, that campus is so beautiful and the kids had a ball. They toured the grounds, spent hours in the student store and loved every minute of it. The weather was perfect, of course it’s LA and the smiles were huge. Then it was back to the hotel to get settled in, shower and head out to Universal City Walk for dinner. This group is off and running and it is just the beginning. What a great group of kids experiencing an absolute trip of a life time. It’s good to be a GC.

Days like today fill our hearts with pure camp joy. How lucky we all are to have moments like this in our lives. As we remind ourselves that for ten months our kids work hard, study harder and navigate through all of life’s daily stresses. But here at camp, we connect, we engage and just play!

Chenny out

 

It was right back to the fun after one amazing Visiting Day. There is a sense of calmness or maybe the word I’m looking for is better defined as comfort but the feeling here we are all experiencing is just the feeling of being home. After a very emotional and awesome day it was as if every camper didn’t skip a beat. The campers got right back in the swing of it with a full day of activities and play. The mood was electric and our kids are just so happy to be outside playing with their friends. I was touring a new prospective family today and the parents were in awe as the mom in my golf cart said to me, “You have amazing facilities and activities here but I cant get over how happy the kids are.” She had tears in her eyes as we ended the tour, she leaned over to her husband and whispered, “This is what we want for him, a place that makes him this happy.” I was so happy to have heard her words. They spent an hour and a half at our home and they got the feeling of why Chenny is so magical.

I witnessed something pretty special today as a Middy boy tried the trapeze for the first time today, you could see his hesitation and nerves but he mustered up all his strength and headed up that ladder. He reached out and trusted the circus counselor who had a hold of his harness as he reached out to grab the bar. With one deep breath, he stepped off the ledge and flew. Like this experience of camp, he trusted someone else to hold him when he was frightened and then after soaring back and forth on that giant trapeze, he let go and that huge net below provided safety as he dropped. That net is all of us here. We are each a piece of the net that catches each other. It so easy to see how in the past 3 weeks we have all unplugged, connected to each other and have provided that human connection that makes us better people. I was so glad to watch this camper soar.

Our athletes were back on the fields and courts and ready to play.

Middy Girls Tennis – CAW 0 @ Starlight 5

Middy Girls Softball – CAW 2 vs. Starlight 8

Senior Girls Soccer – CAW 4 vs. Towanda 3

Inter Boys Tennis – CAW 0 @ Starlight 5

Collegiate Boys Baseball – CAW 8 vs. Towanda 10

Senior Boys Basketball – CAW 42 @ Starlight 57

Senior/Super Boys Hockey – CAW 9 vs. Equinunk 2

Super Boys Baseball – CAW 8 @ Starlight 1

What a fun night we had as the Chicago Boyz dazzled us with their amazing acrobatic stunts. This troupe was on Americas Got Talent and the kids went wild as they  took center stage. The blew our minds with their talent and had us all oooohhhing and aaahhhhing. The jumped and twisted and flipped and turned and we were amazed at what we were watching. Everyone was into it and it was a great show. Just an awesome way to end this awesome day!!!

Chenny out.

 

There is nothing in this world better than that first hug you get on Visiting Day from your kids after not seeing or holding them for 3 weeks. We all know logically that sending our kids away to camp all summer long will enrich their lives and benefit their growth as human beings but not being able to hold, hug and talk to our children for 3 weeks is hard. That space makes today so intense. You can feel the anticipation and excitement as our all families line up at the gate, bags overloaded, siblings in tow and a smiles so large you can actually feel the intensity of that moment when you are reunited with your kids. That first embrace when you have your babies back in your arms is like no other feeling that can be easily described but is so full of emotion and it makes everything right in the world.  We have the privilege of watching you and your families experience pure bliss right in front of our eyes. All is right in the world when your kids are back in your arms. It takes a leap of faith and a tremendous amount of trust  when you send them off and out in the world and from the bottom of our hearts, we appreciate you trusting us to take care of your precious babies.

We hope you all had an amazing day at this amazing place. We hope you felt the love that your kids feel here everyday. It is a place like no other and today was remarkable. The ideal weather was set for a perfect day here at Chenny. We hope you enjoyed all the fun things your kids do on a daily here but more important than the waterfront and climbing tower, we hope you felt a sense of kindness and love from the staff who take care of your kids when you aren’t with them. We hope you felt what they feel everyday. I always tell the kids that the magic of this place isn’t the stuff but its every single person inside our gates that makes this place a home. So for this day, visiting day we hope your heart was full and you saw how your children have thrived for the past 3 weeks surrounded by beautiful kind and caring people who love them so.

When the last car rolled out, it was back to business and though there were some tears and heavy hearts, we were there to pick them up and stand by their side. Every single one of them got through their moments of sadness and even fought through their doubts they could do this, they did it. These moments allow them to grow with confidence that they can get through it, navigate murky waters and get across that river to the other side. We, as parents can coach them but it’s here where they truly learn these empowering life lessons that they strong, powerful and capable to get through anything.

After dinner, it was all about Chenny Jam. Girls were head-to-toe in pink and boys side were all sporting everything black. This was such an intense game with prizes, dance parties and sing-a-longs. There was no better way to get the kids right back into the camp spirit. It was neck and neck to the very last second but boys side won with a  51-50 victory over girls side. The excitement was off the charts and there was not a camper who didn’t have the time of their life tonight. It was just that much fun.

We had the best day watching you and your families enjoy your day. Thank you for being a part of our family. Our hearts are full today and we hope yours are too.

Chenny out.

You can’t escape the excitement of what is happening tomorrow. Everyone is getting so very excited to see their families and the feeling here is unreal. We are all so excited for what tomorrow will bring. The kids just could not be more excited to see you and the day was spent getting our summer home ready for you. The campers made signs, cleaned their bunks and made everything just perfect for your arrival.

Even with the anticipation of tomorrow, we were able to play some great games.

Girls Middy Basketball – CAW 12 vs. Island Lake 24

Girls Inter Softball – CAW 9 @ Pearlman 3

Girls Collegiate LAX – CAW 7 @ Starlight 9

Middy Boys Soccer – CAW 9 vs. Lohikan 0

Inter Boys Baseball – CAW 8 vs. Starlight 4

Super Boys Soccer – CAW 4 @ Westmont 0

GC/CIT Boys Soccer – CAW 1 vs. Starlight 0 (CAW wins in overtime)

GC/CIT Basketball – CAW 54 @ Nesher 13

We honored our Campers of the Week and we are so thrilled to give these campers their very well deserved Camper of the week Sunglasses. They wear them with pride and they should. They are great campers with tremendous character.

Freshman – Alexis Greenblatt & Jake Mongeluzza

Juniors – Samantha Simson & Charlie Horton

Middies – Jolie Krieger & Ben Gruberger

Inters – Summer Housenbold & Jake Weiss

Collegiates – Jillian Oresky & Tyler Katz

Seniors – Alexa Becker & Jared Simpson

Supers – Lindsay Komson & Derek Wills

GC’s – Ally Heller & Ben Einzig

CIT’s – Shelby Myers & Zach Olson

Tonight was so much fun as we were all in Shields Hall watching a camp favorite show, Minute To Win It. Campers were having a ball trying to get the cookie of their forehead into there mouths without hands. It was hilarious. So many laughs, so many games. As the show ended, that rain came into camp so we waited it out with a giant dance party in the Hall. It was awesome. The energy was electric and the kids are feeling the excitement with what is happening tomorrow. We can’t wait to see you all tomorrow morning.

Chenny out