There are so many moments here at Camp that blow my mind and remind me how very special this experience is. We built the Chenny Shack right out side my office and I often get to watch the kids as they make pizza or grill sitting at my desk. I have a front seat view to watch some pretty spectacular moments unfold right on front of me. As I was going through my emails, I couldn’t escape the delicious smell of fried rice that was being made right outside my office. I happily closed my computer and just sat and watched a group of Super boys stand around our hibachi cooktop, intently learning the techniques to make the perfect fried rice. I could not hear what they were saying but every single boy had a smile on their face. A few of them had their arms around one another and then with the music bumping in turned into a dance party. There was food, friends, music and these boys were rocking out having an absolute ball. After they cooked their own food, they all sat down together and munched on the best fried rice. The mood was contagious and everyone who passed the Shack was seeing what I was so intently tuned into – a group of 14year old boys cooking, spending time together and just loving it. When I see these moments, I have to stop and watch your children because I am in awe of their free spirit. I sat down at their table with them and enjoyed my own delicious bowl of fried rice, made especially for me by the Super Boys.

What You Do Speaks Louder Than What You Say……by Steph Curry

Middy Girls Softball – CAW 12 @ Wayne 0

Collegiate Girls Soccer – CAW 7 @ Wayne 1

Senior/Super Girls LAX – CAW 15 vs. Wayne 12

GIRLS DOMINATING & Having a Ball !!

Freshman/Junior Boys Basketball – CAW 26 @ Starlight 55

Middy Boys Hockey – CAW 10- @ Starlight 0

Inter Boys Baseball – CAW 1 vs. Wayne 10

Collegiate Boys Flag Football Tourney @ Trails End – CAW lost in Semi’s

Senior/Super Boys LAX – CAW 22 @ Starlight 15

Tonights evening activity was Round Robin where every division had their own event. Freshman girls had a ball making slime in Arts & Crafts. Freshman boys loved their Gaga tourney. Juniors girls watched Camp Rock. Junior boys had a home run derby at Wiffleball Stadium. All of the Middies played Quest in Shields Hall. Inters enjoyed watching Avengers in the Chen-A-Plex. Collegiates had a ball at their foam slip and slide party. Seniors rocked out in the canteen with a blacklight party. Supers had a Co-Ed Competition night that was over the top fun. GC’s went on a Mystery Hunt. CIT girls enjoyed a spa night in the bunk while the CIT boys had an arrow tag dodgeball tournament.

Lights are out, camp is quiet, kids are sleeping and we get to do this all over again tomorrow. Life is Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda.

Chenny out

It has been 10 days since we arrived here at Chenny and it feels like we have always been here. There is a comfort, a familiarity, a sense of home and it’s only been 10 days. Crazy how much happens in a day and times that by 10 and you get a bond between every single one of us here at CAW.  This summer has started out with so much positivity, so much incredible energy, tons of kindness and an overall vibe of complete happiness to be here. You can feel it and it is real is as real is. When you see kids skipping to breakfast, holding hands, feeling totally comfortable sitting on the shoulders of their counselors, laying in laps of their friends at line up, getting form one activity to the next from piggy back rides, you know the feeling is just pure comfort and a feeling of being home. And we all just got here only 10 days ago. It happens quick and it lasts all summer long. Living in nature and literally breathing in the beauty of where we are never gets old.

Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness and bad days give you experience…… by Unknown

Collegiate Girls Tennis – CAW 4 @ Poyntelle 1

Collegiate Boys Softball  – CAW 16 @ Westmont 10

Are you ready for some football? Tonight’s Powder Puff game was epic. It was a fierce battle between our GC’s and CIT’s girls. GC’s were dressed head-to-toe in white and the CIT’s sported all black. They were playing for bragging rights and the stakes were high. Our girls were serious with faces painted and a determination to bring it tonight and of course the guys provided the spirit. They cheered on the girls and the watching crowd. This was our Super Bowl and the kids loved it. There were t-shirts, hats, tons of Chenny swag tossed out throughout the game. After each quarter, there was an impromptu dance party and of course everyone was getting in the groove. The entertainment was not just on the field, it was in the stands and every camper was part of the fun. Nights like these makes you smile from the inside out. You know it was an insane night as the entire camp was dancing down the hill back to their bunks after the game. Our CIT’s pulled out the “W” with a  13-0 victory but we were all the winners with an epic summer night!

Chenny out.

There is nothing quite like spending the 4^th of July here at Camp Chen-A-Wanda. It is the best place to celebrate our day of independence. Everyone got into the red, white and blue spirit. Faces were painted, flags were flying high, red, white and blue tutus were everywhere and the continuous chants of “USA” were at every turn. Pride for our country was at an all time high and everyone got into the spirit. Our international staff was in awe of how spirited camp was today and how deep our pride is for our country. There is nothing more Americana than the 4th of July and today was just spectacular. Spending the 4th with our camp family is a gift we are so grateful for.

Whether You Think You Can Or Think You Can’t, You’re Right… by Henry Ford

Middy Girls Basketball – CAW 16 vs. Lavi 26

Middy/Inter Girls LAX – CAW 4 @ Westmont 2

Super Girls Soccer – CAW 8 vs. Lavi 0

Freshman Boys Hockey – CAW 5 vs. Westmont 4

Collegiate Boys Soccer – CAW 4 @ Westmont 1

Super Boys Baseball – CAW 7 vs. Lavi 6 (game went into extra innings)

It was a great day for our Chenny athletes who played with determination, grit and  whole lot of integrity. The moment that took my breath away was watching the Super girls play their soccer game vs. Camp Lavi. We took a giant lead early on and the last 5 minutes of the game didn’t resemble a competition at all but a great opportunity to make new friends. Our girls and the girls from Lavi started introducing themselves to one another during the last five minutes of the game. They were having the absolute best time making new friends. Knowing that the game was almost over, the goalie of Lavi overheard one of our campers say she had never scored a goal to which this total stranger from another camp didn’t stop her shot and she scored. The goalie from Lavi could have easily stopped the shot but gave it to her and the Chenny girls went crazy as they cheered for their friend who was beaming with pride. This was certainly not a typical game with intense competition and fierceness but I witnessed something pretty cool between a group of total strangers having the best time and meeting new friends.  Chenny won the game but every girl on that field were winners. Both teams together walked down the hill chatting the whole way. This was way more than a game for our Super girls.

It was an incredible day here at Chenny but we all knew that the night was the best part and it did not disappoint. We all got cozy in our long and longs (that is camp lingo for long pants, long shirts). Then is was up to the amphitheater to watch our incredible firework show. We were decked out head to toe with glow sticks galore & flashing headbands.  As the night grew darker and the anticipation was intense, we all counted down from 10 to 1 and then in a flash, the night sky lit up above us with the most spectacular firework show. 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. There is something about watching a firework show that makes you feel young and reminds you that those summer nights are priceless. I know that each one of us sitting in the amphitheater, will always remember tonight. It wasn’t just an ordinary night but a feeling that made you part of something pretty special.  That perfect feeling of an ideal summer night. There is  no place on earth would we would rather be but right where we were, with one another.

Chenny Out

The sun was out in full force today and you could feel the excitement. Every area of camp was full of happy campers. From ATV’s to gaga and everything in between was full of campers who had smiles on their faces and a sense of appreciation to be outside all day long playing with their friends. We have been here for a week and everyone has settled into their routine. Waking up to bugles and heading into the Lodge for breakfast in our jammies is what we do and feels like we’ve been doing this together for a lot longer than 7 days. The day was as close to perfect as perfect can get. When we see our campers engaged, happy, connected and at ease, there is nothing that fills a parents heart more than that. We hope that the pictures and videos tell that story, that your children are engaged, happy, connected, at ease and feeling free.

Don’t Worry About Failures, Worry About The Chances You Will Miss When You Don’t Even Try… By Anonymous

The night belonged to our long-standing Chenny tradition, Sign & Song. This is where each bunk creates a plaque with every name of every camper and counselor living in that bunk which will be hung there for the rest of time. In every bunk there are plaques that date back decades and gives us a window to what it was like back then and it mirrors what will be for kids coming through Chenny now. Some things change and some stay the same and Sign & Song will always stay the exact same at Camp Chen-A-Wanda, that you can bank on. After plaque presentation, it was the Song portion of the night and this is where each bunk on girls side performs a dance. Each group got up on that stage and danced their hearts out. From our cutest and most adorable Freshman all the way through our beautifully talented CIT’s, they rocked the house and had a ball. As each Girls bunk danced with smiles on their faces, boys side stood on their seats with standing ovations. When one of us takes the stage, everyone at Chenny is there to back them up. This is why we call ourselves a family in every sense of the word, we are!!. Congratulations goes to tonights winners:

Lower Camp Boys Plaque Winner goes to Bunk H

Upper Camp Boys Plaque Winner goes to Bunk W

Lower Camp Girls Plaque Winner goes to Bunk F

Upper Camp Girls Plaque Winner goes to Bunk W

Lower Camp SONG goes to the ladies of Bunk I and Upper Camp SONG was awarded to the girls of Bunk W.

IT WAS A CIT SWEEP tonight and they deserved it. From their costumes, to their make-up to the most phenomenal dance we have ever seen here at Chenny. They were mesmerizing and so in unison. This group of incredible young women blew the roof off Shields Hall. The work and effort they put into their performance mirrors their dedication and loyalty to one another. It is a group that came together so beautifully and created a work of art. They are the best of the best and deserved the Win. All so different and all so vital to the beauty of this group. The tears were running down their faces as they came to the realization that tonight was the last Sign & Song of their camper career.  It was a night they will never forget. Our beautiful CIT’s dominated the stage tonight and shared their love of Chenny with us all.

Chenny out.

It was trip day today at Chenny and all our campers had the absolute best time as they ventured out of camp for their first adventurous fun day out of camp.

Before our day began it was Trivia with Brian Leahy. Todays questions was: Name four lions from Disney’s THE LION KING. Congratulations to Brady Bornstein for correctly naming Scar, Mufasa, Simba, Nala (we also would have accepted Sarabi!)

Freshman, 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. Some watched Secret Lives of Pets 2, other kids enjoyed Spider-Man Far From Home and some loved watching Toy Story 4.  Our kids munched on popcorn and goodies and had a great time being together doing what friends do best, having fun with friends. When they got back to camp after their fun day, it was a pizza party. What could be better? A full day of arcades, movies and ending with a pizza party. Life is Great for our youngest campers.

Inters & Collegiates  spent their day at Camel Beach for some fun in the water park. It was great day of wet and wild rides.  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. They came off the bus exhausted and happy. They headed to their bunks for showers and sleep. Just an awesome time for our Mohican campers.

Navajo (Seniors, Supers & Gc’s) spent their day at the biggest waterpark in the entire country, Kalahari and LOVED it. Nothing is better than a giant waterpark in the summer with your best friends.  What could be better than that? The kids rolled into camp late tonight and got off the buses with huge smiles but were exhausted. There are some things that truly define our summers and experiencing the countries biggest indoor waterpark parks with your campies is one of them.

All the campers are safe and sound back in their bunks, all exhausted from an amazing day out. Sleeping peacefully and all excited that tomorrow is late wake up. When we announced it at this mornings line-up, we received a standing ovation. 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. Life is Great when you are a Chenny Kid.

Chenny Out

Imagine for a moment a world where no electronics existed. There were no tears or heartbreak because you weren’t invited to that party you saw on someones snapchat story or because you weren’t tagged in a picture on Instagram. A world where group texts didn’t exist and that cold isolating screen was replaced with the warmth of your friend laughing at your jokes. You could see his face and feel her emotion when you have conversations together. There is empathy that develops when you see how your words and actions can effect those around you. It isn’t just keys you press to communicate. Camp is the ultimate environment that brings us together rather than keeps us apart. We eat 3 meals a day together and at each table there is conversations happening. No phones to keep us separate or occupied just a table full of human beings sharing a meal. These are the moments that we long for and these moments are why we stay so connected to one another. The freshman boys were not playing on their ipads to keep them busy but better yet, they were having a floss off – a full floss battle to be exact. It was cuteness overload and these kids can floss.

Congratulations again to this morning’s Trivia Winner Noah Kepke for his correct answer of 23 to the question: How many bugles occur on a typical day at Camp Chen-A-Wanda. Noah is our current champion with 2 wins!! This camper is on fire.

Good Players Inspire Themselves. Great Players Inspire Others… by anonymous

Freshman/Junior Girls Basketball – CAW 22 @ Wayne 7

Collegiate Girls Basketball – CAW 20 @ Lavi 28

GC/CIT Girls Soccer – CAW 5 @ Wayne 2

Middy Boys Baseball – CAW 1 @ Starlight 10

Senior/Super Bpys Softball CAW 15 @ Camp Perlman 1

Super Boys Basketball – CAW 59 vs. Starlight 60

Love was in the air as our evening activity was a camp favorite, The Dating Game. We had bachelors and bachelorettes and it was a great night. The laughter coming from Shields Hall was deafening. It is a night we all look forward to. Starting with the freshman all the way to the CIT’s – the questions were awesome and the answers were even better. It was a day full of love here at Chenny. Just doesn’t get better than this.

Chenny out.

Another incredible day and of course it all began with waking up to bugles and morning trivia presented by Brian Leahy. Todays questions was: What is the smallest state in the U.S.? Congratulations to Middie camper Jake Marin with the correct answer of Rhode Island. He earned himself a free canteen ticket and the pride of knowing he was todays trivia winner!

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.  As I walked into Arts & Crafts today, I was amazed by the amount of campers in jewelry making. There wasn’t a seat open and each camper was making a friendship bracelet, not for themselves but for someone else. 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.  The best part was listening to all of their conversations 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. It was just string and beads but the beauty of this moment went way beyond that bracelet. 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. Meaningful moments happen very often here and today I was just in the right place at the right time to watch this story unfold.

One Meatball and No Spaghetti may not mean a thing to you but say it to a camper and we all know what that means, Nancy is coming. When you say Nancy Tucker to any camper anywhere, they start to smile, jump up and down and say, “I Love Nancy Tucker”. Everyone loves Nancy Tucker. Nancy is an old school folk music singer that entertains us with her FAMOUS songs like, One Meatball, Jellyfish, Buttons Buttons and her most popular Habitat.. Each one comes with its own hand movements that everyone knows and if they didn’t know it, they do now. I truly can’t explain what Shields Hall looked like tonight with every camper singing along with the very famous Nancy Tucker Live at Camp Chen-A-Wanda! Such a fun night and one that wont be forgotten. No matter how old our campers get, no matter where their lives take them, they will always remember those nights that they sang along with Nancy Tucker.

Chenny out

At 7:45am, your kids were woken up to the bugles playing throughout camp and for the next 49 days they will hear Director Brian Leahy call out, “Goooooooood Mooooooooorning Camp Chen-A-Wanda. There is truly no better way to wake up than to hear that announcement. Brian always follows his morning greeting  with a trivia question and the kids who know the answer run to headquarters and whoever gets to Brian first with the correct answer wins a free canteen ticket. Todays question was “name the current #1 Top 100 Billboard song”. Middie camper Noah Kepke was the first to make it to headquarters with the correct answer of Old Town Road. Congratulations to Noah. As soon as Brian announces the question, the race to headquarters is on. What an amazing way to start your day.

The afternoon was spent in activities as Arts & Crafts was full of campers working on their bunk plaques, the fields were packed with campers playing games, the Cookhouse had campers making fresh salsa and nachos, Chenny Tech blew our kids minds as they are learning a program to build just about anything in our 3D printer.  Dinner was a blast with a sing-a-long session that could blow the roof off the building. Singing in unison all together in the Lodge is one of the greatest experiences we all have together. From Build Me Up Buttercup to Don’t Stop Believin’ followed by Sweet Caroline, we sang our hearts out tonight. Throughout the day, we are all doing different activities and having different experiences but when all eat together and sing the same songs, it unites us and creates connections that just feel so good inside. The Lodge has a personality of its own and we are so lucky to get to experience this three times a day.

This year marks the 80th birthday of Camp Chen-A-Wanda and we partied hard tonight. There were cupcakes to be decorated, and giant twister to be played. We played old time trivia and had a dance party that had everyone on the dance floor. The evening ended with each division making a wish with a Chinese lantern and sending it up in the air. It was so beautiful to watch all the lanterns light up the sky and fly so high they could reach the stars. It was a spectacular night and a birthday party nobody will forget. 80 has never looked this good!!

Chenny out.

Another beautiful day in Paradise. The sun was beaming today and felt as if it was shining down on just us. Our little space in the world, secluded and insulated from everything outside our gates. There is no difference between how a Monday feels or a Saturday does up here at Chenny. No concept of time other than hearing the bugles and announcements that direct us where we need to be. I often say how “free” we are up here but it is a word that truly depicts what it feels like to live here all summer long. There is no time to feel bored, no opportunities to sit an watch Netflix or stare at a screen for hours on end. Our days a packed with things to do and relationships to build. I am a fly on the wall that watches it unfold right in front of my eyes and it isn’t just the campers who inhale this experience. A first year counselor approached me after dinner with tears in her eyes and asked me “how does this place make me feel this way?” She explained that dancing in front anyone was something she would never do. She relayed how she is painfully shy and would never in a million years dance or sing in front of anyone, even her family. She said how free she feels here and couldn’t believe this piece existed inside of her. She danced with co-counselors and sang with her campers at the top of her lungs during dinner tonight – I know this because I was watching her transform into someone who was so very different when she arrived at camp. She was guarded and quiet and kept to herself. It was like watching a flower blossom. She felt free and let go of those insecurities. I explained to her that this is what happens here – you are truly allowed to be exactly who you are here without judgement. She left the Lodge with her campers surrounding her, holding her hands and feeling just as limitless she she did. That is the power of this place. We let go, we trust and then we fly.

We are as good as our team and our team is beyond incredible. They have blown our minds with their contagious energy and  insane amounts of camp spirit. Even just meeting our newest kids just 2 days ago, they have fallen for every kid on this camp. They are vested in your children and the experience they want to provide. To watch a 20 year old counselor walk though camp holding hands with an 8 year old camper they just met 2 days ago, is witnessing the joy of this experience we call sleep-away camp . I am always so amazed at how quick the bonds are formed but when our hearts are open to new people coming into our lives, the results are meaningful and impacts us all. It was our Staff Talent show tonight and we have some incredibly talented staff here with us this summer. Campers watched and cheered on their counselors as they sang, danced, told jokes and even played the ukulele. Shields Hall was going crazy tonight with cheers and standing ovations as your kids totally and completely supported their counselors on stage.  It was a night to remember and your children made me proud. They sang along and cheered to all the acts that entertained us tonight. It’s hard to describe the energy in the Hall tonight but us lucky ones who experienced it first hand will never forget it!

It was another day living well, happy and free at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!

Chenny out

Our first full day was full of wonder, sunshine and smiles. New campers were learning the Chenny ropes and it didn’t take long for them to know where everything is. Only one day and our new kids looked as if they have been here for years. The sun was shining bright today and camp was a playground full of happy campers. After the morning of swim tests, it was right to activities and our Chenny kids were so incredibly happy. We sat and watched as our kids jumped right in. They left those devices and remotes at home and played outside…all day long. Our fields were packed with kids playing and more importantly, kids smiling from their heart. I sat and watched a group of Super boys have a catch in center camp. No words were spoken but so much was communicated. Maybe it was the peaceful look on their faces or the fact that these connections are so easily recaptured even after being away from one another for months. They tossed a ball and just enjoyed being with each other. It is the best part of watching your kids – Seeing them connect in the most real and authentic way. It takes my breath away every time I see it and it fills my heart with gratitude that they can find that connection here. It’s effortless and easy and exactly what they need. The stress from school, tests, crazy schedules, home friend drama and of course the pressures from the social media world our kids live in just all faded away. When you are here, you are truly free and our kids deserve this type of peacefulness.

It didn’t take long for our new kids to feel the love too. They may have just rolled into camp but the feeling is contagious and our newest Chenny kids embraced the day with piggy back rides, dance party in the Lodge  and boy did they enjoy playing all day long. To witness how quick our newest kids took to this place was pure magic. The bonds are being created and friendships are blossoming. It was just an absolute incredible day. When our world gets bigger, our world gets better and for our new kids their world just got whole a lot bigger. Everyone here is just so excited to meet the newest Chenny kids and they are most definitely feeling the LOVE. This is how we become one camp family.

Our first official full day of Summer 2019 is in the books and if today was any indication of what is to come in these next seven weeks, we are some very lucky people who have an amazing summer ahead of us.  Life is so Great at Camp Chen-A-Wanda!

Chenny out