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.

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.