Category: General News

Our Supers, GC’s had an early start as their buses rolled out of camp by 7:00am en route to Boston.  It was straight to Harvard Square and dinner at Hard Rock Café. After a great first day, it was off to see Blue Man Group and our campers were amazed & entertained.

Our Wanderers have fully embraced Cali and spent their day at the beach then off to Sea World.

The Seniors boarded their bus for an overnight at Hershey Park. It was straight to Hershey World for some chocolate. It rained a bit but that didn’t damper their spirits as they all headed back to their hotel full of chocolate goodies and getting a great night sleep . They start their day early tomorrow and off to park for a full day of rides and definitely more chocolate.

Freshman through Collegiates had camp all to themselves today and loved every minute of it. We got some great games in today and played our hearts out.

Girls 6^th Grade and below Gymnastics Tournament at Bryn Mawr – Our girls had a great time and finished 10^th Place overall

Girls 7^th Grade LAX – CAW 8 vs. Bryn Mawr 15

Girls 7^th Grade Soccer – CAW 7 vs. Wayne (CAW moves on to the Finals)

Boys 3^rd/4^th Baseball – CAW Red 10 vs. Equinunk 0 and CAW Gold 2 vs. Equinunk White 3

Boys 5^th Grade Soccer – CAW 5 vs. Tioga 2 (CAW moves onto the finals)

Boys 5^th Grade Basketball – CAW 29 vs. Lohikan 20 (CAW moves on to the finals)

Tonight was one of those night’s that standouts above all the rest.  We had so much talent that the campers that weren’t able to perform in our first camper talent show, displayed their unique and entertaining skills for all us tonight. We had 26 acts and every single one of them was outstanding. There is something that happens here that does not exist outside our gates: it’s true genuine overwhelming support for one another. Regardless if you sing, dance, tell jokes, do cartwheels or play piano, you have an entire Rec Hall of friends behind you. No matter if you miss a step or sing off key, it just doesn’t matter here. Your courage to take that stage overrides what you do on that stage. Its awe-inspiring to witness and life changing to be a part of it. Where in the world can you ever go to get this support and encouragement?  We are brave, we are talented and we lift each other up here.

You have to see it, actually you have to experience it as we all did tonight. That’s what we do here, we lift one another up.

Chenny Out.

 

 

Today was one of those summer days we wish wouldn’t end. Having been here for 4 weeks, we have passed the mid way mark and it seems that each day passes quicker than the next. How can we make time stop or at least slow down? We all wait so long to spend 51 days here and it seems to be going way too fast. At this point in the summer, everyone seems to cherish the little things that truly matter the most. Our relationships have grown stronger by the day and our new friends have officially become our family and old friends have continued to enrich our lives.

There is something that sticks out to me every summer I watch these relationships grow and that is benefit of a hug. Something so simple and easy as a hug or a piggyback ride or holding a hand is just what we do, daily. It’s human connection that we all crave and here that itch is scratched. We may not even realize how much we need it until we get here and standing next to your friend or counselor seems awkward without sitting on their lap, holding their hands or giving them a hug. It’s the thread that makes us closer and it fills us up. Doesn’t matter if you are a boy, girl, younger, older or staff, we all need that human contact and here is where we get it, freely and openly. How different the world be if getting and giving hugs happened like they happen here at camp. You can’t help but smile as you watch campers walk arm in arm to an activity. It brings our friendships to a very different level than with our home friends. It is why our friends here become our family.

We played hard today. Our athletes gave it everything they had.

Girls 5^th Grade Basketball – CAW 13 vs. Westmont 21

Girls 8^th/8^th Grade LAX – CAW 13 vs. Starlight 10

Boys 3^rd/4^th Grade Soccer – CAW 0 vs. Starlight 3

Boys 9^th Grade Soccer – CAW 4 vs. Westmont 3

Our Freshmen had an incredible night at camp as they started with a blindfolded candy grab and watched The Incredibles in the Chen-A-Plex in their pj’s follwed by warm cookies and cold milk then off to bed. It was a perfect night for our youngest and most adorable campers.

It was off to the movies for our Juniors, Middies and Seniors. They munched on popcorn and relaxed watching the latest summer releases.

Our Inters and Collegiates spent their night at a bowling alley enjoying their fun filled evening. When they were done bowling, it was into the arcade for some more fun and games.

Seniors, Supers and GC’s were back at camp packing for their big trip to Boston tomorrow and in true Chenny tradition, they had a Road Rally followed by a giant ice cream party!

Our Wanderers landed safely in California today and have officially begun their West Coast adventures.

It is an exciting time here at camp and the fun just keeps going on. We packed a lot into this Super Sunday and with 30 days down; the best news is we still have 21 more amazing days ahead. Call us the lucky ones.

Chenny Out

 

 

A new camper asked me a question this morning that I just couldn’t answer but I completely understood what she meant. She asked me how does this place make her feel so good all the time? Her sweet innocent face summed up what we all feel, everyday here. Then she and her friends ran off as they laughed and giggled all the way to the swings.  As I sat and watched her and her friends on the swings, I witnessed the magic of why this place makes us feel good all the time. It is moments like these, daily moments that bring the magic to this place. They are playing jacks with your friends, they are sitting in the lap of your counselor at line up, they are having dance parties on your porch, they are having a catch with your buddy and they are telling your deepest secrets to your friends who will never judge you. It’s as simple as running to the swings with your friends who push you higher and higher.  It isn’t the buildings or fields but the human connections we make each day that make us feel good all the time here. This new camper, only being here for 4 weeks got it and once you get it, it will always be with you.

It was a good day for some Chenny games and matches.

Girls 3^rd /4^th Grade Soccer – CAW 9 vs. Wayne 0

Boys 3^rd/ 4^th Grade Baseball – CAW 0 vs. Equinunk 1

Boys 9^th Grade Tennis – CAW 5 vs. Weequahic 0

Boys 10^th/11^th Grade LAX – CAW 0 vs. Equinunk 12

Congratulations to our Campers of The week. You have earned the highest honor and we are proud of you all.

Freshman – Jessica Jeffe & Jared Lichetn

Juniors – Brooke Kanganis & Sam Rouder

Middies – Brooke Marshall & Tyler Konigsberg

Inters Jordana Leff & Matt Haber

Collegiates – Haylie Baum &  Eli Kellner

Seniors – Juliette Kaplan & Max Secular

Supers – Amanda Scheman & Andrew Santoro

GC’s – Steph Roth & Jordan Birnholz

Wanderers – Julie Mendelson, Sophia Malkosis & Josh Cohen & Kyle Stern

The night was all about Girls Sing and it was spectacular. The pride, the joy and the honor of this night was tremendous. Each division worked so hard and it showed. When boys side sat is awe for 2 hours, you know it was entertaining and awesome. The support boys side gives girls side is just breathtaking. From our adorable freshmen through our crazy talented CIT’s , they all brought the house down. I could never bring justice to describing the bonds these girls have with one another but watching them up on stage perform together allows us all to witness it for ourselves.  They have all created a sisterhood that will follow them throughout their lives. The decision to pick winners for lower and upper camp was beyond difficult, after an agonizing discussion from our boy Group leaders Middies and CIT’s were named the best of the night.

It’s nights like these that will stick out as one of summer 2013 best nights as it defines all that is good about Chen-A-Wanda. The only word that comes to mind after watching the true affection we have for one another is as simple as it gets… it’s  just LOVE!!!

Chenny Out

 

We spent the day in our swimsuits and played in the water all day long. It was Water Day at CAW and the wetter we got the more fun we had. Campers spent their day in the lake, pool, the Zone but the highlight was the Chenny Zoom. Our newest addition blew everyone away as they zoomed down the 150’ slip and slide. Cannot fully describe the extent of the fun we all had on the Zoom. It was insane, fast, wet and all you could do was laugh as you sped down this crazy ride. There wasn’t a camper who didn’t love our newest attraction. It was all the talk on camp today and everyone can’t wait to Zoom tomorrow.

Not a terribly busy game day at camp but we did have one match. Congratulations to our 9^th Grade Girls Tennis team who beat Westmont 4-1.

The night belonged to boys side who brought down the house with a long standing camp tradition, Boys Lip Sync.. Each division dazzled us with their performances. From the adorable Freshman to the talented and thought provoking Wanderers. You see the amount of time and energy each group dedicated to make tonight a success. Though each group was outstanding there was only one winner for lower camp and upper camp. Tonight’s winners for lower camp went to the Inters as the performed a medley from Justin Timberlake’s life of love lost and found. The Wanderers won for the journey they took us on what life is like as a Chen-A-Wanderer.

As I sit in wonder of this event year after year, I often am reminded that it is their right of passage that documents their journey here.  One Wanderer said it so perfectly as he read a letter at the end of their performance, as this tight group sit together arm in arm. “We came here to Chen-A-Wanda years ago all as individuals and now we are finishing our journey as a family.” You could feel the emotion they had as they just completed their last Lip Sync as Chen-A-Wanda campers. They aren’t afraid to show their deep appreciation for what this experience has brought into their lives and for boys this is truly amazing. To see a stage filled of boys letting loose, dancing in unison, singing together and having the best time is just an awesome sight. Where life today is usually very different for boys as the norm may be intense competition, hiding their emotions or struggling to fit in, tonight was a celebration of our boys just being playful happy connected boys. It was an honor to watch this collaboration of all things fun and all things boys!!!!  The benefits of Chen-A-Wanda are some things we can see and some things we can only feel in our hearts.

Chenny Out.

 

Today was a great day full of regular activities but most everyone opted out of their schedule to practice for Girls Sing and Boys Lip Sync which are both coming up soon. All across camp you saw divisions of campers working together and practicing their moves.  There is deep camp tradition with Girls Sing and Boys Lip Sync and the campers know what is on the line. Watching them practice is as good as watching the real show. Today at center camp, our Super Boys (9^th graders) were practicing their routine and having a ball as they laughed harder than they danced but what caught my attention were the freshman boys just sitting and watching in awe. This is where it happens, where our youngest kids begin to see what life is like as a older camper. It’s as if our youngest campers have been handed the baton, to see that it’s cool to dance in center camp in front of everyone. When you see the look our young campers faces as they watch the older kids, you could see the spark of magic in their eyes as they know one day, that will be them.

It was a great day of games in and out of camp. We are proud of our athletes for always playing with great sportsmanship and the love of the game.

Girls 2^nd/3^rd/4^th Soccer – CAW 1 vs. Tioga 0

Girls 7^th Grade Basketball – CAW 26 vs. Starlight 16

Girls 7^th Grade Soccer – CAW 6 vs. Lohikan 0

Girls 8^th Grade Softball – CAW 21 vs. Lohikan 0

Boys 7^th Grade Basketball – CAW 37 vs. Equinunk 39

Tonight was all about our Chenny Idol Finale. The top 5 finalists put on quite a show. The competition was fierce as each vocalist deserved to be up there and they sang their heart out. Each contestant knew they were vying for the big prize; a gold star in School of Rock that will forever memorialize the mark they left at Chenny and a stretch party limo for them and their entourage (bunk) as they head out to dinner and a night they will never forget. The audience was singing along with each performance and voting was tough but in the end there was one winner and this years Chenny Idol is JULIA BROMLEY. She sang beautifully and with such meaning. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as she so emotionally conveyed her feelings with every note. It was a spectacular magical night in which we all witnessed something very special.

 

Chenny out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a brunch wake up today and we all truly enjoyed the extra sleep. After loving our lazy morning, it was off to the Carnival for one amazing fun day. There was dunk tanks, carnival games, water slides, human foosball, inflatable obstacle courses, snow cones, cotton candy and so much more. The highlight at today’s carnival was without a doubt the Gaming Truck we brought in. Twenty-six kids at a time escaped the heat and played inside this state of the art truck loaded with X box 360 video games. Definitely the coolest attraction of the day and the kids took full advantage of it.  Just an old fashioned fun day with sticky faces from all that cotton candy.

We were able to get a few games in between the carnival fun.

Girls 3^rd/4^th/5^th Grade Softball –CAW 12 vs. Weequahic 2

Girls 8^th Grade Tennis – CAW 0 vs. Tyler Hill 5

Boys 6^th Grade Basketball – CAW 25 vs. Tyler Hill 21

We continued the fun into tonight’s evening activity with Wild and Wacky Races. We threw rubber chickens into pots, got pied in the face, played name that tune and giant word scrambler and of course some of us got slimmed. Can you imagine in one day we played at a carnival then spent the night getting pied in the face.

What an awesome day we had. It’s days like this that makes us never want to grow up. Why would we? The days of homework, tests, college applications, crazy after school schedules, Hebrew school and the daily stress we feel for 10 months, just don’t exist here. Here we spend the day eating snow cones and trying hit the bulls eye to dunk our favorites counselors. The biggest stress of the day was trying decide which prize we wanted after cashing in all our tickets we got at the carnival.. Today was a gift in giant proportions. #feelinggrateful

Chenny Out

 

 

We all love being at camp but leaving on our excursions is over the top fun and today definitely delivered.

Our Cherokee Campers (Freshman, Juniors and Middies) spent their day at Leahy’s Fun Zone and played arcade games, went go-karting, had a ball in the batting cages and loved the incredible mini-golf course. Then just when the campers thought it couldn’t get much better than that, it was off to the bowling alley. After bowling and having a blast it was back to camp for dinner. We packed so much into today for our Cherokee campers and they loved every minute of it.

Mohikan Campers (Inters & Collegiates) spent today cooling off at Camel Beach. It was water ride after water ride and we had some very happy Mohikan campers today. The sun was hot but we were cool.  As the sun set, it was dinner at the park then back to camp.  What could better than that? Not much.

Navajo Campers (Seniors, Supers & GC’s) spent their day at Cooperstown. Not only did they visit the Baseball Hall of Fame but they made it more exciting with a preplanned all Chenny scavenger hunt in the museum. It was an absolutely amazing day spent with absolutely amazing people.  They got to explore the cute town in Cooperstown, ate and shopped. Trips like these are awesome but doing them with your friends makes the remarkable.

A privilege to be a Wanderer is that they get to decide where they go on Tuesdays so they all agreed and started their day at Bingham’s for breakfast then it was off the The Crossings and Windsors for dinner. And to top off the night, they went to the movies. There was little down time today and why should there be? Our Wanderers want to take advantage of every minute as they are at the mid-way mark to their very last summer as a camper.

We didn’t post yesterday’s scores to the tons of games our Chenny athletes played.  So the following results were from yesterday.

Girls 6^th Grade Soccer – CAW 0 vs. Morasha 2

Girls 8^th Grade Softball – CAW 17 vs. Shoshanim

Boys 3^rd/4^th Basketball – CAW 18 vs. Starlight 27

Boys 6^th 7^th Grade Tennis- CAW vs. Tyeler Hill – CAW Lost 6^th & 7^th Grade doubles but won 6^th and 7^th Grade singles

Boys 7^th Grade Soccer – CAW 4 vs. Lavi 1

Boys 9^th Grade Tennis – CAW 3 vs. Westmont 2

Boys 10^th/11^th Grade Volleyball – Single Day Tourney at Island Lake. Chenny lost in the finals to Indian Head by 2 points. We played phenomenally and had a great time.

Boys 10^th/11^th Grade Soccer – CAW 4 vs. Indian Head 8

As we all enjoyed our day and were separated by where we all went, in the end we all came back together and are safely back in our summer home. As much fun as today was, we all are looking forward to our day tomorrow with a brunch wake-up followed by CARNIVAL!!!!!! Each day is better than next here.

It’s lights out and all campers are sleeping soundly. There is nothing better than a camp full of safe and sound sleeping campers that just spent a whole day enjoying themselves.

Chenny Out

 

 

 

 

It was a hot one today so most of our activities were focused around getting wet and in the water. The pool and lake were the place to be today and campers loved every minute of it. When the heat rises, nothing is better than spending your day in your swimsuit. The Zone was a busy place as well as water balloon fights all day long. It was a just an amazing fun day full of happy wet campers.

If you haven’t gotten into the rainbow loom craze, its here and it’s in full force. We have tons of sets in Arts & Crafts for campers to use and create great bracelets and necklaces. I sat with a group of girls who were making them for their counselors and was inspired by a conversation between the girls. As they were each making a bracelet for the counselors, they were discussing how much they loved and adored them and as one camper so beautifully stated, “I want to make my counselor as happy and she makes me.” This struck a cord and is the essence of that wonderful relationship that occurs between camper and counselor. Where in life can a young person receive an uninterrupted amount of positive attention from an 18-22 year old? This friendship provides such guidance and comfort and is so different from any other relationship. Our counselors are there for your children. They listen to them without judgment, they are present and patient and they can get your kids to make their bed for 7 weeks with ease. A fete that is difficult for us parents but they do it with effortless enthusiasm. So these campers got it, they knew how special their counselors are and those rainbow loom bracelets weren’t just a combination of colored rubber bands but instead they represented a symbol of gratitude for this very special friendship.

We all got dressed up in our coolest Bohemian hipster outfits and rocked out tonight at this evening’s mid summer social. It was East Village meets Brooklyn and we were chillin’. The music was bumpin’ and we danced the night away. It was one awesome night. We Cha Cha Slided then Harlem Shaked and of course we Cotton Eye Joed. The party was awesome and the campers had an absolute blast. Oh what a night, a perfect summer night…

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. This is our home for the next 4 weeks and we have all beautifully settled in and created a true safe haven here. There are no pressures or chaos just opportunities to grow and expand ourselves. There is in abundance of support and creative outlets. There is a safety net here and we catch those who fall.

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.

Our athletes had a fun day of games today as one camper perfectly said it all after losing her soccer game, “I’ve never had so much fun loosing a game.”

Girls 7^th Grade LAX – CAW 8 vs. Indian Head 6

Girls 8^th Grade Soccer – CAW 11 vs. Island Lake 0

Girls 9^th Grade Tennis – CAW 3 vs. Lavi 2

Girls 10^th 11^th Grade Soccer – CAW 2 vs. Wayne 6

Boys 4^th/5^th/6^th Grade LAX – CAW 4 vs Wayne 6 * Wayne forfeited this game due to tournament rules they violated – CAW moves on to quarter finals

Boys 9^th Grade Baseball – CAW 15 vs. Lohikan 0

Boys 10^th/11^th Grade Basketball – CAW 55 vs. Morasha 70

Boys 10^th /11^th Grade Soccer – CAW 4 vs. Indian Head 9

It was Chenny Idol Fever tonight as our Top 5 finalists were announced. Congratulations to our amazing vocalists her at Chenny.  You are one step closer to being named Chenny Idol 2013

 

Julia Bromley

Daniel Gur

Ally Heller

Max Rovner & Matt Leviss

Carly Wills, Cami Oresky, Alexis Ash, Maci Rubenstein & Amanda Behrens

We spent tonight watching our annual Powder Puff Game; GC’s vs. Wanderers. It was an awesome night under the stars relaxing watching our most spirited powder puff game ever. The game was fun, intense and entertaining and ended in a tie. Just another amazing day at our favorite place we call home.

Chenny Out

We have all seen the viral video of families running to get their campers as the whistle blows on visiting day.. What that video missed to show, was the intense emotion as you embraced your child after being without them for the past three weeks. The joy, actually it was pure elation you had as you held them close again. It is such a privilege to watch you embrace your children and the sweetness of that moment never gets old. The tears, the smiles from the heart and the “oh my god, you’ve grown” are truly magical from our vantage point. Not a dry eye as we watched your son leap into your arms or your daughter hug you so tight she didn’t want to let go. You have given your children their wings and for the last three weeks they have flown, actually soared.

These past three weeks, they have overcome homesickness, worked out issues with friends, found their voice, discovered their independence and proved to themselves they are stronger than they thought. That is why you sent to them to us and we hope today you had a brief glimpse to the wonderful life they have created here at Chen-A-Wanda.

We hope you enjoyed your day and truly appreciate all of your support. We are having the best time here with your kids and hope you left today seeing just how special this place is and how much we all love doing what we do. It is a joy getting up to bugles and playing with your children all day long. We have four more weeks of pure bliss here and we aren’t going to waste a moment of it. Continue enjoying the pictures and videos of what is to come because one thing is for sure we will be having a ball up here and loving every minute.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making today so special and being a part of our Chenny Family.

Chenny Out