What a fantastic day with our new campers and their families. Everyone was meeting, mingling and getting excited for summer 2010. What is better than a bite to eat, some great games of gaga and meeting new friends who we will be spending our summers with? Click here to see some pics from the event.

It was great to see all of our campies down south. We spent the morning bowling, playing arcade games, reconnecting, and having the best time together. One thing was for sure, we all can’t wait for summer 2010. Enjoy our photos from the Florida Reunion.

What we’ve learned at camp this summer:

• The friends you make, accept you for who you are.
• Trying new things makes you feel confident that you can do anything.
• Junior Girls Rock at Jai Ho.
• It takes courage to take the Leap of Faith.
• Campers will never forget their counselors.
• Counselors will never forget their campers.
• Soy Nut Butter is definitely not Peanut Butter, but we will eat it anyway.
• Sometimes small disagreements bring you closer.
• Middy Boys look adorable with make-up on.
• A hug and a hand hold is the norm here.
• Farting at boys line-up is actually encouraged and expected… SAFETY!
• School of Rock really does rock.
• The Cookhouse smells amazing.
• Chris Evans is the best blob launcher.
• Missing home doesn’t compare to how much we will miss one another.
• The Diablo is a sport on boys side.
• Sea Bands help us not throw up on the bus.
• Bugles will still be ringing in our heads.
• Color War is intense.
• 18465.
• Dave Matthews Band rules!
• The friends you make, accept you for who you are…

Some of us have been here for many years, and for some of us it is just the beginning, but no matter who we are, our camp friends become our family who we rely on, tell our secrets to, play ball with, share our fears with, cry to, laugh with, and forever have a connection like no other. Oh how we will miss our summer home and wait 10 months for 2.

These are the best days of our lives…

Today the campers enjoyed a late wake up and a brunch. It was day of free play and hanging out with friends. Everyone was excited about the big night and were trying to guess the theme of this year’s banquet. Around 5:00pm campers starting filing up the center of camp in their beautiful summer dresses and handsome colored shirts. The campers looked fantastic and everyone had their cameras out flashing away at what is to be their 2nd to last night at this very special place, we call our summer home. It’s banquet night, something that we all look forward to all summer long and it is finally here.

We all walked into our dining hall and were blown away by the huge cut outs of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. There were records hanging from the ceiling and coke glasses filled with gumballs on our tables. It was a night from the 50’s and our waitresses wore pink poodle skirts and our waiters had on jeans and white T’s, just like the outsiders. We bopped to old school rock n’ roll during dinner and the night had just begun.
Then it was off to the Rec Hall for our Camper of the Year Awards as we honored the campers and counselors who showed us how to be the Athlete the Honor and the Camper of the Year. We honored winners within each division and then out of those winners, we chose the ulitimate camper in each category. Congratulations to the following who have proven to be outstanding campers.

Lower camp

• Athlete of the Year: Bari Adwar & Sam Metzger
• Honor Camper of the Year: Maci Rubenstein & Jake Quadrino
• All Around Camper of the Year: Julia Blee & Jesse Fillapazzo

Upper Camp

• Athelete of the Year: Sydney Adler & Matt Hill
• Honor Camper of the Year: Sophia Malkotsis & Seth Goldberg
• All Around Camper of the Year: Rachel Wohlfeld & Brandon Lorberbaum

It was late wake up and boy did we all need the extra sleep after five exciting days of color war. After brunch, we had free play where the campers chose to play at their favorite activity. The weather was beautiful, so after snack call, it was off to the pool and waterfront for some cooling water action.

Before we knew it, the bugle sounded for dinner and then we were off to the movies. The campers had a great time today but we all know what is coming tomorrow… our last full day of summer ‘09 activities.

Even though it’s getting closer to the end…. We are taking advantage of every minute up here with our summer family.

Another great day of activities and color war games happened today at Chen-A-Wanda. The weather was hot, the play was intense and our hydration crew was out and about making sure all our campers were well hydrated with water and fruit. The race was still way too close to call and it was all coming down to tonight’s Sing competition.

Before Sing, it was our last meal of color war. Tonight was our silent meal. Either team is not allowed to speak a single word and would be penalized points if they uttered a sound. It was a quiet night and all the campers brought in paper and pens and wrote their conversations down. You have to experience a meal in our dining hall with 600 people and no one is talking.

Sing was fantastic and the costumes were creative. Red Rock was rockers, groupies and musicians while Gold Rap brought in the bling!! The banners and plaques were unreal. We have the most creative and artistic crew around and are so proud to hang those color war banners in our Rec Hall and the plaques in the Main Office. But ultimately it was the Cheer, Alma Mater and March of both groups that would deem with winner. Both Red Rock and Gold Rap put on amazing performances but in the end it was Red Rock that prevailed.

Even when you see the exhilaration and joy coming from all the campers on Red Rock, how quickly they go to their Gold Rap friends and hug them telling them what a great job they did. At the end of the day, these two teams that were divided these late five days suddenly come back together as one unified summer camp family. It’s truly amazing what this long standing tradition we call color war does. In the end, we went through it together and all ended up on the other side better because of it.

Goodnight Chen-A-Wanda…You all deserve the late wake up tomorrow.

Without a moment to spare it was off to an action packed day full of Color War activities. The morning started with the Apache Relay, a 60 event long relay race in which every camper must play a part. Kids were elephant walking across camp, climbing the iceberg, swimming the pool, getting wrapped in toilet paper, and shooting bull’s eyes. Every camper was a small cog in a big machine, each one doing their part to bring their team to victory.

After Apache it was time for clue number seven in the Axe Hunt. It had been three and a half days and still no sign of the Axe. Within seconds of the seventh clue being read the teams sprinted up the hill to Chenny Village, but it was Justin Fields and Jessie Riess that won the footrace and found the axe. Twenty points were awarded to Gold Rap for finding the Axe.

The afternoon was jam packed with activities too. The boys went down to the pool and lake for their swimming and boating events while it was the girls’ turn for track and field. After their events it was time for Skit Night. Red Rock and Gold Rap brought down the house showing their singing, dancing, acting skills.

It was a great day for both teams. Red Rock is winning by 136 points, but as they say it all comes down to sing! There are over 1,000 points available on the last day of Color War and we wish the best of luck to both teams!

The weather held out for today’s events that included girls swim meet & boys track meet. An exciting game of steal the bacon happened between the junior girls and the collegiate boys battled on the hockey rink, just to name a few.

The chants and cheers, the psych speeches & the painted faces all for one goal, to be crowned Color War Winner!! Well today was no different. Both teams want it bad and will stop at nothing to win this ultimate camp honor.

Each division had their own mini quiz night where they answered age appropriate questions about camp, history, sports and pop culture. The campers loved this evening activity and we all met up in the Rec Hall where we watched the counselors battle in their own quiz competition. It was close but Gold Rap ended up victorious in the end!!!!!

We just can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

We are two days into our Color War competition and only 50 points divides the teams. Our campers have been in heavy battle with basketball, soccer & baseball games. It didn’t stop there… they went head to head in BBG and kickball games. They were in the pool battling in a close game of water basketball. Pride is on the line and the stakes are high.

After this great day of competition, we all headed up the hill to see the long standing camping color war tradition we call ROPE BURNING & WATER BOILING. Both teams had fires going within a matter of minutes. It was so close and it looked as if Gold Rap was going to burn the rope first but at the last minute, the fire gave way and Red Rock won. Even though the points for rope burning went to Red Rock, Gold Rap brought home the win for water boiling. It was an exciting event and this night proved to hold our color war tradition strong.