Hello Canadensis…

I hope this latest blog finds our Camp Canadensis family in the thankful spirit with Thanksgiving upon us.  For many, this Thanksgiving is a two-holiday-in-one occasion as it also marks the first night of Chanukah.  I’ve had heard many people starting to refer to this event as Happy Thanksgivukah, which apparently combines the celebration of the first harvest for settlers in the New World with that of the celebration of lights.  So, I guess it is time to bust out your turkey menorahs and dreidels…

In all seriousness, I hope that everyone takes some time over the next few days and reflect on how thankful we are for those that we have around us, whether it be your family, friends or camp family.  This time, last year, it seems like we all knew someone that was affected by the work of Hurricane Sandy.  With that, it was our ability to be there for others that got many through this trying time.  A year later, so many are still so very thankful for the support they received.  So, this Thanksgiving, I hope that everyone will spend some time reflecting a bit and truly give thanks to those around them.  For me personally, I have a lot to be thankful this past year; the biggest being the marriage to my beautiful wife Jaime.  I am thankful that she has made me a better person and in turn has allowed me to see what the best things in life truly are.

A few weeks ago, Jaime and I were finally able to “complete” our wedding rituals by taking our long awaited honeymoon since being married in May.  We had two glorious weeks in Hawaii on the islands of Oahu, Kauai and Maui.  And, I must say, it was truly paradise.  During our stay, we saw Pearl Harbor, went on several catamarans and did some snorkeling, flew in a helicopter, went hiking, took a motorboat raft up the coast, drove the Road to Hana, relaxed on several beaches and ate a lot of really great food (some of the freshest fish I have ever had).  After our trip, I came up with the idea that we need to open up Camp Canadensis Pacific in the winter time.  What do you think?  Canadensis, PA in the summer and Kauai, Hawaii in the winter?  Here are a few pictures from our honeymoon vacation…

Upon our return from Hawaii, it was great to get right back into the mix of camp life as we hosted five our our Canteen on the Fly events over the course of two weeks.  In all, it was great to see the turnout from campers and staff and to catch up with everyone and see what they were up to since camp ended.  T-Shirts were once again the give away item for this event and the campers that came had a blast coloring them in.  Special shout outs for some of our amazing staff that took time out of their busy schedules to attend, including Melissa Torban, Shari Tavroff, Heather Fisher, Robin Forti, Steph Vorcheimer, Pete Tarnoff, Sam Ginsburg, Matt Manglona, Will Wekesa, Dann Restrepo, Brooke O’Donnell and Michael Klein.  When our staff attends these events, you make it even more special!  And, thank you to all of the parents that took time to drive their campers to come and see us.  Special recognition goes out to former camper and now mom Laura Giobbio (maiden name, Willensky), who drove her kids Luca and Stella to both the Westchester and Northern New Jersey events in the same day!  Awesome job, Laura!  Pictures of the Canteen on the Fly Events can be found on our Facebook page by clicking here.  After eating so much ice cream, frozen yogurt and ices at each of these locations, I must say that my favorite goes to Swede’s in Livingston, NJ for their salted caramel pretzel flavor.  Good stuff!

Last week, it was really exciting to be down in the Plymouth Meeting office with the team to wrap and box all of the Canadensis Cares Mystery Boxes.  We were really happy with how this came out and hope that all that ordered the box can’t wait to see what is in it.  There are some really cool, one-of-a-kind Canadensis items in there that we know you will think are pretty awesome!  Let us know what you think of them when you get them.  In the end, this venture helped raise over $2000 for the Canadensis Cares program.  That is the really awesome part when you think of it!  Special thanks goes to Assistant Director Pam Levi, who thought of this terrific idea.

I’ve been able to see some of our campers over the past few weeks as well.  In Bala Cynwyd, PA, I met up with the Rosenaus for our annual get-together.  It is hard to believe that Julia will be coming back to camp for her CIT summer and 8th year.  Her sister, Emma, will be back for her 5th summer to get her honor jacket as part of our Lower Senior division.  Finally, youngest brother AJ will be an Upper Junior for his 2nd summer.  For several hours, we laughed about camp experienced while everyone told me what they are looking forward to next year, in addition to all of the activities they have been doing since they left camp in August.  Now in 3rd grade, AJ has been busy with his travel soccer team called the Swarm.  He plays left midfield and left defense and he told me that their team won both the Columbus Day and Thanksgiving tournaments.  Pretty soon, he will begin the Penn Valley basketball league.  He also takes piano lessons.  AJ wanted to give a shout out to the boys of 2013 Bunk 3.  Emma, currently in 7th grade, has been busy attending many bat mitzvahs of home and camp friends.  Her own big day is coming up in January and it will no doubt be an amazing affair.  Emma is also active, playing for her school’s teams in basketball, field hockey and softball.  She wanted to say hello to all of the girls in Summer 2013 Bunk 15.  Julia is now in her sophomore year of high school.  In a few weeks, she will be going to Israel as part of her confirmation class’s trip.  She will be playing varsity softball this year as well.  Julia also volunteers at a center for autism.  Julia just cannot wait for her CIT summer to arrive and wanted to tell the other 2014 CITs to get excited for an amazing summer!  Here is a pic…

In River Vale, NJ, I got to hang out with Alex Rothenberg, who is currently in 3rd grade and will be an Upper Junior in his first summer at Canadensis.  Alex likes to play catcher in baseball and will be trying out for a Spring team in addition to playing for his town team.  In the Fall and Winter, he is busy playing on a basketball team.  On top of that, he also plays center on a flag football team.  Alex is also really good at computers and is a master robot builder.  I saw some of his work and it is really cool.  Alex is a big fan of the New York Giants, too.  This summer when he comes to camp, Alex is really excited for the quads and all of the activities at the lake.  He cannot wait to try waterskiing.  Alex’s sister Gaby will be a future Canadensis camper one day.  She enjoys baskeball, singing, fashion design and American Girl.  Here is a picture…

I always love to get e-mails with bunk reunion and get-together photos attached to them.  A few weeks ago, my inbox had several great pictures that I wanted to post.

In late October, Andy Rhodes hosted a sleepover for the boys of 2013 Bunk 4 at his house.  From all reports, the boys stayed up really late and had a blast hanging out with each other since they hadn’t been together since mid-August.  Here is a picture…

Summer 2013 Girls Bunk 6 met up in New York City on Sunday, November 17, where they all went to Serafina for lunch.  Then, they  headed over to Make Meaning, where the girls made candles.  Finally, they capped off their day with dessert at Sugar and Plum.  Here are few pictures…

Girls Bunk 9 from Summer 2013 also made their way into New York City for a sleepover hosted by Michelle Garten.  Here is a photo from that get-together…

Finally, something cool to end the blog with.  A few weeks ago, Harlem Globetrotter Thunder Law set the Guiness Book of World’s Records by recording the longest basketball shot…109 feet, 9 inches.  Check it out by clicking the following link…

LONGEST BASKETBALL SHOT EVER!

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  More to come!  Have a great day!  And, Happy Thanksgivukah!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis!

I hope this blog finds everyone in great Fall spirits and that there is a sense of Halloween excitement in the air as we are less than one week away from the trick-or-treating festivities.  As always, we hope that our campers and staff e-mail us their Halloween costumes so we can see all of your awesome costumes!

It’s been a few weeks since my last blog, so I’m glad I found sometime today to catch up with everyone!  Things here at camp are great!  Plans for Summer 2014 are already in the works.  We have begun to talk with a number of counselors and staff that are planning their return to camp next year.  We have begun to call many of the companies, entertainers, vendors and activities that make the summer special for us each year.  In fact, just recently, I spoke with everyone’s favorite magician Brad Henderson.  He says hello to everyone at Canadensis!  Once again, we begin our plans for the BEST SUMMER EVER!

Yesterday, we got a nice Fall treat as Me, Eric, Pam, Matt and Neil headed up to camp yesterday to check up on things and continue with all of the ideas we have for off season improvements.  We have a lot of cool things in the works and will begin to unveil what is in store for the Canadensis campus in the upcoming months.  In the meantime, here is a picture of Canadensis in the Fall…

Recently, we were excited to announce the details of our Annual Reunion.  For those that don’t know, the Summer 2013 Reunion will be held on Sunday, January 26 at Funtime America in Eatontown, NJ from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.  The event will include unlimited carnival rides, laser tag, rock climbing and motion simulators.  Of course, there will be pizza and soda and each camper will also receive 20 game tokens.  While the event is going on, parents can enjoy the convenience of the Monmouth Mall nearby.  We hope that many of our campers and staff from Summer 2013 can make it!

As a reminder, we will also be hitting many of the local areas for our Canteen on the Fly Events in November.  We hope to see as many Canadensis families and staff as well as any future families interested in camp at one of the following locations…

In this blog, it is great to report on several home visits I got to do.  Last week, I got to get out on the road and see a few of our camp families in Westchester County, NY.

My first stop was in Millwood, NY, to see Elizabeth Knox.  However, when I got to the door, I not only saw Lizzy, but was surprised by Ally and Sammi Forster.  The four of us chatted all about camp and how great Summer 2013 was, while also eating some homemade chocolate chip cookies.  All the girls told me what they have been up to since camp ended.  Lizzy, now in 5th grade, who will be an Upper Inter in 2014 for her third summer, has been involved in gymnastics, tennis, field hockey and basketball.  Ally and Sammi, currently in 6th grade and will be returning to Canadensis as Freshman next year for their fourth summer, are playing soccer, softball and dance.  Here is a picture…

In Dobbs Ferry, NY, I saw the Spielbergers, Drew and Ruby.  Drew is back for this third summer as Lower Inter while Ruby joins us for her first summer as a Lower Junior.  Now in 4th grade, Drew is running for Student Council at his school.  He is also playing pitcher, center field, catcher and first base for his Dobbs Ferry Fall Ball baseball team, the Eagles.  Very soon, he will also be playing basketball.   Drew reminded me that he is also enjoying watching his New York Jets have a very good season so far.  Since camp ended, he has even gotten together with bunkmate Ben Keim.  As for Ruby, currently in 2nd grade, she told me that she is playing in a soccer league on her team, the Hammers.  She also told me how much she loves animals, especially her dog Charlie and her fish Cody.  She also likes watching her new favorite TV show called Mighty Med on the Disney channel and her favorite band these days is One Direction.  Here is a photo…

In Tarrytown, NY, it was time to hang out with Max and Julianna Edelman.  Max will be back for his second summer as a Freshman and Julianna will be a Lower Junior in her first summer.  Max, now in 6th grade, has been playing center field on his Fall Ball baseball team.  He is also active playing tennis.  Very soon, he will be playing basketball, too.  Next summer at camp, Max is excited for his private tennis lessons, cooking and just being with his friends.  He wanted to give a shout out to the boys of Bunk 11 from Summer 2013.  As for Julianna, currently in 2nd grade, she is involved with gymnastics and soccer.  She is also performing in her local theater performance of “Winnie the Pooh.”  When at home, she loves playing with her dog Lucy.  At camp next year, she is really looking forward to horseback riding and the water slides at the pool.

As is always the case, when people send me pictures related to camp, I love posting them here on my blog.  Well, a few weeks ago, we got some great photos from a reunion from the Girls of Bunk 3, which took place in Bellmore, NY.  Here is one of the photos that were sent out our way…

It is always nice to be able to get to these in person when we can and our schedule allows for it.  Last weekend, I was able to make two separate sleepover events.  Here are some photos from those get-togethers…

On a personal note, Jaime and I have been busy planning our long awaited honeymoon.  Very soon, we will be off to Hawaii and we are really excited!  Neither of us have been there and we have an amazing trip planned which includes a helicopter ride, a catamaran cruise to watch the sunset, hiking and a lot of beach time!  We will share pictures in my next blog.

Finally, a few weekends ago, we headed up to Cheshire, CT to see a few friends of ours.  There, we took a ride to a neighboring town to experience the Apple Harvest Festival.   Situated around the beautiful Southington Town Green, the Apple Harvest Festival is a family-oriented event which attracts an estimated 100,000 visitors annually. Over the course of two weekends each autumn, the festival offers a wide variety of live music & entertainment, food, contests, crafts, children’s activities, carnival rides and more. Also highlighted each year is our parade, an arts & crafts show and a spectacular evening fireworks display.  Here is a pic…

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!

Have a great day!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis!

I am writing this blog on an October Friday, where temperatures are in the 80s and it just feels like that we should all be at camp enjoying this summer-like weather.  For me, that will be a reality as tomorrow, I am making the drive up to the 18325 to spend a few hours in our favorite place.  I will be sure to take some pictures of camp as I imagine the trees have started to change and camp looks so cool in yellow, orange and red.

Over the past few weeks, our Winter team has started to delve into plans for Summer 2014.  First off, we’d like to thank all of the campers that took time to fill out our annual survey.  This information always helps as it allows us to see what areas of camp thrived in 2013 as well as letting us know what our campers would like to see in 2014.  In our plans, we will use this feedback to start planning some new and wonderful events and activities.  Some of the feedback we received was that campers really enjoyed the Bunk-O period that we instituted into the schedule this summer and that all loved the Free Play afternoon with the surprise frozen yogurt truck.  As we look back to this time last year, these were ideas that were created based on past surveys.

At the same time, we have gotten some great reviews from many of our staff, hearing what they thought of the summer.  Their perspective also provided us with great insight on how to make 2014 the best summer ever!  Furthermore, we have already started to receive applications from many staff that would like to return next summer.  As always, our returning staff will set the tone for all of our new staff next year.

Recently, we just announced the dates, times and locations for our annual Canteen on the Fly events.  This is a great opportunity for campers, staff and any future camp family to come and hang out with us for a bit, talk about camp and enjoy some frozen treats!  The Winter team is very excited to see everyone very soon.  Here is where we will be this year for Canteen on the Fly…

We will also be announcing the date and location for our 2013 Annual Reunion very soon.

Something cool that we just announced was a Holiday Mystery Box that is being offered, with all proceeds going to our Canadensis Cares! scholarship program, which was designed to benefit Canadensis campers whose families are impacted by adverse or unusual circumstances. In some small way, every member of the Canadensis community can help families facing circumstances less fortunate than their own.  The Mystery Box can be purchased for $60 and will be delivered in time for the Winter Holiday season.  It will include never before designed Canadensis merchandise.  We can’t tell you exactly what is in the box.  Then, it wouldn’t be a mystery.  But, it’s some really cool stuff.  For details, you can visit our Facebook page by clicking here.  Be sure to order it by October 9 for it to arrive by the end of November.

This is the time of year when we start booking home visits with new and returning families.  As we have traditionally done, all first time campers receive home visits from one of camp’s directors.  If you are interested in setting up a visit, give us a call.

Just recently, I got to spend some time with Dylan Carruba, who will be returning to camp in 2014 for his 5th Summer as a Lower Senior and receiving his honor jacket.  Dylan told me that he has been playing pitcher, first base and outfield for his Fall Baseball team.  After camp, he traveled to Baltimore and Long Beach Island with his family.  Dylan was also one of the lucky Yankees fans to be at Mariano Rivera’s farewell ceremony in September.  Dylan is a huge baseball fan and shared with me his extensive memorabilia collection of autographs and rare cards.  Here is a pic…

As for me, life outside of the camp office has been busy and fun!  Last weekend, Jaime and I went apple picking at Wightman’s Farms in Morristown, NJ.  If you haven’t been there, check it out.  You can check out a link here.  Lot’s of fun (and eating) for the family.  We went with Jaime’s sister and her family and enjoyed a day of going through the apple trees and picking our own fruit, hay rides and pumpkin sling shooting.  There was also a roasted corn man, which had me reminiscing about one of my favorite summer time treats.  Here are some pictures from our sunny afternoon…

Last week, Jaime and I, along with two of our close friends, played the role of “Game Master” in an annual nighttime scavenger hunt that we call Midnight Madness.  Basically, teams of 6 drive around Northern New Jersey to clues that we have written.  The top three teams to finish win the prize.  The idea is based on a movie from the early 80’s called “Midnight Madness,” which stars Michael J. Fox in his first ever movie.  You can actually find the entire movie (in about 8 different parts) on You Tube.  As a child, this was actually one of my favorite movies.  In our version of the game, the last clue leads to a restaurant, where all the teams gather for a bit.  This year, which was the 4th Annual Event, we had 16 teams involved and it was awesome!  Here is a picture of the four “Game Masters” at the restaurant…

Very hard this year to write in my blog about my beloved New York Giants.  In fact, there isn’t much to write about.  I am hoping this weekend’s game versus the Philadelphia Eagles changes that all around.  The last time the Giants were 0-4 was 1987.  None of our campers and many of our staff weren’t even born in 1987!  There is a wonderful chance that Lauren “L-Mac” McGuire will be showing up at our tailgate.  Of course, she will be wearing her Eagles jersey, but it will be great to see her!

I found something this week online that I thought was worth sharing.  In New York City, there is an exhibit called “The Art of the Brick” and features really cool art work made out of Lego bricks.  The exhibit is at the at the Discovery Museum in Times Square.  Click here to see more about it.

By the way, with Halloween just a few weeks away, has anyone seen the new S’Mores Candy Corn?  Check it out…

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  More to come soon!  Have a great weekend!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis!

It’s my first day back!  After one of the best summers ever, I was up at camp for two more weeks putting the finishing touches on Summer 2013.  Then, I treated myself to some rest and relaxation after such a busy summer.  But now, it’s time to already set our sights in planning Summer 2014.  That’s right, time to do it all over again and work on topping the summer we just had!

Upon coming home, Jaime and I headed to the Jersey Shore, for some family time and sitting in the sun.  The weather was really nice as we enjoyed a few days on the boardwalk soaking up the rays, playing games and going on the rides.  Over the break, we also finally had some time to plan out our delayed honeymoon, after our wedding in May.  Jaime and I have set our sights on Hawaii in October-November.  Should be fun!  For my birthday, Jaime bought me a very cool gift…she got me a Wii video game system.  Last week, I spent several days playing my new favorite game…Grand Slam Tennis.  Over Labor Day Weekend, Jaime and I went to MetLife Stadium to see my alma mater Syracuse play Penn State in football.  Syracuse played good, but they weren’t good enough to defeat the mighty Nittany Lions.  Here is a pic…

In our first weeks back, we hope to review all of the information we received from the 2013 Camper Survey.  If you haven’t completed it yet, please do so, by clicking here.  The feedback we get really helps to put things in place for next year and get an idea of the activities you liked or how we can make things even better next summer.  We are also starting to plan many of our off season events, including our Canteen on the Fly Ice Cream Socials and our Reunion in January.  We will soon unveil all of these details in the upcoming weeks.

For anyone prospective family interested in touring Camp Canadensis in the upcoming months, we have established three Fall Tour Days.  They will be Sunday, September 22 at 1 pm; Saturday, October 26 at 1 pm; and Sunday, November 17 at 11 am.  If interested, call our Winter office at 484.674.1941 or e-mail us at info@canadensis.com .

Since the summer ended, it has been great to get e-mails, letting us know of camp get-togethers and reunions that have taken place already.  Here are some that we received…

If you have any pictures of reunions and get-togethers, we’d love to see them.  Please e-mail me.  Well, more blogging to come soon.  For all of our campers and counselors that are back at school, good luck on the upcoming semester and hopefully you get some assignments in the next few weeks where you can somehow relate it to your time at Canadensis.

Have a great day!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis!

It’s been about a week and a half since the buses took all of our campers home and I must say that I have begun to get sad now that camp is over.  I’m still up here at camp (for a few more days before I go home), but it’s just not the same without the 400+ campers and 200+ staff that make the summer complete!  So hard to believe that 49 days flew by so quickly!  Summer 2013 is certainly one to go down as one of the BEST SUMMERS EVER!

And, we want to thank all of those that have e-mailed and phoned us with the same sentiments.  It’s been great to hear all of your feedback.  We hope to see many of you at the Reunion in January and our other offseason events.  We also hope that many of you will plan your own camp reunions all winter long!

As I think back on the summer, there were so many wonderful moments from the summer, but here are just a few of the highlights from Summer 2013…

Color War between Nautical Blue and Apollo Gold comes down to the last few songs of the Sing to determine this year’s winner.  In the end, Apollo Gold claims victory!

We handed out 724 TAC (Tagged at Canadensis) awards to campers this summer.  For those that don’t know, TAC stands for “Tagged At Canadensis,” which recognizes random acts of kindness of our campers who go above and beyond to help out fellow campers and staff.  That means, there were at least 724 nice things that campers did for others this summer.  Way to go, Canadensis!

Our new camp alma mater was just beautiful and to hear it sung by all of camp, led by our amazing CITs, at the end of every evening activity was so very special.  “We watch the golden sunrise / In Canadensis blue skies / There’s nowhere else I’d rather be / Than on the shores of Lenape.”

Morning Line-Up continued to get the camp spirit going everyday with dynamic dance parties on the amphitheater.  This summer’s song of choice seemed to be Emblem 3’s “Chloe (You’re the One I Want).”  If you find yourself already missing line-up, click here.

The two great Fun Runs we had this summer, a Zombie Run and a Mud Run!

All of camp got surprised with a Bunk-O afternoon, which also included a frozen yogurt truck to serve everyone a cool treat!  For video footage of this, click here.

The new water slides were a huge splash, especially at the night time pool parties.

Thanks to Matt Cook and Jake Asman, the Gaga elective reached new heights with a wide range of game innovations, including multi-ball gaga and irregular shaped ball gaga.

The camp musicals of “Seussical The Musical” and “Once Upon a Mattress” produced standing ovations in the Rec Hall.

Campers had the chance to partake in the Evolution Lacrosse clinic, the Brad Henderson magic workshop and the Path to Rhythm drum circle.

Reveille, Morning Line-Up and Fireworks at night created one of the best Color War fake breaks of all time!

We had a Mystery Writer as campers find hidden notes around camp, revealing interesting facts and tidbits.  In the end, it was Junior Boys counselor Mike Morrissette who was revealed as the playful scribe.

Cade Mein wins the 2013 Ms. Canadensis Beauty Pageant.

Boys Bunk 3 and Girls Bunk 8 win Honor Bunk every single week of camp, earning an off camp trip to Callie’s Candy Kitchen.

Boys Bunk 16 wins the All-Camp MTV Night with their song “Let It Grow.”

The Seniors / CIT Glow in the Dark Dance rocked!

We will miss you!

And, for one last time in Summer 2013…

 

Have a great day!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis…

So, things have certainly been busy around here these days.  If you didn’t know, my BIG Day (aka my wedding) was last weekend up at camp.  Jaime and I then escaped to Lake George for a mini honeymoon.  We just got back the other day.  We want to thank all of those camp family and staff for the congratulatory e-mails and letters we have received.  It has meant so much to us that you took time out to wish us well.

As for the wedding weekend, itself, Jaime and I had a blast.  I am so happy that Jaime decided to have it at camp.  It was the perfect venue for our friends and family.  To give a little re-cap of all the festivities…on Friday afternoon, everyone arrived for the weekend.  That night, we had a BBQ dinner.  This was followed by an hour of live music from our band, The Grift.  The theme for the night was cheesy 80s songs set to bluegrass.  It was an absolute blast to hear tunes like Sweet Child Of Mine and Living on a Prayer set to a different melody.  Very cool and everyone that showed up seemed to have a good time.  We then moved over to the Health Center fire pit for (what else) S’Mores.  About 30-45 minutes into the campfire, it started to drizzle, but that didn’t mean the fun stopped as everyone made their way over to my house for a porch party.

On Saturday, the weather was a bit iffy, but that didn’t stop us from having a good time.  In fact, just like at camp, we had a rainy day schedule.  We played basketball game in the pavilion and had gymnastics / foam pit open in the morning.  In the afternoon, we got a few innings of a softball game in and still had a guided hike around Lake Lenape.  Guests also joined us for breakfast and lunch.  A few hours before the ceremony, the sun made its way out and the weather completely cleared up.  Our ceremony was officiated by my brother and Jaime’s sister and it was held in the senior boys dining hall.  From there, the cocktail hour was both inside and outside.  The reception was held in both the boys dining room and in the senior boys dining room.  We were completely amazed at how our caterer made over the venue for the event.  Just beautiful.  Our band rocked the night away!  As you may know, Jaime and I love our music and attend a ton of concerts throughout the year.  With that, our band played tunes from our favorite bands all night long…Phish, The Black Crowes, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and The Grateful Dead just to name a few.  For the last hour of the night, hundreds of glow sticks filled the room (a Phish tradition).  A lot of fun!

On Sunday, our guests had an amazing brunch put together for one final hurrah.  We want to thank all of the Canadensis staff that helped with the weekend.  Your help was awesome!

Here are some pictures…

So, after such a BIG day, there is another BIG event coming up and that is my BIG move up to camp.  That’s right!  We all move up to camp next week.  That means my weekend will be spent packing.  Since this will be my 32nd summer at sleep away camp, I think I have it down in terms of what to pack.  However, it is usually a ritual that I wish just took care of itself.  Ha Ha!  Whereas I love moving up to camp for the summer, it is always a chore to pack.  Does anyone want to volunteer to pack for me?  Probably the hardest thing about being in the camp business is having to say goodbye to all of my family and friends for 3+ months.  As has become a tradition, my friends will be throwing me an Annual Bar-B-Krug on Saturday.  This way, I can say goodbye all at once.

So much going on up at camp these days.  During the wedding weekend, it was awesome to see the new water slides installed.  If you haven’t checked out the sneak peak video on Facebook, you should.  The water slides are massive!  So cool!  The new tennis courts and volleyball courts look amazing as well.  When we get up to camp, we will also be looking into ways of making the new Senior Canteen backyard come to life!  We are thinking about adding some cool lighting, seating and a fire pit to that area.  Should be an awesome space for our Senior and CIT campers!

We hope that many of you are planning to attend our Annual Open House on Sunday, June 2.  This is always a great day for camp families, new and returning, to spend a day up at camp and enjoy the facilities.  New campers will have an opportunity to meet other campers as well.  June 1-2 will also be our CIT Weekend!  Can’t wait to see all of you!

There is also one last home visit to tell you about.  A few weeks back, in Livingston, NJ, I got to hang out with Justin Nikpour, who is currently in 3rd grade and will be in our Upper Junior division in Summer 2013.  Justin plays lacrosse in the Livingston Lacrosse League.  In the Winter, he plays in a street hockey league.  In the Fall, he plays tackle football.  He is a huge fan of WWE wrestling and his favorite wrestlers are the Undertaker and John Cena.  He is also a big Yankees fan.  When he comes to camp this year, he is looking forward to wrestling, lacrosse, tubing and banana boating at the lake and the ropes course.  Here is a photo…

A few weeks ago, I was invited by the Rhodes Family to attend a sleepover hosted by Samara Rhodes for the Girls of Bunk 8 from Summer 2012.  It was great to see most of this gang together.  According to the girls and parents, they stayed up well into the wee hours of the night having a blast!  Here is a photo…

So, this is my last blog from my desk in New Jersey.  The next blog will be from camp!  Can’t wait to get there.  Have a great day!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis!

I hope this April blog finds everyone in great spirits!  Things here are at camp are just amazing!  We are definitely getting into the Summer spirit!  As I sit here on a Friday afternoon, I got the real urge to do some blogging!  I’m so pumped for the summer!

This weekend, we will have our New Camper Bowling Event for campers currently in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade.  It’s always great when you get to see our campers and this event is always a nice way for them to meet one another before they spend a summer at camp together.  We will be sure to post pictures to show everyone next week.

On April 1, we opened up our Tour Book for any future family that would like to visit Camp Canadensis.  Over the past few weeks, we have heard from so many families that were referred by existing families.  As always, we like to thank them for telling others about Canadensis.  If you know of any family that would be interested in touring, please have them call our Winter office to set up a visit.  The schedule starts to fill up really quickly.  We will once again be having our Tour and More Weekend on July 13-14 for any future campers that would like to experience a weekend at camp.  Spots for this opportunity go really quickly.  In addition to the Tour and More Weekend, we are introducing the Tour and More Play Day on Sunday, July 28.  This is for future campers that would just like to stay at camp for the day.  For more information about the Tour and More Weekend or the Tour and More Play Day (including a registration form), click here.

Earlier this week, the excitement for camp really built up as me, Eric and Pam locked ourselves away in a secluded and top secret location to begin working on our 6-Day Master Schedule.  Only kidding about it being top secret.  However, this process is one that requires a lot of attention and no distractions.  Sorting out all of the bunk/division activities and the electives for 400+ plus campers truly is a huge task.  The whole process usually takes anywhere from 3-4 full days as we try to develop a daily schedule that has a wide range of activities and ensures that our campers get a little bit of everything after each week of the summer is completed.  We take into consideration a wide range of criteria when it comes to determining frequencies of activities, proper staff coverage and instruction to age and gender appropriateness of activities.  At the same time, we look at the feedback that we get from campers, parents and staff from the previous summer.  We will continue this scheduling adventure next week at an all new top secret location.  Ha Ha!

On top of all this, we have been busy planning all of the other stuff for the upcoming summer, too, including evening activities and special event days, Pike County Inter-Camp tournaments and games, overnights, off camp trips and of course…COLOR WAR!  Matt and Eric have also been up to camp several times over the past few weeks to check up on camp projects.  Now that the weather is getting nicer, our maintenance team can start to get outside again and complete all the projects on our list.  The water slides at the Blue Pool have started to be built, courts are getting resurfaced and painted and bunks are getting upgraded.

We are happy to announce that one special event to return to Canadensis after a summer away will be Adam Issadore and his Path To Rhythm Drumming Program.  Adam has been at Canadensis before and he is so great with our campers, creating bonding activities through percussion.  For more about Adam and his program, click here.

We hope our camp families are preparing for the summer, too.  Camp Forms are due in just a few weeks.  So, if you haven’t started on them yet, please get them to us ASAP.

Congratulations to Natalie Pearlman of Parkland, FL for winning our Annual NCAA Basketball Tournament Pool.  Natalie is a new camper in 3rd and will be part of our Upper Junior Girls division in Summer 2013.  She will receive her prize while at camp this summer.  Way to go, Natalie!

Speaking of the NCAA Tournament, I got these pictures sent to me by Jason “J.Cal” Calabretta, who attended the Syracuse-Marquette Elite 8 Game a few weeks ago.  J.Cal was at the game with Rebecca Waxman and Matt Kissler.  Here are the pics…

As for my Syracuse Orange, they made one great run in this year’s tournament!  I never thought they would make the Final Four, but they played really well and I will now have bragging rights over all those staff that go to Indiana University.  Ha Ha!  Congratulations to Louisville on their championship run but I’m fairly sure we don’t have any staff that attend there.  The final game vs. Michigan was one for the ages…a truly hard fought battle that reminded me just why I love this tournament so much!  At least I got a great new shirt out of it…

Last week, my love of music was very much satiated as my all time favorite band, The Black Crowes, came off of it’s 3-year hiatus to play four shows in our area.  Of course, I am completely crazy and just had to attend all four nights.  Very exhausting, but very much well worth it.  Jaime had a great time with our friends and even ran into a few camp parents at each of the shows.  Good to see all of those we ran into.  Here’s a clip of the Crowes at one of the shows we went to, playing one of their greatest hits, Wiser Time…

With all of this, there is still time to see so many of our campers.  Here are some more home visits to tell you about…

In Wayne, NJ, I caught up with the Tombacks, Brett and Sammie, both who will be back at camp for their second summer.  Now in 4th grade, Brett is starting his third season on his travel baseball team, the Wayne Warriors.  He also let me know that he recently finished up his basketball season on the Wayne Wolfpack, a team that posted a 42-8 record and made it all the way to the championship game.  Brett wanted to give a shout out to his bunkmates from Summer 2012’s Bunk 4.  This summer, as a Lower Inter, he is really excited for CBL and CFL sports leagues.  As for Sammie, now in 2nd grade, she was in the play, “The Little Mermaid,” where she was a lagoon animal.  She is also really busy with jazz, acro and hip hop dance at her Stagelight Dance studio, where she is rehearsing for a recital in the Spring.  Sammie also filled me in on a new craft that she has been doing called Rainbow Loom (see picture below), where you can make all different kinds of bracelets.  She even made me a blue and gold one!  When she is a Lower Junior this summer, she is ready to go waterskiing (this time on the rope).  She also wanted to say hello to all of her camp friends from Summer 2012’s Bunk 2.  Here is a picture…

In Scarsdale, NY, I got together with the Kaller Family, who will now have three campers at Canadensis this summer; Jordana (Lower Senior; 4th Summer), Ben (Upper Inter; 3rd Summer) and Noah (Upper Junior; 1st Summer).  Jordana is starting lacrosse season this time of year and playing tennis.  This year, she has seen a lot of her camp friends, attending a number of bar and bat mitzvahs.  She is also busy planning her own big day.  When she gets to camp, she is excited for the Hondas, Color War, cooking and just being in the Senior division.  Ben is playing tennis in both private and small group lessons.  He also has enjoyed playing with the new family dog, Barkley.  Coincidentally, Ben was also seeing some of his bunkmates the very next day.  Ben can’t wait for all of his mountain biking opportunities at camp this summer.  Noah has been very active with a number of different sports as he plays football in the Fall, basketball in the Winter and baseball in the Spring.  He is also a very big fan of WWE wrestling.  This summer, Noah told me that he is really looking forward to having great counselors at camp.  Here is a pic…

In Tenafly, NJ, I got to hang out with the Waldmans.  Ally Waldman is returning for her 4th Summer as a Freshman girl and will now be joined by her brother Jason Waldman, who is in the 3rd grade and will be an Upper Junior.  Now in 6th grade, Ally has been active with tennis, soccer and skiing.  Of course, there is always time for her camp friends as she is always on the computer, connecting with her camp friends.  She is really excited for her Freshman year at camp.  Jason told me that this was his first year of playing tackle football, where he played DE and TE, for his team, the Tenafly Tigers.  In the Winter months, he was also on a basketball team.  Jason is also an awesome skier.  When at home, he likes to build legos and play video games.  His favorite game at the moment is “Lego Lord of the Rings.”  For his first summer at camp, he can’t wait for the quads, all the lake activities and gaga.  While there, I also got to see oldest sister, Samantha, who is now in the 7th grade.  While she won’t be back at camp this summer, she wanted to give a huge shout out to all of her camp sisters.  Here is a picture…

In New York City, I spent some time with Damian Stellings, who is currently in the 3rd grade and will be an Upper Junior this Summer.  Damian does a little bit of everything!  He plays soccer, tennis and baseball.  He is also a big time chess player and showed me a huge trophy for winning the elementary section of a recent chess tournament.  Damian is enrolled in an actors workshop and recently starred in a production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”  On top of all that, he takes a computer class each week.  When he gets to camp, he is looking forward to soccer, tennis lessons, rocketry, gaga and glass fusion.  Here is a photo…

In Livingston, NJ, I met up with Mitchell Konstandt, who is currently in the 2nd grade and will be in our Lower Junior division at camp.  Mitchell plays travel soccer on his team the Livingston Lightning.  In the Winter, his indoor soccer team actually had an undefeated season.  Right now, he is also playing in a full gear lacrosse league, where he was drafted onto the Syracuse team.  In addition to all of this, Mitchell loves participating in lego robotics and is on a Mindstorm team.  He goes rock climbing, too.  He is a big fan of the New York Giants.  And, he showed me two full bags of paper airplanes that he made.  We flew a few of them together.  At camp, Mitchell can’t wait for fishing, rocketry, woodworking, the quads and the water slides.  Here is a pic…

I met up with Keim Family as we shared a meal in my hometown of Montclair, NJ (although they are from Livingston, NJ).  Both Harrison (6th grade; Freshman Boy; 3rd summer) and Ben (3rd grade; Upper Junior Boy; 2nd summer) will be back at camp.  They told me that they recently got back from a trip in Mexico, which they both said was amazing.  Harrison and Ben have been busy all year long with sports.  They both play soccer, basketball and baseball.  With camp getting closer and closer, they are very excited about coming back to Canadensis.  Here is a picture…

Got some other great photos that were sent to me that I’d like to share with you, too…

I got this You Tube video sent to me a few weeks ago and I thought it was a really funny statement on how technology has begun to influence our lives, but how we still need old fashioned paper at times.  It is a commercial that is featured in France, but it definitely makes it’s point regardless of where you live.  I thought it was hilarious.  Check it out!

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  Until the next time…HAVE A GREAT DAY!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis!

How are we on this Monday?!  Things here at camp are getting busier by the day.  We are now officially under 100 days until we get to Summer 2013 on June 22.  I just wished that it started at least to feel like Spring as Mother Nature still continues to drop the white stuff from the sky here in the Northeast.  I mean, enough with the snow already!

Anyway, I wanted to get out a blog on this Monday afternoon as it has been a few weeks since my last post.  In the spirit of Jason “J.Cal” Calabretta playing Rebecca Black’s “Friday” each and every week at morning line-up, it doesn’t work to shout, “It’s Monday!  Monday!  Gonna Get Down on Monday!”  Although, it seems like many of our campers are off this week from school and just might be getting down on a Monday?!  Of course, when I think of Mondays, I always tend to think of a childhood favorite of mine by The Bangles…”Manic Monday.”  When I was a kid, I had a bit of a crush on lead singer Susanna Hoffs.  Ha Ha!  A good tune and definitely one of those songs that once it’s in your head, it will be there all day (music trivia fact:  the song was actually written by Prince)…

A few weeks ago, the Winter office made its annual trek down to Atlantic City for the Tri-State Camp Conference.  Over the course of 3-4 days, we have the wonderful opportunity to attend a number of speakers and workshops, covering a wide range of topics from better ways to work with campers, staff and families to programming to facility upgrades.  Each year, we always walk away with a few ideas that we incorporate in our Summer at Canadensis.  At the same time, it is great to network with camping professionals from all over the country, getting ideas on how other camps handle certain situations.   The conference is attended by more than 3000 people in the camping industry.  Finally, the conference provides an amazing exhibit hall, which gives us all the opportunity to “shop for camp.”  Our Winter team enjoys our travels through all of the different vendors.  Here are a few photos…

As I wrote in my last blog, I love the NCAA Basketball Tournament (a.k.a. March Madness)!  It was great to see so many campers and staff sign up for our annual bracket picks contest.  Of course, many of our brackets don’t look as good as they did on Thursday of last week.  Now that we are onto the Sweet 16, it looks like Lower Inter Girl Brooke Bednoff is in the lead with 480 points.  Way to, Brooke!  Keep it up!  As usual, my own personal bracket can now be used for recycling.  Ha Ha!  Although, my Syracuse Orange are still in the mix and will face a tough Indiana opponent on Thursday night!  Let’s Go Orange!

Speaking of college sports, Canadensis staff member Carli “CJ” Sukonik, who also plays on the Lehigh Women’s Lacrosse team had a big win this weekend over Bucknell University. In the game, CJ scored an amazing six goals.  To see CJ in action and her post game interview, click here.  CJ wanted to say hello to everyone at Canadensis and wanted to know just how excited she is for her 10th summer at camp!

Time to tell you about all of the camp families I have seen over the past few weeks…

In New York City, I got to see Max Dolgin, who is currently in 4th grade and will be joining us at camp for his second summer as a Lower Inter.  Max has been involved with a lot of music activities these days.  For starters, he plays the violin.  But, he also plays in a percussion troupe called the “Groove Cats.”  If that isn’t enough, he plays drums in a rock band called “Child’s Play,” and even told me about a recent gig they performed.  He event told me that I could share a tune of theirs right here on my blog.  Here is a performance of Child’s Play version of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama…

Max is excited for his upcoming baseball season and playing little league once again, where he usually plays 1B and Catcher.  He also told me that he has been keeping in touch with his bunkmates this Winter and wanted to say hi to all of the boys from 2012’s Bunk 4.  Max is very excited to see them all again this Summer.  Here is a photo…

In Woodbury, NY, I met up with Marissa and Jeremy Levine.  Marissa is back for her 4th summer as an Upper Senior while Jeremy will be at Canadensis for his first summer as a Lower Inter.  Now in 8th grade, Marissa is playing shooting guard for the Thompson Middle School basketball team.  In the Fall, she played for the middle school’s tennis team and in the Spring, she will be trying out for the softball team.  Marissa told me that she has had opportunities to see her camp friends this year, including a get together in New York City and a sleepover after the Reunion.  She has plans to see them again very soon.  Of course, she wanted to give a shout out to the girls of Bunk 18 from 2012 and says she has memories of the song “Hit the Lights” by Jay Sean.  As for Jeremy, currently in 4th grade, he has been playing in the Syosset Basketball League.  In the Spring and Fall, he plays 2B, SS and Pitcher in a baseball league.  He also plays tennis all year round.  Jeremy is a big sports fan and he let me know that his favorite teams are the Giants, Knicks and Mets.  When he’s just chilling out at home, he enjoys playing the Wii and his favorite game in NBA 2K13.  This summer, he can’t wait to play all of the sports at camp and meeting new friends.  Here is a pic…

In Larchmont, NY, it was great to see Stella and Luca Giobbio.  Stella, who is in 5th grade, will be back for her second summer as an Upper Inter and Luca, now in 2nd grade, will be joining us for his first summer as a Lower Junior.  Stella filled me in about her recent sleepover with her camp friends, letting me know that they ended up going to bed at around 2 am!  Stella also told me that her basketball team just recently made the playoffs and that her soccer season is just about to get underway with two tournaments.  On top of all that, she has been rehearsing for her role as Rosie in “Bye Bye Birdie” for her elementary school’s performance.  At camp this year, she cannot wait to be with all of her camp friends again, canteen, reveille, all of the activities at the lake, including the summit and triple dare.  Luca also plays a lot of sports as he just finished up his basketball season, but in a few weeks will move onto playing baseball.  In the Fall, he plays soccer.  Luca is also a Legoholic and he truly impressed me with all of the completed Lego projects he has created.  It was truly amazing!  When not busy with all of these things, Luca likes to play on the Wii and his favorite games are Lego Batman 2 and Lego Superheroes.  In Summer 2013, Luca is looking forward to the ropes course, the summit and the triple dare.  Here is a picture…

In Plainsboro, NJ, I hung out with Jillian Wexler, who is currently in 4th grade and will in our Lower Inter division in 2013 for her first summer at Canadensis.  Jillian loves ice hockey and plays left wing on her team, the Vikings, that just recently played in the championship game.  Next year, she will be playing for a travel team.  In the Fall and Spring, Jillian plays goalie for the Cranbury Revolution soccer team.  In a few weeks, she will also be starting baseball season.  Jillian has a twin sister Hailey.  When she is at home and not busy with other things, she plays video games, with her favorite game being NHL Hockey.  When she gets to Canadensis in a few months, she is excited to play hockey, archery, gaga and waterskiing.  Here is a photo…

In Roslyn, NY, I spent some time with Jaymie and Avery Gilady.  Jaymie is back for her five-year honor jacket summer as a Lower Senior and Avery returns for his third summer as a Lower Inter.  Now in 7th grade, Jaymie has been to a lot of bat mitzvahs of camp friends this year and even celebrated her own big day back in November.  She is also getting set to sing in two different vocal performances.  First, she will be singing “Break Away” in a chorus concert.  Then, she will be singing the music of Les Miserables in Chorale.  This summer, she is really looking forward to the trip to Lake Placid.  As for Avery, now in 4th grade, he has been taking tennis lessons and a hip hop class throughout the year.  He will also be getting up on stage as a Wikasham monkey in a performance of “Seussical the Musical.”  When at home, Avery can be found rooting for his New Jersey Devils hockey team.  At camp, he is once again ready for all of the sports at camp and all of the lake activities.  Here is a picture…

In Woodbury, NY, I saw Alexandra Pollak, who joins the Canadensis Family for her first summer in 2013 as a Lower Inter.  Currently in 4th grade, Alexandra is rehearsing for her dance recital at the North Shore Performing Arts Center where she has been preparing for a jazz, tap and ballet routine.  Alexandra told me that her basketball team just recently won their league championship.  In the Spring, she will be playing on a softball team.  Some of Alexandra’s favorites include purple as her favorite color, “Dance Moms” as her favorite TV show and Justin Bieber as her favorite performer.  She is also a big Yankees fan.  When she comes to camp, she is going to be all about the lake activities, dance, rock wall and art shack.  Here is a pic…

In Syosset, NY, I had fun getting to know Jack Cohen, who is in the 3rd grade and will be in our Upper Junior division for his first summer.  Jack plays flag football in the Fall and Spring and plays in the Syosset Basketball League in the winter.  He also takes tennis lessons and karate, where he is a yellow belt and participates in grappling and kickboxing.  Jack also likes magic, has a dog named Brody, likes climbing and is a New York Giants fan.  At camp this Summer, he is excited to try the water slides, morning line-up, the summit, waterskiing, glass fusion and wrestling.  Here is a picture…

In Short Hills, NJ, I got to see Nick Lu, who is currently in 3rd grade and will be in our Upper Junior division for his first Summer at camp.  Nick told me that he likes playing on the computer, with his favorite game being Mindcraft.  When its nice outside, he likes to red board and go rollerblading and hanging out with friends.  He has a dog named Ginger.  Nick also told me that he will be going on a trip to Cancun, Mexico for his Spring break.  In looking at all of the activities at camp, Nick is excited for all of the lake activities on Lake Lenape and fishing.  Here is a photo…

In Chappaqua, NY, I saw Zoe Gellert, who is now in the 3rd grade and will be back for her second summer as part of our Upper Junior division.  Zoe had just had her birthday party the day before I came over, in which she planned the whole event with a fashion show theme.  All of her guests had the opportunity to dress up and walk down the runway, which was created in her basement.  Looking at the pictures from the day, it looked like all of the girls had an unbelievable time.  Zoe also let me know that she has been competing on a gymnastics team all year long.  On top of that, she has been involved with jiu jitsu classes.  Zoe let me know just how excited she is for another summer at camp and to see all of her camp friends once again.  Here is a picture…

It’s always great to get to work in the morning and find pictures of “camp reunions” and get-togethers waiting in my e-mail inbox.  This month, I have a few to share.  As they try to do every year, the Girls of Bunk 16 from Summer 2012 got together a few weeks ago and catch up with each other with everything that has been going on in their lives.  Check it out!

At the same event, some of our 2013 Freshman girls got a chance to see each other as well.  Here is a picture of that group…

For this mini reunion, I was also sent a great picture that I wanted to post because our camp families, and in this case, our camp moms are so awesome for making events like this happen!  Between all of the scheduling and transportation demands to pull something like this off, I wanted to thank this group for keeping the Canadensis spirit alive and being committed to doing things like this.  Here is a photo of our amazing moms!

While in Jamaica on a trip, we got this picture of Canadensis campers enjoying their time off from school…

We hope that you keep reading our blogs!  In addition, be sure to check us out on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.  And, of course, be sure to go to our Facebook page as well.

That’s all of the blogging for now.  Have a great day!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis!

When I go to the camp website, it tells me that there are more than 100 days days until camp!  Still in triple digits, I know, but the month of March for us here in the Winter Office can definitely be described as March Madness for a number of reasons.  First off, we are really in the heart of our staff recruitment season, getting the chance to go out on the road to meet so many people that are interested in working at the best camp on the planet!  A few weeks ago, Cara and I headed to the Midwest for a week’s worth of recruiting in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.  While there, we met somewhere between 80 and 100 applicants.  In addition to getting to meet all of these new candidates, we got to see some of our amazing former and current staff members.  While on the road, we saw Paige Rottschafer, Chris Lotz, Tim, Ben Krogmeier, Emily Doher, Chelsea Culter and Ricky Hohn in Michigan.  We then saw Mike Millinger, Mike Morrisette, Laura Bryan, Briana Stewart, Dan Ricken and Andi Riemersma in Ohio.  We also had dinner with Middle Camp Girls Head Counselor Sandy Fritsch and family (including camper Noah Fritsch) in Pittsburgh.  Here are some pics from our trip…

In addition to our trip, Pam went to Arizona and England to interview counselors.  She was also in France to meet some prospective international camp families.  Eric hopped on a plane to Australia for a counselor search, too.  It is definitely safe to say that we travel to the four corners of the map for some of the best counselors around!  Of course, there are many returning counselors in the mix all ready and set to return for Summer 2013!  On top of that, be sure to check out Cara’s blog for profiles on our amazing crop of CITs for this year!

After meeting so many people and knowing which staff as of now are returning, we are in the process of putting the whole staff “puzzle” together.  It’s a long, but very enjoyable process as we know a great counselor can make such an impact in the summer for our campers.

The madness continued in the best possible way a few weeks ago, when Summer 2013 unofficially started with our annual Leadership Weekend held in Plymouth Meeting, PA.  This is where all of our head staff, including Head Counselors, Programming and others, join for two days to talk all things camp, from the daily schedule to special activities to brainstorming different ideas, including events like trips, evening activities and Color War!  As usual, the weekend was a complete success, a whole lot of fun and really got us all excited for the upcoming summer.

Also to get you excited for the upcoming summer if you haven’t seen it yet is the NEW VIRTUAL TOUR online, which can be found directly on our updated homepage which now will work on tablet and phone devices.  Go to www.canadensis.com and check it out!  It will definitely make you think summer is just around the corner as you move from each 360-degree photo of camp.

Of course, there is the actual March Madness, otherwise known as the NCAA college basketball tournament, which also happens to be one of my favorite events of the year.  When the bracket gets announced, we will e-mail our camp families and staff, letting them know how to enter their picks for this year’s competition.  Who will win this year and what strategy will they use?  Maybe we should get some insight from former winner, Cara Corradetti?  Hey Cara, “How did you win this thing a few years ago?!”

For our camp families, March Madness might mean starting to think about preparations for camp!  For our new families, have you scheduled an appointment with The Camp Spot to get your Canadensis clothes?  Also, all families should check their account on our website as many new camper forms have been put up there for you to complete.  With all of this, give our winter office a call if you are having any difficulty logging in.

As is usually the case this time of year, so many home visits to tell you about.  So, here we go!

In Syosset, NY, I got to hang out with Ashley Shogan and Jesse “Shogee” Shogan.  For Ashley, this is her five year honor jacket summer as she will be joining us as an Upper Senior Girl while she welcomes Jesse to camp for his first summer as part of our Upper Junior Boys division.  Currently in 3rd grade, Jesse spends most of his year playing left wing and center on his traveling ice hockey team, the Long Island Gulls.  He also plays in a basketball league in the winter and a baseball league in the summer.  Jesse is a huge WWE fan and has been reading the WWE Encyclopedia.  On top of that, he plays bass in the school orchestra, likes to read and his favorite subject is math.  This summer, he is very excited for hockey, hondas and the rock wall.  Ashley, now in 8th grade, takes a hip hop dance class with an upcoming recital in the Spring and she also enjoys softball and basketball.  Recently, she had a get-together, an annual thing, for the girls in her bunk, last year’s Girls Bunk 16.  She always loves seeing camp friends and wanted to send a secret message to her camp sisters, saying, “I’m wide awake!”  Here is a picture…

In Cherry Hill, it was great seeing the Herskowitz Family, who will now have three campers at Canadensis…Alexa (9th grade; Super Senior Girl; 7th summer), Jake (5th grade; Upper Inter Boy; 4th summer) and Justin (2nd grade; Lower Junior Boy; 1st summer).  Now in high school, Alexa is busy with soccer, squash and track school teams at Penn Charter and has also had a few camp get-togethers throughout the year.  She wanted to also give a shout out to the Girls of Bunk 20 from Summer 2012 as well as Dani Corradetti, Alex Feigin and Jessie Thick.  When she gets to camp (which she told me she never stops thinking about), Alexa can’t wait for her overnight, the college tour and just being a Super Senior!  Jake has been busy with a number of sports as well.  He plays linebacker for the Cherry Hill Knights in the fall, plays on the Phantoms Roller Hockey team in the winter and will be playing lacrosse in the Spring.  He also has had a few sleepovers with camp friends this year.  Jake wanted to say hello to his camp friends of Boys Bunk 10 from Summer 2012.  This year, he is excited for the CHL, the Summit, the new water slides, tennis, cooking and fishing.  Both Alexa and Jake are excited that their youngest brother Justin will be joining the fun, too.  Justin plays goalie on his ice hockey team, the Voorhees Gladiators.  He also plays roller hockey for the Phantoms.  On top of that, he plays football in the fall, baseball and basketball.  When he comes to Canadensis, he is ready to play in the CHL, go fishing, the ATVs, Color War, tennis and cooking.  Here is a pic…

In Short Hills, NJ, I spent some time with Justin Green and Samara Green.  Justin returns to camp for his 3rd summer as part of our Lower Inter Boys division while Samara will be at camp for her first year in our Lower Junior Girls group.  In 4th grade, Justin is very busy with his traveling soccer team, the Millburn Blast, where he plays both left midfield and defense.  He also works out with his trainer during the week.  He loves hanging out with friends, watching movies and playing video games.  He wanted to give a shout out to Boys Bunk 5 from Summer 2012 and had a secret message for them as he told me to mention “Joey the Kangaroo” in my blog.  Justin is looking forward to hondas and Color War this summer.  As for Samara, currently in the 2nd grade, she is taking a hip hop dance class and will be having a recital in the Spring.  She is also in the mouse chorus for an upcoming performance of “Cinderella.”  Samara takes a fashion class where she has made all kinds of projects from pajamas to shirts to bags.  She loves art!  When she gets to Canadensis, Samara is ready to try gymnastics, cooking, fabric arts, jewelry, cheerleading, pottery and yoga.  Both Justin and Samara told me about their recent amazing trip to Turks and Caicos and all about their wonderful two dogs, Rafa and Roger.  Here is a photo…

In Tenafly, NJ, I got to chill with Max Selver, who is currently in the 3rd grade and will be in our Upper Junior Boys division for his first summer.  Max spends a good part of his year playing defense for his travel ice hockey team, the EFC Eagles.  Max also plays tennis, likes to bike ride and loves to ski in the winter.  He just recently went on a ski trip in Utah.  Recently, he took up taking the piano and takes lessons.  Max filled me in that he loves to read fiction and sci-fi books and recommends any book in the “39 clues” series, “Chomp,” and “Wonder.”  Max also let me know that he just finished up a very cool lesson on the solar system in his school and did a report on the planet Mars.  In Summer 2013, Max is really looking forward to making a whole new bunch of friends, trying new activities like waterskiing, playing in the CHL, woodworking, archery, rocketry, canoeing and Color War.  Here is a picture…

In Merrick, NY, I got to see Julie Pulewitz, who will be back for her second summer in the Lower Inter Girls division.  Now in 4th grade, Julie plays defense for her soccer team, the Dynamite.  She also just finished up her second back-to-back season of being undefeated in her North Merrick-North Bellmore basketball league.  Julie also let me know that she recently won an award for the Reflections Program in Literature for her school.  Julie wrote an essay in which she had to describe the “Magic of a Moment,” in which she chose to write about a event that happened during Hurricane Sandy.  She also presented the essay at her school.  Julie has had a few sleepovers with camp friends this year, one in which she told me she stayed up until 4:30 am!  She also wanted to say hello to the Girls of Bunk 5 from Summer 2012.  This year, she is excited for activities such as swim team, glass fusion and woodworking.  Here is a photo…

In Bellmore, NY, I got to see first time camper Alyssa Feig, who is in the 2nd grade and will be in our Lower Junior Girls division.  Alyssa spends a lot of her time rehearsing and performing in a number of different musicals.  She has been in plays such as “Beauty and the Beast” and “Schoolhouse Rock.”  In the Spring, she will trying out for “Once on this Island.”  Alyssa also takes a dance class and will be performing at a recital in the Spring.  She also loves art, making string bracelets, painting nails and braiding hair.  Her favorite TV Show is “Shake It Up” and she is even entering a dance competition for that show where the winner gets to be on the program.  This Summer when she comes to camp, Alyssa is ready for all of the great programs in the Art Center, the camp musicals and making a whole new bunch of friends.  Here is a picture…

In Merrick, NY, I saw Brett Wolin, who is currently in the 4th grade and will be in our Lower Inter Boys division for his first summer at Canadensis.   Brett plays on both a basketball and flag football team.  He likes to play X-Box and games on his computer, too.  Brett told me that he is a big fan of the New York Giants and New York Yankees.  He let me know all about a recent trip to Aruba in which he got to go snorkeling.  Brett also likes to play with the family dog, Jake.  When he gets to camp in June, he is ready to try all of the activities on the lake, basketball, gaga, woodworking and going on his division’s camping trip and making S’mores.  Here is a pic…

In Yorktown Heights, NY, I met up with Jayme “Jamz” Lerman and her family.  Jayme is currently in the playoff season on her basketball team and also keeping up with her tennis lessons.  She has met up with her camp friends a few times since camp ended and can’t wait to get back to the 18325 to hang with them for another great summer, which will be her sixth summer as part of the Upper Senior Girls division.  Jayme and I spent a lot of time reminiscing and telling great stories from all of her summers at Canadensis.  Coming up, she will be going on a vacation to Puerto Rico.  Here is a picture…

As always, we love getting pictures from our camp families, letting us know what is going on with them throughout the Fall, Winter and Spring months as well as hearing about any bunk reunions or camp get-togethers.  In this blog, there are a few to share with you.

In February, Andrew Wagner celebrated his 11th birthday up at the Great Wolf Lodge near camp.  For the occasion, several of his bunkmates joined in on the fun for a weekend of water slides, mini golf and good food.  Here is a photo that was sent to us…

In Syosset, NY, Devin Lefkowitz invited some camp friends to his house for a sleepover.  I was fortunate enough to even stop by and see all those in attendance.  While there, the boys played outside, played video games and ping pong.  A few hours later, they went out bowling and apparently ate an abundance of food.  Here are some pictures…

I got a photo sent to me, informing me of a great sleepover for the Girls of Bunk 9 from Summer 2012 that was held at Stella Scheier’s house.  I didn’t get many details, but from the look of this picture, the girls were stylin’ and profilin’…

While on vacation in West Palm Beach, FL, campers Haley Greenspan and Marshall Greenspan ran into former hockey counselor and group leader Andrew “Geo” Giannone.  Marshall happened to be wearing his Canadensis T-Shirt and was spotted by Geo, who said, “I used to work there!”  Small world.  Here is a photo that was sent to us…

Finally, we hope to see many of you this weekend at our Long Island Canteen on the Fly, which had been rescheduled from the Fall.  Here are the details…

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  Next week, our winter team will be in Atlantic City, NJ for the Annual American Camp Association Tri-State Camping Conference.  There, we always come away with good things that we incorporate into our summer.  We’ll post some pics on our next blogs.

Have a great day!

-Brian

Hello Canadensis…

I write this blog on a Friday afternoon with a threat of a blizzard in my area!  It’s already been snowing since 8 am this morning and anywhere from 6-10 inches more are soon to follow.  Sure does not feel like it is anywhere near summer.  Anyway, a good blog writing session will help melt the snow (at least in my mind).

As is usually the case, this is the week when I really start to set my sights on the next summer.  Maybe it has something to do with my other love of football season being over?!  Another exciting Super Bowl!  About five minutes before the game, I officially decided that I was rooting for the 49ers, but was not disappointed at all to see the Ravens win.  I’m sure our Maryland campers and staff were super excited as well!  As many of you know, I treat the Super Bowl like a National Holiday and of course invited some of my closest friends over to watch the game and eat tons of food.  By halftime, my belly was super full!  In the second half, when the stadium black out hit, I found myself even eating more!

As for the camp side of things, we are now really busy into our staff recruiting season.  Currently, Eric is in Australia hiring new Aussie counselors, Cara and I will be hitting the road to Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania next week and Pam will be leaving on a plane to go to Arizona.  While on the road, it is always great to see all of our returning and former staff at these colleges.  We will be sure to include pictures in our future blogs.

In a few weeks, we will have our Winter Leadership Meeting in which our Head Counselors, Administrative Staff and Programming Staff all join together to talk about the upcoming summer, including summer scheduling and new ideas to make Summer 2013 better than Summer 2012!  A hard task, but we always want to top the year before!

For all of our Super Senior Campers, we hope you received our recent e-mail, which asks for your input on the 2012 Super Senior Trip.  This year, you will determine where we  go on your 4-day out of camp trip.  Exciting!

For all those that have been to camp in the past few summers, this blog is about “Campers!  Campers!  Campers!”  And, when I write this, I hope you can picture Nurse Freddie saying it over the camp P.A. system.  “Campers!  Campers!  Campers!”  That is, over the past few weeks, a good portion of my time has been spent seeing so many of you.  It has been great to hear what everyone has been up to since camp ended and what you are all looking forward to in 2013.  So, here we go with all of the campers I’ve seen recently…

In Livingston, NJ, I met up with a whole bunch of Canadensis campers! First, I saw 2013 Lower Inter Joey Dallow.  Now in 4th grade and back for her second summer, Joey told me that she is constantly connecting with camp friends on Instagram and is already counting down the number of days until Summer 2013.  She also wanted to give a shout out to the Girls of Bunk 5 from Summer 2012!  Since last summer ended, Joey has been taking boxing classes, working out, playing on a basketball team and playing lacrosse.  This summer, she is looking forward to everything, especially canteen!  Here is a picture…

That same night, I saw Stella and Oliver Scheier, two second generation Canadensis campers as Mom Mindy (maiden name: Menkowitz) is a long time alumni of camp.  Stella is back for her 4th summer as an Upper Inter Girl while Oliver is coming for his first summer as part of our Junior Boys division.  Now in 5th grade, Stella filled me in how she plays soccer in the Fall, Winter and Spring as a midfielder on the Livingston Flight team.  She is also currently in basketball season.  Stella wanted to give a shout out to all of her camp friends and cousins who are also at camp!  In a few weeks, she is really looking forward to a bunk sleepover that she is hosting.  As for brother Oliver, currently in 2nd grade, he plays tennis and soccer.  He also takes acting and hip hop classes as he is a big fan of music from Katie Perry to Taylor Swift to Victoria Justice.  Now that its Winter, he also spends time skiing.  When he gets to camp, he is definitely ready for Crazy Night, tennis and making new friends.  Here is a photo…

Continuing on my Livingston journey, I got to hang out with Samara and Andy Rhodes.  Samara is back for her 2nd summer and will be an Upper Inter Girl as she is in 5th grade while Andy will be in our Upper Junior Boys division for his first summer now that he is currently in 3rd grade.  Samara continues to be very active in gymnastics as a member of her “Go For The Gold” team, competing as a Level 5 gymnast.  These days, her favorite part of competing is when she is doing her beam routine.  Recently, she competed in the New Jersey states meet.  Since last summer ended, she told me that she has had several get-togethers with camp friends and wanted to say hello to the Girls of Bunk 8 from Summer 2012.  She also mentioned how she can’t wait for Color War this year.  Andy Rhodes is currently playing in a basketball league and was happy to let me know that he scored his first basket a few weeks ago.  He also plays tennis, lacrosse and soccer.  When he comes to camp this year, he is very excited for the water slides at the pool, all the lake activities including the Summit, his camping overnight and making new friends.  Here is a pic…

My final stop in Livingston had me meeting with the Bustin Girls, Zoe and Cate, another set of second generation Canadensis siblings as mom Dina (maiden name: Willensky) spent many wonderful summers at camp.  Zoe, back for her second summer, is now in 4th grade and will be in our Lower Inter Girls division and she is excited to introduce her sister Cate to camp.  Cate is in the 2nd grade and will be a Lower Junior in her first summer.  Zoe let me know that she has seen her camp friends a few times since the summer ended and wanted to give a shout out to the Girls of Bunk 5 from 2012 and Counselor Paige Gindi!  When I asked, “What are you looking forward to this summer?”  Zoe simply replied, “Everything!”  When not at camp, Zoe enjoys hanging out with friends, dancing and gymnastics.  As for Cate, she is currently taking a Future Fashionistas class where she is making her own pajamas.  She is also involved in gymnastics, dance and loves to sing (Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez being her favorite).  Cate told me that she is really looking forward to horseback riding, swimming, rock climbing, ceramics and cooking when she gets to camp.  Here is a photo…

In Summit, NJ, I spent some time with the Ufberg Family.  Lily Ufberg and Cole Ufberg are also second generation Canadensis campers as father Jeff attended camp as both a camper and counselor back in the day.  Lily is now in 5th grade and back for her third summer while Cole is coming for his first summer and is in 2nd grade.  Lily, who will be an Upper Inter Girl in 2013, told me that these days she LOVES TAYLOR SWIFT (she even told me to type it in all CAPS) and is her #1 Fan.  In fact, Lily is super excited to see her in concert when she comes to town in March.  Lily also mentioned that recently she had a sleepover with her camp friends and together, they cannot wait for Summer 2013 to start!  Cole, who will be a Lower Junior Boy in 2013, is busy with a little bit of everything.  He is an avid skiier, who now even does jumps on the slopes, plays football, baseball and lacrosse, and takes a karate class, where he just passed his test for a white and black belt. At camp, he is very ready for the hondas and quads, waterskiing and sailing.  Here is a picture…

In Gladwyne, PA, I got to share a lot of laughs with twins Sammy and Luke Finkelstein, both who will be back for Summer #2 in our Lower Inter Boys division as they are now in 4th grade.  Both Luke and Sammy have had several opportunities throughout the year to see many of their bunk mates, which they said is always a good time.  Both also told me of their recent trip to Vermont, where they skied on black diamond slopes.  As for Luke, he is playing alto sax and piano.  He is also on a swim team at Friends Central Aquatics because of his experience of being on the swim team at camp.  Sammy is playing travel soccer all year long and currently also playing basketball.  In school this year, he also took up playing the viola.  Both are very much looking forward to another amazing summer at camp.  Here is a picture…

In Merrick, NY, it was time to see Alex and Josh Michals.  Josh is ready for his third summer as part of our Upper Inter Boys and will now be joined at camp by Alex, who is starting his first summer in our Lower Junior Boys division.  Now in 5th grade, Josh has been very busy playing point guard on his travel basketball team, the Merrick/Bellmore Cougars.  He also just recently went skiing.  Currently in 2nd grade, Alex plays baseball in the fall and spring, soccer in the fall and basketball in the winter.  He also enjoys playing X-Box, exercising and going skiing and snowboarding.  This summer, he is very ready for all of the activities on the lake, all the sports at camp and being away from home.   Here is a pic…

In Bellmore, NY, I loved spending time with the Levien Girls, 2013 Freshman Girl Alexis and 2013 Upper Junior Girl Jordan.  Now in 6th grade, Alexis has been singing a whole lot.  First, she is in her all county chorus group at Shore Road Intermediate School, where she also just sang a Taylor Swift song in the school’s talent show.  Recently, she starred as Lumiere in a production of Beauty and the Beast.  In the Spring, she will also be auditioning for other upcoming musicals.  On top of that, she also plays in a basketball league and takes tennis lessons.  This summer, which will be her third at camp, she is pumped to be able to have cooking as an elective and her trip to Hershey Park!  Jordan, who is in 3rd grade, is busy with her hip hop dance competition team, which just recently won first place in a competition.  In addition to dance, she also takes gymnastics classes, plays in a basketball league and takes tennis lessons.  When she gets to camp for her first summer, she is looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends.  Here is a photo…

In Merrick, NY, I got to know Ethan Lowenstein a lot better as he will be joining us for his first summer in the Upper Junior Boys division.  In 3rd grade, Ethan likes playing sports.  He plays center forward on a soccer team and is on a swim team.  He enjoys riding bikes and swimming and boogie boarding in the ocean.  Ethan also showed me an original comic book that he and a friend wrote called, “The Adventures of Captain Underpants and the Zombie Robots.”  In Summer 2013, Ethan can’t wait for a whole bunch of different activities, including soccer, swimming, the zip line, rock wall, lake and water skiing.  Here is a picture…

In Newtown, PA, it was time to chill with the Robinson boys, Logan and Chase.  Logan, who is in the 5th grade, will be back for his second summer in the Upper Inter Boys division while Chase, in the 3rd grade, will be starting his first year at camp in our Upper Junior Boys division.  Logan is playing travel soccer this year on his team, the Newtown Patriots.  He is also playing in a flag football league.  When not busy with those activities, he enjoys playing Call of Duty on the X-Box.  He told me that after camp, he traveled to Italy, where the highlight of the trip was eating a lot of gelato.  Logan is once again ready for all of the sports this summer and wanted to give a shout out to the Boys of Bunk 7 from Summer 2012.  He also had a secret message for them…squat thrust!  Chase also plays travel soccer for the Newtown Patriots as a midfielder, plays in a basketball league and flag football league.  His X-Box game of choice is FIFA ’13.  Chase said that he is looking forward to the sports at camp, making new friends and eating as much as he can.  Here is a photo…

In East Brunswick, NJ, I got to hang out with 2nd grade girl Ella Simmens, who will be at Canadensis for her first summer in our Lower Junior Girls division.  Ella is very active on her “Encore Dance Team,” which competes in all kinds of dance, including hip hop, jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, acro and tumbling.  She also plays on a soccer team and will soon be trying out for a travel soccer team.  She is a big fan of music, with some of her favorites being Justin Bieber, One Direction, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez and Katy Perry.  She also likes dancers Bella Thorn and Zindaya.  When she comes to camp in a few moths, Ella will be all about trying horseback riding, the lake activities, basketball, the banana boat and making new friends.  Here is a photo…

Also in East Brunswick, NJ, I saw Joey and Andrew Ziets and Camp Nurse Joanna Ziets,  all who will be back for their second summer at Canadensis.  Joey is now in 5th grade and will be an Upper Inter while Andrew is in 3rd grade and will be an Upper Junior.  They filled me in on a recent trip to Florida for some fun in the sun.  The Ziets Family also just recently added a new member to the family, a dog named Riley.  Both Joey and Andrew told me that they have been practicing their musical instruments in the past few months; Joey on piano and guitar and Andrew on piano.  Both say hello to their bunk mates from last summer and both think that the 130+ days until camp is way too many.  Ha Ha!  Here is a pic…

As you can see, a lot of miles put on the car in the past few weeks, but all well worth it!  I love seeing all of our camp families!  More blogging to come after the snow melts!

As always, for the most updated Camp Canadensis news, visit our Facebook page at:  https://www.facebook.com/campcanadensis .  Always good stuff posted there!

Have a great day!

-Brian