Hi blog readers! I’m Carly Fleischer, I will be a CIT at Camp Canadensis and this is going to be my 9^th summer in the 18325. Pam asked me to be a guest blogger and I’m so excited! I decided to write about the top 5 things that campers new and old should be looking forward to this summer. However, I couldn’t stop at just 5!

10-Pools! We have two awesome pools at Camp Canadensis! The Blue Pool is new and has just been built. We love to play in the pools with our many toys and waterslides! I can’t wait to see the new pool with the Indian head logo in the bottom!

9-Meals at Camp! At Canadensis, we have some of the best food! My favorite breakfast food is the amazing waffles, lunch is grilled cheese (also known by the CIT girls as “Cheese Toasty”) and for dinner, chicken parmesan. At every meal there is also a salad bar option, with many amazing options! Just thinking about all the yummy food at camp is getting me excited!!

8-Special Wednesdays! Every Wednesday at Camp Canadensis is a great time! We have late wakeup in the morning, usually a sport or lake activity, and then lunch. After lunch, the entire camp participates in a special activity, such as Carnival or Revolutionary War Day.

7-Lineup! Lineup is when the whole camp gathers on the ampitheater before the first activity period. We discuss the meals for the day, sports scores, and play games. If you have a summer birthday, the whole camp will sing to you at morning lineup!

6-Making New Friends! Every summer when the buses roll in, I see many old, familiar faces, and many new ones too! I love to make the newest campers feel comfortable here at camp, and get to know them! You will make sooo many new friends this summer!

5-Counselors! On the first day of camp, one of my favorite things to do is to get to know my counselors! I love to learn about their families, schools, pets, and more. We always have such amazing staff here at camp!

4-Evening Activities! After dinner, it is always so much fun to play games with your entire division. My favorite evening activity is The Newly Bunk Game!

3-Lake Lenape! This is one of my personal favorite locations on camp, and the possibilities at the lake are endless. When I was younger, I would spend every opportunity I had at the lakefront!

2-CITS! Our group of Counselors In Training will be amazing this year! We cant wait to meet each and every one of our campers, and have the best summer ever!

1–COLOR WAR! When the entire camp is divided into blue and gold, the sense of competition and spirit amplifies, and completely radiates from every camper. Color War is the best 5 days of the summer, and everybody has the best time!

So that was my list of the top 10 things to be excited for this summer! I hope that I got you pumped up and ready for summer! See you in just 25 days!! 🙂

Camp birthdays are the BEST!  Above is a photo of 2011 Boys Bunk 2 celebrating Zachary’s birthday.  If your child will be celebrating their birthday with us at camp this summer, here are some things that you and your camper can expect…

1:  For any child having a birthday during camp (6/23 – 8/11 only), camp will provide a cake for the special day.

2:  Most birthday campers choose to eat on the back deck, overlooking Lake Lenape for their birthday.  If you wish for your child to have a bunk pizza and soda party for their birthday you can arrange this through the Camp Bank. Please mail $65 payable to Camp Canadensis (ATTN: Bank) with a note indicating this is for a “Birthday Party” and the date of the party.

3:  Parents may send a birthday gift and package to their child. Please arrange this package ahead of time with our Main Office staff.
Good ideas for camp birthday gifts would be something that the whole bunk could enjoy such as board games, knockhockey
set, etc. Some parents choose to make T-Shirts for the campers and counselors in the bunk. Please know that these shirts are typically worn once by campers and staff.

4:  If your child has a summer birthday, they will receive an additional phone call. To schedule this Birthday Phone Call, please call our summer office at 570.595.7461.

5:  It will be an overall amazing day for your child!  The whole camp will sing to them at morning line up…they will get to appear on the Canadensis Today Show…and more surprises will be in store as well!

Last years Girls Bunk 4 celebrating!

I’m writing this post today because I’m actually celebrating my birthday at camp!  May 23rd is also the birthday of Don Cannon (Aunt Terri’s husband) and new camper Mia, who will be a Junior Girl.  I hope they are both having a wonderful day!

This has been one of my best birthdays ever!!  My amazing co-workers really helped make it a special day…as soon as I walked into the office I was covered with silly string (blue & gold of course) and my desk area was covered with balloons. So many people from home have also helped make this day incredible with phone calls and packages from home…here are just some of the highlights:

Bday Balloons

A birthday song video from Jen, Sydney & Aiden…

…PLUS and an amazing candy letter (that goes on and on) and a homemade watering can for my garden.  Plus a ticket to heaven…which comes in the form of a gift certificate to Terrain!! For my new favorite crafting activity with Cara, embossing!  Now I have my own supplies with my favorite saying!

Dave is incredible, SO many birthday surprises from him!  He read my blog a few weeks ago and saw how much I loved the octopus squishable, and he sent me my own to keep!  He also sent a fun camp package full of  camp treats!Flowers from Ali, so beautiful, they remind me of my garden back home!

Birthday love from my friends Suzy & Gary, and their two adorable kids in New Orleans…

So many treasured memories were made today…thank you to everyone at Camp Canadensis, and my friends and family at home.  I’ve saved the absolute best for last…Dave gave me a gift that will change my crafting life forever.  He sent me the Silhoutette Cameo!!  It’s like a printer that cuts out any image from your computer instead of printing it.  I cannot believe it…and I can’t wait to start making some Canadensis Crafts with it!!Soon I’ll be off to bowling and ice cream with the pre-camp staff…it’ll be just like my 2nd grade birthday party, love it!

Our winter office has moved…we are officially up at camp now, and it’s thanks to this guy that you see above!!  Mike is about to spend his third summer at Camp Canadensis, and he will be the Upper Senior Group Leader this summer.  I met him on the Bowling Green State University Campus in Ohio many years ago, and we are so fortunate to have him on our team!

He’s up at camp right now working with the rest of our fabulous precamp staff, and he must have drawn the short straw because he was the one who helped us move our office from the Philly area up to the Poconos.  He was fabulous, and he packed the camp minivan full of boxes…it was like playing Tetris, he fit so much stuff in!

Thanks Mike!

You can now contact us at camp – 570-595-7461 and send mail up to this address.  It feels so good to be home!

Brian and I had a great time this month when we were invited over to hang out with siblings Rachel (a 4th year camper and Freshman Girl) and Jason (a 2nd year camper and Lower Inter Boy). On the menu was pizza, salad, the most perfectly mixed Crystal Light iced tea ever…plus a lot of exciting chat about the upcoming summer!  Rachel & Jason are big blog readers and Today Show followers, so they knew all about the new pool, fitness center, etc.

They have so much camp spirit, and they are lucky enough to get to see some camp friends on a regular basis.  On the night we were there, they invited over Sabrina (also a 4th year camper and Freshman Girl) and Jake (also a 2nd year camper and Lower Inter Boy).  Some topics we covered included the Freshman Girls Overnight Trip to Hershey Park (the boys go to Cooperstown)…good Arts & Crafts project idea for boys…ways to break Color War…it was so fun, and it doubled my excitement to get to camp!

Only 3 more days til we move up!

Can you believe my countdown hit the single digits? In only 3 days I’ll be moving up to Canadensis and I can’t believe the time went so fast! Matt and Eric are already up at camp with the precamp staff getting things ready for summer 2012, and Pam and I joined the fun last week to prepare the fabulous camp store!

The camp store is stocked with additional staff shirts during our staff orientation so that counselors can pick up additional Canadensis gear. Parents may remember our camp store from visiting day when we were selling tees, hoodies, hats, hockey jerseys, blankets, and all sorts of other Canadensis goodies! Since we’re always trying to do everything bigger and better we went up early to get things looking beautiful for this season – here’s a sneak peak!

We’ve still got a bit of work to do – especially the part where we decorate the walls with sample apparel – but we should be up and running in no time!  What would you love to see in the camp store?

Hello Canadensis!

With what is likely my last blog from home, I tell you that I am ready to move up to camp!  In fact, I am packing up this week for my departure bright and early on Monday morning.  I can’t tell you just how excited I am!

This weekend, my friends throw me my Annual Bar-B-Krug party to send me on my way.  We will be grilling steak, burgers, hot dogs and have all the fixins before I have to say my final goodbyes.

Lots going on right now as we are almost a month away from summer.  Some of the big news to report is that the Group Leaders for Summer 2012 are all set.  Here they are…

Lower Juniors (campers completing Grades K-1-2):  Melissa Torban

Juniors (campers completing Grade 3):  Jen Romberg and Jason Dorf

Lower Inters (campers completing Grade 4):  Jess Seiler and Adam “Sausage” Shrager

Upper Inters (campers completing Grade 5):  Rebecca “Becky J” Jacobson and Pete Tarnoff

Freshman (campers completing Grade 6):  Rebecca Waxman and Max Hecht

Lower Seniors (campers completing Grade 7):  Brittany Kahane and Chris Lotz

Upper Seniors (campers completing Grade 8):  Alex Feigin and Mike Millinger

Super Seniors (campers completing Grade 9):  Amanda Miller and Jorge Esquivel

We are thrilled about this team of Group Leaders, who will no doubt set the tone for Summer 2012 and their respective divisions.  Combined, they have more than 100 summers of Camp Canadensis experience!  Wow!

Got news that the Girls of Summer 2011’s Bunk 8 had a get-together a few weeks ago in Cherry Hill, NJ.  They made shirts they are all wearing the first day of camp!  Plus, they made S’mores (of course), watched a movie and had a great time!  Here is a photo…

Girls Bunk 8 from Summer 2011 recently had a get together.

Group Leader Pete Tarnoff also shared with me a great graduation gift he received a few weeks ago.  Check this out…

Pete's car will now be showcasing this!

A few home visits to report since my last blog…

In Lafayette Hill, PA, Pam and I made our way over to the Greens to hang out with Lower Inter Boy Jason and Freshman Girl Rachel, both who will be back at camp for their second and fourth summers, respectively.  Upon arriving, we were happy to see that each had invited a bunk mate over to make our visit even more special.  Also there were Jake Brownstein and Sabrina Snyder.  While there, we noshed on some delicious pizza and spent some time talking about all things camp.  All four continued tried to get Pam and I to divulge the Color War names for Summer 2012, but that wasn’t going to happen.  Here is a pic…

Me and Pam with Lower Inter boys Jason Green (front) and Jake Brownstein and Freshman Girls Sabrina Snyder (left) and Rachel Green.

In Springfield, NJ, I spent some time with the Silversteins, Josh and Zach, both who are coming back to camp for their second summers.  Now in 5th grade, Josh will be in our Upper Inter Boys division while Zach, currently in 2nd grade, will be in our Junior Boys division.  Josh is currently playing baseball on his team, the A’s, where he plays left field, right field and second base.  He even told me that he scored his team’s first run of the year.  Josh, a big Mets fans, recently had his birthday at CitiField, where he even got onto the field as part of the Pepsi Party Patrol, shooting shirts into the crowd.  Last weekend, he performed as Gaston from Beauty and the Beast in the Front and Center Theater School’s revue.  Josh has been in a total of eight performances as part of his time there.  At camp this year, he excited for Dorney Park, the waterslides at the new pool and being back with his camp friends.  Zach is also playing baseball on his team, the Dodgers, playing an assortment of positions.  A few weeks ago, he turned an unassisted double play (somewhat of a rarity in baseball).  Zach is currently a green belt in the Black Belt Club at his karate school.  He also plays travel soccer for his team, The Springfield Racers.  In Summer 2012, Zach is ready for Color War and his camp friends.  Here is a photo…

Me with Upper Inter Boy Josh Silverstein (left) and Junior Boy Zach Silverstein.

Before I left for camp, Jaime and I spent last weekend at one of her favorite childhood places…the beach!  We went down with a few other couples to take in some sun, eat a lot of junk food and go on the boardwalk rides.  Here is a pic…

Me and Jaime at the Jersey Shore

Finally, I couldn’t let this opportunity pass, but today was the day that the New York Football Giants (correction:  the World Champion New York Football Giants) received their Super Bowl rings.  Check them out!

The New York Giants Super Bowl ring.

And, the Giants were nice enough to make me a ring, too!  Look at my new bling!

I got a ring!

Well, that’s all the blogging for now.  Have to start packing.  Before you know it, I will be belly flopping in the lake all over again!

Have a great day!

-Brian

A few weeks ago when I was in San Fransisco, I met up with our Fabric Arts Director, and we started talking about project ideas for the upcoming summer.  Cortney plans to make this project with some of the groups that come through the program this summer…it’s adorable, and of course it’s got Blue & Gold Camp Canadensis spirit!  Check it out…

I was inspired, so I decided to make some Blue & Gold accessories too.  I made the bracelets below using two different techniques we’ll be teaching in Arts & Crafts this summer.  I was wearing them when I saw Rachel & Sabrina (soon to be Freshman girls) and they gave them the thumbs up!