Hi Everyone,

It’s December which means it’s the holiday season, but it’s also the time we get busy doing home visits. At Canadensis, we continue a tradition which began decades ago in which we visit all new campers who are enrolled for the upcoming summer in their homes! These home visits give us a chance to get to know our future campers in their own environment and we prepare them for the upcoming new camper events, including bowling, etc.

So myself, Pam, and Brian have been visiting with campers throughout the months of November/December and will continue to do so all winter long. We have also been traveling to colleges and universities to find the best staff for Summer 2012 and of course the International “Where in the World” trips will begin in January.

Robin and I had a chance to also see campers Ryan & Jake Garfinkle with our now annual dinner over there! I also had dinner with camper David Brucker. Everyone is doing well and really excited for the summer!

Jake and Ryan Garfinkle

David Brucker at Benihana

Here in the winter office, Jcal came to visit! Of course he brought us snacks, including our favorite Crumbs cupcakes! We are busy filming a new episode of Canadensis Today, our annual holiday card, and a few other surprises for all of you.

Hope everyone has a great week and check back soon!

Today was another one of those days when I just kept thinking about the summer over and over again.  The biggest reminder of summer sits right in front of me in my office.  From Summer 2012, the leaders of Comic Book Blue cut out a piece of their Color War Sing scenery and gave it to me as a memento.  It is the picture of me, letting everyone know that “The box is missing!”  For those that need a visual, here it is…

From Color War 2012, here is a piece of Comic Book Blue's scenery, which is me!

When I look at this artwork of me, it always has me thinking about camp and how much I love things like Color War Sing.  Not just the Sing, itself, but the moment I actually enter the Rec Hall for the Sing.  It’s one of my favorite moments every summer.  As I walk into one of camp’s most historic buildings, I see all of the hard work that the CITs, Senior campers and an assortment of Staff have invested over the prior five days and it gives me goosebumps!  The sets, decorations and plaques never cease to amaze me.  The songs always blow me away.  And, the night is always a magical one.  This year, I was so thrilled when Jason “J.Cal” Calabretta came up to me with the idea of wanting to broadcast the Sing live over the internet.  At one point, we had over 300 people, many former alumni, logging in to be part of this night from all over the world.  So cool, right?!

So, today, not only am I thinking about Sing, but just some of the things I love about camp.  Like, I love the moment when I get up to the amphitheater right before turning the corner to see everyone.  The music is usually already blaring!  I get pumped up for the day!  Then, when I see everyone getting excited, I also get excited!  As I walk down the steps, it almost gives me the feeling of a boxer entering the ring or a relief pitcher coming in from the bullpen.  I’m ready for the day!

Morning Line-Up at Camp is something that gets me so psyched up for a day at camp!

Or, I love when I get the opportunity to see a camper go down the zip line for the very first time in their life.  It usually goes the same way.  The camper is usually a bit scared (some more than others).  Usually, their bunkmates are cheering and encouraging them to go, letting them know it’s going to be great!  Sometimes, it even takes the camper a few minutes before they actually push off of the platform.  But, once they do, when the get off, they always have a big smile on their face and feeling of complete satisfaction!

I love going the lake.  Whether it is taking a funyak out on the water, riding on the triple dare, jumping on the water trampoline, going up and down the Summit or just hanging out on the water mats.  Not many camps have a lake as great as Lake Lenape, perfectly situated right in the middle of camp.  Last summer, I got to go in the lake on a number of occasions with a number of different divisions.  Each and every time is so memorable.

I love playing tennis at camp.  Whether during one of the regular periods of the day or at Free Play, the campers like to play against me in King / Queen of the Court or in singles or doubles matches.  I love watching campers improve their tennis games over the summer, especially with our amazing tennis staff in private lessons or in the Tennis Academy.  Tennis is definitely one of those sports that many continue to play well after their camper years, so its great to always see so much interest at camp.

I love MTV Night, especially the night when we have the MTV Night Finals!  Many of our bunks put so much time and energy into their skits that show great teamwork.  The acts usually have a lot of humor in them as well, so anytime I get to see campers being silly and goofy, I smile.

The acts at MTV Night are always fun!

I guess I could go on and on about all the things I love about camp.  Like Fruit on the Fly.  Or, seeing great projects being made in the Art Center.  How about our day at Dorney Park?  That’s always awesome!  I especially love the days leading up to Color War break and the anticipation of when it is actually going to happen and all the guesses I get from the campers and counselors of how they think they know when it is going to break.  I love the last night of camp and the bunks engaging in their candle lighting tradition with all of the lights illuminating Lake Lenape.

When you get the chance, tell me all that you love about camp!  Send an e-mail.  Post a comment right here on the blog.  Post something on our Facebook page.  Give me a call!

How many days until Summer 2012?  Ha Ha!  For now, I will have to just reminisce.  But, in the meantime, I can love all of the opportunities I get to see campers and staff in the winter months.  Here is who I got to see recently…

In Bala Cynwyd, PA, I met up with the Rosenau Family for a lovely dinner, which has somewhat become an annual tradition with us.  It is always great to see Julia and Emma, who have been at camp for quite some time now, as well as their younger brother AJ, who could be joining us this summer for our Tour and More Weekend at camp.  Julia, who will be an Upper Senior for her 6th summer in 2012, is really enjoying life in the 8th grade.  She just recently finished up her soccer season in which she played defense on the Bala Cynwyd Middle School Knights team.  In the spring, she will be playing for the school’s softball team.  She wanted to make sure that she gave a shout out to Girls Bunk 16 from last summer as well as counselors Lauren Berry and Lindsay Steckler!  If you remember from last year, Julia was the camper that scored a perfect score on the Harry Potter contest and received a piece of the actual red carpet from the movie premiere in New York City.  Julia is still crazy about Harry Potter!  Emma will be an Upper Inter Girl in 2012, which will be her 3rd summer at Canadensis.  She has been busy with tennis lessons and her basketball season just got underway.  She is an avid reader and told me that she can’t wait for the “Hunger Games” movie after she read all of the books.  She also wanted to give a shout out to her bunk from last summer, that being Girls Bunk 8!  Emma says, “What’s up, Bunk 8?!?!”  She also wanted to say hello to Steve, the albino chipmunk (which must be some kind of inside joke to Bunk 8).  Here is a picture…

Me with Upper Inter Emma Rosenau (left) and Upper Senior Julia Rosenau.

In Dobbs Ferry, NY, I got to hang out with Drew Spielberger, who will be joining us at Canadensis for his first summer in 2012.  Currently in the 2nd grade, Drew will be in our Junior Division.  Drew is a busy guy to say the least.  He just finished up his soccer season on his Fulhom team.  He plays defense on that team.  Now, he is starting his basketball season.  In the spring, it will be a baseball team where he plays both first base and short stop.  He is also a big New York Yankee fan!  In this mix, Drew also plays flag football.  He also loves music and is looking forward to starting drum lessons in a few months.  This summer, he can’t wait to make new friends.  He is also looking forward to all the sports, including hockey, Color War, the lake and the water slides.  Here is a photo…

Me with Junior Boy Drew Spielberger and future Canadensis Camper Ruby Spielberger.

Last week, at the Giants game, I got to see campers Harrison and Ben Keim, who were joined by parents Dan and Gail.  At our tailgate in Lot L12, we ate sirloin steak tips, chili, kobe beef bacon cheeseburgers and onion rings.  Unfortunately, we forgot to take a picture, but thanks guys for sharing the day with me.

Speaking of food, here is a random thing to share.  Today for lunch, I had Syracuse University pasta.  That’s right.  You heard me correctly.  As a graduate of Syracuse, I purchased a bag of pasta just for me.  Just look…

My lunch today was pasta in the shape of Otto the Orange and the Syracuse "S." Pretty funny.

Earlier this week, I got to do some staff recruiting at some of the colleges near my home in Montclair, NJ.  On Monday, I was at Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ.  On Tuesday, I was at William Paterson in Wayne, NJ.  On Wednesday, I went all of five minutes from my home for a full day at Montclair State.  I got to talk with a number of terrific applicants, some who you are sure to see at camp this summer.  Of course, this is only the beginning of our new staff hiring.  But, if these three days are any indication of what’s to come, it is safe to say that we are once again going to have the best staff around!

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

More blogging to come….Have a great day!

-Brian

Checkout the photo above…I’m on a home visit with Jordyn, a current 4th grader who will be attending Canadensis for the first time this summer as a Lower Inter!  I love going to visit new campers and getting to know them better, and on my home visit with Jordyn, she gave me a gracious tour of their home…just like I gave her a tour of camp when she came to visit this summer!

She has been going to West Hills Day Camp for 7 years, and she is super excited for overnight camp.  She loves to dance during the year, and is very dedicated – on the weekends her practices last for nearly 5 hours!  She is excited for all the activities at camp, especially gymnastics, glass fusion, ceramics, archery, swimming and water-skiing.  She is already a good snow-skier, so I’m sure she’ll have no trouble skiing around Lake Lenape this summer.  She is a big sister to her brother Darren, and she plans to write him (along with her parents!) many letters this summer.  She just had a birthday, and she got to celebrate it three times with different friends and family members…how cool?

Jordyn got an extra special ride in Aunt Terri’s Pink Golf Cart when she came up this summer, and she’s hoping to get a few more this summer!  She said that her friends would describe her as “funny, caring and a good friend” – and I think her bunk mates this summer will be lucky to have her!

My next stop was at Frankie’s house.  Frankie is a current 3rd grader that recently moved from NYC to the Northshore of LI.  I got to know Frankie when she came up to Canadensis last summer for the Tour & More Weekend.  She was at camp for one night, and if she could have stayed for the full summer, she would have been ready to move in!  Frankie will be a Junior this summer, and she already knows a ton about camp because her cousins Scott, Rebecca, Rachel & Jessica are part of the Canadensis family too.

Frankie was at Hebrew School when I got to her house, and she said it was “good”, so clearly she has more fun at Hebrew School than I used to!  We looked through the camp photo album, and she is so excited about the activities at camp this summer.   She can’t wait for woodworking, and she is excited to have a chance to climb on “The Summit” this summer.  The Summit is a huge inflatable toy on our lake that has a climbing wall on one side, and a slide on the other side – Frankie got to go Banana Boating during the Tour & More lake party, but she’s looking forward to being able to do even more.  As we were saying good night, she grabbed her bag FULL of books, which is her own personal traveling “library” – she loves to read.

When Frankie lived in Manhattan, she shared a bedroom with little sister Ruby, which is great preparation for when she shares a bunk with 8-10 other girls this summer!

This is a picture of little sister Ruby, who is currently in Kindergarten – but has tons of energy and excitement for camp!

A few nights prior, I also got to spend some time with Ally, a current 4th grader who will be a new Lower Inter this summer.   She has attended the Tour & More Weekend at camp in 2010, and she is so excited for overnight camp!  I’ve never met a more active girl in my life…she will play everything and try anything!  Some of her favorites include soccer, sports and biking…when I was at her house she was even asking her mom if she could play football!  Her biggest complaint about day camp was that there wasn’t much to do when she got home, so we’ll be keeping her super busy with the fun Evening Activities at Canadensis!  Everyone at camp has a lot of people that are looking out for them, but in Ally’s case she will also have a whole bunk of “big sisters”.  These girls are friends with her big sister, and they will be helping to make sure she has the best summer ever!

It was a fun night of home visits on Long Island, and on Sunday I gave a tour of camp to new campers Lauren & Morgan from Connecticut!  Next week I’ll be heading to Maryland & West Chester NY, and many more locations in the months ahead – looking forward to it!

Don’t these pictures just make you want to be at camp right now???

Hello Canadensis!

This blog comes to you after a few days away from the office as Jaime and I headed down to New Orleans after Thanksgiving for a mini vacation.  We flew out on Friday and just returned yesterday.  It was an amazing trip!  First off, I had never been to New Orleans before, so we had a lot planned for our 6 days in the Big Easy.

We had a great time doing a little bit of everything.  On Saturday, we took an air boat tour of the swamps and got up close to a few alligators.  That was just incredible!  I even got to hold a baby alligator.  On Sunday morning, we ate breakfast at Cafe DuMonde, which is famous for their beignets (French doughnuts…delicious) and then headed over to the Riverwalk for some shopping.  That evening, we went to City Park for the “Celebration of the Oaks,” which has an entire section of the park lit up for the holiday season.  Very cool to walk through at night.  On Monday, we took a 6-mile bike tour of the city, which really gave us some wonderful insight to this terrific city, from its culturally rich roots in jazz all the way through the rebuilding of the levees after Hurricane Katrina.  Later that day, we headed back to our hotel because it was also Gameday!  That’s right, one reason we chose New Orleans as our vacation destination was because my beloved New York Giants were playing the Saints on Monday Night Football.  And, for an added bonus, the Giants were actually staying in our hotel.  So, we waited in the lobby for an hour or so to see the players leaving for the game and wish them good luck.  Turns out, they needed more than luck.  Other highlights of our trip included seeing two New Orleans music musts in guitar player Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Rebirth Brass Band, shopping down Magazine Street (a lot of cool little shops) and eating some great Nawlins cuisine from charbroiled oysters to smoked duck to cochon de lait (a fancy kind of pulled pork).  Here are some pictures from our trip…

That's me holding a baby alligator!

Me and Jaime at the City Park "Celebration of the Oaks," where a large portion of the park is lit up for the holidays.

Me with former New York Giants player Carl Banks.

Quarterback Eli Manning heads to the game from the hotel as Giants fans cheer him on!

Me and Jaime are ready for Gameday! Too bad the Giants weren't as they got crushed by the Saints.

Me and Jaime both love oysters! Here is a dozen for each of us!

Right before Thanksgiving, I got to continue a great tradition.  For the past five years on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I meet up with legendary Canadensis Alumni Jared “Groundhog” Katzman for dinner.  Our dinners are always a good time as we talk about camp for most of it.  Groundhog is doing great in Boulder, CO as he teaches technology and is an IT Director at a private school in Colorado.  Groundhog is once again looking to take time off this summer to visit camp and see everyone.  Here is a pic…

Me and Jared "Groundhog" Katzman at dinner at Kirsten's Grill in Lebanon, NJ.

If you didn’t see it yet on our Facebook page, the Summer 2011 Video Yearbook DVD has arrived!  We will be mailing it out shortly, but here is a look at the cover and DVD disc…

The 2011 Video Yearbook will be in your mailboxes soon!

Speaking of Facebook, it’s great to see more than 1800 likes on the site.  How quickly can we get to 2000?  What do you want to see on our Facebook site?  Let us know!  And, don’t forget Jason Calabretta’s new camp project called “Your Three Words.”  Take a picture of yourself with the three words you use to describe Camp Canadensis.  That’s right!  Only three words.

Here are our three words to describe Camp Canadensis. What are yours? Send your photo submissions to jcal@canadensis.com.

Well, that’s all the blogging for now.  More next week.

Until then.  Have a great day!

-Brian

I hope everyone is having a great Monday morning!  We have been so lucky to have incredible weather in the Northeast for the past few days, and I hope it holds out through the weekend because I’ll actually be making my way up to camp on Sunday!  I’ll be giving a winter tour to two families from Connecticut that are thinking about Camp Canadensis for summer 2012.  If you are also thinking about camp and would like a tour, it’s not too late to call the office and schedule something…you can even join my tour this Sunday, December 4th – just call us at 484-674-1941.  I’m looking forward to it – and I will definitely be stopping at Callies Candy Kitchen on my way back to pick up some holiday treats.

Now is also the time when we are planning out our home visits for the winter. For more than 70 years, Canadensis has had the philosophy of visiting every new camper in their home, it really helps us maintain the close family we have at camp.  With campers coming from PA, NJ, MD, NY and CT…there is a lot of ground to cover!  If you haven’t been contacted by one of our directors yet, you can expect a call in the next few months.  If you’d like to set up something sooner, just give us a call and we’ll be on our way to get to know you and your camper better!

Some of our new campers who met at Canteen on the Fly have already been getting a jump start on building friendships!  The girls, who are currently in 3rd grade and will be Juniors at camp this summer, had a blast at a sleepover this weekend on Long Island, and made an adorable pillow craft project.  I love the results, and can’t wait to see them on their camp beds this summer!  Thanks for sending us photos so we can keep up with the Canadensis fun happening all over…we look forward to seeing each of the girls at their home visits this winter!

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving Break! Holiday breaks are always my favorite times to see camp friends, so I will now share with you a collection of photos taken at our Thanksgiving Camp Dinner:

It was a fun night full of delightful Italian food (yes, home of the Parm!), good friends, camp stories, and the usual silliness. After dinner we stopped by the Faden home for some more camp love and a brief jump in the leaves (as seen above with Becky J). I must say of all the things I’m thankful for this year, having an amazing camp family definitely ranks up there at the top of my list.

Now with Winter Break only weeks away I’m gearing up for even more nights of camp friends and fun! What do you do with your camp friends over the holiday breaks?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  We hope you are enjoying a great holiday with your family.  The images this week are dedicated to the some of the many many Canadensis families that we are thankful for…

Carly (left) and Brianna (right) are both blog readers!!!  They are going to be Freshman girls in 2012, and we got to hang out at Canteen On The Fly in Westchester, NY!

Zoe (left) is a new 2nd grade girl, and Jordan (right) is a current 3rd grader returning to camp for her second summer.  Both girls will be in the Junior Division in 2012, and Jordan did a great job telling Zoe what to expect being in bunk 2 (youngest bunk).

We gave out awesome camp t-shirts at every location – this is me giving out the shirts in the parking lot at the North Jersey Canteen on the Fly.  Won’t this be awesome for tye-dying this summer??

This is Bailey, who is a current 3rd grader, and will be coming to camp for her first summer in the Junior Girls division.  We got to hang out at the Long Island Canteen on the Fly, where she met up with a lot of the new girls coming in…

Bailey and her new Canadensis Friends were winning tons of tickets in the arcade, and they were so thoughtful that they decided to pool their tickets and get a bunch of rings to share.  They got one for me, Cara and Robin too – we are so excited to be in on the fun!

At the very last Canteen on the Fly Stop, Eric and I stop for a camera op!