Bloggin’ with Brian

Hello Canadensis!

It’s been a while since my last blog, but all I can say is that things have been so busy putting together the BEST SUMMER EVER that the blog had to be put on hold for a bit. But, I’m back with a May MegaBlog for you all to enjoy.

This past weekend, the summer unofficially kicked off with our 4th Annual CIT Weekend up at camp. First off, the weather was so amazing that you would have actually thought it was summer. The weekend was a combination of different activities but also included several meetings putting our CIT Leadership Program in place. Hats off to Pam Levi and Cara Corradetti for planning such a wonderful get-together. Highlights of the weekend included the CITS spelling out “CANADENSIS CITS” along Lake Lenape using their bodies, designing the 2010 Seniors T-Shirt, a campfire with S’Mores and a lot of wonderful reminiscing of summers past as well as great discussions about the upcoming summer. Here are some pictures from the get-together. More pics will be available in the Media Room of our website very soon.

2010 CITS!

All in the Mule! Who's Driving?

Hangin' on the Shores of Lake Lenape.

Ready to be your CITs!

Ethan, Jeremy and Jake at the campfire.

Cracking Up!

Ready to be camp leaders in 2010.

Seeing our oldest campers in action made all of the staff particularly proud.  For those new to Canadensis, our CITs spend 2 or more periods each day with a lower camp bunk and get involved first hand in creating an amazing camp experience for our younger campers.  Our CITs are a true asset in providing guidance for these campers.  After all, they have been at camp the longest and know exactly what camp is all about.

Speaking of our youngest campers, I really didn’t have a chance in my last blog to mention how wonderful our New Camper Bowling Event on Sunday, April 18 was.  So, I guess I just did.  It was wonderful!  Our new Juniors and Lower Inters had a great time bowling, eating pizza and getting to know one another with a game called “Camper Bingo.”  In addition to the winter staff of me, Aunt Terri, Eric, Pam and Cara, we were fortunate enough to have Girls Head Counselor Robin Hasson, Assistant Girls Head Counselor Karen Sharir, Boys Head Counselor Will Armon and counselors Pete Tarnoff and Jason Calabretta in attendance.  From this event, we have already heard that many campers have arranged future get-togethers before camp.  Awesome!  Pictures from this event can be found in the Media Room at www.canadensis.com .

Of course, Eric and I have been able to have some get-togethers of our own with some of our campers over the past few weeks as well.  We first saw Brad Skolnick from Englewood Cliffs, NJ.  Brad is in the fourth grade and will be a Lower Inter at camp this year.  He is also a second generation camper as his mother Heidi went to camp.  Brad is very busy all year round with soccer as he plays on both an indoor and outdoor team and can be found playing both goalie and forward.  He also plays on a basketball team in the winter and a baseball team in the spring.  At camp, he can’t wait for GaGa, Soccer, Basketball, Canteen and the Summit on the lake.  Here is a picture…

Me and Eric with Lower Inter Brad Skolnick, a second generation Canadensis Camper.

In Rye Brook, NY, I met up with Lower Senior Drew Schinik, back for his fourth summer, who will be joined by his brother and Junior Zach Schinik at camp this summer.  Both are busy with their respective sports season.  Zach told me that he has been playing baseball, football, basketball and soccer while Drew has been involved with both baseball (two teams) and football.  For the upcoming summer, Zach can’t wait for all of the sports, Color War, Hondas and Waterskiing and Drew is really excited about the trip to Lake Placid this year.  Here is a photo…

Me with Drew Schinik (left) and Zach Schinik (right).

In Scarsdale, NY, I met up with Madeline and Griffin Frankel, who were both excited to tell me how pumped up they are for another amazing summer.  Madeline is back for her 4th summer at camp and will be in our Freshman Girls division while Griffin joins us for his 3rd summer as part of the Lower Inter Boys.  They had just returned from a great family trip from the Bahamas.  Madeline told me that she has a dance recital coming up in June for her Hip Hop Dance class.  Griffin let me know that he and bunkmates Oliver Shaw and Alex Frieder went into New York City to take a trapeze class.  He also told me that he recently had a sleepover with another bunkmate, Oliver Harris.  While there, I also got to meet their new dog Cooper.  Here is a pic…

Me with Griffin and Madeline Frankel and their dog Cooper.

Then, it was onto South Orange, NJ to meet 5th grader and Upper Inter Girl Leah Otner.  Leah has been involved recently with a theater class called the Performers Theater Workshop in which she learns about acting, singing and dancing.  The class has been working hard towards a performance in June.  She also plays tennis and volleyball.  Over the winter, she enjoys going to Vermont for ski season at Smuggler’s Notch and Mt. Snow.  This summer, she is really looking forward to waterskiing, the camp shows (either being onstage or backstage), special event Wednesdays, Color War and meeting a whole new bunch of friends.  Here’s a picture…

Me with Upper Inter Girl Leah Otner.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, things have been so busy in putting together all of our preparations for the upcoming summer.  Last week, me, Eric, Pam, Roy and Brian Stern met up in Central New Jersey for an entire day to review our master schedule of activities.  Planning a summer for over 400+ campers and 150+ counselors has its challenges, but we were able to work through all of the tweaks in making sure that each division has a well rounded activity schedule each and every week.  We also added several new Electives to the mix, including a Canadensis Today Show Elective, World Games and Outdoor Living Skills.  Elective choices will be e-mailed out in a few more weeks!

In addition to the return of the Canadensis Today Show, I hope all of you have been keeping up with Cara’s blog and the announcement of the all new Canadensis Tonight Show which will also be available to parents, grandparents, alumni and friends online this summer.  This show will be quite different from the Today show and plans are in the works to get as many campers and staff involved in its taping and production.  For now, I know everyone is having fun submitting their Canadensis Tonight Promo Pictures.  Me, too!  Here is mine…

Check out Canadensis Tonight this summer!

In looking at the summer schedule, there are also so many great things returning to camp this year.  Activities like Rak Don are on the calendar along with Brad Henderson magic clinics and shows, Wild-N-Wacky Challenge, Pike County Inter-Camps, Super Leagues, Revolutionary War Day and Carnival Day!  Also, don’t forget…we are bringing Halloween to Camp Canadensis this summer, too!  Bring a costume!  Also, coming soon will be a vote for our campers and staff to pick the Drive In Movies for the summer so be on the lookout for that.

Over the past few weeks, I have been speaking with many of our counselors and staff.  Needless to say, they can’t wait for summer to arrive and be back in the Pocono Mountains.  To get in the spirit, Upper Inter Boys Group Leader Mike Lindquist told me that he was coaching a Little League baseball team in Eugene, OR.  Because Mike lives and breathes camp, guess what he called his team?  Named after a Color War team, his boys are known as the Blizzard.  Here’s a photo…

Mike Lindquist (upper right) and his Blizzard Baseball Team.

For all Canadensis Alumni, we are getting further to celebrating camp’s 70th Birthday and hope to see as many of you at the Reunion on Saturday, June 19!  Aunt Terri has been hard at work creating a very special Carnival themed day for families and friends.  If you haven’t done so already, please RSVP by calling our winter office at 484.674.1941.  All those that RSVP will get gift sent to them.

Of course, we also hope to see many of our families at the Open House at Camp on June 6.  Over the past few summers, this event has been a great way for campers to get familiar with camp and the staff as well as participate in a number of activities.

So, as you can see…a lot going on.  How many days until camp?  The clock is ticking down.  Tick…Tick…Tick.

See you all very, very soon…Brian

Hello Canadensis…

Now, this what I’m talking about!  It’s 75-degrees outside and really starting to feel like summer.  Things here have been really busy as we are about 6 weeks from moving up to camp, ourselves.  Matt Unger actually moves up in just two weeks!  Wow!  As you may know, setting up camp is a tall order.  Our first pre-camp group arrives at the beginning of May.

Of course, the beginning of May will also mark our 4th Annual CIT Weekend at Camp!  For these past four years, we have always viewed this as the unofficial beginning to the summer.  Our CITs each and every year are truly the backbone to all of the amazing spirit that goes on at camp.  In fact, when I am in camper homes, many campers want to know who will be their CIT?!?!  How awesome is that!  For those new to Canadensis, the CITs are our oldest campers, those finishing 10th grade.  For several periods each day, a CIT is matched up with a bunk and be a leader for that cabin of boys or girls.  Other periods in the day, they are assigned to activity areas to help assist in.  And, of course, for Color War, our CITs are the team leaders.  We will have pictures for you from our CIT Weekend on May 1 and 2.

In just a few weeks, we will have our new camper bowling get-togethers at the Brunswick Zone in North Brunswick, NJ.  This event is for our new Junior and Lower Inter campers and those campers that were in Bunk 2 in Summer 2009.  This event has always been a wonderful opportunity for campers to meet other new campers and get the excitement for Summer 2010 underway!  This year, we are also happy to let you know that we will be flying in Head Counselors Robin Hasson and Will Armon for our campers and parents to meet.  If you haven’t RSVP’d for the event yet, please do so at info@canadensis.com.

Talking about meeting campers, I was on the road again to meet some more of our campers…new and returning.  First, I was in Woodbury, NY to see new camper and 5th grader Marissa Levine.  Marissa will be in Upper Inter in 2010 and has heard so many wonderful stories about Canadensis from her cousins Rachel and Matty Weiner.  In the fall, winter and spring, Marissa likes to a little bit of everything from tennis to dance to softball to basketball.  In a wonderful coincidence, Marissa is on softball and basketball teams with fellow Canadensis camper Ashley Shogan.  Marissa also plays the violin in the school orchestra and sings in the school chorus.  This summer, she can’t wait to try water skiing, tennis, softball, the water trampoline and all the activities in the Art Center. Here is a picture…

Me with Upper Inter Girl Marissa Levine.

In Blue Bell, PA, I got to hang out with Junior Girl Valerie Solomon.  Currently in the 3rd grade, Valerie is also a second generation Canadensis camper as her father Bob was a camper and staff member in the 70′s and 80′s.  Valerie is definitely a busy girl.  First, she performs in the Young Starrs Theater Company playing roles in shows such as “Miss Nelson is Missing” and “Rumpelstiltskin.”  She is also involved in soccer and softball teams, gymnastics, swimming and bike riding.  She loves having sleepovers with friends, too!  When I got to their house, the family had just returned from a ski trip in Colorado.  When summer comes, she can’t wait to try horseback riding, the climbing wall, ropes course and zipline, the water trampoline and waterskiing.  Here is a photo…

Me with Second Generation Canadensis Camper Valerie Solomon.

At the end of last week, I got to be part of a really special treat.  Turns out that Diana Altman was having a sleepover at her house in Livingston, NJ for the Girls of Bunk 8 from Summer 2009.  Although the entire bunk couldn’t make it, a majority of the bunk showed up for a weekend of art projects, dinner out on the town and rollerblading.  I was able to stop by for a few hours to be part of the fun.  The girls were excited to see me and while I was there, all we could talk about was our favorite thing…Canadensis!  Of course, within the first few minutes, I was attacked with the pony tail treatment.  Here is a pic…

Party at Diana Altman's House this past weekend. In attendance was Jessie Novey, Sydney Sable, Olivia Menkowitz, Lindsey Reiter, Alexa Binday, Dani Sussman, Lauren LaMagna and brother Jonathan Altman. I got the pony tail treatment very early in the day as you can see.

The next day, I got several calls from the girls in the bunk who let me know that they were on the radio giving a shout out to Camp Canadensis.  Click the following link to listen.

Click here to listen to Canadensis on the Radio.

Congratulations goes out to Greg Ricken, who was the victor of our First Annual Camp Canadensis Craziness College Basketball Selection Pool.  Greg apparently didn’t have Kansas, Kentucky or Syracuse winning the tournament and therefore won by process of default.  Ha Ha!  Only kidding, Greg.  Way to go!  Greg will win a very special prize as the winner, including a big hug from Jared “Groundhog” Katzman.  Now, that is special!  By the way, that final game last night with Duke just barely beating out Butler was one heckuva game!

I wanted to share with you a very cool new activity we will be doing at camp this summer that I think everyone is sure to enjoy!  A few weeks ago at the Tri-State Camp Conference, I had the opportunity of meeting Adam Issadore, who is a music teacher in Westchester County, NY.  Adam is also a very accomplished drummer.  When he was a child, he went to Camp Akiba and is very familiar with sleepaway camp.  This summer, he will be coming to Canadensis with his company Path To Rhythm.  For two days, campers and staff will be participating in drum circles.  For more information, please visit his website at www.pathtorhythm.com.  This is going to be an awesome activity!

More blogging coming soon.  Until then…Have a great day…Brian