I delayed my “Frame Worthy Friday” blog until today because I knew I wanted to post some photos from Canadensis Halloween during the summer!  We don’t really need excuses to dress up at camp – between the 4th of July, Crazy Night, Miss Canadensis, the Camp Shows and Color War, it’s actually rare to go a whole day without seeing someone in costume!

We pull out all the stops for the Canadensis Halloween Celebration – which includes trick or treating, games, costume contests, parades, “haunted houses”, golf cart “hay rides” and so much more!  Below are some of my favorite pictures from last year – I hope you have a very Happy Halloween!!!

I dressed up as grapes – Eric was an apple, and Brian was a banana.  We all wore capes, and were “Fruit on the Fly” – which is an awesome time each day when the camp comes together and enjoys a fruit snack.  Here I am with Super Seniors: Sam as Kermit the Frog, and Carly as a Canadensis Hockey Player.

Girls Bunk 8

Cowboy Roy and Mets Player Josh

Boys Bunk 8

Ben dressed as Mario, and Ethan as a magician

Girls Bunk 5

With Julia dressed as a Pajama Girl – did I mention that I’m wearing this 50 pound costume on one of the hottest days of the summer??

It’s that time of year again! Time for the Winter Office MONSTER MASH.

Hello Canadensis…

So much to say, so I’m just going to get right to it!  First off, thanks to everyone that came out to our first and second rounds of Canteen on the Fly.  In two days, we hit New York City, West Chester, Northern New Jersey on Saturday and two locations in the Philadelphia suburbs on Sunday.  First off, what a turnout!  It was so good to see so many campers, parents and staff, all who are missing camp immensely!  It was good to see what so many campers are up to as well.

Here are a few tidbits from the Canteen on the Fly…

In NYC:  Upper Inter Boys Jones Pearlman and Derek Coval came from a sleepover get-together.  Jones has been busy with swimming, sports and skateboarding while Derek is playing tennis and basketball.  Upper Inter Boy Zach Sher told us that he was in the new State Farm Insurance commercial directed by Spike Lee!  Upper Inter Girl Gaby Hirsch told us she was auditioning for the the upcoming school musical School House Rock.  Freshman Boy Andy Grossman was headed to a soccer game, but will also be playing basketball and baseball later this year.

In West Chester County, NY:  Freshman Girl Brianna Havraniak has been active with lacrosse clinics.  In the spring, she will be playing full games.  Junior Girl Jordan Plant was telling new camper for Summer 2012 Zoe Gellert just how much fun they will have at Canadensis!  New campers Jordana Binday and Elizabeth Knox got to meet for the first time as they will both be Junior Girls in Summer 2012.

In Northern NJ:  Lower Inter Girl Stella Scheier and Lower Inter Boy Jacob Dennis are both wrapped up in their soccer seasons.  In fact, both showed up in uniform.  Lower Senior Boy David Altschul was also in uniform, having come from a fall baseball game.  He was joined by 2012 CIT Girl Becca Altschul, who just can’t wait for next summer’s CIT experience!  New camper and Junior Boy Brandon Shaw told me all about how he loves to bike as much as possible.

In PA:  Freshman Boy Adam Aronson is busy with two fall baseball teams.  Junior Boys Alex Solomon and Idan Jaffe are playing soccer as is Upper Inter Girls Lauren Greene and Brianna Marburg.  Freshman Boy Eric Miller is back playing on his travel ice hockey team.  His sister, Ilana Miller, who will be joining us for her first summer in 2012, is incredibly active with a number of different dance classes.  Super Senior Girls Mindy Rosenthal and Allie Ernst were already thinking about designs for a Super Senior sweatshirt for 2012.  Special hats off goes to Mindy and Allie as well as Lauren Greene, Brianna Marburg and Valerie Solomon, all who actually attended both PA Canteen on the Fly Events.

Here are some pics from the Canteen on the Fly…

Eric Forti with the Sher Boys, Ben and Zach.

Jason "J.Cal" Calabretta with Gaby Hirsch and Jones Pearlman.

Jake Garfinkle, Sammy Halpern, Harrison Keim and Josh Silverstein from Summer 2011's Bunk 8.

Pete Tarnoff and Eric Miller having some ice cream and a smile!

Me and 2012 Junior Girl Ilana Miller.

Me with (From Left to Right): Idan Jaffe, Alex Solomon, Jordyn Marburg, Brianna Marburg, Lauren Greene and Valerie Solomon.

Special thanks to Cold Stone Creamery, Rita’s Ices, Mark and Julie’s Ice Cream, Udder Delight and Carvel for putting up with all of our camp craziness.  We hope we will see all of our Long Island campers on Friday, November 11 for our last Canteen on the Fly.

A few weeks ago, as also reported on the other blogs, we had a very special occasion to attend in Holyoke, MA.  Assistant Girls Head Counselor Alyssa Thibodeau and Assistant Boys Head Counselor Mike Lindquist got married!  If you didn’t know, Mike and Alyssa met at camp in Summer 2007, which was Mike’s second summer and Alyssa’s first.  They also got engaged at camp in Summer 2010.  The wedding was at a place called the Log Cabin (very campy, don’t you think) and the ceremony had spectacular views of fall colors at the top of a mountain.  The guest list was comprised of so many Canadensis people.  Really, there were so many that I can’t name them all.  In fact, there was so many Canadensis people there, we could have had a legitimate Color War.  Ha Ha!  Seriously though, it was so good to have so many people from our extended camp family attend and goes to show just how our Canadensis community is so supportive of each other.  And, of course, because it is probably funny for all of you to see us in formal wear, here are some pics…

Alyssa and Mike say "I do."

Me and Jaime with Cara and Phoebe.

Me and J.Cal.

Congratulations, Alyssa and Mike!  We loved that we could be there on your very special day.

With the fall season upon us, it is definitely safe to say that my schedule is starting to get full with home visits to campers.  As I’ve said in previous blogs, this is one of my favorite things to do in the off season.  Getting things started, I met two of our new Junior Girls (both currently in 3rd grade), Joey Dallow and Zoe Bustin, in Livingston, NJ.  Joey and Zoe met at this summer’s Tour and More Weekend and are super excited to be coming to Canadensis in 2012.  Joey and Zoe (hey, that rhymes) filled me in on all they were up to.  Joey likes to do art, play soccer, basketball and lacrosse, likes to run and loves hanging out with all of her friends.  Zoe, who is also a 2nd generation Canadensis camper as mom Dina attended camp, told me that she also plays soccer, loves to go sledding in the winter and in the spring will play softball.  She also mentioned that she loves to eat candy.  This summer, Joey and Zoe are looking forward to activities such as the ropes course, the theater program, art, cooking, canteen, free play and swimming.  In fact, when I asked them what they are excited about for camp, both answered, “Mostly everything!”  Great answer!  Here is a photo…

Me with 2012 Junior Girls Joey Dallow and Zoe Bustin.

Last week, we were back up at camp.  Eric, Matt and I were looking into some new projects that we want to get underway.  There is a big announcement coming soon for our big project for Summer 2012, but right now, we can also let you know that we will be adding a new fitness room at the back of the Rec Hall and will be upgrading our baseball and softball fields with new backstops and fences.  It’s going to look great! Again, be on the lookout for our big announcement.

On a personal note, I always like to share what I’ve been up to when not involved with camp things.  As always, I’ve been in Lot L12 for every Giants home game so far.  For two weeks, I was even joined by some Canadensis families.  At the Seahawks game, I was met by Canadensis parents Dan and Gail Keim.  At the Bills game, I got to hang out with Upper Inter Boy Noah Stern and his father David, who drove all the way up from Philly to root for their Giants!  As always, if you have a ticket for the game, be sure to stop by and say hello to me in Lot L12.  There is always plenty to eat as well.

As you may know, outside of camp, one of my other passions is music.  I’ve seen a number of great acts the past few weeks, including Bruce Hornsby, Trey Anastasio (of Phish), Chris Robinson (of the Black Crowes) and G. Love and Special Sauce (yes, it’s a funny name).

Finally, what’s everyone dressing up as for Halloween?  We want to know.  Send us your pics and we’ll include them in our next newsletter or post them on our blogs.  You can send them to me or anyone in the Canadensis office at info@canadensis.com or brian@canadensis.com .

More blogging to come!  Have a great day!

-Brian

I loved it! Who watched Once Upon a Time on Sunday?!?!?!

(Originally written in September 2011)

Dear Campers and Staff from Summer 2011,

Wow! What an awesome summer it was. I am sitting at my desk up at camp, 8:30PM on a Monday night in September, it is freezing outside (well in the 40’s), and camp is LONELY. Trust me, I love every minute being at camp, but it’s just not the same as when 700 people are running around!

In just 49 days, so many memories were formed for both campers, staff, and campers/staff together. I remember back to our week-long staff orientation with our annual Welcome Circle, The Amazing Race, the staff pool party, and much more. Then all of our campers arrived and I vividly remember the buses pulling up to the pavilion for lice checks and trying to “hold back” the staff from running up to our campers, past the skin diamond, with big hugs for all!

And how many times did the Junior boys try to hit me with a water balloon this summer all the way up to the CIT boys trying to get me into their baby pool! I can’t forget the 2 days I got to bond with the Freshman boys out of camp in Cooperstown, NY. Luckily, nobody got left behind at the West Point Military Academy and how about all of the boys trying to drive those go-karts and hitting the staff “accidentally”! On girls side, the senior girls invited me to play in games of BBK (which surprisingly I scored a homerun!) to hanging with girls camp during the all-camp swims on super hot days, I enjoyed getting to know all of our new campers and seeing our returners!

It would be remiss of me not to mention the Canadensis Today Show and all of the fun we had producing it. From picking a different menu reader each day to our wonderful C-Reporters, to the birthday patrol, campers were involved more than ever in what has become such a hit for our families and alumni back at home. Special thanks to all the staff who allowed us to come and interrupt your 1st period group and film on location, especially to Kate Mullen when we interrupted the dress rehearsal for Aladdin!

Don’t forget that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes and there is one group of people that often do get forgotten about. Our support staff, consisting of 26 hard-working European college students are an essential part of camp life. After all, who would wash all of our clothes, feed us, keep us safe and secure, and pickup all of our trash! So, a special thanks goes to our fine group of young men and women for all they do (except when they decided to “steal” the Color War box!)

And to all of the campers and staff who helped shape Summer 2011 into what it was, thank you. Don’t forget that camp lives on throughout the winter and I personally can’t wait to see everyone at our Canteen on the Fly’s, our Winter Reunion, charity events, sporting events, home visits, and all of our other fun get togethers! Keep in touch and let us know what you are all up to! Most importantly, we’ll see you right back here for Summer 2012!

Last Monday, if you would have called in to WHYY (NPR Radio here in Philly) that’s what you would have heard! Camp Canadensis volunteers answered the phones and helped raise over $3,000 for the radio station. Our name was mentioned on the radio a bunch of times and you could hear Pam and Phoebe cheering/screaming/clapping in the background each time they mentioned Canadensis. Special thanks to the Starkmans and Calabrettas who called in while we were manning the phones. I should also mention we were fed really well from a donation by a local restaurant, Bistro St. Tropez and it was DELICIOUS. Who could ever pass up free food??!!

The highlight of the end of the week was of course our annual CANTEEN ON THE FLY EVENTS! We held 5 over the weekend and if I had to guess, I would say we had over 200 people in attendance. Campers running around, coloring in the Indian Head, hanging out with their friends, and of course eating ice cream! And how about our “groupies” who followed us to BOTH Philly area locations on Sunday. We love seeing that! It was also great seeing many of our campers wearing their TACS (dogtags) proudly around their neck.

Pictures of the entire event as well as a special Canadensis Today will be posted soon, so check back!

Robin and I answering the phones!

You should definitely get in your car, and come meet me at a Canteen on the Fly this weekend!  We’ll be eating ice cream and giving out camp t-shirts…which sounds like the most perfect day ever!  Check out the locations below:

And now, for your visual enjoyment…some pictures for my weekly “Frame Worthy Friday”:

We are so excited for this weekends CANTEEN ON THE FLY events. We hope that many of our campers, staff, alumni and future campers will join us for some free ice cream. All those that attend will receive a T-Shirt as well. The dates and locations are as follows…

After a crazy camp wedding weekend you didn’t really think we could all just return to business as usual, right? Of course not! Instead of our typical Monday in the office, the Canadensis winter staff met in Philadelphia at the WHYY studios to volunteer and lend our support to public broadcasting. Here’s the photo diary:

Uncle Don and Phoebe ready to take calls!

Neil and Aunt Terri taking donations.

Dave and Pam love NPR!

Eric is in the hot seat!

Phoebe and I take a break from taking calls to pose!

Robin cheers after a big donation!

Matt takes a call while Phoebe waits for the phone to ring...

It wouldn’t be a Canadensis event if we didn’t go out to FroYo afterwards!!!

We were hungry for Froyo!

As always we had a great time just being together, and it was made all the better knowing we were supporting public radio and television! Since we haven’t had enough yet, next weekend we’ll be hitting the road for TWO DAYS of Canteen on the Fly! Hope to see you there!

The past few days have been super fun and packed full of Canadensis goodness!!  This weekend, a large crew of Canadensis folks headed up to Holyoke, Mass to celebrate the wedding of Alyssa and Mike.  They met at Canadensis more than 5 years ago, and have continued to return year after year.  They were both Head Counselors in 2011, and their time at camp was mentioned quite a bit throughout the ceremony and reception.  They are truly a perfect and loving couple, and I wish them all the best!

The day after the wedding, we moved our Camp Canadensis office to the WHYY Studios – which is the National Public Radio station in Philadelphia.  We were trained and oriented as volunteers for their fall membership pledge drive.  We sat and answered phones for more than 5 hours, and just like everything we do…we made it a lot of fun!  It was great to hear from people connected with Canadensis, most notably, our own Jason “JCal” Calabretta – his father Peter – and Brandon Starkman’s grandma!  In total, we took pledges that summed $3,693…and we enjoyed it so much that we might be back for a televised fundraiser in the future…stay tuned!

This upcoming weekend will also be packed with Canadensis goodness because we are hosting our Canteen on the Fly, ice cream get-togethers in a town near you!  However, we love when camp friends host their own reunions and tell us about them!  I got an amazing email and photo from a great camp mom recently that simply said “These three girls live each other so much and are the best of friends. Thought you might enjoy seeing a picture of them.”  I thought you might enjoy seeing the picture too, so check it out below!