Max getting ready for a fun day at camp!

Max Hecht

University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Business Administration. From Plainview, NY.

Years at Camp:10

Position this Summer: Group Leader

Previous Positions: Junior Counselor, General Bunk Counselor

Favorite Camp Memory: CIT summer amazing race.

Advice for first year staff: Treat the kids with respect. You give respect, you’ll get it back in return.

One thing you’re going to do this summer that you’ve never done before: Mah Jongg.

Advice for a first time camper: Don’t take a second for granted. These seven weeks will fly by. Cherish every moment of it.

Carli in the middle of a CIT 2009 hug by the lake!

Carli Sukonik (CJ)

Lehigh University studying Graphic Design; from Penn Valley, PA

Years at Camp: This will be my 9th summer

Position this Summer: General Counselor, with some lacrosse on the side 

Previous Positions: JC!!

Favorite Camp Memory: A memory that has stuck with me to this day was from my first summer at camp in 2003. I was 10 years old and went camping for my first time. Although nervous at first, I ended up really enjoying all the activities that were planned for my friends and me. The first activity I loved was the trust walk. All of us walked in a single file line with our eyes closed and our hand on the shoulder of the girl in front of us to help guide the way. The leader of the walk (who fortunately had their eyes open  ) guided us to an opening in the woods where we could see the stars perfectly and hear the water of a nearby waterfall rolling in a short distance away. I remember the next morning was even more exciting because we got to make blueberry pancakes with blueberries that we picked fresh off the bush on our morning walk. What a great way to start off an amazing camp experience at Canadensis!

Advice for first year staff: Being around kids on such a regular basis can be overwhelming at times, but you have to remember how special they make your summer, along with how special you make theirs. Make sure you develop great relationships with the campers; you are their role model and it is the best feeling in the world knowing how much respect a camper has for you and the impact you can make on their life.

One thing you’re going to do this summer that you’ve never done before: Even after being at camp for half of my life, and participating in and enjoying nearly every activity, I have still never tried to ride a Honda. For those of you who do not know, we refer to the small, motorized dirt bikes as Hondas at Canadensis. I definitely want to try them this summer!

Advice for a first time camper: Whenever you get homesick, simply take a step back and look at what you are surrounded by. Not only is there a beautiful camp around you that offers every activity under the sun, but there is also a close-knit family that is there to help you whenever you need. Believe me, I know it is a lot easier said than done, but try to appreciate how lucky you are to be a part of the incredible Canadensis family.

Captain Caila applies gold face-paint to one of her campers...

Caila Cohen

Melville, NY

Years at Camp: This will be my 9th summer

Position this Summer: General Counselor

Previous Positions: CIT (Color War Captain of Gold Arcade in 2011)

Favorite Camp Memory: My favorite camp memory would have to be when the CITs and I went out in a huge rainstorm and just danced. It was still warm out but since the rain was heavy we got soaked in less than a minute. We just went around the senior girls tennis courts, laughing and running. Then, we all went inside and dried off and had a great BUNKO day. This was amazing and was something we never had a chance to do until this past summer.

Advice for first year staff: Though I have never been a counselor before, I have learned from my camper experiences that it really means a lot to the kids when the staff member is there for them, for both support and for a good time. Yes, a counselor has a job to make sure that the kids follow the rules and have a safe camp experience, but it is also very important to make sure that the campers’ summers are the best and have endless opportunities to have fun and create memories.

One thing you’re going to do this summer that you’ve never done before: This summer, I am going to go on the triple dare which I have not been on in quite a few years. I’m sure that I will have a chance to go on with my campers or even my friends too.

Advice for a first time camper: My advice for a first time camper is to live every moment to its fullest. Camp is a privilege and though it seems like 7 weeks are a long time, it goes by in rapid speed. The memories you create, the experiences you have, and the friendships you make are like no other and they should be treasured.

I hope you have been enjoying the amazing weather we are having on the East Coast!  Today is another beautiful day (I can see it from my office window) and it reminds me how quickly camp is coming!  During the summer, one of my favorite afternoon snacks is to drink a Fresca, with a special straw…I actually use a Red Vine!  Red Vines are a much better version of the popular twizzler candy.  I know some people who don’t love the taste, but I think it’s a far superior candy, and it works really well as a straw!  When you drink it with the Fresca soda, it starts to melt and you get an extra burst of “fruitiness” with your drink!

I mentioned that this was one of my favorite snacks to Ilana and Alexis while I was giving them a tour of camp last summer, and they actually remembered!!  When I went to visit them this winter in NY, they gave me a parting gift with Red Vines and Fresca, and today was the perfect day to start enjoying them!  Thanks girls!

(Alexis and Ilana)

I’m excited to see you, and many more of our new campers at our New Camper Bowling Event this Sunday…it’s going to be so much fun!

Pete as Color War Counselor Captain in 2008

Pete Tarnoff, Group Leader
Kutztown University, Elementary Education.

Years at Camp: 14

Favorite Camp Memory: Color War 2008, being a Counselor Captain for Tropical Gold.

Advice for first year staff: Care about what you do. If you care about the kids and take pride in being a great counselor, the rewards are endless.

One thing you’re going to do this summer that you’ve never done before: I want to try and learn to wakeboard during free time if possible. I’ve been wanting to try it for years.

Advice for a first time camper: ENJOY EVERY MINUTE!!! The friends you will make will be treasured for a lifetime. You don’t get to be a Camper forever. ENJOY IT!!!

I arrived in London, England just a few hours ago!  This is my final stop in February for staff hiring, and I’m excited to be participating in the Camp America Staffing Fairs in the United Kingdom!  I got to attend this fair a few years ago, and before that, I spent a summer living in London while I was in high school.  I was actually setup with an internship with a photographer, and being a photographer was the only other job I ever thought I wanted besides from being a camp director!

London is gearing up to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and you can learn some London Fun Facts by clicking here!  I’m so excited to see some of our staff who live over there, and I’ll be uploading a photo of us soon!

I recently got to spend a lovely Saturday morning getting to know a new camper who lives on the Upper West Side of NYC.  Michele is a current 4th grader, and will be a Lower Inter Girl at camp this summer.  I first met her when she came up to take a tour of Canadensis and I was her guide – so it was only fitting that we switched roles, and she gave me a guided tour of her apartment!  I was so impressed by her awesome room – she has shinny pink carpet, oversize 3D cube art coming out of the walls, and fun stuff in every direction you look!  However, if you get dizzy, I don’t recommend looking down and out the window…she’s so high up that the people on the street below look like ants!

We both love dogs, and as you can see from the photo above, her dog Oreo is super cute!  This photo doesn’t even show how cute he is, but he loves to play soccer…just like Michele!  She loves the color blue, and all kinds of sports – she plays tennis mostly, but she also has gone to a golf camp, and played a season of softball.  She is a really good student, and she was telling me about the different class room jobs she has.  She is in charge of answering the classroom phone, but she also gets different jobs every two weeks…like being in charge of recycling, or giving out snack.  She said the best job is being the joke teller…which sounds like a great idea for our camp job wheel!  Oue bunk jobs rotates everyday so campers get to do different things that help keep the bunk clean.  Even when she’s not in school, Michele makes sure to spend 30 minutes a day reading.  Right now she’s enjoying the Percy Jackson book series.

She’s going to have no trouble finding foods she likes at camp this summer, and some of her favorites on the salad bar will be red peppers, cucumbers and carrots.  We talked about the awesome new water slides we are building in the brand new blue pool, and although she doesn’t think she’s ever been on a water slide, she is planning to try it this summer!  Although she doesn’t know anyone coming to Canadensis yet, she has a lot of friends at home…including some that live in the same building as her, so they are only an elevator ride away!  She was off to a chocolate birthday party at Max Brenners after our home visit, and hopefully one of her new camp friends will have a summer birthday so she can see what it’s like to have a Canadensis pizza birthday celebration!

Earlier this winter, “Aunt” Terri, the owner of Camp Canadensis, was taking a trip to London and Paris.  She had a great idea to pull together our international campers, and throw a “Canteen on the Fly” for our French campers!  Since we had just finished giving out t-shirts to all the US Campers that came to our Canteen’s on the Fly in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we thought we could make a special shirt for those overseas…

Supplies:

-A clean, pre-washed t-shirt – and an extra cloth

-Iron-on appliques – easily found at a craft store like Joann, Michaels or AC Moore.

-An iron and ironing board.

Instructions (This is super easy!)

1.  Layout the appliques and make sure they are in a straight line.

2.  Grab your extra cloth (I used another t-shirt) and use it as a barrier between your letters and the hot iron.  Make sure your letters aren’t shifting before you place the iron down!

3.  Press hard and gently move the iron in circles for however long it says on your package.

4.  Let the shirt cool, and enjoy your personalized shirt!

Here all the final shirts for “Aunt” Terri, the Paris campers, and an outstanding staff member named Lauren Berry who is currently living in London!