Hello Canadensis…

We had our New Camper Bowling Event this weekend on Sunday, April 18. It was an opportunity for our new campers (and some of our returning campers) in the Junior and Lower Inter Divisions to meet each other. Of course, our Canadensis Today Show was there to catch all of the action.

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Hey Canadensis,

What a great weekend we just had! Robin Hasson, Will Armon and Jason “JCal” Calabretta were all here for a very camp filled weekend! Everyone came in for our New Camper Bowling event which was held yesterday in New Jersey. On Saturday night we had a great camp dinner with Pam, Cara and Karen Sharir. It was great because we got to talk camp and discuss idea for the upcoming summer. We went to  a great pizza place in Philly that had all different types of pizza, so we had to try them all! For desert JCal brought cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes in Washington! They looks so good and tasted even better!

On Sunday morning we got up early and headed off to the Brunswick Zone for new camper bowling. The event was held at the same location as our reunion at the Brunswick Zone in North Brunswick, NJ. This event allowed our new campers to meet one another, meet some of camp’s leadership staff and have a good time bowling, playing games and eating pizza! Everyone had a great time and we can’t wait to see everyone again at our Open House on June 6th! Me and Will did film a special Canadensis Today episode that will go on the web-site when JCal is finished editing! Special Thanks to Pete Tarnoff for coming out and helping us out!

On a side note, Matt Unger officially moved up to camp today for the summer which means camp is even closer! Check out the latest tweets from camp on our twitter page: www.twitter.com/canadensis.com. Our pre-camp staff begins arriving in the next few days and then in a few weeks the rest of the winter office staff will move up. Then on June 26th the buses will roll in and Summer 2010 will officially kick off! Also, if you haven’t heard about our Anchor for Today contest yet please look at the post below for details on a very special contest to get YOU on Canadensis Today!!

Hope everyone is enjoying this great weather we’ve been having! More blogging soon.

Aunt Terri and Robin!

Pam and Eric pose for a picture!

We all know and love the Canadensis Today show, and we are very excited to announce the addition of Canadensis Tonight to the Canadensis Entertainment Network Saturday night lineup. Canadensis tonight will feature series regulars, as well as weekly guests, made up of campers and staff of all ages, as we continue to bring you coverage of all the happenings of summer 2010.

To audition for a recurring or guest starring role on Canadensis Tonight, keep checking the blog for breaking news and details!

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…

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…

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…

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

This weekend the Corradetti, Waxman, and Cook girls got together for our annual Passover dinner-and-a-movie, and couldn’t resist the opportunity to take a picture with the Easter Bunny. We each got a copy for our parents to treasure, and our Cheesecake Factory Waiter helped us to create “The Passover Special”, a grilled chicken dish with all sorts of substitutes to make the meal passover friendly. After dinner we went to the movies to see Alice in Wonderland, and it was great… the perfect end to our passover event.

Anchor for Today! We are excited to announce a brand new contest that will allow YOU to come and CO-HOST an episode of Canadensis Today this summer! Anchor for Today is open to all of our Canadensis Campers, Staff, Parents and Alumni!

Here are the rules: 1) Make a 1-2 min video of YOU hosting Canadensis Today by yourself or with your family or camp friends. 2) Upload your video to YouTube.com and email the link to contest@canadensis.com or send in your video to contest@canadensis.com Make sure to include your first and last name and if you’re entering as a camper, parent or alumni.

**An example of a submission can be found below**

We will then select our finalists and post them online for the Canadensis Community to vote and choose the winners!

Camper Winner: 1^st Place: Will Co-Host alongside Eric Forti and Will Armon this summer. 2^nd Place: Read the Menu and Birthdays on an episode of Canadensis Today. 3^rd Place: An autograph picture of Eric Forti and Will Armon and a Mule ride with ERIC AND WILL.

Staff Winner: The opportunity to file a report for Canadensis Today during Staff Orientation 2010.

Parent Winner: The opportunity to file a report for Canadensis Today on VISITING DAY 2010.

Alumni Winner: The opportunity to file a report for our Special 70^th Birthday Party on June 19^th at the Alumni Reunion.

**ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE IN BY MONDAY, MAY 10TH**

Got questions? Email jcal@canadensis.com

Hey Canadensis,

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Passover! I am up in Boston for the next few days with my family and my niece Emily! Robin is flying in on Tuesday and can’t wait to meet Emily.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Spring Breaks and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in about 90 days up at camp. Remember to take your Canadensis Shirts with you as you travel the country and globe this break and send in pictures to jcal@canadensis.com and we’ll post them on the blog.

-Eric

Hello Canadensis…

It’s March Madness!  Originally, this saying was created to refer to the NCAA College Basketball Tournament (which I will get to later), but when you are in the camping business, it also means that camp is coming soon!  And, this year at Canadensis, it also means that we have been so busy seeing all of you at a number of our spring events.

First, there was our second Canteen on the Fly on Sunday, March 7.  We hit Cherry Hill, NJ as well as Wynnewood and Newtown, PA.  We probably got to see around 60 people at each location.  We were so happy with the turnout of both Canteen on the Fly weekends, which we estimated over 350 campers, parents, staff and friends attended!  Obviously, this is now a new tradition for Camp Canadensis.  Here are some pics from the March 7 day…

The following weekend on Sunday, March 14, Canadensis was so thrilled to help participate in the Jewish Relief Agency’s Passover Food Distribution Drive.  On a day filled with torrential downpours, we want to thank all of the families that came out to help this wonderful cause.  The JRA was an amazing experience as more than 700 people came to help box and deliver more than 2500 boxes of groceries to local low income Jewish families.  For more information on the JRA, please visit their website at www.jewishrelief.org.  Here are some pictures from this great event…

Of course, part of the March Madness also entails seeing some of our camp families.  In Short Hills, NJ, I got a chance to see new camper Sam Hunn and his sister and future Canadensis camper, Lexi Hunn.  Sam, who is currently in the 4th grade, will be a Lower Inter this summer.  At home, he enjoys Biking, Baseball, playing his guitar, Legos and video games.  This summer at camp, he can’t wait to try the Hondas as well as go Mountain Biking.  He is also excited for Water Skiing and the Ropes Course and Zipline.  As for Lexi, she takes Art classes throughout the year and plays the piano.  Here is a picture…

I also made it to Wilmington, DE to meet Alex Felzer.  Alex’s older brother Brian had been a camper at Canadensis for many summer, but now Alex is excited that it is now his turn.  Alex is in the 5th grade and will be an Upper Inter in 2010.  All year, Alex takes tennis lessons.  He just recently finished the season for his 5th grade basketball team.  In the upcoming weeks, he will be involved in the town baseball league.  This summer, Alex is really looking forward to Archery, Hondas and Mountain Biking.  Here is a pic…

Last week, part of the madness meant an annual ritual of professionals in the camping industry.  That is, our winter office headed down to Atlantic City for the Tri-State Camp Conference.

This conference is one of the many benefits we receive being an American Camp Association accredited camp.  Over the course of the three days we were there, we all attended a number of wonderful sessions that dealt with a wide range of camper, staff and parent topics.  All of us walked away with many new wonderful ideas on how to make the upcoming summer even better!  The conference is attended by over 3000 attendees which means we also get to talk with so many wonderful people at other camps.  At the same time, the conference has an amazing exhibit hall, which we walked through several times.  We got great new ideas for camp shirts, games we can play at camp and saw some items that might be fun for camp.  Here was one item, which looked like fun…

And finally, back to the initial reason why the term March Madness was created…the college basketball tournament.  As a sports fan, I find this to be one of the most exciting times of the year because of the drama of this basketball tournament.  As our Program Director always says to me, sports is the original reality TV.  For college basketball, this always seems to be true.  In fact, how many games last weekend came down to the very last two minutes?!?!  So many upsets, too!  Who expected Cornell or Northern Iowa or St. Mary’s in the Sweet 16?!?!  And, how awesome was that game involving Northern Iowa and Kansas.  Amazing!  Our staff has been involved in a Facebook pick’em bracket, who is currently being led by Justin Bruno.  As for me, I think you all know who I am rooting for…SYRACUSE!  Right now, I think I am in 7th place.  We’ll let you know who won.

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Well everyone, it’s finally looking more and more like camp season every day! Today we’ve got a bright and sunny afternoon here in the winter office, and we’ve been enjoying a few days of warm “summer-like” weather. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, it’s not QUITE summer yet, but in the Philosophy of Cara, once you start wearing open toe shoes, it’s basically camp time. So hello Birkenstocks, goodbye Uggs!

I have had a super exciting past few days, from my return from the ACA Camping Conference in Atlantic City, to the Taylor Swift Concert in Philadelphia, to a campy dinner in King of Prussia with the usual crew, and a few special guests. I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

Taylor Swift was excellent, and I know there were so many Canadensis kids in the audience! I was really impressed with how great she is live, and I’m looking forward to playing some Taylor covers on my guitar at a campfire now and then! We saw Taylor on Friday night, and then went back out Saturday to meet up with camp friends for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, and dessert and coffee at the Cheesecake Factory. Our usual group of 4 grew to 9, which was SO exciting, and definitely made for a memorable evening. We laughed harder than I’ve laughed in a long time, and even played some camp games while waiting for our table to be ready. Laughing with camp friends always reminds me why I do what I do every day, and why I love camp so much.

This week in the office has been “wild” (wild is my catchphrase, according to Forti), and the change of season has definitely put the push on the preparations for summer. The Tri-State Camp Conference got everyone seriously pumped up and we all came home with fresh new ideas, ready to make summer 2010 THE BEST SUMMER EVER!