Well after 3 days of working from our new winter office, I am off to Florida. Just as I unpacked and moved back into my apartment in Philadelphia, it’s time to pack for sunny Florida. While I am down there, I will be meeting up with Julie Santiago (from our main office), having a few business meetings, and relaxing/enjoying the sun (hopefully!).

It’s hard to believe that we are already planning for Summer 2010. We have begun to look at the camper survey and it has provided us with a wealth of information. At this point, about half of our Summer 2009 campers have completed one. If you haven’t yet, please take just 5 minutes and go to : http://www.tinyurl.com/canadensis to complete our online survey. We will be using the results to help shape our program/menus, etc. for Summer 2010.

Otherwise, the Canadensis Courier will be coming out soon. Jason has been hard at work finishing our first edition of this year’s newsletter. As we have been promising all week, the look back Today Show will be coming out very shortly as well. So, the moral of the story is to keep checking the website for fun things over the winter to tide you over until Summer 2010!

Finally, while I am relaxing in Florida, Jaycal has lined up a great team of guest bloggers! So, keep checking back for fun updates.

Until next week, have a great weekend and Happy New Year!!

Starting Monday

Hello Canadensis!

Love this blogging thing!  I don’t know how many of you know this, but I work most days from my home in Montclair, NJ.  Yeah Jersey!  But, once or twice a week, I make my way down to Pennsylvania and work out of our official winter office. 

On Monday, our winter office changed locations from Wyncote, PA to Plymouth Meeting, PA.  I drove down to our new winter office this morning and WOW!  It’s great!  The building is just a down from the Plymouth Meeting Mall on Germantown Pike and convenient to a lot of different places, including a ton of new places to have lunch.  Maybe in the upcoming months, Cara will give a video tour of the office like she did for the old office.  

I spent some time last night re-watching some of the Canadensis Today Show videos from the summer.  They sure were terrific!  Forti and Will did an amazing job hosting the show.  As always, so much credit also goes to Jason “JayCal” Calabretta for his production work shooting and editing the videos. I know I had a blast the few times I got a chance to guest host on the show.  From what I’ve heard, JayCal is already thinking of ways to make the show even better next summer.  There will also be a Canadensis Today Show “Looking Back” episode coming out very, very soon.  Be on the lookout for that. 

More blogging tomorrow!

Until then…Have a great day…Brian

Hello Canadensis!

So, here it is.  My first blog.  I saw how much fun Eric and Cara were having with their blogs that I decided to jump in and have a little fun, too.  And yes, that picture of me is with the Giants Super Bowl Ring from the 2007-08 Season.  Thanks again to Canadensis Alumni and Giants Team Nutritionist Heidi Skolnick for bringing her ring to camp this summer and letting me wear it around camp.

Today is the first day of fall, marking the official end of summer.  Booooo!  I know that we all wish we could go back and do the summer all over again after such an amazing 2009 season!  But, before you know it, we will be in the 18325 for camp’s 70th Anniversary Summer.  Pretty cool.

It’s actually been a few weeks since my last day living up at camp as I am now back in New Jersey for the fall, winter and spring months.  As is always the case, my body was completely exhausted and I spent the first two days back sleeping very late each day.  It was also good catching up with friends and family.

My first week back also included my other home away from home…Giants Stadium…for Opening Day vs. the Redskins.  What a beautiful day that was from good weather to great food to a Big Blue win to kick off the season.  During our tailgate, I broke out my Zoogle stick and taught a few of my friends how to play.  So many people were watching us with a confused but intrigued look.  It was really funny.  I even ran into Canadensis parent Kevin Sandler and former camper Scott Sandler in the parking lot.  As is always the case, if you are ever in the stadium lot on game day, please stop by our tailgate in Lot 5F to say hello.  Here’s a pic from Opening Day!

Last week, I actually got away for a bit and make a mini road trip up north to Rhode Island, Vermont and upstate New York to see my favorite band, The Black Crowes.  It was a really fun trip and the shows were great!

I now know why Cara loves Burlington and the University of Vermont so much.  It is beautiful.  Of course, Cara provided me with one of her colorful, hand-drawn maps of what to do and see while there.  Cara recommended that we cruise around on Church Street, the college’s main strip of stores, and do some shopping / eating there.  We ended up buying a lot of stuff with maple in it.  Have you ever tried maple cotton candy.  Delicious!

Our final stop on the trip was to Kingston / Woodstock, NY.  I actually used to live in Kingston from 1996-98, so it was a walk down memory lane for me.  I actually drove by my old apartment and office while I was there.  The day in Woodstock was gorgeous and the town was hopping with shoppers, flea markets and music.

Finally, my vacation ended with another Big Blue Victory from my beloved Giants, beating those hated Cowboys (sorry Dan Block).  By the way, that Cowboy Stadium is pretty cool.

So, now it’s back to work.  I will once again be hitting the road, trying to meet as many camp families as possible through the winter.  In fact, I got to see Kelsey and Jordan Rosen the other day.  They are doing really good, although both also really wish to be back at camp.

Looking forward to blogging each day to keep in touch with everyone!

Until then…Have a Great Day…Brian.

Well the end of Summer 2009 is officially here. I am in the process of moving my life from Canadensis back to Philadelphia, so no blog posting today. However, I have a short video clip for you to enjoy, which is a small small clip taken from the Canadensis Today Looks Back at 2009 show, which will be posted VERY VERY soon!

I have written on this blog since it’s inception and sometimes I am sure at times it may get just slightly boring for you to read. I mean my adventures and life are just so interesting all the time so I couldn’t imagine this blog ever getting dull, but anyway, I have decided that starting today, we will have guest bloggers from time to time. If you think you would be a good guest blogger, please email me eric@canadensis.com so I can feature you in a future blog.

For our very first guest blogger, I introduce you to Marshall Weinstein. Marshall has worked at camp for 4 summers and was a groupleader this past summer for our Lower Inter Boys. Marshall is a great counselor/group leader and is also a very close friend of mine personally. Although we don’t see each other during the winter, it’s always great seeing him throughout the summer. One final note, Marshall admitted that it wasn’t so easy to write his first blog entry, so perhaps some of you will understand that at times, it’s a difficult thing to do, nevertheless it’s something I absolutely love doing!

Hi camp family!!

It’s Marshall, guest blogging for Forti.  Not sure why he asked me, but I am happy to say hi nonetheless. I am coming to you all the way from Bellingham, Washington. It is in Northern Washington, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border and 80 miles north of Seattle, where my family is. Check it out on a map if you are really curious. I am three weeks into my last quarter of college. I could not be more excited about graduating in December.

I am student teaching in a third grade classroom in a brand new school. The kids in my class are a blast, of course not as much fun as all of you, but still a lot of fun. I take over the classroom full time in the middle of October. Wish me luck! I am currently teaching a unit on the geography of Washington State; (see the picture below to see my teaching about continents) my kids are learning all about maps and geographical features like mountains, oceans, rivers and things like that in Washington. They are really into it.

I got a chance to go home and go to the University of Washington football game this weekend with my brother who goes to school there. It was amazing to be at the game and watch the Huskies beat number 3 USC. Got to rush the field and everything. Just had to mention it if there are any USC fans at camp. Washington football is back; lets go DAWGS!!!

Anyway, that is about all that is going on with me. Teaching, Teaching, and more teaching. Can’t wait to see you all for Summer 2010 and to get that five-year jacket with my fellow five years! Shout out to Lower Inter Boys of summers 08 and 09. Miss all of you, thanks for two amazing summers. Thanks again to Forti for asking me to blog and say hi.

Marshall

Hi Camp Friends! It’s been an eventful couple of weeks since I moved out of my camp cabin and back to the real world.

The last few days of post-camp were so much fun for us all. There was only a small group of us left at camp, but we managed to get lots done during the day, and spend time together at night. Karen Sharir, Lauren Berry, and Kaelah Gasperotti all moved into the health center, so it was great to have the girls living just a short skip away from me. We spent lots of time in the Staff Lounge and Karen mastered the art of sleeping in a hammock on the health center porch. It was so hard to pack my bags and say goodbye, but I knew that everyone would be at my house later that week for their day off!

Everyone arrived at my house later in the evening, after a long day of work up at camp, and I was so relieved to see my camp friends again! We ordered pizza, talked about camp (what else is there?!) and chatted on skype with more camp friends. The next morning we made a crazy breakfast spread (Kudos to Levi, who made everyone’s individual egg orders) and spent some time shopping around town, and hanging out by the pool.

The highlight of my post-camp experience came during Indian Summer Weekend, when camp was host to families and friends, as they experienced a Canadensis weekend. Karen and I were able to take two kayaks (one blue and one gold) out on the lake. We paddled out to the middle of the lake, crossed paddles, and let ourselves float around the lake under the sun. It was the perfect setting to lie back and do nothing but talk and recount a summer full of memories. I am so excited that Karen will be home in PA this year, so I’ll get to see her more often!

After Indian Summer I was officially moved out of my cabin for good. It took me a few days to do all my camp laundry and get settled back in at home.  I spent most of my first week off with my sister, Dani Corradetti, and we made sure to have lunch with counselors Dani Cook and Rebecca Waxman as soon as possible. We tried the new pizzas at the California Pizza Kitchen and they were amazing!

Last week I got to see counselors Chris Parno and Ethan Cohen, along with counselor captain Steve Scott. The boys, who make up “The Spelling Tree”, got together to record their EP which will be debuting soon! The studio is around the corner from my house (and run by Greg, one of my high school friends, and the newest bandmate!) so I was able to drop by Saturday night , and I even got to sing along on one of the tracks! The next morning I went back over, with Dani in tow, and we sang a bit more for the group vocals. I’ll be posting plenty of pics and video as soon as the release date is closer!

Now that I’m finally all settled in, I’m here in our NEW winter office, getting ready for those brutal 10 months in which all the planning happens. Soon enough I’ll be talking to counselors, planning special days, and listening to Eric Forti “sing” along to B101. Right now things are very quiet, but I know that won’t last for long! I hope everyone is surviving the school year, urged on by the fact that camp gets closer every single day!

I miss all of you so much!

~Cara

PS: Favorite Post-Camp Quote:

“This is what camp does to me. I looked at that, and the first thing that came to mind was ‘Why is Lobster all alone? No Friends, No Friends’… ugh!”
~Lobster Lovin’ Levi

Thanks Jason for updating my blog, as I had forgotten to before I left!

The past few days, I had the unique opportunity to participate in a Residential Camp Tour. Each year, the New York American Camping Association (ACA) organizes a tour of overnight camps (similar to ours). Over 40 camp directors were present for a 2-day, 6-camp tour in the Berkshires, up in Massachusetts.

So, on Monday night I headed out for a long drive up to this beautiful part of the country. Tuesday, we toured three great residential camps. Each camp had its own unique character to it. The camps in the Berkshires generally are single-sex (boys or girls camp, not co-ed like ours) and typically are built on a portion of large public lakes. I admit, they are bigger than Lake Lenape, however they are public and that means they have neighbors who also use the lake for boating and can possibly gain access to the camp that way. Clearly, we would rather have our own private lake, than be on a public lake!

It is so valuable to spend 2 straight days walking around other camps. Besides the very necessary exercise that it provided to me (after eating here at Canadensis for 5.5 months with a baker!), it’s really neat to see what other camps are doing. See what they are building new, see what programs they are putting their resources into, get new ideas for programs, etc. One thing I noticed is that nobody has our glass fusion program and in fact their arts centers are typically smaller without a center courtyard/wraparound porch! However, I don’t want this post to be about knocking other camps, because they were each beautiful in their own special ways.

The truth is, all camps are in the same industry and so in reality we all support each other. We each find our niche and attract campers for different reasons, but the important thing is that we are all running safe, fun programs and that more and more families see the benefits that the camping industry can provide to kids. Some of the camps I visited had a few less campers this summer due to the economy, while some saw growth based on changes they made (ie- new buildings, becoming a 2 session camp instead of just offering a 7-week session, etc.)

Further, it was refreshing to talk with other camp directors and owners who went through very similar challenges to us this past summer. Be it the rain, or the threat of swine flu for example, we all collaborated on what we did right and perhaps what we could have done better in hindsight. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to meet with many well-known camp directors/owners and hear their take on Summer 2009 and even more importantly, what they are doing to prepare for an even better Summer 2010!

On a personal note, I am headed home from camp today to be with my family and spend the first 2 days of Rosh Hashanah. On my way home, I will be picking up Robin from the airport, as she is headed up north! Sunday, I will be returning to camp and on Monday we say goodbye to our wonderful postcamp staff/remaining kitchen staff and finally, on Tuesday, I HEAD BACK TO CIVILIZATION! That’s right- on Tuesday I move back to my condo in Philly, which I haven’t seen in about 6 months. I get to sleep late, cook my own meals- oh wait, that means I also have to wash the dishes! Actually, I also don’t get to sleep late, because on Wednesday, I will begin working from our brand-new office in Plymouth Meeting. But, don’t feel bad for me, because then it’s a week in Florida after that. So, alot of traveling as usual the next few weeks.

Stay tuned for a postcamp Winter Edition of Canadensis Today as we officially say goodbye to Summer 2009 with our remaining staff members.

L’shanah Tovah to all of our camp families and a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

Editor’s Note: Eric is currently on assignment up in the Berkshires and will blog as time permits.

I start with that question, because I get asked that a whole lot. Whether its out socializing with people, at the Binghamton University Reunion each year, or the person that cuts my hair, everyone wants to know what camp directors do, especially in the off season. Normally I answer with “During the off season we have group rentals, we recruit staff, recruit campers, visit existing families, accounting/finance, purchasing, traveling to exotic places, etc.”, but today I have quite a different answer for you. Here is my story:

[Before I start my story, I have to give you a few definitions first:

• Burn Pile- Most camps and business, especially up in the mountains, have a burn pile. Our burn pile is behind our shop in a contained area and meets all of the local and state regulations in terms of how we burn and what we burn. The burn pile has old cubbies that are broken and scrap wood from Color War.
• John Deere- Camp owns a backhoe similar to the one pictured below. We will refer to it as the John Deere.

Now that you know those definitions, on with the story. Since we had rain over the past several days, Tom (our maintenance caretaker) and I decided it would be a good time to light our burn pile. With all of our safeguards in place, Tom lit the fire around 9:30AM and maintained constant watch over it. At around 10:30AM he started up the John Deere to push a few more things into the fire and that’s when the problem started. I was sitting at my desk twiddling my thumbs (just kidding, busy at work of course!) and Tom called on the radio for me to come to the shop. I figured this couldn’t possibly be good. I ran up to the shop (just kidding again, wouldn’t want you to think I actually ran) and found the John Deere stopped a few feet from the fire. I said to myself, self, that wasn’t the smartest place for Tom to leave the John Deere. Turns out, on the other side of it that I couldn’t see from the distance, the back tire (about the height of a Freshman camper) literally fell off the John Deere. So now this heavy machinery was leaning on the tire, but it was completely off the rim/wheel.

Matt Unger met me up there as well as Val (another of our maintenance employees) and we immediately threw water on the fire with the nearby hose. We also had the fire department on standby just in case the fire got out of control, but luckily for us, the fire was completely under control and burning just fine. Problem was, we needed to get this heavy machine out of the way and we definitely weren’t pushing it. Val called our mechanic (who happens to be her boyfriend) and he said to try to reattach the tire. Easier said then done, this thing weighs more than a person and we had to stand only a couple of feet from the fire in order to reattach this thing. Unger got one of our trucks and tried to tow it, but of course the John Deere is the heaviest thing we own and so there was no chance of towing it.

So, now we had to think of another idea. Tom lifted up the backwheel by putting down the outrigger (a stabilizer “foot” that is on each side of the John Deere to keep it level when digging holes) and Matt and I tried to reattach the wheel. By this point, we had an audience of Kaelah, Karen Sharir, and Winch and they were hosing down the fire to keep it back and try to cool us down. After about 10-15 minutes and very hot necks and backs, Matt and I got 2 bolts sort of reattached and the tire back in place. Tom backed it up a few feet and got it out of the way. One other funny (I suppose thing) was when Karen Sharir hosed my back down my shirt was literally steaming from the heat. I laugh about it now, but I wasn’t at the time.

Well all is well up at camp. The burnpile burned and now it is back to dirt and the John Deere will be fixed tomorrow by our wonderful mechanic. So, what lesson did we learn? Next time you are operating a giant machine, make sure the bolts holding the tire on are TIGHT:)

There you go, that’s what a camp director does on a Saturday morning in September.