Finally our Super Seniors will be led by Alyssa Thibodeau and Mike Lindquist

Leading our Upper Seniors will be Tricia Israel and Greg Richner

Hey Canadensis!

It’s JCal I’m up here at camp for the weekend. It has been a beautiful past few days up here in the Poconos. It was about 85 degrees here yesterday and the sun was shinning all day. I’m not the only person here this weekend, Robin is also here visiting and Cara and Brian are up here already for the summer.Yesterday we were very busy, I helped Matt Unger put together some of the tennis nets around camp, refill the soda machines and help clean the pool. I also helped Cara and the office staff with the bus and trunks mailing. Elsewhere around camp the precamp staff was busy spreading new sand on the beach front to enhance Lake Lenape’s beauty and put together the new outdoor ping pong tables for the new canteen.

There is just so much stuff going on up here at camp. We have several new videos filmed and ready to be posted in the upcoming days. Keep checking the web-site and the blog for new updates.

We’ll have much more later from the Pocono’s!

This summer the Lower Senior Group Leaders will be Karen Sharir and Levi Smathers

**Due to Technical Difficulties we will post the pictures at a later date**

At the helm of our Freshman this summer will be Kenzie Gauthier and Asher Halbert

Leading our Upper Inters this summer will be Michele Markovitz and Justin Winch

This summer the Lower Inters will be lead by Mariam Yaqub and Marshall Weinstein

Over the next few days we are going to reveal to you the 2009 Group Leaders! First up is our Junior Group Leaders, Moira Donohe and Justin Beckerman!

I’ve officially arrived at camp for the summer!

At this point, you’d never believe this was a summer camp, I’d be more easily convinced that we’re a winter ski resort- IT’S SO COLD! I got to camp Sunday around 2 in the afternoon, and luckily Eric Forti and Matt Unger had already turned on the heater in my house. I unloaded my car and began the long long process of unpacking. I’m still not completely unpacked, but I figure I’ve got a few weeks until you all arrive…

It was great arriving at dinner to three tables full of pre-camp counselors, many of whom are returning from summer 2008. We had a fun dinner together and then everyone headed to the office courts for some basketball. The guys (and Bridget!) played a great game and I had tons of fun catching up with friends on the bleachers. When the game was over everyone went off to shower and get ready for an evening out, and I went back to my cabin for some more unpacking. I made some significant progress and then decided to start watching “The Parent Trap” while I was waiting for Tony, the newest addition to our pre-camp staff, to arrive at camp. Once he was here and settled in I made a quick stop in the dining hall for late night coffee and then snuggled up with my million blankets to watch “My Best Friend’s Wedding”.

When I woke this morning it was only slightly warmer than yesterday, but I hear there’s warmer weather on the way. A pre-camp group was arriving as I made my way to the office, where I’ve set up my desk for the summer. Now I’m here in the office with Rita taking calls and working on summer schedules all while enjoying being back in the 18325.

I really can’t wait for this month to fly by! Before we know it summer will be here and we’ll be running around camp as if the past 10 months were just a blur. Until then, you can enjoy one of the songs I have been playing on repeat, an original from our own camp musical genius Steve Scott:
02-summer-sun

And for all of you out there who are as addicted to “Gossip Girl” as I am, I hope you enjoy tonight’s season finale! I’m hoping for a Chuck and Blair reunion, how about you?!?!?!?!

xoxo, Cara.

Brrrr, it’s cold outside- wasn’t that the start to a color war cheer for Blizzard Blue? Well tonight, we are expecting 30 degrees Fahrenheit (yes that’s below freezing) and it is ridiculously cold as I type this. Fortunately, the office and my cabin is heated, but the school teachers who are here preparing for the students arrival tomorrow aren’t as lucky!

This past week has been crazzyyy, but in a good way. Last Monday through Wednesday, a middle school Gold Team (the high achievers/athletes) was here with about 90 students and teachers. On Wednesday they went whitewater rafting (in wet suits of course), while we welcomed a school of 450 from the Philly area. The hours were insane- breakfast at 7AM and bedtime for me and Matt was well after 11PM. We were busy working on a food order for the week and other things.

We also had more staff members arrive- Chris Kemp and Alex Dean (both are Hondas instructors from last summer) and tonight a new staff member will be joining our team! We now have a team of 16 counselors and 7 kitchen staff running the entire camp. From maintenance to running activities to cleaning cabins in camp, its organized chaos!

This past weekend, we welcomed our largest weekend ever! Over 650 people were here. Twice a year, Aunt Terri donates our facility to the Special Olympic Athletes in the Philadelphia Suburb areas. They brought up about 100 young adults who had an absolute blast. From playing beach volleyball, hiking around the lake, climbing the wall, boating in our lake, and doing arts and crafts to watching a movie and having a prince and princess ball in the Senior Rec Hall in the evenings, they were so excited to be here. In addition to Special Olympics, we hosted a Girl Scout Troop from NJ and two YMCA groups as well. We used every cabin in camp and it was busy! All had a good time, despite the high winds and rain last night.

Speaking of last night, I was invited to a camper’s Bar Mitzvah- Matt Faden (Mazel Tov Matt)! It was a great party and I got to see many of camp’s head staff members. A great time was had by all, including myself, but the midnight – 2AM drive back to camp certainly wasn’t the highlight of my weekend! This morning, I was up at 730AM for breakfast, so I am quite tired as you can imagine. See the pictures below from the party!

I hope you all understand that I have to go and finish a few things, but I will try to post more often now that camp is truly right around the corner.  I will have a video 411 soon as well, as requested by some of the campers I saw at Matt’s Bar Mitzvah (Goodman, Small Fry, J Mitch) just to name a few!

However, first I have a really special video for all of you to watch. Please click below for a really special treat with more details about the upcoming CANADENSIS TODAY Show!

Click here to watch the NEW Canadensis Today Promo!