August 2013 - Camp Towanda

Posted on August 9, 2013 by camptowanda

Mitch’s Last Days Reflections- Summer 2013

Well the rain has cleared and our campers are united with their “Winter Families”. It was an emotional few days to close out the lucky summer of 2013.

During packing day, we went to each bunk and hung up their Bunk Plaque (shaped like a Lego piece), said our goodbyes to each camper and with the final hit of the hammer declared that the kids in that bunk “are part of these walls forever”.

Our final banquet dinner was filled with emotional words, gifts and thoughts. the Final Friday Nite Flix and the burning of the numbers.

What an incredible, rewarding, proud, all-encompassing, nurturing, loving, fun, active and terrific experince for our summer Camp Towanda family.

I wish I had the ability to put into words what really goes on here; to watch each camper (and staff member) arrive somewhat innocently bewildered and leave a more confident, kinder and experienced person…….

It is amazing, many kids show up here crying; and now they are leaving crying!

As we carried the torch to light the numbers (2013), our “tear- jerker” playlist might indicate how we were all feeling…and as the busses departed in the rain, we could hear these songs over the speakers (click here to listen).

We thank our campers’ parents for entrusting us with their precious children; we took the responsibility seriously; loved and cared for them and hopefully, with our incredible staff, made an impact on their road to becoming great adults.

Camp Towanda is a very unique and special place for so many reasons…and each year, it seems so much more important to be a part of it….

We hope everyone enjoys the next 10 months and we can wait to see you soon in June (and hopefully before!)!

Posted on August 8, 2013 by camptowanda

Unplugged @ Camp!

What an amazing 7 weeks it’s been, living life, blissfully unplugged at Camp Towanda! Of course our fans at home were very much PLUGGED IN to what we were doing at camp (with the Camp Cam practically exploding on a daily basis from all those views!). Remember this video?

Our campers (and staff) enjoyed so many benefits of being tech-free for 7 weeks.

They connected at the dinner table with each other…their hands, device-free to clap and cheer and eat camp delicacies!
They enjoyed silly bunk conversations after ‘lights-out’ without feverishly texting under the glow of a cellphone.
They sang old-school camp songs with each other on the bus instead of watching You Tube videos and playing games.
They talked face-to-face and actually made eye contact to share stories and resolve issues.
They didn’t stop every few steps to take a ‘selfie’!
At camp…we live in the moment!!!!

It has been so refreshing…they actually said they felt happier, free and cleansed!

unplugged

As campers get off the bus tomorrow, embrace their parents and loved ones, it won’t be long before they reach for their devices and start virtually ‘reconnecting’. We expect a flood of new ‘likes’, loves, comments and posts on our @camptowanda accounts…as they start sharing and reliving the 2013 summer!!! We expect some bunkmates to create virtual bunks with group texts and Facebook groups (hopefully including everyone, since that’s the Towanda way!). And we expect they will slowly enjoy re-entering the real world, reaching out to their friends outside the Towanda family.

We encourage you to take this ‘re-entry’ time as a fresh start…an opportunity talk with your kids about their online activities and what they may have learned from their unplugged experience this summer. You may even want to create a ‘tech-free zone’ at home (and call it ‘unplugged at Towanda time’)?!!!

Of course, there are some amazing things about the virtual world!!! We love that it keeps our Camp Family connected all year and we look forward to hearing about everyone’s adventures and seeing their smiling faces grace our @camptowanda Instagram feed! We are here as your parenting partners should any camp-related, virtual/real-world issues arise. You can also check out our “Social Media Smarts” Pinterest board for some great articles about kids, teens and the virtual world.

Now get ready to hug, kiss and enjoy having your kids back in your house…because at camp, we’re going to be very lonely without them!

#ampedforcamp14

Posted on August 6, 2013 by camptowanda

Day 5: Olympic Sing, RED & BL-UNITY forever!

2013 Olympiad came to a close with an incredibly spectacular Sing Night and an emotional evening for everyone.

The Field House was transformed into a BLUE CLONING factory with impressive special and entertaining special effects AND A FRENDLY AND FUN ZOMBIE GRAVEYARD. Skit Entrances, Songs, Comic songs and plaques were presented.

After an entertaining and electric evening the Blue Clones won Sing and the RED Zombies won Olympics by just 94 points (out of over 5000)!

Camp came together as the Dorm Girls sang their Alma Mater one last time and then the Club Boys joined them to lead the entire camp with Friends, Alma Mater and Taps.

A great week of sportsmanship, incredible positive attitude, healthy competition, fun and life-long bonding memories. Olympics at Camp Towanda ties together everything we have worked towards this summer. We all feel great!

Here are the official songsheets from the Red & Blue teams and the Judgies. Sing along and enjoy!

Posted on August 5, 2013 by camptowanda

Olympics Day 3 & 4: On Fire!

From Rope Burning to Fire Brigade, day 3 and 4 turned up the heat!!! Here are some highlights from the Judgies in black.

On Day 3, the Boys had their showdown on the track at record speeds, culminating in a classic Judgies vs. Generals race for the record-books. Two heats of Judgies from four different eras competed against the Zombie and Clone Generals. Casper joined in the race, helping the Judgies win by a “nose” as the Blue General, Diego “Day La Fuente” took one for the team at the finish line! It was the perfect way to end our morning at the track.

The Girls headed to the waterfront in the afternoon to swim like fishies at the Swim Meet. Excellent efforts, cheering and spirit. After the one lap kickboard race, one camper said “THAT WAS SO FUN…I didn’t know I was so good at kickboarding!”

From the Judgies point of view, the campers have really tried SO hard. They left nothing on the field. They pushed themselves to do their absolute best. They participated in EVERYTHING…even if it was a little outside their comfort zone. It’s all for the team.

By Day 3 dinner time, you could feel the electricity in the air. A shift in energy. The camp was getting pumped up. The song “LIGHT EM UP” by Fall Out Boy played over the loud speakers as the teams entered line up. At dinner, the Red and Blue teams took turns, pumping up their team for ROPE BURNING! Everyone participated in Rope Burning, even if they are on the sidelines. The cheering section is equally important to those who are geared up to help “build that fire, higher higher”. When the Judgies arrived at Skyview Field, you could hear a pin drop. The Blue and Red Ropeburning teams sat in the ceremonial circle in absolute silence. Their Generals and Ropeburning coaches gave inspirational pep talks, helping them understand they will remember tonight for the rest of their lives. For the Alumni Judgies, this tradition evokes incredible memories and nostalgia.

It is so hard to explain how Rope Burning is the best night of camp…but it is true. It holds special significance for the Club boys building the fire, but the whole camp really comes together. It is epic.

The rope burning teams were incredibly focused and determined, from the wood gatherers to the runners to the sorters to the stackers to the feeders to the firebuilders. When Blue lit their fire first and burned the first rope, it looked like a sure thing. But their fire started to shift away from the top rope, and Red came back to burn their second rope in under 13 minutes. Blue burned their top rope just a minute later.

After it was done and the fires extinguished, the emotions were indescribable. Dorm and Club uniting under the firey sky. All ages, boys and girls, congratulating, crying, hugging (lots of hugging), smiling, all exhausted and energized at the same time. This is when camp comes together. Camp brothers and sisters leaning on each other.

There was no slowing down on Day 4 of Olympics. A morning of activities, some beef-a-roni for lunch (to which the whole mess hall was cheering “Beef-a-Roni”!!!), and then the Great Apache Relay (did you follow the live social media feed from the race course?).

The Apache consists of over 200 events that end in the Fire Brigade at the waterfront. Events include athletic challenges, crazy tasks and silly fun. You could have a Deb in a potato sack hopping across girls camp against an Upper Camp boy! Anything goes in Apache. And the lead often changes MANY times.

We encountered a 10 minute rain shower…okay, downpour, but that did NOT slow down the relay. The baton changed hands over 200 times. There was a lot of running. Kyle Manes and Jonathan Penner, two incredible staff, ran alongside the campers during the entire race which finished in under 2 hours. Other Judgies followed on a golf cart, Generals on bicycles, campers and fans on foot. It was incredibly organized and smooth! Everyone contributed to the outcome. In the end, Red filled their water jug first in Fire Brigade and they were declared the winner by a small margin.

Last night was silent BBQ (yes, this is a judged event) and knockout. We cannot believe Olympics is coming to a close tonight and look forward to the much-anticipated Olympic Sing and skits.

Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team.

A big thank you to all the Alumni and Guest Judgies who helped make this Olympics such a success.

Posted on August 4, 2013 by camptowanda

Why Sleepaway Camp is Good for Kids…and Parents!

So can you believe your kids are coming home THIS WEEK?! Where did this summer go?! Thank you so much for entrusting us with them this summer.

We have watched them grow leaps and bounds, thrive in ways you could never imagine, make their own choices and try new things. We also watched them navigate challenging waters, advocate for themselves, tumble but not fall and SOAR. The power of Camp Towanda is truly magical!

I’m sure as you reflect on the summer that was, you also feel as parents that you learned some things about yourselves…especially to our first time parents. How far you have come in the past 7 weeks? From tear-filled sunglasses on June 22nd to now, as you anxiously await the return of your changed child. They are older, braver and more independent. They return home more confident, compassionate and respectful. What is it about camp that makes that all so possible? Part of it is because they are in the “No Fly Zone”.

It’s no secret that this generation of parents has been dubbed “The Helicopter Generation”. With all the information and access we get to our kids’ lives for 10 months of the year, we are able to influence so much in their lives (of course from a place of love). How liberating (and a little scary) did it feel this summer to lose that control? Three of my favorite books, “Homesick and Happy“, “Free Range Kids” and “Blessings of a B Minus” helped me manage ‘helicoptering’ my own children…but I have to say….I think sending your kids to sleepaway camp is absolutely the best cure for helicoptering!

Back in June, do you remember worrying that your child should not be in a bunk with “Jane” and you were so concerned that you called and emailed camp a dozen times? And now Jane and your daughter are arm in arm in nearly every photo? Or that you wanted your son to have extra time at lacrosse because that’s the only sport he likes…and now he wants to play tennis and take an art class in the fall? Or you were so worried that your daughter was sending home letters that she was so homesick and last you saw, she was on stage singing her heart out and wrote that camp is amazing. Or you wanted to send up special food because your son only eats bagels at home…and now he is insisting you make chicken patties as his homecoming meal!?

This is the magic of camp…kids discovering new things about themselves. Making mature observations and choices about friendships without their parents’ influence. You can only imagine how far they have come! But I applaud you for how far you have come too! While they were coping with feelings of homesickness, you were coping with feelings of ‘childsickness’. When you get your Child 2.0 back home with you, will you let them tumble, but not fall? Will you be the safety net but not the harness? Will you let them be okay in their own hands? In the past 2 months, you have done these things by sending them to camp. You should be proud of them. And proud of yourself.

Thank you again for the incredible honor it is to be your child’s Camp Director with my husband Mitch. We take being Camp Parents and your parenting partners very seriously. Please keep us posted in the off-season about their successes, accomplishments and achievements no matter how big or small. We share your joy in their growth and look forward to cheering them on from the sidelines, until June 2014 when we get a front row seat!

Enjoy the week!

Stephanie

Posted on August 3, 2013 by camptowanda

Olympics Day 2: Pull that rope!

And we’re off!!

Olympics 2013 is off to an incredible start. Intense spirit, effort and pride everywhere. From the creative athletic apparel (did you know you can play soccer in a tutu?) to the chants and cheers, Olympics is very much HERE!

For those of you who may have tuned into the Camp Cam for your daily weather check, we had a nice weather day (with a few spots of rain). All sports were played. In the morning we had Girls’ Track Meet. From the marathon to the potato shuffle to the 4 1/2 relay, those girls ran their hearts out (with the Generals, CCs, Lieutenants and Sergeants running along side them for EVERY RACE). While they ran the track, the boys competed in basketball, soccer, team handball, softball, football and GHOST. The Grand Master reported some games were down 2-0 in best of 5 to come back to win!!

During rest hour, tennis, soccer, co-ed CIT Ghost were played, while the Senior/Club/LIT boys collected wood for tonight’s rope burning (the Club boys have been practicing with their coaches–it should be an incredible event tonight…you’ll have to check it out on the Skyview Camp Cam!).

In the afternoon, the boys headed to the waterfront for their swim meet. The water was a little cool, but that just made the boys swim faster. Kick-board and kayak races, freestyle relays and the All-Star Race. Everyone competed, tried their very best and congratulated their friends in the next lane. The Girls rocked the fields in kickball, basketball, newcombe, Ghost (of course), soccer, gaga and softball.

As our last Friday evening at camp, we continued the tradition where the Dorm and Deb girls light the candles and welcome us to our Shabbat dinner. To see our 8 year old Debs with our 15 year old Dorm girls…it just reminds us how far these girls and all our campers have come. We had an abridged service, the Red Zombies and Blue Clones did some entertaining skits and everyone got ready to PULL THAT ROPE!

Tug of War was under an incredible sky on Skyview, under the lights. Everyone gave it their all, cheered with pride and celebrated with some milk and cookies!

After Tug of War last night, the National boys basketball game went into OT!!! Fast-paced, evenly matched, well-fought. The coaches were really proud of their boys!!! A great end to Day 2!

Excitement, tradition and warmth are everywhere here at Camp Towanda with over 50 Guest Alumni Judgies swarming and feeling nostalgic! It’s amazing that no matter how long it’s been since they were a camper or counselor, just being here makes them feeling like it was just yesterday!!! Having them here helps make Olympics that much better!

At the end of the 2nd day, the BLUE CLONES are ahead of the RED ZOMBIES by just 13 points and consider that 2200 points have been awarded this far.

TONIGHT is the great ROPE BURNING event, considered to be the best night of camp! Stay tuned….

Events are underway today…Boys Track Meet, Girls Swim Meet and lots of activities on the fields and courts.

Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team.

Posted on August 2, 2013 by camptowanda

Olympics Day 1: Rain or Shine…Game on!

A little rain doesn’t stop Olympics!!!

Despite the gray skies, mist, rain and damp chill; NOTHING stopped ALL the CAMPERS and STAFF from wanting to get out on the fields to play!

In between heavy downpours, we got in most of the scheduled competition between The RED ZOMBIES and BLUE CLONES.

From my vantage point as the Grand Master of Ghost, I witnessed the best match ever of Debs & Dills, playting with their heart and soul in the mud and drizzle…to a tie-breaker; the same was true for the Tweens and the Middie Boys. An intense coed LIT best of 5 went the distance through rain and mud as well.

The thrills, the cheering and the concentration was wonderful! From the coaches to generals to the amazing judgies (consisting of over 65 visiting alumni)!

The reports are that all activities were the same intensity and spirit; From volleyball, soccer and indoor basketball to Gaga and softball!

It is so evident that all that our camp is about comes to fruition in these latter days of the summer; the camaraderie, the respect, the reaching for one’s personal best, the becoming comfortable outside of one’s comfort zone and the genuine pride, sportsmanship and deep friendships are making this OLYMPICS indicative of why we are all here.

It is a proud feeling that I see and sense on everyone; including the alums that have just showed up; they see it, too!

At the end of Day ONE, there is just a 2 ½ point difference between the teams…how about that?

Songs of the day played here: TIME OF THE SEASON by the Zombies and and WE ARE ALL CLONES by Alice Cooper.

Today will be beautiful! Cool in the low 70s… a great day for the track and swim meets and tug of war!! PULL, THAT, ROPE!!!!

Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team.

Posted on August 1, 2013 by camptowanda

My life as an Olympic Judgie

Every year, we look forward to alumni joining us as Guest Judgies during Olympics! Last summer two alums, Liza “cc” Prussin (Tish) and Tina “cc” Kunkin (Schweid) shared their perspectives on being a Guest Olympic Judgie and experiencing life on “the other side”…as a grown-up at Camp Towanda!

FIRST UP: A Q&A with Liza Prussin Tish (mother of two Towanda kiddies and camp-crazed alumnus)

What is your favorite thing about being a Guest Judgie?

My favorite thing about being guest judge is just having the honor. I remember as a kid looking up to the Judgies as being the top. Being able to enjoy Olympics just as much as the kids do is amazing.

How has Camp Towanda Olympics changed? How has it stayed exactly the same?

For the most part Olympics is the same. The intense feeling across camp is still present today. The kids say they live 10 months for 2. Within those 2 they live 7 weeks for 1. The few changes are really just new sports that have evolved over time. The Generals and Lieutenants and Sergeants being kept under wraps until break is very different but at the same time it just adds more element of surprise to breakout.

Describe what it feels like to be back at camp as a “grown-up” for 5 straight days?

Being back at camp as a “grown-up” makes me feel like a kid again. Being able to watch my own 2 kids having the same experiences that I had is an amazing thing.

What was your favorite event to Judge and why?

It’s hard to pick one event as my favorite to judge. I really enjoyed it all but I would say nothing comes close to the intensity of the Apache Relay.

What is your favorite Olympics memory of all time?

My favorite Olympic memory of all time would have to be hearing my name called as a Camper Captain of the Red Vagabonds.

It is an awesome week!!!

AND NOW, Tina’s take on her stint as Guest Judgie, and why she just can’t get enough of Camp Towanda!

TKS: It is so amazing you can have a full life: an amazing husband, two wonderful kids, a fulfilling job, great friends and be truly happy…yet still when you get to Camp Towanda, within minutes it all disappears…POOF! I am in a whole new world!

There is something so magical about Towanda, the smells, sounds, atmosphere, that when I walk around I feel at peace. Within minutes of my arriving at camp to be a Guest Judgie, I immediately had a whole crew of people; some of which I just met, yet it felt like I had known them forever. We ate meals together, shared inside jokes and a bunk! Some were alumni from a different generation. Some were spouses of alumni or Senior Staff. But for those couple of days, we were family!

The relationships that form at camp are so special, so rare that only another fellow camper understands. When I am at camp I am Tina “CC” Kunkin all over again, and for 36 hours this summer that was fantastic!!

Coming back as a Judgie was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I mean that literally! Watching camp in full swing with all the Olympic spirit and intensity was great. Seeing all the red and blue throughout the camp made me smile. I was so proud to be alumni and to be part of this year’s events.

The Senior Staff reminded me of exactly why I love Towanda- they each get such a sense of joy from making each event special for the kids. The care and thought that they put into every day at camp is so obvious. Each event I judged was special; BUT there was something remarkable about the boys swim meet (sorry I did not get to judge the girls). Watching these young men throw themselves into the pool and swim their hearts out made me so emotional. Maybe it is because I have two boys that will one day be Towanda campers or maybe it was because the amount of focus and joy these kids had for each of the 55 events was inspiring.

Towanda holds such a special place in my heart, it always brought me joy and comfort as a camper; it taught me how to rise above, it taught me that I was good enough and that I had real friends that I could depend on. There is something euphoric about Towanda and all that it continues to bring into my life.

Tina and Liza will be up at camp again this week for Olympics, dressed in black and ready to join the JUDGIES!

Posted on August 1, 2013 by camptowanda

THIS IS IT- Olympics 2013!!!!!

It started on Visiting Day, the clone pictures were popping up around camp; really scaring us all a bit…or fooling us……. One night I had the Bob & Amy pix in the mansion living room…and I jumped!

They were on the porch, at the board, at line-up, on the golf cart, at tennis, on the courtyard, in the alley, on OD patrol at night and yes looking at the camp cam and at the amphitheater…. Each day, moving around… we were all having fun with it and the talk was that it was spooky fun!

airbandgirls

That’s it, just a fun camp thing…not one mention of a possible theme for Olympics.

Fast forward to today; another top 10 beautiful day…activities, inter camp games and the intense scrutinizing anticipation and bewilderment of when, how and will Breakout happen… at breakfast, lunch or dinner…but how? We are going to the County Fair Friday????

Evening activity was AIRBANDS; a very entertaining lip sync/MTV type of night…. Different groups performing and cracking up the crowd at the same time…..everyone gathered in the amphitheater as a beautiful sunset transformed the sky. Although the crowd, from the youngest Deb and Jets the “on the edge” to Club/Dorm watched and participated……all eyes were on “anything”!

thriller

The last act to perform was a group called “The Clones”, consisting of HC’s Bob, Amy, Michael and Lisa, along with Mitch and Stephanie…we got on stage, dressed in the exact same outfits as our clone pictures, who were already on stage…….

zombie

The spotlights burned through the air, and then the music from Michael Jackson’s Thriller began… The HCs started to do their best Michael Jackson Thriller dance as I pounded on the stage floor.

A trap door slid away and 2 aluminum hoses flopped onto the floor facing the audience…. Thick, heavy, low lying mist crept along the floor towards the crowd, down the steps of the stage, engulfing the stage floor and down onto the lawn towards the kids…. the mist grew more eerie, thicker and engulfing the entire amphitheater……. As the smoke, fog and mist were cut by the beams of the spotlights.

clones2

The Thriller music stopped…and then Pink Floyd’s IS ANYBODY OUT THERE started.

On stage thru the mist appeared SIX zombies creeping thru the fog towards the audience AND 6 CLONES (in full body blue hazmat suits wearing a HUGE mask face that matched our clone cutouts)…..As they they stood facing the crowd in the mist, the banners unfurled; the air horns blasted, the music grew louder and then…

breakout 003

The head judge announced : THIS IS IT, Towanda..OLYMPICS 2013!!

Pandemonium, thrills, screams, hugs, tears, huddles, as the generals, camper captains, lieutenants, and sergeants were read! Everyone was happy for them…..

The cloud and mist continued as the team splits were read and everyone joined their team.

rings

After brief team meetings, both teams line dup on the grassy knoll as we lit the Olympic rings to the Olympic fanfare. Olympic taps..all to bed.

To say the least, it was great. Putting it together is like organizing, preparing and getting ready for a big show while the sell out crowd is already in the audience! it was fun and everyone felt a part of it. Lots of grins and great feelings.

Good luck to the RED ZOMBIES and BLUE CLONES!

Let the games begin. I will be at Ghost!