Tag: co-ed camp

Posted on by camptowanda

Post-Visiting Day, Week 5 Stride

c8ead8e9-525a-456c-a38a-9c2af91c857aWhen parents come to camp just four weeks into the summer, they say “how could it get better than this!?”. Well..it’s official, we have hit our post-Visiting Day, Week 5 stride! It’s not from the candy (that’s long gone)- it’s all natural, wholesome, organic, incredible, exhilarating, edge-of-your-seat fun!

08d4d4bf-1f38-4d58-a65c-e2f2caebf272-2This week alone, we packed so much in and we all know it’s just getting better from here on out! Casino Night, All Star Basketball Game, Gold Rush, Counselor Hunt, Intercamp games, Backwards Day, Wayne County Championships, waterparks, Inters to Cooperstown, Senior/Club Dorm Trip to Boston, LITs to Niagara Falls, Nationals Canoe Trips, General Swims, Culinary Classes kitchen raids (with Mitch–shhhh) and then our Lower Camp play Annie!

From the beginning of the summer when we had those very wet rainy days, the theme song was, “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow”. So it was only fitting for lower camp to serenade us and knock our socks off with an incredible production!

3ed9eb5f-fa0a-477c-b2a3-9ab3a6116746The entire camp gathered, as we do most evenings, all together, young and old, boys and girls and staff.  The production (song, scenery and costume), blew us away. Over 140 cast and crew participating, beyond adorable, beyond cute, it was broadway caliber.  The crowd was silent in awe as the cast performed with pride, passion and gusto!

c7df8c0f-ccba-44a7-acab-4c9b6d7e3969On stage, your kids (our kids) had the biggest smiles, their self-esteem and confidence bursting! Some of these same kids were shy and crying upon arrival just a few short weeks ago or clinging onto their parents legs just last week! Amazing what camp can do! This was different than if it was a home school play, because the parents weren’t there, they were in the moment and shining from the stage right up to the full moon, experiencing a big sense of accomplishment for themselves.

7404d253-e566-41c1-b70b-bc7c12a65c37We had never witnessed such a show here before. The crowd rose for an honest unprovoked standing ovation! As tears were running down our faces (honestly), we turned to look at the audiences, and we thought- THIS IS WHAT LIFE AT CAMP TOWANDA IS. This is what you want your kids to get from the camp experience: pride, support, confidence, accomplishment and enjoyment.  This is what kids thrive on, need and get here.

And as if the week couldn’t get any better, we had a couple of fake outs, one of which was pretty convincing! Here’s what went down.. at the end of Annie, we showed this week’s Friday Nite Flix (again on a Saturday) which culminated in a series time traveling movies, followed by the two teams coming up on screen: The Red Dimension Sliders vs. the Blue Time Travelers. The horns blared and “Is there anybody out there” played. Banners were ushered out from the fiedlhouse. They called down Generals and started calling down Camper Captains (CCs)…there was 1 Blue CC, then 2, then 3, and then they went to call down the Red CCs and FAKE OUT!

The fever is hot, the excitement is high; camp is on the move; hitting our stride; this is now the time we start reaping what we sowed!  And it will only get better each day…

 

Posted on by camptowanda

We Rocked Week 3!

c37e36c6-f12c-4d68-a817-a602f31b1fdeWeek 3 started off with a bang- when stormy weather caused us go indoors for Upper Camp’s roaring production of Queen’s We Will Rock You! The show went on and we all really enjoyed! We didn’t stop the music because Monday night followed with the Battle of the DJs! A dance party of epic proportions!!!

0a299a07-f736-490d-ac6b-a2582d5ec079We dodged some other showers on Tuesday evening to gather as a camp and watch the ALL STAR GAME live on the lawn on our extra-large outdoor projection screen in surround sound.  This is one of our favorite crazy nights, complete with Bob and Matt Miller grilling dogs, the Club boys hawking the dogs, Jared giving out Yankees popcorn bags from our vendor cart, Dorm girls serving beverages from the canteen window and Senior Staff acting as ushers at the game! 

rj 2The kids are busy enjoying culinary classes with Alumni Chef Ben- delicious, fun, educational. Recipes to follow at the end of the summer so you can make them at home and think of camp! The talented artists in Stephanie’s Fine Art’s class are becoming masters (of pride and art). General swims have kids swinging, sliding, sailing, windsurfing and swimming!

Another great evening activity this week was Electionality; our convention where each group comes as a “STATE” to cast their votes for the next Presidents of camp. State of “New Jerseys”, State of Selfies, State of Neon, State of Paper Plates and so on……  some very creative States…plus the state of the camp address and speeches by the candidates.

rj 12All good fun which ended with the election of our first ever international presidents, Maria & Juan from Madrid! Their successful campaign endorsed by the Giddiap Poll used the tag line: “We’re Number Juan”! They have promised Tapas Tuesdays and changing the name of rest hour to Siesta Hour.

Trip Day was wet and wild! Jets, Cadets, Debs & Dillies to Montage Mountain (lazy river and age appropriate water fun rides). Middies, Tweens & Juniors to Camelbeach! And Upper Camp to HERSHEY PARK!

1dc9d903-0386-4ff0-9d87-75f0f35c7740And here we are now, completing the 3rd week of camp and I can only say this place is magical. The experience of watching the young campers with the older campers, the mixed personalities, the varied interests and abilities, combined with the different backgrounds and upbringings funnel into creating this special “family” we all feel part of.

This is the sense Stephanie and I have…everyone waves hello to each other, smiles are exchanged and we are overall the way the world should be.  To think that camp will get better as the weeks go on is almost unimaginable. But we can’t wait!

There is so much MORE in week 4! Stay tuned…we know you will!