Four days of 4th of July!

It was an action-packed FOUR days of activities, and tribute to the red, white and blue! We told you there was MORE in 20-1-4! We cannot believe it’s only been a little over a week because our campers are in the routine, having a blast and the spirit is high!

ddd00dc9-c7eb-4335-aa1d-7aa2606f6321It all started on Thursday with a foggy lawn breakfast buffet (did you see it on the Live Camp Cam?), then we got in 2 activities, a sultry lunch and an awesome live CAMPAPOLOOZA concert in our amphitheater (complete with big beach balls, water hose, ice cream and the sounds of FIKUS blasting excellent classic rock and roll to our dancing crowd). As soon as the concert ended, we got some very specific lightning bolts jolting around our region. Our planning was right on target as we had already cancelled general swim due to our impressive weather staion with pinpoint lightning detection so everyone was already safely back in the bunks when the rain pummeled the already saturated ground…the rain and t-storms delayed dinner and our campers got some quality, relaxing time together in the bunks.

391fa01a-7600-4931-b197-52ac526e35bdWe finally ate and then the Dorm Girls (our most senior campers) ran an impromptu foul shooting contest, which we call Horseracing in the field house. And since I got in my famous backwards half court shot, I promised if I made it, reveille will be at 8:30 AM!! Whew…

We continued our July 4th festivities on Friday. The weather changed from sultry summer to dry and crisp autumn!   A beautiful day of patriotic honors, co-eding, silly name day, breaking the Guinness Record for yo-yo ing and then Friday Nite Flix.

We kicked off the festivities with the Jets and Debs’ Color Guard at Flagpole, a morning of fun Coed activities, an All-American chicken, rib & vegetarian lunch BBQ and then we all joined together to beat the Guinness Record of Yo-Yo participation; this was crazy fun and everyone received Yo-Yo lessons from our very own world champion Yo-Yo master, Dan Green (ranked in world competition) , returning for his 2nd summer.  As a souvenir of the day, everyone got to keep their very own Camp Towanda logo’d Yo-Yo!

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Then the British Staff took over the newly paved road behind the Girls Bunk line and declared it forevermore “Abby Road”…the stripes will be officially painted in the coming days!

One more coed activity then we had our weekly Friday night shabbos dinner, services in the Field House with the fireplace lit, Friday Nite Flix which played to a standing ovation and under-lined the totally immersed excitement we are living here; having fun, learning, growing and did I mention FUN?!!!

Don’t forget to check out our Friday Nite Flix page for our weekly highlights. Usually posted on Saturday morning.

1d3b547f-ea92-4d31-a059-6f1929baf3d9I joined the oldest “CLUB” boys on Friday night for an after hours campfire; a very special gathering of the brotherhood from Club members of the past and now present. We can’t talk about it, but this ceremony underlines and reinforces the foundation of what these boys have gained over the years since they started here….and now they are ready to lead by example, spirit, trust, respect, confidence, balance  and pride!  This is what this what growing up at camp is about… in an unplugged, old school way of life….

5e4fb8fa-4e72-4dd0-b38a-12cef1c61a24The weekend was filled with more fun, activities and new families starting to tour Towanda for Summer ’15.  New campers and parents visiting tell us that Towanda looks, smells, sounds and feels like the way camp should be! Our kids and staff are smiling, active, look really happy and there is an overall sense of warmth and pride here……OMG and thanks!  That is our goal…so it is nice to hear it from the outside looking in.  I share that with our staff and it just helps them want to do even better!

931c9403-5713-452b-99df-ed0ed6697e18Saturday our campers put on a show that showcased their diverse talents! It was good fun and everyone cheered! Towanda’s Got Talent people!

Sunday was a Top 10 weather day and certainly one of the best days at camp so far (that’s a bit unfair since every day gets better). Activities, fun, Grateful Dead BBQ and Luau at Sunset Lake followed by our delayed 4th of the July fireworks which were just awesome…..set to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture!  It was a big sky of ooooh-ahhh-ohhh!

Life at CT is amazing…watching everyone grow, get together and hearing the feedback from staff that tell me…”I love my kids and I cant believe I feel like I have made so many new best friends in such a short time”…well, that attitude just trickles down to the kids; we all feel it here.

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What a weekend and a week to come!!!! Magic Show, Steve Maxx Returns, Excursions, Upper Camp Play and much more in store in 20-14! Week 2 is in full swing already… off to lunch, we hear American Pie playing…