Good morning from the last day of camp!
For those that weren't at candleboat last night, let's tell you what happened...
Overnight Camp Director Stu welcomed us to Candleboat and the bonfire was lit on the athletics field using a flaming arrow. Then, each unit did a cheer and performance, be it a song or skit-- plus a few bonus performances (what would closing campfire be without one last "Boom-Chicka-Boom" or "Jonny Got Hit By a Bus"?)
Then it was time for the standard awards-- first being paddles. There were many paddles to distribute last night so I can't name everyone but the two most significant were double paddles given the Saskia for 6 years as an international camper-- just the 2nd time we've handed out an international double paddle and the first time for a camper. And also, a double paddle to Aquatics Instructor Julia V. for ten summers at CB!
The other awards were:
Honesty Award Autumn from Kiowa
Caring Award Isabel from Winema
Respect Award Eric from Owasa
Responsibility Award Patti from Mahopa
Spirit Award: Ashton from Owasa
Spirit, Mind and Body Award: Adrian from the CITs
Then, everyone was led through a path of Luminaries to the pond for Candleboat. We spices things up a little this year with some music and launching of Chinese lanterns. It was a truly beautiful night and end to summer 2012!
And that is all for this summer. I hope many of our campers will join us for our annual summer camp reunion the weekend after Thanksgiving, details to come soon. In the meantime, big thanks to all the campers and counselors that made this a memorable summer. And thanks to everyone that has kept up with the blog-- nearly 10,000 page views! Wow!
See you in 2013!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
August 16, 2012
Hello everyone!
We have reached the last night of summer 2012- always a mix of emotions but we are certainly going to miss our campers and staff. For anyone planning to attend Candleboat tonight, here are a few important bits of information:
We have reached the last night of summer 2012- always a mix of emotions but we are certainly going to miss our campers and staff. For anyone planning to attend Candleboat tonight, here are a few important bits of information:
- We will be starting the ceremony at 7:30. Campers and staff will be waiting on the basketball courts, guest can proceed directly to the athletics field. We will have staff members directing you.
- The cermony will end at the pond and it will be dark- flashlights recommended for the walk back to the dining hall area.
- Trading Post will be open after candleboat and we will also have refreshments available for guests in the dining hall.
- If you plan to bring your child home tonight, please be sure to sign him or her out from trading post before departure.
Anyone picking up children tomorrow-- pick up time here at camp is 11 AM and same time for kids riding to bus to the Ridgewood YMCA.
I will have a full recap of candleboat tomorrow morning in the final blog entry for this summer!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
August 14, 2012
Yesterday, all campers started their second week of free choice activities and it was a spectacular day weather wise. This morning, not quite as cooperative! We just hope for clear skies this Thursday night.
Last night for evening program, campers played a variety of "big board games" such as twister and scrabble. Check out the photo upload for a few shots taken during that activity.
Tonight is Unit Night and the CITs will head out on their much anticipated "night off", rumor has it that they will be heading to the bowling alley!
Monday, August 13, 2012
August 12, 2012
We have reached our last week of summer 2012. Once again, we hope many of you will be able to join us for Candleboat this Thursday night at 7:30 PM.
Here is the rundown on our Wild West Weekend!
Saturday morning was a gold rush, as teams collected bits of gold spread all around the property. Afterwards, they went on a bandit hunt, searching for our 6 bandits hidden. Each bandit was worth an extra reward on top of the gold that had been collected. All bandits were successfully found with the exception of Rob A., who spent the entire block of time sitting in a tree by the Pavilion! Ultimately, the Sheriffs and Deputies team earned the most money.
The afternoon was our traditional Wild West carnival with the booths including: Dunk Tank, Hay Rides, Bull Rides, Face painting, Pony rides, jail/stockade, kissing booth (Hershey's kisses...don't worry!) and much more. For evening program, we had a square dance in the Pavilion along with some line dances.
Sunday was CIT Sunday with a lazy morning, chapel led by the CITs, an afternoon activity that was a take on the board game "Apples to Apples" and evening activity where cabins had to use collected items to stage scenes-- a version of Construction Craze and the Great Imposter.
All in all, a fabulous weekend here at camp!
Here is the rundown on our Wild West Weekend!
Saturday morning was a gold rush, as teams collected bits of gold spread all around the property. Afterwards, they went on a bandit hunt, searching for our 6 bandits hidden. Each bandit was worth an extra reward on top of the gold that had been collected. All bandits were successfully found with the exception of Rob A., who spent the entire block of time sitting in a tree by the Pavilion! Ultimately, the Sheriffs and Deputies team earned the most money.
The afternoon was our traditional Wild West carnival with the booths including: Dunk Tank, Hay Rides, Bull Rides, Face painting, Pony rides, jail/stockade, kissing booth (Hershey's kisses...don't worry!) and much more. For evening program, we had a square dance in the Pavilion along with some line dances.
Sunday was CIT Sunday with a lazy morning, chapel led by the CITs, an afternoon activity that was a take on the board game "Apples to Apples" and evening activity where cabins had to use collected items to stage scenes-- a version of Construction Craze and the Great Imposter.
All in all, a fabulous weekend here at camp!
Saturday, August 11, 2012
August 11, 2012
Well, well, well-- the train robbery actually was carried out, in spite of the town hall meeting that took place as scheduled last night, the train was overtaken right smack in the middle of our gathering. Bandits even injured the mayor in the process!
As a result, the sheriff and mayor asked all of the assembled townspeople to divide into teams, make flags and come up with cheers in hopes of uniting our old west town and taking it back from the bandits today!
Back in reality, I am sure many of you are curious to know how the river trip went. Thanks to the efforts of Josh, Tom, Max and the other counselors on the trip, we were able to get to the campers further up river from the scheduled pick up. It was a very wet morning, but everyone got back safely. We also cleaned everyone's sleeping bag for them after their return.
We will have a full recap of our busy wild west weekend on Monday morning! Have a fabulous weekend everyone.
As a result, the sheriff and mayor asked all of the assembled townspeople to divide into teams, make flags and come up with cheers in hopes of uniting our old west town and taking it back from the bandits today!
Back in reality, I am sure many of you are curious to know how the river trip went. Thanks to the efforts of Josh, Tom, Max and the other counselors on the trip, we were able to get to the campers further up river from the scheduled pick up. It was a very wet morning, but everyone got back safely. We also cleaned everyone's sleeping bag for them after their return.
We will have a full recap of our busy wild west weekend on Monday morning! Have a fabulous weekend everyone.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
August 9, 2012
Howdy partners!
We held our Wild, Wild West banquet last night to kick off the festivities for this session. The dining hall was converted into a big banquet hall with lots of decorations, and bandanas for everyone. The kitchen staff made a southern feast with homemade Pulled Pork, Sweet Potato Fries, Cole Slaw, Hush Puppies and Birch Beer to drink.
In the center of the room, there were a group of conniving bandits discussing rumors of a possible train robbery being planned for Friday. Suddenly, just after dessert was served, two bandits got into a loud argument and chaos ensued. Luckily, the sheriff heard the commotion and managed to capture one of them who spilled the info about the train robbery. As a result, the Sheriff and Mayor have called a town meeting for Friday night to discuss out options. All of the campers have been divided into teams representing different people in the Old west town of Bernie and will be attending the meeting on Friday.
After that, everyone headed to a favorite Camp Bernie evening program tradition: MTV Night, in which campers and staff do performances, songs, skits and dances. This morning, Winema and Lopatcong depart for the Delaware River trip and the CITs will be returning from a two night trip to the water gap and Appalachian trail.
Busy days here at summer camp!
We held our Wild, Wild West banquet last night to kick off the festivities for this session. The dining hall was converted into a big banquet hall with lots of decorations, and bandanas for everyone. The kitchen staff made a southern feast with homemade Pulled Pork, Sweet Potato Fries, Cole Slaw, Hush Puppies and Birch Beer to drink.
In the center of the room, there were a group of conniving bandits discussing rumors of a possible train robbery being planned for Friday. Suddenly, just after dessert was served, two bandits got into a loud argument and chaos ensued. Luckily, the sheriff heard the commotion and managed to capture one of them who spilled the info about the train robbery. As a result, the Sheriff and Mayor have called a town meeting for Friday night to discuss out options. All of the campers have been divided into teams representing different people in the Old west town of Bernie and will be attending the meeting on Friday.
After that, everyone headed to a favorite Camp Bernie evening program tradition: MTV Night, in which campers and staff do performances, songs, skits and dances. This morning, Winema and Lopatcong depart for the Delaware River trip and the CITs will be returning from a two night trip to the water gap and Appalachian trail.
Busy days here at summer camp!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
August 7, 2012
It is a beautiful morning here at camp as we kick off free choice activities today. This includes any specialty activities that campers registered for, namely mini-bikes and horseback riding. The campers also selected the rest of their schedules on Sunday afternoon. Yesterday, instead of regularly scheduled activities, the campers had Monday Fun Day which allowed the units to bond a bit and do special activities as planned by the Unit Leaders.
Among the Monday Fun Day activities that I saw was a special puzzle project that the Shawnee Unit has been working on all summer. Shai, the Unit Leader, has had every child and staff member in her unit this summer decorate a puzzle piece. Yesterday, they put all of the pieces together and it looks fantastic. I posted a picture of this on our daily gallery on facebook. Nice job Shai and the Shawnees!
Last night was opening campfire-- after a bunch of songs and skits, two Camp Bernie ambassadors were recognized by Stu: Matlida G and Christina W. They received a slew of prizes for their efforts. Thanks ladies!
Among the Monday Fun Day activities that I saw was a special puzzle project that the Shawnee Unit has been working on all summer. Shai, the Unit Leader, has had every child and staff member in her unit this summer decorate a puzzle piece. Yesterday, they put all of the pieces together and it looks fantastic. I posted a picture of this on our daily gallery on facebook. Nice job Shai and the Shawnees!
Last night was opening campfire-- after a bunch of songs and skits, two Camp Bernie ambassadors were recognized by Stu: Matlida G and Christina W. They received a slew of prizes for their efforts. Thanks ladies!
Monday, August 6, 2012
August 6, 2012
Welcome to session 13D or (6D for the one week kids). We have planned a wild, wild west way to close summer 2012- it's hard to believe we are down to the last two weeks of camp.
It never ceases to amaze me where our campers come from. Yesterday, we checked in kids from as far away as Nigeria, Russia, Spain and France. We are a wonderful global community here, and it is pretty awesome how the spirit of summer camp unites everyone from around the world.
Following check-in, we ran through our typical orientation process in spite of distant thunder rumbles. By dinner, the thunderstorms were no longer distant and we had to scrap plans for unit cheer offs at dark. Still, the campers starting learning their cheers and had cabin photos taken which we will upload later this morning.
Today is Monday Fun Day with opening campfire on the agenda for tonight. I will give you the details tomorrow!
Jamie
It never ceases to amaze me where our campers come from. Yesterday, we checked in kids from as far away as Nigeria, Russia, Spain and France. We are a wonderful global community here, and it is pretty awesome how the spirit of summer camp unites everyone from around the world.
Following check-in, we ran through our typical orientation process in spite of distant thunder rumbles. By dinner, the thunderstorms were no longer distant and we had to scrap plans for unit cheer offs at dark. Still, the campers starting learning their cheers and had cabin photos taken which we will upload later this morning.
Today is Monday Fun Day with opening campfire on the agenda for tonight. I will give you the details tomorrow!
Jamie
Friday, August 3, 2012
August 3, 2012
Session C Closing Campfire was terrific last night, a great evening down at the amphitheater with some fabulous songs, skits and awards.
Songs:
Songs:
- Shawnees: A song from the movie "Mulan"
- Iroquois: "We Come from the Mountains"
- Lahanna: "Lean on Me"
- Jasmin and Diani "Fireflies"
- Lopatcong "Tune Maker"
- Anna K. "Jar of Hearts"
- Jamie "Froggy Song"
- Markus and the CITs "Wonderwall"
- Camp Bernie Band "Time of your Life"
Skits:
- Brandon & Pachu "Jet Li"
- Markus, Deacon, Josh & Nic "Johnny Got Hit by a Bus 2: Revenge of the Bus"
- Owasanoke- "Invisible Bench"
- Pioneers- "Doctor's Office"
- Kiowa/Owasa-- usual closing campfire performance...don't ask!
- Presentation from the Nation- gave a special award to Deacon
- Seb & Josh- "Kitty"
Awards:
- Honesty: Anna K.
- Caring: Alexis
- Respect: Jay
- Responsibility: Katie
- Spirit: Nicole
- Spirit, Mind & Body: Alex
- 5 Year Paddle: Nicole
- Unit of the Session: Shawnee
Thursday, August 2, 2012
August 2, 2012
Here we go with the final day of our third session. The excitement will be building for free choice awards and closing campfire tonight, but first, it's one last round of regularly scheduled activities this morning.
Last night was the dance in the Pavilion- kids could also hand out in the pine grove, visit trading post or watch a movie if they weren't in the mood to dance.
A couple of quick reminders about closing day tomorrow: pick up time at camp AND at the Ridgewood bus is 11 AM. Please try to get here by that time or shortly thereafter, we will not have a lunch service for campers tomorrow. Also, if you are picking up at camp, please be sure that you stop at our main office to sign your child out before proceeding to the dining hall.
Have a great day- I will post a full rundown on the award winners tomorrow morning.
Last night was the dance in the Pavilion- kids could also hand out in the pine grove, visit trading post or watch a movie if they weren't in the mood to dance.
A couple of quick reminders about closing day tomorrow: pick up time at camp AND at the Ridgewood bus is 11 AM. Please try to get here by that time or shortly thereafter, we will not have a lunch service for campers tomorrow. Also, if you are picking up at camp, please be sure that you stop at our main office to sign your child out before proceeding to the dining hall.
Have a great day- I will post a full rundown on the award winners tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
August 1, 2012
Hi again everyone!
Unit night was held last evening, here is a quick recap:
Pioneers: Held their ceremony, had s'mores and a cheer off against the Iroquois, and had a camping overnight on the tent platforms by Turrell.
Iroquois: Also had a ceremony and a cheer off with the Pioneers (obviously!). They made a fort in the back chapel and had their sleepover there.
Nation: Played a game called "Gauntlet"- I still don't know exactly what that means but it must be fun!
Shawnees: Messy Goo-- another activity that I don't entirely understand but everyone seemed to enjoy. You can see a few pictures of it on the photo upload.
Unit night was held last evening, here is a quick recap:
Pioneers: Held their ceremony, had s'mores and a cheer off against the Iroquois, and had a camping overnight on the tent platforms by Turrell.
Iroquois: Also had a ceremony and a cheer off with the Pioneers (obviously!). They made a fort in the back chapel and had their sleepover there.
Nation: Played a game called "Gauntlet"- I still don't know exactly what that means but it must be fun!
Shawnees: Messy Goo-- another activity that I don't entirely understand but everyone seemed to enjoy. You can see a few pictures of it on the photo upload.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
July 31, 2012
We forgot to tell you yesterday that the London Color Wars winner was the Red Team- great job Red!!
The re-scheduled river trip went out on Sunday and returned yesterday after a successful paddling trip. We are fortunate that the weather cooperated enough to get the trip in for this session.
Free choice week two began yesterday, as campers started their second week of activities. It was fun for me to walk around and see the kids playing disc golf, one of our newest programs here. We installed a 9 hole course back in June and it wraps from around the athletics field, out to the nation, back down the pond trail and into the center of camp.
Lopatcong is winning our Spirit Points competition so far- they have earned points by cheering loudly, being spirited, winning competitions, exhibiting the four core values and keeping a clean cabin. Other cabins will be trying to catch up before the spirit points competition ends later in the week!
The re-scheduled river trip went out on Sunday and returned yesterday after a successful paddling trip. We are fortunate that the weather cooperated enough to get the trip in for this session.
Free choice week two began yesterday, as campers started their second week of activities. It was fun for me to walk around and see the kids playing disc golf, one of our newest programs here. We installed a 9 hole course back in June and it wraps from around the athletics field, out to the nation, back down the pond trail and into the center of camp.
Lopatcong is winning our Spirit Points competition so far- they have earned points by cheering loudly, being spirited, winning competitions, exhibiting the four core values and keeping a clean cabin. Other cabins will be trying to catch up before the spirit points competition ends later in the week!
Monday, July 30, 2012
July 30, 2012
Here is a complete rundown on the past weekend:
Friday Night: Opening Ceremony for London Color Wars, fires lit on the athletics field. Team cheer offs. Plus the typical Color Wars pranks overnight on Friday!
Saturday Morning: Color Wars kicked off with a new game invented by Stu and some of the Unit Leaders. It was a take on capture the flag- each team was given supplies to decorate a building of camp with their team color. Then, they had to get past other teams to take all of their decorations and move them to a different location, while simultaneously trying to stop the other teams for getting to their buildings. Does that make sense? If not, just trust me that everyone enjoyed it!
Saturday Afternoon: A few Olympic style races- canoeing and swimming. Then, thunderstorms rolled in and things were moved indoors. There were more Olympic events inside, such as shooting, rhythmic gymnastics and limbo (not Olympics, but still awesome!).
Saturday Night: Kind of a dance/paint party in the pavilion. Plus a traditional English meal for dinner: bangers and mash, AND fish and chips!
Sunday Morning: Lazy breakfast and chapel, led by the CITs. This was followed by a much needed all camp clean-up.
Sunday Afternoon/Night: Clever all camp activity prepared by the CITs- a version of "Apples to Apples", but using counselors as the playing cards. Dinner was unit cookouts and then the CITs led us in "Extreme Construction Craze".
A great weekend to say the least- thanks to all who planned these special events. Oh, almost forgot--- Deacon, our Nation Unit Leader, dressed as the Queen of England to kick things off. That explains the photo of him in the group picture posted to Sunday's photo gallery!
Friday, July 27, 2012
July 27, 2012
I think session C is turning into our "unsettled weather" session of 2012. There is always one stretch like this! I'm sure many of you experienced the wild thunderstorms last night- epic, in fact. This disrupted our planned unit night scheduled for evening program, and due to understandable safety concerns, the unit leaders treated all of camp to a movie night instead.
I am excited to share that the CITs presented their project idea to myself, Stu and Victoria yesterday afternoon and have settled on a plan to do trail maintenance on the Amphitheater trail. They also will be sprucing it up a bit with some painted rocks, perhaps some signs as well. We all felt this was a terrific idea and one that will really enhance a trail we use during our summer season. The goal is to have this ready for presentation by closing campfire next Thursday night.
Things are gearing up for the All Camp Day tomorrow, London Color Wars! The blog will be taking two days off for the weekend but will be back on Monday morning with an extensive re-cap of the festivities. Have a fabulous weekend.
I am excited to share that the CITs presented their project idea to myself, Stu and Victoria yesterday afternoon and have settled on a plan to do trail maintenance on the Amphitheater trail. They also will be sprucing it up a bit with some painted rocks, perhaps some signs as well. We all felt this was a terrific idea and one that will really enhance a trail we use during our summer season. The goal is to have this ready for presentation by closing campfire next Thursday night.
Things are gearing up for the All Camp Day tomorrow, London Color Wars! The blog will be taking two days off for the weekend but will be back on Monday morning with an extensive re-cap of the festivities. Have a fabulous weekend.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
July 26, 2012
Well, after hyping the river trip in yesterday's blog, we checked the forecast and pulled the plug! Worry not, as we have re-scheduled for a Sunday-Monday trip. Safety is always our first priority and we wouldn't want severe thunderstorms to have an impact on the experience for the campers on the river trip.
Back at camp, we kicked off the London Color Wars festivities with a special Wednesday banquet in the dining hall. There will be 3 teams for the Color Wars this weekend: Red, White and Blue (representing the colors of Great Britain in this case!). Each team was seated together, banquet style, in a fully decorated dining hall. This was complete with table cloths, banners, streamers, English flags, Olympic rings, medals and a medal platform. Very impressive! Every camper also was given a sweatband to wear with the color of their team.
Evening program was the ever popular MTV Night. Winning team was the Pioneers who won with a medley of dances like "Cotton Eye Joe", "Macarena" and "Teach Me How to Dougie". Second place was Kiowa who did a funny skit, poking some good natured fun of the Nation unit.
Back at camp, we kicked off the London Color Wars festivities with a special Wednesday banquet in the dining hall. There will be 3 teams for the Color Wars this weekend: Red, White and Blue (representing the colors of Great Britain in this case!). Each team was seated together, banquet style, in a fully decorated dining hall. This was complete with table cloths, banners, streamers, English flags, Olympic rings, medals and a medal platform. Very impressive! Every camper also was given a sweatband to wear with the color of their team.
Evening program was the ever popular MTV Night. Winning team was the Pioneers who won with a medley of dances like "Cotton Eye Joe", "Macarena" and "Teach Me How to Dougie". Second place was Kiowa who did a funny skit, poking some good natured fun of the Nation unit.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
July 25, 2012
Good morning from beautiful YMCA Camp Bernie and what a beautiful day we are having, in fact!
After the stormy afternoon Monday which interrupted regularly schedule programming, we were able to get started with normal activities yesterday. The campers had free choice rotations in the morning, and cabin activities in the afternoon. This included swim checks for the Iroquois and Pioneers and "tip tests" for Winema and Lopatcong.
Those two cabins will be departing on the Delaware River trip tomorrow morning. This two day trip is a great tradition for our 12 year old campers. The kids will put in at Dingman's Ferry, paddle roughly 20 miles in two days, and be picked up at Smithfield Beach on Friday. For practice, they paddled for a while on our pond yesterday and also experience tipping their canoe, and doing a "T-Rescue".
After the stormy afternoon Monday which interrupted regularly schedule programming, we were able to get started with normal activities yesterday. The campers had free choice rotations in the morning, and cabin activities in the afternoon. This included swim checks for the Iroquois and Pioneers and "tip tests" for Winema and Lopatcong.
Those two cabins will be departing on the Delaware River trip tomorrow morning. This two day trip is a great tradition for our 12 year old campers. The kids will put in at Dingman's Ferry, paddle roughly 20 miles in two days, and be picked up at Smithfield Beach on Friday. For practice, they paddled for a while on our pond yesterday and also experience tipping their canoe, and doing a "T-Rescue".
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
July 24, 2012
Our tradition for the first full day of overnight camp sessions is to spend Monday within Units, giving campers and counselors the chance to know everyone that is in their living unit. We call this "Monday Fun Day". Each Unit Leader plans some fun special activities for each unit, here is what happened at camp yesterday:
Deacon & the Nation: Played capture the flag, soccer, did something called "hardwood" and learned their cheers.
Shai & the Shawnees: Worked on an ongoing puzzle project that each Shawnee unit has been involved with so far this summer, then went over cheers and had a surprise "cheer off" against the Pioneers.
Ru & the Pioneers: Did a camp tour, made decorations for their cabin and had a dance off
Melissa & the Iroquois: Played a game called "save the ducks" in canoes. Then they made a star fish craft with their names on them.
Last night was opening campfire and today we'll start in with regularly scheduled activities including horseback riding and mini-bike specialty programs.
Have a great day!
Jamie
Deacon & the Nation: Played capture the flag, soccer, did something called "hardwood" and learned their cheers.
Shai & the Shawnees: Worked on an ongoing puzzle project that each Shawnee unit has been involved with so far this summer, then went over cheers and had a surprise "cheer off" against the Pioneers.
Ru & the Pioneers: Did a camp tour, made decorations for their cabin and had a dance off
Melissa & the Iroquois: Played a game called "save the ducks" in canoes. Then they made a star fish craft with their names on them.
Last night was opening campfire and today we'll start in with regularly scheduled activities including horseback riding and mini-bike specialty programs.
Have a great day!
Jamie
Monday, July 23, 2012
July 23, 2012
Welcome to session C!
The theme this session is London Color Wars, a combination of honoring the Summer Olympics, celebrating our large number of staff members from Great Britain and also having a good old fashioned summer camp Color War competition. This should be a blast.
We kicked things off with a smooth check-in process- campers from as nearby as Washington, NJ came to camp while campers from as far away as Spain and Russia joined us too! The kids rotated through an orientation process, selecting free choice schedules, visiting the nurse and learning some important rules of camp. After dinner, it was back to their unit areas to get cabin photos and learn cheers. This all built up to an all unit cheer off on the athletics field. Enjoy the photo gallery on facebook that will document this fun first evening at camp!
The theme this session is London Color Wars, a combination of honoring the Summer Olympics, celebrating our large number of staff members from Great Britain and also having a good old fashioned summer camp Color War competition. This should be a blast.
We kicked things off with a smooth check-in process- campers from as nearby as Washington, NJ came to camp while campers from as far away as Spain and Russia joined us too! The kids rotated through an orientation process, selecting free choice schedules, visiting the nurse and learning some important rules of camp. After dinner, it was back to their unit areas to get cabin photos and learn cheers. This all built up to an all unit cheer off on the athletics field. Enjoy the photo gallery on facebook that will document this fun first evening at camp!
Friday, July 20, 2012
July 20, 2012
Good morning from a drizzly session B closing day! Here is the rundown on our closing campfire last night...
Due to unsettled weather, we did decide to hold campfire in the pavilion. The performances were as follows:
SONGS: "Just The Way Your Are", "If I Were A Counselor At Camp Bernie", Parody of "Call Me Maybe" by the Shawnees, "Smile", Owasa and Kiowa Parody, a chant by the Nation, a song in Spanish and "I'm Yours" by the CB Band.
SKITS: Doctor Skit, "What Counselors Do On Their Night Off", Time Machine Skit.
And here were the awards for session B:
5 Year Paddles: Jayden, Quinn, Brandon, Nicole, Haley and Kaitlyn
10 Year Paddle: Jimmy
Caring Award: Bart from the Cadets
Honesty Award: Alyssa from Orenda
Respect Award: Quinn from Kiowa
Responsibility Award: John from Owasa
Spirit Award: Willie from Owasa
Spirit, Mind and Body Award: Nicole from the CITs
Unit of the Session: Pioneers
Thanks to all for a great session B!
Jamie
Due to unsettled weather, we did decide to hold campfire in the pavilion. The performances were as follows:
SONGS: "Just The Way Your Are", "If I Were A Counselor At Camp Bernie", Parody of "Call Me Maybe" by the Shawnees, "Smile", Owasa and Kiowa Parody, a chant by the Nation, a song in Spanish and "I'm Yours" by the CB Band.
SKITS: Doctor Skit, "What Counselors Do On Their Night Off", Time Machine Skit.
And here were the awards for session B:
5 Year Paddles: Jayden, Quinn, Brandon, Nicole, Haley and Kaitlyn
10 Year Paddle: Jimmy
Caring Award: Bart from the Cadets
Honesty Award: Alyssa from Orenda
Respect Award: Quinn from Kiowa
Responsibility Award: John from Owasa
Spirit Award: Willie from Owasa
Spirit, Mind and Body Award: Nicole from the CITs
Unit of the Session: Pioneers
Thanks to all for a great session B!
Jamie
Thursday, July 19, 2012
July 19, 2012
Session B is down to its final full day today and it will be super busy with free choice awards, closing campfire and plenty of activities too.
Yesterday, we had a super hot day, with a few intense thunderstorms rolling through in the afternoon. We kept the kids indoors, obviously, for the majority of the afternoon schedule. We put a movie on with the projector in the dining hall. Fortunately, the storms cleared out in time for the dance last night. For campers that chose not to dance, they were able to visit the trading post and also could watch the Muppet Movie. As you'll see from our photo gallery, most kids opted to dance :)
Reminders about closing day tomorrow:
Pick up at camp is at 11 AM. If your child is riding the Ridgewood bus, pick up is at 11 at the Ridgewood YMCA parking lot. Remember to have photo ID when you pick your child up.
We'll have a complete rundown of the closing campfire in the Friday morning blog!
Yesterday, we had a super hot day, with a few intense thunderstorms rolling through in the afternoon. We kept the kids indoors, obviously, for the majority of the afternoon schedule. We put a movie on with the projector in the dining hall. Fortunately, the storms cleared out in time for the dance last night. For campers that chose not to dance, they were able to visit the trading post and also could watch the Muppet Movie. As you'll see from our photo gallery, most kids opted to dance :)
Reminders about closing day tomorrow:
Pick up at camp is at 11 AM. If your child is riding the Ridgewood bus, pick up is at 11 at the Ridgewood YMCA parking lot. Remember to have photo ID when you pick your child up.
We'll have a complete rundown of the closing campfire in the Friday morning blog!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
July 18, 2012
Our last unit night of session B was spent doing the following activities:
Pioneers: Cheer off against the Iroquois, camping sleepover with s'mores and a ceremony at dusk.
Iroquois: Built a fort, cheered off against the Pioneers and s'mores, plus their ceremony too!
Shawnees: Worked on their session B "puzzle pieces" which will be added to the full summer stock for an end of summer project.
Nation: Played "Gauntlet" in the Nation-- even Overnight Summer Director Stu went up to play a round, offering 5 spirit points to any cabin that hit him with a ball. I think, as a result, he got nailed a few dozen times!
CITs: Had a night out on the town!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
July 17, 2012
Our third heat wave of 2012 is beating down on us here at camp (as I know it is all over the country). Worry not, parents, for we have altered the game plan somewhat to account for the weather. Last night, we scrapped the intended evening program in favor of having a big pool party. This made the campers and staff happy!
Tonight is unit night at camp as session B begins to wind down. I expect some top secret ceremonies might be happening tonight within each unit.
Tonight is unit night at camp as session B begins to wind down. I expect some top secret ceremonies might be happening tonight within each unit.
Monday, July 16, 2012
July 16, 2012
Hello everyone, and happy Monday.
I am pleased to announce the winning team from Saturday's All Camp Day was the Sith Lords! Congrats to them! You may be interested in hearing what was served at dinner that night: "Intergalactic Space Kill", "Green Drops" , "Hyper Electric Juice" and more (don't worry, parents, this was perfectly tasty and normal food).
Sunday was CIT Sunday. The schedule run down was a lazy breakfast followed by Chapel. The CITs planned a "movie madness" activity where each cabin had to present the plots of well known movies in 5 minutes or less. This included one cabin doing all 6 Star Wars movies in 5 minutes and all 8 Harry Potter movies too.
I am pleased to announce the winning team from Saturday's All Camp Day was the Sith Lords! Congrats to them! You may be interested in hearing what was served at dinner that night: "Intergalactic Space Kill", "Green Drops" , "Hyper Electric Juice" and more (don't worry, parents, this was perfectly tasty and normal food).
Sunday was CIT Sunday. The schedule run down was a lazy breakfast followed by Chapel. The CITs planned a "movie madness" activity where each cabin had to present the plots of well known movies in 5 minutes or less. This included one cabin doing all 6 Star Wars movies in 5 minutes and all 8 Harry Potter movies too.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Intergalactic Space Odyssey
Emperor Marshall, the four aliens and the robot have successfully recruited teams to compete for colonization of Planet Camp Bernie. The teams include: Jedi, Martians, NASA, Purple People Eaters and much more. The festivities began last night with flag making competitions and cheer offs.
This morning, the staff and campers are dressing in costume to get into the spirit of the weekend. Then, there will be a series of challenges on the Asteroid Belt (ASE course) that each team will need to complete before lunch. In the afternoon, the teams will visit various sections of Planet Camp Bernie, such as the water and the desert. Finally, we will be entertained and challenged by Global Arts to Go tonight at evening program.
I will be back on Monday morning with the full weekend recap, including CIT Sunday activities too!
This morning, the staff and campers are dressing in costume to get into the spirit of the weekend. Then, there will be a series of challenges on the Asteroid Belt (ASE course) that each team will need to complete before lunch. In the afternoon, the teams will visit various sections of Planet Camp Bernie, such as the water and the desert. Finally, we will be entertained and challenged by Global Arts to Go tonight at evening program.
I will be back on Monday morning with the full weekend recap, including CIT Sunday activities too!
Friday, July 13, 2012
July 13, 2012
Friday already, which means our session B one week campers will be departing today. We will miss them though we are happy to report that quite a few of the kids have decided to stay for the second week!
Last night was cookout and unit night. Here is the scoop on each unit's activities:
Nation/Shawnee: Had a campfire together in the Nation. They made it a Luau themed campfire and there are loads of photos being posted this morning from their activity.
Iroquois: Had an ice cream social, and played a game called "mess up the yard". The main objective was to have the most objects on their side, they also had a secret ceremony for the departing campers.
Pioneers: Also held an ice cream social, and then played a game called point zone. There were three stations that the kids needed to run through without being tagged by a sponge. The winning team had the chance to throw the balls at the counselors afterwards.
Also, for those wondering--- the CITs reported that their 3 day trip was a great experience. I think they were all happy to get a shower though!
Last night was cookout and unit night. Here is the scoop on each unit's activities:
Nation/Shawnee: Had a campfire together in the Nation. They made it a Luau themed campfire and there are loads of photos being posted this morning from their activity.
Iroquois: Had an ice cream social, and played a game called "mess up the yard". The main objective was to have the most objects on their side, they also had a secret ceremony for the departing campers.
Pioneers: Also held an ice cream social, and then played a game called point zone. There were three stations that the kids needed to run through without being tagged by a sponge. The winning team had the chance to throw the balls at the counselors afterwards.
Also, for those wondering--- the CITs reported that their 3 day trip was a great experience. I think they were all happy to get a shower though!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
July 12, 2012
We had an interesting dinner last night at camp to kick off Intergalactic Space Odyssey (Whoosh!)
The dining hall was "blacked out", everyone had a pair of alien antennae to wear, and there were glow sticks decorating the room. Chef Michael made a delicious meal of chicken cordon bleu, roasted potatoes, dinner rolls, peas and banana pudding.
Then, suddenly, a space transmission was beamed into the room. It featured Emperor Marshall from the Planet Stunana announcing the discovery of planet Camp Bernie, and showed actual footage of him traveling through space with a team of 4 aliens and a robot to visit the newly discovered planet. Upon landing, the visitors interacted with a few of the local lifeforms (day campers) and trying some food (pretzels). The emperor decided that this planet should be colonized and sent the 4 aliens and the robot out to recruit colonization teams to compete to settle this planet. The competition is due to begin at 19:30:00 on star date 7.13.12
The dining hall was "blacked out", everyone had a pair of alien antennae to wear, and there were glow sticks decorating the room. Chef Michael made a delicious meal of chicken cordon bleu, roasted potatoes, dinner rolls, peas and banana pudding.
Then, suddenly, a space transmission was beamed into the room. It featured Emperor Marshall from the Planet Stunana announcing the discovery of planet Camp Bernie, and showed actual footage of him traveling through space with a team of 4 aliens and a robot to visit the newly discovered planet. Upon landing, the visitors interacted with a few of the local lifeforms (day campers) and trying some food (pretzels). The emperor decided that this planet should be colonized and sent the 4 aliens and the robot out to recruit colonization teams to compete to settle this planet. The competition is due to begin at 19:30:00 on star date 7.13.12
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
July 10, 2012
Monday was the first full day of session B. The morning was spent doing "Monday Fun Day", with each Unit Leader planning fun activities for the units to do together. Here is what each unit did:
Melissa and the Iroquois: An activity called, "The Challenge" with a maze, trivia, balloon ball, riddles and making bandanas
Ru and the Pioneers: Went over some important rules, decorated the new Pioneer Lodge: Turrell, came up with some new cheers and then had a cheer off against the Nation.
Deacon and the Nation: Played four rounds of Capture the Flag up in the nation and then went down to main camp for a cheer off against the Pioneers.
Shai and the Shawnees: Played America's best dance crew which apparently turned into one big dance party.
The CITs, meanwhile, prepped for their big Adventure Trip that departs this morning. They will be doing a three day, two night trip combining some Delaware River paddling and Appalachian Trail hiking.
Speaking of the CITs, major thanks to them for completing a terrific service project here at camp. They helped to light the trail to outdoor chapel by setting out solar powered path lights. Also, they re-designed the fire pit at the outdoor chapel, actually creating two separate fire pits on either side of the stage. The dual fires actually lit the stage, first time I can remember being able to see everything at an opening campfire. Great improvement and awesome job by Rob, MacKenzie and the CITs!
Opening campfire was full of songs, skits and laughter. We handed out 5 ambassador awards: Jared H., Henry H. Morgan T., Hailey F. and Zachary T. Thanks to these kids for referring friends to Camp Bernie this summer.
Melissa and the Iroquois: An activity called, "The Challenge" with a maze, trivia, balloon ball, riddles and making bandanas
Ru and the Pioneers: Went over some important rules, decorated the new Pioneer Lodge: Turrell, came up with some new cheers and then had a cheer off against the Nation.
Deacon and the Nation: Played four rounds of Capture the Flag up in the nation and then went down to main camp for a cheer off against the Pioneers.
Shai and the Shawnees: Played America's best dance crew which apparently turned into one big dance party.
The CITs, meanwhile, prepped for their big Adventure Trip that departs this morning. They will be doing a three day, two night trip combining some Delaware River paddling and Appalachian Trail hiking.
Speaking of the CITs, major thanks to them for completing a terrific service project here at camp. They helped to light the trail to outdoor chapel by setting out solar powered path lights. Also, they re-designed the fire pit at the outdoor chapel, actually creating two separate fire pits on either side of the stage. The dual fires actually lit the stage, first time I can remember being able to see everything at an opening campfire. Great improvement and awesome job by Rob, MacKenzie and the CITs!
Opening campfire was full of songs, skits and laughter. We handed out 5 ambassador awards: Jared H., Henry H. Morgan T., Hailey F. and Zachary T. Thanks to these kids for referring friends to Camp Bernie this summer.
Monday, July 9, 2012
July 9, 2012
And session B has begun! Intergalactic Space Odyssey: Woooooosh!
Following a smooth check in process yesterday, the campers ran through our orientation rotation, selecting their free choice activities, visiting the wellness center, learning camp rules and doing some icebreaker games.
Following dinner, we took cabin photos and learned unit cheers with unit nights. The Unit Leaders also brought their units to the athletics field for a cheer off before dark.
Today, activities are beginning and the dining hall is already full of spirited cheering! We will have opening campfire tonight.
Following a smooth check in process yesterday, the campers ran through our orientation rotation, selecting their free choice activities, visiting the wellness center, learning camp rules and doing some icebreaker games.
Following dinner, we took cabin photos and learned unit cheers with unit nights. The Unit Leaders also brought their units to the athletics field for a cheer off before dark.
Today, activities are beginning and the dining hall is already full of spirited cheering! We will have opening campfire tonight.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Closing Campfire 13A 2012
Session A closing campfire was last night, following cookout dinner and free choice awards. Great job by the program staff in recognizing all of the accomplishment of the campers. Everyone hiked down to the amphitheater for closing campfire and here is a full rundown on the songs, skits and awards:
Songs: Boom Chicka Boom, "Imagine" by the CB Band, a great solo of "That's What Makes You Beautiful" by Devon C., a great song led by Markus and the Pioneers, plus a few others songs by cabin groups.
Skits: "Johnny Got Hit by a Bus 2: Revenge of the Bus", "Hidden Cameras", "Bee Bee Gimme Some Honey", "Auditions by Mohepinoke" and "Counselors on a Bridge"
Awards:
Songs: Boom Chicka Boom, "Imagine" by the CB Band, a great solo of "That's What Makes You Beautiful" by Devon C., a great song led by Markus and the Pioneers, plus a few others songs by cabin groups.
Skits: "Johnny Got Hit by a Bus 2: Revenge of the Bus", "Hidden Cameras", "Bee Bee Gimme Some Honey", "Auditions by Mohepinoke" and "Counselors on a Bridge"
Awards:
- Honesty: Devon C.
- Caring: Kathy L.
- Respect: David W.
- Responsibility: Brandon R.
- Spirit: Kate P.
- Spirit, Mind & Body: Tom B.
- Unit of the Session: Nation
- 5 Year Paddle: Devon C.
This morning we will be showing the slideshow from this session and we'll get this posted to our facebook page later today as well.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
July 5, 2012
Last night was the dance, a great way to celebrate the 4th of July. We had a great prank to kick off the day, the English Flag was raised by our international staff. They also projected the "Queen's Jubilee" in the dining hall. Not to be outdone, the American staff tied Josh (from England) to the flagpole in his Union Jack Onesie.
Tonight is free choice awards and closing campfire as our first session wraps up. Two reminders as we close session A:
Pick-up at camp tomorrow is at 11 AM. Please stop at the main office to sign your child out of camp.
Pick up at the Ridgewood YMCA will also be at 11.
Extended pick-up is at 4 PM for any parents that have opted for this (by paying an additional fee).
See you tomorrow!
Jamie
Tonight is free choice awards and closing campfire as our first session wraps up. Two reminders as we close session A:
Pick-up at camp tomorrow is at 11 AM. Please stop at the main office to sign your child out of camp.
Pick up at the Ridgewood YMCA will also be at 11.
Extended pick-up is at 4 PM for any parents that have opted for this (by paying an additional fee).
See you tomorrow!
Jamie
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
July 4, 2012
Happy 4th of July everyone! Hoping everyone enjoys their holiday as much as we plan on enjoying it at Camp Bernie.
Yesterday was the final unit night of the session along with their "super secret" ceremonies, here is rundown on how each unit spent their evening:
Pioneers: Games, Cheer off against the Iroquois, s'mores and camp out at the pond
Iroquois: Likewise, a cheer off against the Pioneers, plus a sleepover in the back chapel with a homemade fort.
Shawnees: Shai had the girls decorate puzzle pieces that will ultimately be compiled at the end of the summer.
Nation: Played a game called "Gauntlet" which apparently involved kids needing to move balls from one end of the nation to the other.
CITS: Spent the evening with their units as they are in cabins shadowing counselors for a couple of days.
Also, wanted to give a little shout out to Isabelle F.'s father (also the father of one of our counselors, Julia F.) who secretly set up a treasure hunt around camp for her daughter's cabin group to follow. Ultimately, this led to a secret treasure chest behind Jaqua with candy for the kids. Very clever and very "summer campy"!
Yesterday was the final unit night of the session along with their "super secret" ceremonies, here is rundown on how each unit spent their evening:
Pioneers: Games, Cheer off against the Iroquois, s'mores and camp out at the pond
Iroquois: Likewise, a cheer off against the Pioneers, plus a sleepover in the back chapel with a homemade fort.
Shawnees: Shai had the girls decorate puzzle pieces that will ultimately be compiled at the end of the summer.
Nation: Played a game called "Gauntlet" which apparently involved kids needing to move balls from one end of the nation to the other.
CITS: Spent the evening with their units as they are in cabins shadowing counselors for a couple of days.
Also, wanted to give a little shout out to Isabelle F.'s father (also the father of one of our counselors, Julia F.) who secretly set up a treasure hunt around camp for her daughter's cabin group to follow. Ultimately, this led to a secret treasure chest behind Jaqua with candy for the kids. Very clever and very "summer campy"!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
July 3, 2012
We are down to the last few days of the Spirit Points competition. So far, the Iroquois are winning but it is anyone's game. To earn spirit points, they can win cabin clean-up, cheer loudly and win evening programs. Speaking of which...
Evening program last night was Camp Clue, like the board game. Stu, our Overnight Camp Director, was murdered. Strangely, we were also visited by Stu's Australian twin brother, also named Stu. Each cabin had to find witnesses hidden around camp, and perform challenges to earn clues. For example, one of the hidden witnesses (MacKenzie) required each cabin to perform a rap to earn information. In the end, Chippewa and Owasa were able to find the answer: Luci killed Stu, using her pet killer whale in the Wellness Center.
Evening program last night was Camp Clue, like the board game. Stu, our Overnight Camp Director, was murdered. Strangely, we were also visited by Stu's Australian twin brother, also named Stu. Each cabin had to find witnesses hidden around camp, and perform challenges to earn clues. For example, one of the hidden witnesses (MacKenzie) required each cabin to perform a rap to earn information. In the end, Chippewa and Owasa were able to find the answer: Luci killed Stu, using her pet killer whale in the Wellness Center.
Monday, July 2, 2012
July 2, 2012
Here is your official weekend recap from YMCA Camp Bernie!
Saturday A.M.--- Teams visited a variety of stations and had to complete the following challenges:
Saturday A.M.--- Teams visited a variety of stations and had to complete the following challenges:
- They had to show BRAVERY at the Assault Catapult (Giant Swing tossing water balloons to certain distances)
- They had to be DARING by scaling the castle wall (Climbing Tower)
- They had to be SWIFT at the water relay race
- They had to be HONORABLE by presenting the King with a Interpretive Dance
- They had to be SMART by completing a puzzle
- They had to be TRUE by taking aim at Archery
Saturday P.M.--- Renaissance Fair Stations
- Friendship Bracelets
- Shield Making
- Face Painting
- Fishing Game for candy
- Horseshoe Toss
- Mock wedding chapel
- Princess Jasmine, a real English princess riding a Unicorn
- Stockade
Saturday Night--- Evening Program by Global Arts to Go
John the Jester visited camp with Shaman Joy, a medicine woman. Teams had to write a poem, had to set it to a beat with instruments and perform it.
Sunday was CIT Sunday. Everything started with a lazy breakfast and chapel, led by the CITs. The afternoon was an activity station round robin with slip n slide, archery, ASEs and others. Then a pool party and Great Imposter Game for evening activity.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
June 30, 2012
Cousins, sirrahs and mistresses, tis pure Medieval Mayhem in the Abbey of Bernie! Children shall runneth to prove their knighthood. Participants are thus challenged on said quest to show truth, honor, bravery, daring, swiftness in pursuit of knighthood and celebration at the Renaissance Fair.
Shifting back to modern English :)
The first All Camp Day of summer 2012 is underway. Campers and staff have been divided into teams such as Bad Knights and Merlins and are being challenged by the King through a number of stations. Last night, the weekend began with the teams making flags and cheers, at least 3, as well as a "call and response".
For those worried about the heat, we have plenty of water available all day and are constantly reminding everyone to apply sunscreen. We will seek shade whenever possible as well.
There will not be a blog entry tomorrow, but I'll have the full weekend scoop on Monday.
Jamie
Shifting back to modern English :)
The first All Camp Day of summer 2012 is underway. Campers and staff have been divided into teams such as Bad Knights and Merlins and are being challenged by the King through a number of stations. Last night, the weekend began with the teams making flags and cheers, at least 3, as well as a "call and response".
For those worried about the heat, we have plenty of water available all day and are constantly reminding everyone to apply sunscreen. We will seek shade whenever possible as well.
There will not be a blog entry tomorrow, but I'll have the full weekend scoop on Monday.
Jamie
Friday, June 29, 2012
June 29, 2012
We sent our first Delaware River trip off yesterday, Chippewa, Lopatcong and Winema put in at Dingman's Ferry and will be picked up today at Smithfield Beach. I personally was there to see them launch and was quite impressed with how the campers were helping to load the canoes and get packed.
Back at camp, we held cookout and unit nights. The Nation and Shawnee units held their mutual campfire in the Nation, a great final night for the one week kids to hang out with their unit mates. The Pioneers did an Ice Cream Social followed by a sports themed relay race around camp. The Iroquois unit played a Frisbee game that also toured them around most of main camp.
Back at camp, we held cookout and unit nights. The Nation and Shawnee units held their mutual campfire in the Nation, a great final night for the one week kids to hang out with their unit mates. The Pioneers did an Ice Cream Social followed by a sports themed relay race around camp. The Iroquois unit played a Frisbee game that also toured them around most of main camp.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
June 28, 2012
Hi everyone,
The hype for Medieval Mayhem is underway. We had a special banquet last night at dinner time, with the dining hall blacked out and lit with candles, Gregorian chant on the sound system, crowns and decorations on the table and sword fighting battles in the aisle. The kids and staff alike were quite amazed by the display, and it all builds up to a great event this Saturday.
Afterwards, we held our first "MTV night" of the summer. Sequoia and Owasa performed a skit, "Real Life: YMCA Camp Bernie" including impersonations of each unit, highlighted by Owasa's Aritro playing an Iroquois. Lopatcong was the winning cabin with a commercial called "Shawnee Off" to cure and prevent the spread of "cooties". Very funny!
The hype for Medieval Mayhem is underway. We had a special banquet last night at dinner time, with the dining hall blacked out and lit with candles, Gregorian chant on the sound system, crowns and decorations on the table and sword fighting battles in the aisle. The kids and staff alike were quite amazed by the display, and it all builds up to a great event this Saturday.
Afterwards, we held our first "MTV night" of the summer. Sequoia and Owasa performed a skit, "Real Life: YMCA Camp Bernie" including impersonations of each unit, highlighted by Owasa's Aritro playing an Iroquois. Lopatcong was the winning cabin with a commercial called "Shawnee Off" to cure and prevent the spread of "cooties". Very funny!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
June 27, 2012
Free choice started yesterday, with campers heading out to their activities as selected on Sunday afternoon. This includes specialty programs like mini-biking and horseback riding. Also, we launched two brand new programs: "Cooking with Chef Michael" in which the campers learned about how to make homemade smoothies and "Disc Golf", as campers used our brand new 9 hole course which wraps around the athletics field, out to the nation and back down the pond trail to the center of camp.
Evening program was "Counselor Hunt", some of the craziest hiding spots were J.C. under the pond bridge, Bini in a wood pile, Deacon in a closet with a snake and Maya inside of a canoe. Congrats to Chippewa and Lahanna who tied for the win!
Evening program was "Counselor Hunt", some of the craziest hiding spots were J.C. under the pond bridge, Bini in a wood pile, Deacon in a closet with a snake and Maya inside of a canoe. Congrats to Chippewa and Lahanna who tied for the win!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Session A June 26, 2012
Yesterday was Monday Fun Day at Session A, as each Unit spent the morning together enjoying specially planned programs prepared by their Unit Leaders. Melissa and the Iroquois enjoyed some bracelet making and took a trip to "Wonderland", playing croquet on the hill and painting cat whiskers on their faces. Ru and the Pioneers played some sports and did a Pioneer favorite, an egg drop. Rumor has it that one of the eggs wouldn't break even after having a bench dropped onto it!
The Shawnees did some fun challenges, like who could fit the most Marshmallows in their mouth, while the Nation boys played Capture the Flag in the Nation. The CITs did some icebreakers and spent the afternoon learning their "true colors" using the true colors personality assessment.
Last night was opening campfire, and we had quite the selection of performances. Among the songs were: "Breaking Free", "Mercedes Benz", "60s Party", "Singing in the Rain", "Hello, My Name is Joe", "Boom Chicka Boom" and "Out Loud". The skits were "Lawnmower", "The Submarine Skit", "Johnny Got Hit by a Bus" and "Bubblegum". Also, we presented Ambassador gifts to Kristina M., Emily P. and Emma P. Nice job ladies!
-Jamie
Monday, June 25, 2012
Session A: Day One 6/25/12
Good morning from YMCA Camp Bernie.
We are thrilled that our Overnight Camp Season is officially underway. We ran a smooth check-in yesterday, getting campers safely settled from all over the Tri-State area and beyond. We even welcomed two CITs from Spain and one CIT from Germany!
All of the campers signed up for their free choice activities, checked in with the nurse and watched as our Unit Leaders reviewed important camp rules through some funny skits. Following that orientation process, the campers enjoyed community time on the courts, playing sports and socializing. Dinner was Chicken Parm, Chef Michael's Opening Night specialty, and then it was back to the cabins for Unit Nights.
You will see a photo gallery posted with cabin pictures and a "cheer off" that took place on the Athletics Field after dark. Stu explained to everyone at dinner that the Spirit Points competition and Unit Award race was on; let the games begin!
Jamie
We are thrilled that our Overnight Camp Season is officially underway. We ran a smooth check-in yesterday, getting campers safely settled from all over the Tri-State area and beyond. We even welcomed two CITs from Spain and one CIT from Germany!
All of the campers signed up for their free choice activities, checked in with the nurse and watched as our Unit Leaders reviewed important camp rules through some funny skits. Following that orientation process, the campers enjoyed community time on the courts, playing sports and socializing. Dinner was Chicken Parm, Chef Michael's Opening Night specialty, and then it was back to the cabins for Unit Nights.
You will see a photo gallery posted with cabin pictures and a "cheer off" that took place on the Athletics Field after dark. Stu explained to everyone at dinner that the Spirit Points competition and Unit Award race was on; let the games begin!
Jamie
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