This is It! Red Farmers vs. Blue Fishermen!

Dear Murphy’s Law,

The day started out sunny, beautiful, a few white puffy clouds…things were cruising along nicely, even my shirt color seem to change with each passing cloud. Gorgeous.

A morning of activities and then as we entered the mess hall for lunch with a very loud American Pie playing, it started to thunder and rain; the tension was as thick as the humid air. After lunch we had a short lull in thunderstorm activity as everyone raced back to their bunks.  We decided to extend rest hour (good ol’ BUNK-O) as the rain and thunder resumed and kept on rolling.  Our plans for another all-camp general swim  seemed to become more and more unrealistic as the clock ticked by. In fact, it was pouring heavily and the thunder and lightning strikes increased.

Mitch and crew went from Plan A to Plan B to Plan C to Plan D and the finally at 4pm as the t-storms were safely away and the rain was just a drizzle we brought the whole camp back to the mess hall for all-camp bingo. The cards were distributed, the game began being called; the rain pounded again on the roof and the place was jammed.

Over the loudspeaker came the sound of IS ANYBODY OUT THERE and all could see through the windows , coming through the alley where the delivery trucks usually drive… a mess of people dressed in overalls, flannel shirts, straw hats, bright yellow fishing waders….followed by a parade of a huge hay wagon, a cow leading the way and behind the hay wagon was a fishing boat following.  On top of the hay wagon were 2 farmers holding a banner, behind the fishing boat another banner.

Everyone raced out of the mess hall, ran around the flagpole through the courtyard and onto the basketball court; on the outside PA blasted IS ANYBODY OUT THERE… the cow, farmers, wagon and boat made its way to the white rock; fog horns blasted, and as the head Judgie Bob stood up high on the white rock, he declared this OLYMPICS 2017!!!!

As he said that, on cue….the clouds parted and believe you me…the sun beamed onto the entire area…despite that, we probably had over 3 inches of rain…it had finally stopped…and the crowd was in a frenzied state.   Yelling, screaming, hugging, crying, cheering and in just awe!

The cow moo-ed, the air horns blasted and the generals, camper captains, sergeants and lieutenants were called; the teams had meetings; we had an official Olympic flag presentation, we had a late dinner followed by the burning of the olympic rings ceremony, the coveted silent Olympic dinner (so much fun), Olympic taps, a few top level meetings and that was BREAKOUT.

Not as originally planned with a herd of cows coming down to general swim with the fishermen blasting horns from their boats…but exciting and still pretty cool…in fact perhaps better than planned. And credit to Jared for his planning!

The culmination of the psych outs, the fakeouts and all the talk and suspicion (including yesterday’s local FOX News Team doing a story on the economic impact of the Wayne County Camp Association on the region. It all added up to the start of this year’s Olympic Games.  Reveille will be at 7:45 AM; I will be on the Ghost Court the next 5 days and let the sportsmanship, camaraderie, support and fun begin!!!

Just finished a meeting with the generals and spoke about this opportunity to experience management tools, control stamina, pro-active planning ,,analysis and evaluation…plus communication and creativity skills. I told the generals that this is an awesome experience where we want them and their staff to give it their all for this potentially amazing impact opportunity for co-counselors and campers. They loved it and we told them we will support  through varying methods (including subsidizing late night snacks so they don’t use their nites off other than to help the teams prepare for the next day’s activities). The generals realized that this was beyond camp, this was a crash course in true leadership…and the same applies to the older kids; whether Camper Captains or not, to rise and shine to their best personal best.

This is what Towanda is about.

And as the generals plan their day, I shall retire to the mansion for the rest of the night (hopefully)…all else is really quiet.

One parent said to me today; thank you so much for taking the time to write, as the director of this ship, to us each night; I think I speak on behalf of many of the parents that we really appreciate it and know that this camp is like no other.

That means a lot; we do care and love sharing the insight. Thank you.

PS: anybody catch the breakout on the live camp cam???

*And I think I might need to buy a new bingo set for 800 (pieces were everywhere)!

-Mitch

About Camp Towanda:

Camp Towanda is an independent, traditional, co-ed sleep-away camp in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. It is privately owned, operated and directed by Mitch and Stephanie Reiter (who are celebrating 28 years as owners and directors).  For 95 years, Camp Towanda has continued to define what camp should really be. Our program offers state-of-the-art facilities, an excellent and professional athletic department, waterfront, extensive arts, drama and adventure programs, and special events.  We are highly regarded and respected as an industry leader and are involved in giving back to various organizations throughout the year.  Camp Towanda is accredited by the American Camp Association and a member of the Camp-Alert-Network, Wayne County Camp Association, Camp Owners and Directors Association and the Pennsylvania Camp Association.

Olympics 2015- Breakout!

This is it- Camp Towanda Olympics 2015! Get all the details from Mitch’s email to our parents this morning, describing the scene at Camp Towanda, starting at 3:30am! Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team!

191cb0f0-1ff9-40ea-835b-456394a13f22Time: 3:30 AM

I’ll try my best to capture what transpired; perhaps you even caught some of it on the live camp cam if you dont sleep!

A few “on a need to know basis” personnel assembled at four different points at key locations around our 235 acre complex; connected through special coded radio channels.   The truck moves in and out the darkness of the night, a pyramid is assembled near The White Rock.  Simultaneously, the Generals slither to their starting points, get into costume and the Camels unload from their carrier (they came from Wisconsin).

d968eda8-c03e-424e-a191-b24f2982a19cTime: 5:59 AM
All ready, all get into place and at exactly 5:59 AM a special, extra loud, remix of REVEILLE, THE GOAT ALERT ALARM, IS ANYBODY OUT THERE AND WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN  blasts the campuses over the P.A. system.

Screams, cries and shrieks bounce across campus; the kids come running out of their bunks at dawn in their pajamas, bewildered. They see a camel surrounded by a harem of Generals walking through campus.

e7bcb214-aae0-4f37-af60-19f50927a3d8The boy camel entourage catches up to the girl camel entourage at THE WHITE ROCK, only to discover there is a huge pyramid situated on the Infirmary Lawn.

The music continues to blast; the horns shreek and the head Judgie, Bob Miller declares: THIS IS IT Towanda, OLYMPICS 2015!!!!”

And with that, a door opens on the Pyramid and four generals emerge with the team banners!

f57aff78-c970-4da0-b99b-4d25d9f58452The Blue Pharaohs Vs The Red Snake Charmers!!!!

The generals are announced, the camper captains are announced, the lieutenants and the sergeants. They all come running towards the Pyramid which was flanked by the Camels!
The bewildered look and disbelief that there were camels on camp was great!

After much more excitement and team meetings, everyone went back to the bunks, to wash up and get ready for Olympic lineup and then breakfast!

Another team meeting, coaches prep and at 10:30 the activities start; I’ll be on the GHOST COURT.

Feels like a complete day already and we are pumped to get more in.  The breakout was incredible and the games have begun!

The excitement of the end of camp hasn’t even peaked; but wow, oh wow—it is feeling oh so great!
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THIS IS IT! Olympics 2014 BREAKOUT!

Sound the air horn. THIS IS IT! Olympics 2014 has officially begun! But let’s rewind to hear how it all went down.

ccfe028d-3cb0-4020-8632-a737786d1be5Yesterday we had another attempt at an all-camp canteen after lunch; this time it actually happened; which was followed by an unprecedented AIRBANDS in the middle of the day ON the main basketball court (just like the old days). Airbands is our very creative choreographed lip sync contest. Many presentations that were fantastic but The National boys won with their FAMILY GUY MEDLEY.  The day continued but one just didn’t know which direction to look.. an air horn blasting there… my shirt changing colors at a faster rate (like every 5 minutes for a few hours)  then we said it was early showers (but why?). The boys lined up at flagpole 15 minutes early (lying down on the grassy knoll by the time the girls arrived)…..then a very short free play, what was happening????

Kids were guessing, oh it’s a rock and roll team or it is going to be something retro or nostalgic or it is lasers against strobes and on and on and on.

But it was just another night of evening activity…an exciting, super-charged, high-energy 1st ever night of MARS VS VENUS (or better explained as boys camp vs girls camp) challenge night of balloon tosses, pie throwing, sponge toss, and so on…mixed in with a couple of dance parties.  We had the amphitheater rockin once again! The “friendsy’ was again at an energized height…so much so, that I think no one was thinking about Olympics anymore for those moments.

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BUT THEN, in the middle of the energy of MARS VS VENUS a snowmobile appeared seemingly out of nowehere and raced across the lawn between the amphitheter steps and the stage…. Air horns blared, Pink Floyd’s “Is anybody out there” echoed not only in the amphitheter but throughout the camp PA system…..

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The crowd chased after the snowmobile which led the entire camp racing toward the main basketball court… While racing, you could see smoke billowing in the air which seemed like it was coming from the area of the main basketball court…as you got closer, “is anybody out there” was now blasting as loud as you can imagine from the mansion roof…but wait……

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THERE WAS A SNOWSTORM HAPPENING ON THE MAIN BASKETBALL COURT and surrounding area….REALLY…over 3 inches of snow blanketed this huge area….. and then about a dozen more snowmobiles came racing down the hill from boys camp and pulled up to the outskirts of the basketball court….flanked by 15 lifeguards!

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Our attention then focused on the center court …snow everywhere…… the banners unfurled…we were witnessing the RED LIFE GUARDS VS THE BLUE SKI PATROL!

People were on snowmobiles, carrying skiis, boots and poles….lifeguards were carrying flippers, goggles and life-saving buoys…..   it seemeed as if the snow was real, the snow guns blanketing camp…

And then,THE HEAD JUDGE (Bobby), perched on his stand, blasted the air horn and declared the start of OLYMPICS 2014!

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The crowd was crazy……  the lifeguards started shoveling a path on the slippery court….black non skid mats were placed for the soon to be announced Generals, Camper Captains (cc’s), Lieutenants and Sergeants to come running down…slipping and sliding together to lead their teams….

After the teams were split, they had a meeting  and then we all gathered on the grassy knoll to light the Olympic rings in flame…..

e16a7343-7c6a-4b68-bca8-f04182d9376aMy friends, Olympics has started, it was crazy, it was intense, it was a SNOWSTORM…..

Kids of every age came up to me and were high fiving me or tossing snow and saying ‘That was  THE BEST ever”…it certainly ranks up there as A W E S O M E, surreal and oh my WOW!!!

It was fun to plan, fun to put together and fun to watch happen….everyone is pumped!!! Let the games begin (if you need me I will be on the Ghost court for the next 5 days reffing 87 games, and lovin every bit of it)!!!

Day 3: Build that Fire Higher Higher!

D-A-Y T-H-R-E-E, that is how we spell DAY 3!!!

Good Afternoon Red Fans, good afternoon Blue Fans!! Yesterday was another great day of spirit, friendly competition, and fun during the 2012 Camp Towanda Olympics. The morning started off strong with another track meet, this time on boys side. It was amazing to see how fast those legs could run. By the time the meet ended and lunch started, the score was closer than ever! Morning activities on girls side were just as exciting and made us realize how amazing these teams are! Just as the one team pulls in the lead, the other one comes up from behind.

After a baked ziti lunch and a much earned rest hour, the sun settled in a cloudless sky–just in time for the girls swim meet and afternoon activities.  Wishy-washy washy-wishy, all the girls can swim like fishies!

Before the pinnacle evening activity, we took a pause from Olympics to have Friday Shabbat dinner as a camp family…the 2012 Dorm Girls lit the candles with the Dorm Girls of 2019 and 2020 (This years’ Debs)!  A special moment in time!

Rope Burning was last night and, as always, it brought all of camps’ hearts together. An alumni Guest Judgie crowd of over 60 judged and spectated the fired up crowd! Win, loose, or draw, Rope Burning is one of the most outstanding evenings to be a part of. Whether you are cheering on the side, passing down the wood, building the fire, judging or spectating, you can feel it–the sense of achievement and pride in your camp family. Maybe it was the size of the fires this year, or maybe it was the true Olympic spirit the seems to be radiating from the outside world into ours, but it was such an outstanding display of sportsmanship, teamwork, and determination. We are proud of both of our teams and extend a very special congratulations to the Red Jesters on their victory last night.  Their fire was “no joke”!

Both teams celebrated as if they won the FINAL 4 with milk and cookies and then ETB while counselors chiseled away at the scenery and  team plaques for Sunday Night’s sing.

Today is apache relay and tonite is the cumulative broadjump contest (which should be live on the Camp Cam!). We are doing our best getting you live coverage.  Hopefully our blog, Facebook and CampMinder pics are filling in the gaps for you all at home!

We had to share some perfectly put words from an Alumni/Parent/Guest Judgie just to give you a sense of what it feels like to witness this Camp Towanda Olympics firsthand:

On a day when the lead in Olympics changed hands more than once – a pretty amazing thing in and of itself given that there have already been thousands of Olympic points awarded – and the evening concluded with a spectacularly thrilling rope burning, it was especially clear to me how fortunate I am to be both a Towanda parent and also an alumni Judgie.   And today, more than ever, it was easy to see that one of the things which is most amazing about the way Olympics is conducted at Towanda is how naturally it teaches the kids the meaningful relationship between having a rich competitive spirit while at the same time maintaining the overriding importance of true sportsmanship.

When looked at from a parent’s perspective, it’s easy to understand how instilling in the children this keen value of fairness will have a lifelong – and no doubt very positive – impact on so many of the relationships which they will form as they travel down life’s road.  And what’s particularly special is how the kids so naturally learn this life lesson; it really is beautiful to see.

Rope burning tonight was the perfect example of that.  To have the entire red team cheer on the blue team after red had burned down their ropes in near record time was positively wonderful.  This sportmanship, this spirit, this remarkable demonstration of the bonds which are created and fostered at Towanda, all combine to create a powerful testament to the value of what’s being learned here at camp, and all while the kids are having the time of their lives.  Lucky for them, and lucky for us.

1,3,5,6 We Want Olympics!

Is it the Red Hollywood vs. Blue Broadway? Nope…another FAKE OUT! Mitch’s shirt changes color often; boys are doing zumba; girls are screaming; MISSter Towanda; 5 year club reflections; intense silence at flagpole; and in the mess hall.  Stephanie is working on another tree branch sculpture; Serious Nature Live is covering the fundamentals and procedures of outdoor survival.

We win the lacrosse championship! We move to the semi-finals in tennis!

But every movement, sound, color, thought is focused on the start of Towanda’s Olympics…when is breakout?

In the mess hall, at line-up, at activities, you can hear the chant:
“1-3-5-6, we want Olympics…2,4,6,8, tough luck you  have to wait….Not much longer”

Stay tuned. Perhaps. 100% maybe!!!

-“High Intensity” Mitch and “Aren’t the Olympics on TV?” Stephanie

Fake Outs, Psych Outs…Is there Anybody Out There?

So much going on here;  rain, sunshine, cool temps, hot temps, thunderstorms, activities, all camp singing American Pie at different venues, flags waving, kids swaying, mud ghost, indoor Outdoor Adventure as an activity, culinary class at the Farm with Chef Paulette, Club and Dorm Fake Outs, Pink Floyd Psych-Outs, BBQ indoors, BBQ outdoors, Horseracing in the drizzle sponsored by the Dorm, the Debs raid the Club of all their visiting day candy, bumper cars, campfires, did someone say Fake Out??

Things are moving fast; people are racing in all directions, late reveille, early to bed, milk and cookies, rain on the roof, Casper barking, did someone say Psych-Out?? And that was just Sunday……who knows what will happen today??? Tonight is Miss-ter Towanda!

Needless to say, camp has Olympic Fever!  Is there anybody out there?

Mitch

P.S. Are you watching the Campcam live? If you were tuned in last night at about 7PM, you saw the Club’s Fake out and at 7:15 you saw the Psych-Out!!! Red Olympus vs. Blue Atlantis…or not!  Oh what will the real teams be?!