Monday, July 9, 2007
We Apologize for the Delay
After experiencing some technical difficulties, this Blog is back up and running! We'll be back to posting and keeping you all up to date with the latest goings on at Susquehannock.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Campus-wide Capture the Flag!
We just experienced our first "big" campus-wide activity of the summer, on Saturday June 30th, when Orange and Blue faced off in Co-Ed...
...Capture...
...the...
...Flag.
After an hour of non-stop running, attacks, counterattacks and jailbreaks, both flags remained uncaptured.
To break the stalemate, a six camper replay was proposed: each team had to retrieve their flag from its hiding spot and relay it up the hill to the S4G Lodge. In a thrilling conclusion, the Orange team successfully won the footrace to win the day!
As usual, Rob Kent's photos tell the story much more vibrantly than mere words. Here's the link:
http://web.mac.com/susquehannock/iWeb/Site/%2707%20Co-ed%20Capture%20the%20Flag.html
...Capture...
...the...
...Flag.
After an hour of non-stop running, attacks, counterattacks and jailbreaks, both flags remained uncaptured.
To break the stalemate, a six camper replay was proposed: each team had to retrieve their flag from its hiding spot and relay it up the hill to the S4G Lodge. In a thrilling conclusion, the Orange team successfully won the footrace to win the day!
As usual, Rob Kent's photos tell the story much more vibrantly than mere words. Here's the link:
http://web.mac.com/susquehannock/iWeb/Site/%2707%20Co-ed%20Capture%20the%20Flag.html
Monday, July 2, 2007
Tennis and Angleball for all my friends!
Friday June 29th, began like any other: beautiful sleeping weather setting the table for a day chock full of fun activities.
Our incredible tennis program is buoyed by the tireless efforts of Tim and Maude Kent, Chris Nosky, Allie Handman and a dedicated staff of tennis players, who do everything from the actual physical upkeep of our courts (as described in a previous post) and also in the pursuit of teaching “young scholars” the finer points of winning tennis. To that end, we are fortunate to regularly play in tournaments outside of Camp every year, giving our players exposure to other quality opponents in their age group.
We sent a van full of boys and girls into the Binghamton Tennis Center for a one day round-robin tournament on Friday. 18&under boys and girls singles as the brother sister combination of Helen and John McCann proved strong. In doubles, we won the girls 18&under with Mia Kent and Marianna Alvarez de Toledo. And in the boys 18&under, John McCann and Steve Dandridge won it all.
Friday night was punctuated by counselor sports in the girl’s camp, as the Orange coaches took on Blue in Angleball (a game only found at Susquehannock). It was a fast-paced and intense contest from the first minute, so much so that the special guest referee was visibly huffing and puffing while trying to keep up with the non-stop action. After falling behind 4-0 at halftime, the Blue team fought back valiantly only to give up a few late scores to the victorious Orange squad.
I apologize for the delay in posting; I've experienced a few eletronic snafus in the last couple days. I vow to keep on top of it, as we prepare for Fourth of July Field Days!
Our incredible tennis program is buoyed by the tireless efforts of Tim and Maude Kent, Chris Nosky, Allie Handman and a dedicated staff of tennis players, who do everything from the actual physical upkeep of our courts (as described in a previous post) and also in the pursuit of teaching “young scholars” the finer points of winning tennis. To that end, we are fortunate to regularly play in tournaments outside of Camp every year, giving our players exposure to other quality opponents in their age group.
We sent a van full of boys and girls into the Binghamton Tennis Center for a one day round-robin tournament on Friday. 18&under boys and girls singles as the brother sister combination of Helen and John McCann proved strong. In doubles, we won the girls 18&under with Mia Kent and Marianna Alvarez de Toledo. And in the boys 18&under, John McCann and Steve Dandridge won it all.
Friday night was punctuated by counselor sports in the girl’s camp, as the Orange coaches took on Blue in Angleball (a game only found at Susquehannock). It was a fast-paced and intense contest from the first minute, so much so that the special guest referee was visibly huffing and puffing while trying to keep up with the non-stop action. After falling behind 4-0 at halftime, the Blue team fought back valiantly only to give up a few late scores to the victorious Orange squad.
I apologize for the delay in posting; I've experienced a few eletronic snafus in the last couple days. I vow to keep on top of it, as we prepare for Fourth of July Field Days!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Opening Day Finally Arrives
After weeks of preparation, Opening Day arrived on Sunday morning.
Cars began to accumulate around the Camp Office at nine in the morning, where the Camp Office staff was primed to welcome the masses. Counselors donned their new staff shirts (which have received rave reviews) and were excited to meet their new charges.
As more and more people arrived at Camp, pick-up games were started in both Camps.
After dinner, the meetings were held to welcome our first session campers. After being welcomed by Site Director John Pufky, the girls were delighted to see a counselor fashion show, introducing the staff dressed in their finest athletic get-ups representing all the games played at Camp.
The boys were greeted by Site Directors Win and Cannie Shafer, who then introduced the staff. The meeting gave way to a spirited camp-wide Dodgeball game on the hockey court, featuring both campers and counselors alike.
Even more beautiful weather greeted us on Monday as World Games began, helping the staff evaluate the talent and create fair teams for Orange and Blue competition. Teams circulated around the campus, trying their hands at hockey, basketball, soccer and a variety of other games.
Meanwhile at S4G, campers were divided into color-coordinated squads for the morning games. A spirited Angelball game between The Pink team "Flamingos" and the White team "To Be Announced" captured the attention of Buff Weigand, who was delighted by the contest.
In a veteran manuever, the coaching staff of the Black team "Smashing Monster Trucks" designed a cheer that featured actual Monster Truck impersonations to “intimidate” their opponents. No word on whether that worked or not.
The first few hours of Camp were indeed incredible to behold. The beautiful weather brought out the best in the energized campers and staff and set a tone for a tremendous first session. Robert Kent has posted photos for the world to see of Opening Day and World Games at:
http://web.mac.com/susquehannock/iWeb/Site/2007_Opening_Day.html
Be sure to check that space often as he plans to upload many more photos weekly!
Cars began to accumulate around the Camp Office at nine in the morning, where the Camp Office staff was primed to welcome the masses. Counselors donned their new staff shirts (which have received rave reviews) and were excited to meet their new charges.
As more and more people arrived at Camp, pick-up games were started in both Camps.
After dinner, the meetings were held to welcome our first session campers. After being welcomed by Site Director John Pufky, the girls were delighted to see a counselor fashion show, introducing the staff dressed in their finest athletic get-ups representing all the games played at Camp.
The boys were greeted by Site Directors Win and Cannie Shafer, who then introduced the staff. The meeting gave way to a spirited camp-wide Dodgeball game on the hockey court, featuring both campers and counselors alike.
Even more beautiful weather greeted us on Monday as World Games began, helping the staff evaluate the talent and create fair teams for Orange and Blue competition. Teams circulated around the campus, trying their hands at hockey, basketball, soccer and a variety of other games.
Meanwhile at S4G, campers were divided into color-coordinated squads for the morning games. A spirited Angelball game between The Pink team "Flamingos" and the White team "To Be Announced" captured the attention of Buff Weigand, who was delighted by the contest.
In a veteran manuever, the coaching staff of the Black team "Smashing Monster Trucks" designed a cheer that featured actual Monster Truck impersonations to “intimidate” their opponents. No word on whether that worked or not.
The first few hours of Camp were indeed incredible to behold. The beautiful weather brought out the best in the energized campers and staff and set a tone for a tremendous first session. Robert Kent has posted photos for the world to see of Opening Day and World Games at:
http://web.mac.com/susquehannock/iWeb/Site/2007_Opening_Day.html
Be sure to check that space often as he plans to upload many more photos weekly!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The Waiting Drove Me Mad...
My job as Camp Recruiter allows me to split the summer between spending time at Camp and “real world”. In the interests of full disclosure, it can certainly be a struggle sometimes, especially during the drive home at the end of a trip or the fateful day before leaving.
And that’s where I am right now.
At this point, there’s nothing worse than the day before spending five glorious days at Susquehannock, trying to busy oneself with packing for every conceivable scenario or weather forecast …only to look at the clock and see that exactly three minutes have elapsed.
A close second to the slow march of time is unequivocally the actual drive to Camp from my home in Saratoga County, NY on the so-called “Interstate” 88. I’ve logged countless hours on this 122 mile stretch of highway where a freak blizzard, deer attacks or Brontosaurus-sized potholes are always a distinct possibility. After two hours of this nonsense, driving on the dirt roads around Camp feels like polished marble.
My sister Alexis, whose idea of “roughing it” is synonymous with “Marriott”, once remarked “Wow, there’s a lot of green” during her first visit to Camp. A dragonfly then flew within 15 feet of her prompting her to scream, jump in car and drive away quicker than you could say “Move ‘em out”.
But for the rest of normal folks, the simple act of turning onto Tripp Lake Road makes the waiting well worth it.
More posts to come!
And that’s where I am right now.
At this point, there’s nothing worse than the day before spending five glorious days at Susquehannock, trying to busy oneself with packing for every conceivable scenario or weather forecast …only to look at the clock and see that exactly three minutes have elapsed.
A close second to the slow march of time is unequivocally the actual drive to Camp from my home in Saratoga County, NY on the so-called “Interstate” 88. I’ve logged countless hours on this 122 mile stretch of highway where a freak blizzard, deer attacks or Brontosaurus-sized potholes are always a distinct possibility. After two hours of this nonsense, driving on the dirt roads around Camp feels like polished marble.
My sister Alexis, whose idea of “roughing it” is synonymous with “Marriott”, once remarked “Wow, there’s a lot of green” during her first visit to Camp. A dragonfly then flew within 15 feet of her prompting her to scream, jump in car and drive away quicker than you could say “Move ‘em out”.
But for the rest of normal folks, the simple act of turning onto Tripp Lake Road makes the waiting well worth it.
More posts to come!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Whatever It Takes!
It has become tradition in recent years that some of the more experienced counselors go up to Camp before anyone else for a "Pre-Work Week". These dedicated lads spend most of their time sweating profusely as they manicure the countless acres of grass on our facilities. This allows for more time during the actual Work Week to be devoted to the "larger" tasks, such as preparing Tripp Lake for use or the wildly-popular haying of tennis courts.
Camp Susquehannock "Fact of the Day":
We are extremely fortunate to have clay courts for our Tennis program at Susquehannock. Their quality comes with a price as they require regular maintenance during the summer and a special winterizing process before counselors leave in August. Large sheets of heavy-duty plastic are placed with great care on each clay court and then are covered with hay to protect them from the harsh Endless Mountain winter. Before Camp opens in the summer, all the hay must be removed with pitch forks and the plastic folded for storage. Rest assured it's as much fun as it sounds.
Our 2007 Pre-Work Week gang was greeted with a sizable chunk of the grass cutting already accomplished. We do have a very fine maintenance staff that looks after our facilities during the off season and we were fortunate to have a mild spring that kept growth down. The rest of the help came from an unlikely source ...our kitchen staff.
After completing their work at Bloomsburg University, our veteran kitchen staff of Marie, Ryan and fan-favorite Smitty arrived at Camp to prepare the kitchen for the magic that happens there on a daily basis. They spent a few days accomplishing those tasks and then approached our maintenance staff to see if any other work could be done.
United under the mantra of "Whatever It Takes", Marie, Ryan and Smitty generously began mowing and weed whacking, delighted to be helping out in any way possible. Their efforts received an extra bonus when Susquehannock legend Buff Weigand volunteered to use the tractor to get our playing fields ready for competition.
The Pre-Work Week lads picked up where the volunteers left off, and had our facilities completely mowed and weed whacked by Sunday afternoon, thus allowing for the first day of Work Week to be spent on The King's Court and down at the Lake. By lunch on Monday, the King's Court was completely uncovered and the Turnboard was installed at the Lake - tremendous progress for such a short time.
It's safe to say that our 2007 season is off to a tremendous start, all due to the generous efforts of our Kitchen Staff: Marie, Ryan and Smitty, along with our Maintenance Staff and Pre-Work Week volunteers: Seth Brownold, Vinny McCrink, Paul "P-Moe" Moeller, Ben "The Patriot Missile" Lieb.
Camp Susquehannock "Fact of the Day":
We are extremely fortunate to have clay courts for our Tennis program at Susquehannock. Their quality comes with a price as they require regular maintenance during the summer and a special winterizing process before counselors leave in August. Large sheets of heavy-duty plastic are placed with great care on each clay court and then are covered with hay to protect them from the harsh Endless Mountain winter. Before Camp opens in the summer, all the hay must be removed with pitch forks and the plastic folded for storage. Rest assured it's as much fun as it sounds.
Our 2007 Pre-Work Week gang was greeted with a sizable chunk of the grass cutting already accomplished. We do have a very fine maintenance staff that looks after our facilities during the off season and we were fortunate to have a mild spring that kept growth down. The rest of the help came from an unlikely source ...our kitchen staff.
After completing their work at Bloomsburg University, our veteran kitchen staff of Marie, Ryan and fan-favorite Smitty arrived at Camp to prepare the kitchen for the magic that happens there on a daily basis. They spent a few days accomplishing those tasks and then approached our maintenance staff to see if any other work could be done.
United under the mantra of "Whatever It Takes", Marie, Ryan and Smitty generously began mowing and weed whacking, delighted to be helping out in any way possible. Their efforts received an extra bonus when Susquehannock legend Buff Weigand volunteered to use the tractor to get our playing fields ready for competition.
The Pre-Work Week lads picked up where the volunteers left off, and had our facilities completely mowed and weed whacked by Sunday afternoon, thus allowing for the first day of Work Week to be spent on The King's Court and down at the Lake. By lunch on Monday, the King's Court was completely uncovered and the Turnboard was installed at the Lake - tremendous progress for such a short time.
It's safe to say that our 2007 season is off to a tremendous start, all due to the generous efforts of our Kitchen Staff: Marie, Ryan and Smitty, along with our Maintenance Staff and Pre-Work Week volunteers: Seth Brownold, Vinny McCrink, Paul "P-Moe" Moeller, Ben "The Patriot Missile" Lieb.
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