Good Morning,

In a surprise twist, today will be a double feature as there is just too much going on in camp to limit today to just one blog entry. The morning will detail a fun excursion into the Deep Blue, while the afternoon will chronicle a competition of epic proportions.  This morning I got to spend my time fishing with Bunk 11, the Hawt and Spicy Nachos. Twice a week, every week, a bunk gets to go fishing at a beautiful lake in Schooley’s Mountain Park in Chester, New Jersey.  Em Foster, our fishing specialist drives the bunk to the lake and starts off the day by explaining rod and reel safety and proper fishing etiquette. Once that is taken care of each camper waits in line to have a worm attached to their line and off they go fishing away to their hearts content.

While this was my first time fishing at this lake, The Hawt and Spicy Nachos had already been here once this summer, so they were seasoned pros. I could not catch a single fish all morning meanwhile most of the campers were catching multiple fish. By the end of the trip the Hawt and Spicy Nachos had caught over 20 fish. Needless to say I was quite impressed. “Don’t be too surprised these campers tend to thrive at everything they put their mind to,” said Bunk 11 counselor Cory Georgeson. “The first time they went fishing they were a little hesitant as they were still learning the rules and proper safety, but look at them now, they managed to catch more fish than all of the counselors and CIT’s combined.”

Good Afternoon,

Here at Hi-Hills sportsmanship is of the utmost importance. It is for that reason that we devote an entire week to it and its principles in the attempt to teach and encourage using sportsmanship in all facets of life. The goal of sportsmanship week is to build a sense of teamwork and cooperation between campers and staff through fun games and competitions. While there is a point system for the competitions this week there will be just as many points distributed for proper sportsmanship as there will be for actually winning thus showing that how you play the game is just as if not more important than what the scoreboard says.

At the beginning of camp today, the campers were split into two separate teams, the Somerset Sharks and the Morris Manatees. The Sharks are captained by counselor Brian Trapani and Jen Monto while the Manatees are captained by counselors Guillermo Gonzalez and Catherine Sharretts. This morning as the teams met for the first time they began to create team cheers as well as started to design their flags for their respective teams.

Today we had five competitions including two games of kickball, a game of hockey, Gaga, and Nuke ‘Em. For parents unfamiliar with GaGa and Nuke ‘Em, their rules are fairly simple. GaGa is essentially a small court (octagon) version of dodgeball where campers cannot catch the ball, there are no lines, and they are out if they are hit on the legs; while Nuke ‘Em is volleyball but the campers can catch the ball instead of having to hit it.

Every single game was unbelievably close as no game was won by more than five points. The Somerset Sharks won the first kickball games by the slimmest of margins narrowly edging out the Morris Manatees 6-5 and in game two scored 7 straight in the final inning to win 13-8. The hockey game went down to the wire as the Manatees scored three quick goals at the end which proved to be the difference maker in a 9-6 victory. After hockey I managed to catch the end of the third GaGa game. The first game was swept by the Manatees winning the top 4 spots. Not to be outdone the Sharks came back and did the same in game two. In the pivotal game three, Sharks occupied fourth, third, and second while the Manatees managed to notch First place.  The final competition Nuke ‘Em saw the Sharks’ amazing comeback come up short as time ran out on the Manatees’ thrilling 15-12 victory.

All the teams played their hearts out as is clear from the closeness of the scores. To show that winning isn’t everything even though the Manatees won four of the five events, yet the final score on the day was 1154 to 976 in favor of the Sharks.  At the end of the day I managed to sit down with the Director of this week’s Sportsmanship Program Mike Trapani. “At the end of the day it isn’t about who won or who lost; it’s just as easy to be a sore winner as it is a sore loser. What we try to do here is teach campers how to play fair and have fun. As long as those two things are accomplished it really doesn’t matter what a scoreboard says because in the game of life, as long as the game is played just and fair, everyone is a winner.”

Good Afternoon,

Start with Blue, Black, Red, Yellow, Green Rings, toss in a Torch and make it once only every four years. If you haven’t guessed by now today is the start of the Olympics (Go USA)!!!! To honor that all week we have been having Olympic themed events and activities. From music to art and even sports everyone has been getting involved and creating fun Olympic themed activities.

In Music the campers got to listen to 10 different countries national anthems, including: England (the host country), the United States, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Russia, Germany, Portugal, and South Africa. They all picked their favorites as well as identified the instruments. In Arts & Crafts the campers got to make Olympic themed creations including torches, medals and crowns. Dance allowed the campers to feel what it’s like to win an Olympic medal as medals were awarded for different competitions.

The campers all received Red White and Blue bracelets in honor of the Olympics. It truly has been a festive week. Gracious as always, Olympic host country, Great Britain’s representative at Hi-Hills, Camp Director Jack Dinwiddy was heard wishing the United States “good luck” as “second place behind England would still be a pretty impressive accomplishment”.

Good Afternoon,
Not even the Greek God Aiolos, (keeper of storm-winds, squalls, and tempests) could stop Thursday night from happening. If you could not make it tonight I’m sorry to say you missed an amazing Late Night. Capture the Flag, swimming, and some delicious Hi-Hills Burgers and Hot Dogs.

The night started out with a few friendly games of capture the flag in which score was not kept but fun certainly was. Afterwards the campers were in need of a refreshing break so we all adjourned to the pool for some fun water games and even got to spend time in the always impressive Splash Pad. Also, while at the pool we had possibly the greatest dance off in Hi-Hills history. Due to the impending storm, we moved dinner inside of Founders and it’s a good thing we did as the storm started not too long afterwards. For food, all the counselors worked together to make Hi-Hills burgers and hot dogs making sure all the campers were well fed. For those who were still hungry after dinner we had 2 highly tasty cakes and ice cream sundaes for campers and parents.

Overall it was a very fun and exciting night. Between playing sports, getting to relax in the pool and more food than one could shake a stick at, there was opportunities for everyone to thrice and enjoy themselves. Bunk 12 counselor Dylan Rowell could be heard asking, “Can we do this every week?” and Bunk 11 counselor Mike Lubinsky said, “This is the most fun I’ve had all summer.” Clearly the campers aren’t the only ones enjoying themselves during this best summer ever.

Good Afternoon,

Hi…welcome…to….today’s…blog. Sorry I’m so out of breath, I’ve just been having so much fun at Carnival today. I spent today touring the different booths with Bunk 11 counselor Mike Lubinsky. There was face painting, the Pepsi-Coke Challenge, miniature golf, Cotton Candy, a ball and cup version of three-card Monte, frog toss, a pie eating contest and even a tattoo parlor. The two biggest attractions (literally) were the Amazon race and the Wet and Wild Water Slide.

Each bunk had a chance to make up their own individual booth and run it with the help of their counselors. The booths were designed for the campers to be able to win tickets which they could then exchange for some really awesome prizes, including some delicious Cotton Candy. As has become the norm when I compete with the campers they beat me (yet again) at essentially every booth I tried. These campers sure are something special, they even beat me at miniature golf, and I actually golf on the weekends.

After getting soaked on the Water Slide, I managed to talk to Bunk 9 counselor Robbie Lister about previous Carnivals as he has been at Hi-Hills since he was a camper. “Honestly, I don’t know how they do it. Every year the Carnival just gets better and better, and it was already pretty awesome to begin with.” Well there you have it folks, from a counselor who has been here for years, our Carnival may not have a flashy name but it more than makes up for that with its amazing fun and games.

Good Afternoon,

Take some snow, add a corncob pipe, a button nose, two eyes made out of coal, and an old silk hat with just a pinch of magic left. This particular combination can only mean one thing; it’s time for the Winter Wonderland. Not even a heat wave could stop the dedication of these spectacular campers and counselors last Friday as many of them came dressed up in winter clothes following last week’s theme of Winter Wonderland.

Some of the bigger events included snowman races and a holiday shopping spree. The snowman races required campers to run around a group of snowman carrying a “snow” filled sled over there head. Due to the weather, water was used instead as a way to keep cool. The holiday shopping spree, consisted of a race around a Christmas Tree and Hanukkah Menorah presents in hand passing them off to the next camper in line until the entire line finished.

With the heat as strong as it was last week it would have been very easy for everyone to say, “It’s too hot let’s not do this,” but these campers and counselors would not let that happen. The dedication they show week in and week out is just incredible, and I applaud them for truly working to make this the Best Summer Ever. “I hope one day my children can go to a camp of this caliber,” says Bunk 11 counselor Cory Georgeson , “there is just such a camper first mentality here it’s amazing. The effort all the counselors put forth for the campers, it really brings a smile to my face.”

Good Afternoon,

Welcome to the exciting world of pottery. For today’s blog entry I got to spend the morning with our resident Pottery expert, Steven Panicani and Bunk 13 down by the Scout Cabin as we taught the campers how to make a multitude of items, including: nameplates, pendants, necklaces, keychains, and pinchpots.

 The first activity we did this morning was nameplates. By taking basic clay and molding it into a rectangle, the kids could then carve their names on them and voila, some beautiful nameplates were designed. Last week, some of the campers started making pinchpots, so when the nameplates were finished those campers got to start painting their pinchpots with Glaze while the other campers focused on making keychains and pendants. When they were done Steven and I took all the artwork to the kiln to be (cooked) and the campers will hopefully be able to take home their beautiful creations later this week. It’s really amazing how advanced these campers are when it comes to pottery,” says pottery specialist Steve, “when I was a camper I couldn’t do half the things these campers can.”

 This was the third occasion I got to spend time with Bunk 13, and they just continue to impress me. They just keep getting better and more talented each and every week.  “It’s really something else watching these campers work” says Bunk 13 counselor RJ Rescigno  “the amount of focus and skill they have in incredible. If I’m lucky maybe by the end of camp some of their skills will rub off on me.”

Good Morning,

William Tell, Robin Hood, Legolas, Green Arrow, and Hawkeye. Can anyone tell me what these legendary and/or fictional men have in common? A) They would have loved to spend time this summer at Hi-Hills B) They all pale in comparison to our expert archery teacher Elliott Cohen  C) They all dot their “i”s with hearts or D) They greatly enjoy dancing in the rain.  If you guessed B, they all pale in comparison to our expert archery teacher Elliott Cohen you would be correct. We would also accept answers A and D as well.

If you haven’t guessed by now, today’s blog is on the wonderful world of Archery. Archery is an ancient sport that dates as far back as 10,000 BCE and possibly even further. While rendered obsolete on the battlefield with the invention of firearms, it still remains a hugely popular recreational activity and sport (It’s even included in the Olympic Games).

“At Hi-Hills our goal is to teach the campers proper bow etiquette and usage,” says Archery Instructor Elliott Cohen, “along those lines safety is always the biggest concern so prior to every bunk getting started, I like to sit down with them and make sure they clearly understand all the rules and safety precautions.” Elliott went on to explain to me how the campers use a 50 point system with five arrows worth up to 10 points each depending on where they land on the target. There are different distances set up for the campers, ranging between 20-30 feet away from the target depending on skill level.

Between bunks I was granted a one-on-one tutor session with Elliott to see just how hard this archery thing is. Let me tell you, the skills these campers are showing are quite spectacular, I struggled to hit the target more than once while most of the campers are hitting it three or four times from an even further distance than me. After failing miserably Elliott said to me, “Don’t feel too bad, these campers make it look so easy. It’s not every day you get campers of this skill level, these Hi-Hills campers are quite the young marksmen.”

Good Afternoon,

I honestly don’t know where to begin; in a surprising first I’m nearly speechless. If your curious as to why all you need to do is ask someone from the extended Kinder Camp family.  I just arrived back from the party of the century. The Kinder Camp Garden Party featuring Bunks 1 and 2 absolutely blew the roof off of the athletic center this afternoon. The campers sang a seven song set to rival just about any music act from the last 30 years. Move over Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and anyone else who thinks they’re on top; The Sunnies and Munchkins are the new kids on the block. With a mix of new songs and even a few from my childhood the Sunnies and Munchkins put their names on the music map emphatically. They sang Baby Shark, Crocodile Song, Skidamarink (one of this bloggers favorite childhood songs), I am H-A-P-P-Y, Smile, The More We Get Together (my other favorite) and finished off with the instant classic The Hi-Hills Song.

After their standing ovation finished we were served cake and lemonade in celebration of Kinder Camp’s first in what should be an incredibly long line, of shows. I even hear they are set to headline The Tonight Show next week. During the cake eating I had the privilege to speak to music director Stefanie Santoro who told me just how hard the campers had been practicing leading up to this event.  “I would practice with them just about every other day and could always hear them practicing as they would walk down the hallways.” It’s clear that campers and counselors alike put a large amount of time and energy into this party and I am glad to tell you it was a rousing success.

By the end of the show I couldn’t tell who was more impressed the parents or the talent scouts that were scattered in the audience. As always here is a quote to end on, “Overall a good time was had by everyone and these campers will be singing for a long time to come,” said music specialist, Stefanie  Santoro “I just hope when the millions start pouring in they remember the simple young music teacher who helped them organize their first show. ” Also an autograph or two isn’t too much for the blogger who was there to document their debut, right? (…right?)

Good Afternoon,

Let’s start off with a nice roast turkey carver, add some roasted potatoes and the always amazing GSB garden vegetables. Add in two highly deliciously Chocolate and Vanilla cakes and we have quite the meal. No need to adjust your blog, this isn’t the Food Network, but it is PARENT LUNCHEON DAY!! Today you get to join me in spending part of the day with your children seeing exactly what they have been up to the last 3 and a half weeks.

During lunch we enjoyed the splendid musical styling of Music Specialist Stefanie Santoro on the flute. I managed to sit with a few bunks and got to speak with counselors, campers, and their families. “It’s really nice to meet the families, “says Bunk 13 counselor, RJ Rescigno, “we’ve gotten to spend so much time with the campers these last few weeks its really cool to get to know them in a different setting.”

The Parent Luncheon has been a key event at Hi-Hills since its inception back in 1966. “It’s a great way to showcase the camp,” says Camp Director Jack Dinwiddy, “one of the best attributes to this camp is the sense of community that exists as a whole. The parents always come out in great numbers and it really allows them to see just what their children are doing that makes going to Hi-Hills truly the Best Summer Ever.”

After lunch parents were allowed to stay and spend time with their children during clubs. Overall it was a rousing success and quite an amazing time to boot. On my way out I managed to get one final quote from my favorite counselor. “I really enjoy being able to tell the parents about all the amazing and incredible things these campers have done so far,” says Bunk 10 counselor Dylan Rowell “The only thing better than seeing the parents reactions is actually seeing the campers succeed.”