Weekly Video Round-Up
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Hey everyone! Welcome back to Camp for an update on everything that has taken place over the past 7 days. If you thought last week was action-packed then prepare yourselves…because this week has been amazing too! We are just about one week from Visiting Day and can’t believe how quickly the summer is flying by!
Last weekend our LTs held their ever-popular Carnival! This all-Camp special event involves the LTs setting-up game booths, food stations, and crazy competitions all through the Playhouse, across the lawn and into the Garden. Campers got their chance to win prizes, complete challenges and of course, have zany fun playing at the cookie decorating booth, a huge inflatable slip n’ slide and bouncy house, a dunk tank, snow cone making-station and much, much more! Matt getting dunked in the dunk tank was definitely a highlight!! We also welcomed some very special guests to Rookie Day which took place just before Carnival. Our Rookie Days are great for new families and siblings of current campers to experience what Schodack is all about.
Of course the LTs weren’t satisfied with entertaining the whole Camp just once this week, they also set-up one of their amazing Theme Dinners, this time taking the whole Camp back to the Medieval Times! Our brilliant chefs made up bread bowls with a hearty potato soup, roasted chicken, a spinach green salad and chocolate covered frozen bananas for dessert!
Speaking of meals, Matt brought back his famous “Foodie Focus Group” during a 2nd Camper’s Choice! Interested campers gathered with Matt to give feedback on the meals at camp and discuss all their favorites. Our resident foodies are particularly enjoying the addition of Pesto sauce on the pasta bar and fresh avocado on the salad bar!
We held our 3rd Fire Circle of the summer which was lead by the Nyack Boys. The theme they spoke on this week was ‘Happiness’ and they chose the song ‘Happier’ by Marshmello ft. Bastille which everyone happily sang along together. Paul told one of his many stories – this week he spoke about “resilience” in his travels throughout his life and related it to the resilience that campers develop through their experiences as a camper.
The Camp trips this week were to Cooperstown/Baseball Hall of Fame and Beartown State Forest. Josh (SPEC) Baker and DHs Jess and Grace lead the hike in Beartown. They had a delightful trip with sandwiches in a beautiful green picnic area next to the Benedict Pond before talking their stroll around the Benedict Pond Loop. Campers who chose Cooperstown got to experience the town and get their fill of baseball history in the Hall of Fame!
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Talent Show
This week saw the first leg of the (probably) world famous Schodack Triple Crown – Talent Show! Known by many as the most challenging leg of the triple crown due to the high level of creativity it involves, it always brings out the best in our campers and staff. 2019’s Talent Show was certainly one of the finest displays ever. In Junior Camp, it was the Mohawk Girls who took the top spot from the judges with their rendition of ‘Carpool Karaoke’. Later in the evening, entertaining us all with their own version of ‘Visiting Day’ was the Wichita Boys who took the first leg in Middle Camp division. Finally, it was the CITs that took the Upper Camp title with their incredible performance of ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
Check out our great selection of pictures of each and every bunk from Talent Show:
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Sport and Activity Highlights of the Week
Division Highlights of the Week
Junior Boys
The second week of camp was a huge success. The Junior boys had yet another amazing week! The Abenaki and Aztec Boys have been spending so much time together during some of our favorite activities – such as swim, lake and arts and crafts. The guys were thrilled when they made birds nests in the art shack! The nests were put in the kiln, and we decorated them with special paint when they came out. We can’t wait to show you our hard work and creativity on Visiting Day! A few days ago all the Junior Boys had an extra special Team Handball period when myself and Dani (Head Counselor) jumped in and joined in the fun! We also had a Junior Camp bonfire where we made s’mores and ate them together as a division for night snack. The bunks were psyched for Trip Day, with boys choosing either Cooperstown or a hike at Beartown State Park. The Abenaki and Aztec Boys are geared up for another week in our second home, see ya next time! Simone
Junior Girls
Middle Boys
Middle Girls
Hello again from the Middle Camp Girls! We’ve had another super exciting week at Schodack. We had our first Blister Day earlier this past week which was met with cheers from everyone as we made our way from activities to the largest pool party you can imagine. Another highlight was the Carnival where the girls tried to dunk Matt in the dunk tank and ate snow cones and cotton candy to their hearts’ content. We finished the week with an exciting trip day to Beartown State Forest or Cooperstown, NY. The hike at Beartown had beautiful views and delicious ice cream afterwards. But don’t worry… the only wildlife we saw were adorable chipmunks! Those who elected to go to Cooperstown enjoyed walking in and out of local shops in the sunshine.
The Wichita Girls had an exciting and fun filled week full of Croc Jibbitz training when not at activities. Which, if you didn’t know, Jibbitz trading is all the rage this summer. Some of the girls also participated in a Tennis intercamp held here at Schodack and a ping pong intercamp hosted off-camp! The Wichita girls took the stage this week with their Family Feud Talent Show skit that took 3rd place in the Middle Division.
During Arts and Crafts this week, the Ottowa Girls had a small botany lesson while creating leaf bowls out of clay. They chose large maple and oak leaves to model their creations. While at Archery, the Ottowa Girls competed in a tactical game of battleship, aiming arrows at enemy ships on the targets with Josh Archery. They finished up their week doing a mash-up of past talent show dances to show off their moves on stage!
A few of the Pawnee Girls spent a day with Paul at the opera. When asked, they said it was a delightful trip….even thought the performance was all in German (subtitles provided!). During Swim this week, the girls participated in swimming relays using pool noodles, boogie boards and basketballs. The girls also enjoyed working on, and perfecting their Talent Show for the end of the week. They performed Tik-Tok dances which highlighted several of the girls dressed in silver, covered in forks. The Pawnee girls have skillfully mastered the art of “Hitting the Woah” and enjoyed showing their talents to the whole of camp.
This week was an exciting adventure, but next week is sure to be even better. Until next week! Grace
Super Seniors
Another phenomenal week from the 12123 for the Super Seniors! Sunday night, both bunks competed in Talent Show, putting forth two of the best Upper Camp performances I’ve seen in my 15 years at Schodack. The boys did a classic Schodack spoof of The Breakfast Club, while the girls were riotous with their interpretation of School of Rock. The performances were truly two for the ages.
Monday morning, we shipped off for our first overnight of the summer to the quiet and lovely town of Lake Placid. After arriving in the scenic Adirondacks, we ate lunch before ascending Mount Jo, the traditional Super Senior hike up a rocky but invigorating trail. At the top, we enjoyed gorgeous views of the High Peaks. That evening, we ate pizza at Mr. Mike’s before returning to the hotel for an ice cream party.
Tuesday morning, we visited the Whiteface Lake Placid Olympic Center, where we were treated to a tour of the locker rooms and ice arena of the famous 1980 Miracle on Ice game between the USA Olympic Hockey Team and the USSR Olympic Hockey Team. Walking through the locker rooms then watching the final two minutes of the game in the arena was a special and moving experience.
We returned to camp Tuesday night for a quiet evening of cleaning and unpacking. Wednesday we threw ourselves back into activities, enjoying a full day of fun after a few days of special events. Wednesday evening, we had installment No. 2 of the Super Senior Survivor Series, once again featuring new teams and new activities. As you might expect, it once again came down to the puzzle, with unbelievable comebacks seen again on the Schodack Survivor Stage. The winners this time will be treated to a trip to 16 Handles this weekend.
Over the next few days, we’re looking forward to more activities in the sun, a bonfire, Fire Circle, and 2-Day Tribals, although who knows when that is breaking?
Aaaaaaaand scene. That’s all from The Program this week! Shira
LTs
The second week of camp was one packed with excitement for Camp Schodack’s LTs. On Saturday, they planned out and put on a carnival for the entire camp for the afternoon. The event included a dunk tank, snow cone machine, slip n’ slide, and much more. The campers had a fantastic time exploring all the different booths the LTs had set up!
The following night was Talent Show, and the LTs took home both 2nd and 1st Place with the CITs winning the event with their production of Alice in Wonderland. It was great to see the sportsmanship from both sides as the Waiters congratulated the CITs on the victory afterward.
After some LT’ing, serving and trainings, the LTs were able to let loose during Tribals Day – our second of four Challenge Days throughout the summer. Each event was based on a different Tribals plaque, with some examples being Steal the Bacon in the pool (Iroquois Deep Sea Cowboys) and a scavenger hunt around camp (Seminole Super Snoopers).
On Tuesday, the 1st Year LTs went on a Trip Day during which they went ice skating and to a shopping center for some nice “off-camp food”, while the 2nd Years LT’d bunks, the majority of whom went to Cooperstown for a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Much more to come in the following weeks! Jake and Abigail
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Division Spotlight: Super Juniors
Super Junior Boys
I hate to brag, but what an awesome week for the Super Junior Boys!
As per usual, the boys were tearing it up at activities, playing basketball, soccer, making masterpieces at arts and crafts, and overall just being the best division ever. The week was wild, with the boys garnering tons of laughs at talent show and showing off their more extroverted side!
As for bunk highlights, the Fox Boys stole the show at talent show, placing third with a hilarious story of the kids trying to escape camp when Jon Carter wouldn’t let them! Thankfully, the boys escaped with the help of a few clues from SPEC Josh Baker!
The Mohawk Boys had an incredible trip day, with the choice of going to Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame to see the history of baseball come to life on a beautiful summer day, or to visit Beartown State Park for a beautiful hike through the woods, followed by a delicious ice cream pit stop! The boys made some wonderful memories and picked up plenty of baseball cards at the gift shop!
The Nyack Boys had an incredible time at the LT Carnival! The LT Carnival is a day when the Leadership Trainee Program puts on a carnival on camp, with over twenty booths. The Nyack Boys had the best time singing and dancing in the playhouse, dressing silly, cookie decorating, going on the slip and slide, getting counselors wet in the dunk tank, and more!
On the day of the LT Carnival, the Erie Boys hosted a couple of rookies for rookie day! The bunk spent the day making friends with prospective campers, showing them what it’s like to live in the warmth, tradition, and spirit of Schodack! The boys did a great job showing the newbies around, and are so excited to see the rookies next summer!
All in all, the Super Junior Boys had an incredible trip day, showed their stuff on the playhouse stage during talent show, lived it up during the LT Carnival, and are some of the nicest and most welcoming young men on camp! Best. Division. Ever.
Roll SJB- Weiner
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Super Junior Girls
The Super Junior Girls had another action-packed week, full of fun and excitement!
Saturday got off to a flying start, with great clean-up scores and getting ready for a fun day of activities. All three bunks had swim where they worked on their strokes and felt refreshed. There was front crawl, back crawl and even some diving thrown in there. Everyone staying cool in the water and enjoying themselves.
The best day was when the LT Carnival came to Camp Schodack, hosted by the first year LT’s. There was cookie decorating, sock wrestling, snow cones and so much more. We even had a soapy slip and slide, with many of the girls having a go. The highlight for many was seeing Matt Krouner himself step up for his turn in the dunk tank!! So much was fun was had by all, and the campers left to dry off and have some fun bunk time before dinner.
On Sunday we had the first leg of the 2019 Triple Crown, Talent Show! All the bunks put on a fabulous performance. The Erie Girls were up first with their take on Jumanji, followed by the Fox Girls with Expectation v Reality, and finally the Mohawk Girls with Carpool Karaoke. All the bunks smashed it with their sass and excellent stage presence! The Mohawk girls took home 1st place for the first leg, eyes firmly on the prize of Triple Crown. If the night couldn’t get any better, night snack was a scrumptious batch of fresh cookies!
Sunday Funday was always going to be difficult to top, but it definitely came close. Paul ran his traditional trip to the Opera. Some of the Erie girls went along and had such a blast. Monday was a perfect day to visit the lake, with hot temperatures the girls were able to wakeboard, kneeboard and waterski. Showing off their skills and always looking to improve. That night we joined the Super Junior boys for an activity of Monday Night Live! Everyone had a laugh as each bunk put on their own skit for the rest of the division.
After a busy few days, everyone was excited for Trip Day!! This week, half went to Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, while the other half went on a hike to Bear Town State Forest. As always, trip day was so much fun and the girls arrived back to be reunited with their bunks. The fun didn’t stop there! To finish the day, there was a Super Junior game of bombardment on the hockey court. Several games were played, with everyone joining in. There were top bunks vs. bottom bunks and even a final game of Counselor vs. Camper. It was a perfect end to such a fun day.
We all had such a wonderful week here at Schodack and can’t wait to see what next week has in store! Jess
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That’s it for now, folks. Next week will be just a quick update on the Friday before Visiting Day with a spotlight on Middle Camp!
