Summer 2019, Edition #2: July 4th-July 9th

As a camp with decades of history, Scatico artifacts often spring up in the most random of circumstances. While preparing for “Annie”— the Inter and Senior girls’ play, and the debut summer show for the Scatico Playhouse— we rifled through an old suitcase we thought would be suitable as a prop for Mr. Warbucks. Inside the suitcase were dozens of old Scatico papers, stationery, promotional materials, and more. One newspaper clipping, from a 1989 Sunday edition of the Albany Times Union entitled “Generations return to work and play at Scatico,” caught our eye.

The article was written after Scatico was featured in “Camp MTV,” a two-hour TV special, and is filled with quotes from campers— some of whom are now parents of campers today:

Boys soccer league

“Scatico does things pretty much the way it has since its founding in 1921,” the article reads. “‘I suspect there’s going to be a resurgence of this kind of camp… as our world gets crazier,’ says Adele Selleck, director of placement services with the American Camping Association in New York City…. Selleck said that one of Scatico’s drawing cards is that it ‘has a philosophy that is quite different than other camps.’ Campers are taught that winning and losing and competitiveness are less important than compromise, getting along, and treating others with respect. Virtually everyone at Scatico comments on the family-like atmosphere…. Returnees say it’s the people that keep them coming back.”

Now in week two of Summer 2019, it’s clear that in the 30 years since the article’s publication, these words still ring true. As we reflect on all the action of the past week— the Fourth of July Talent Show, first Tribes day, the Boys Nat, DJ Pure— it is still the people that makes Scatico, Scatico. It is the intangibles of living in a close-knit community where everyone knows each other’s names, where older campers walk younger to meals, and where cheering on the sidelines can be just as fun as making the winning shot that make camp the kind of experience it is.

Freshman boys take the stage at a boys dancing evening activity!

4th of July

Scatico’s supportive and spirited atmosphere is perhaps on no brighter display than it is on the Fourth of July. With campers dressed in red, white and blue, we had a full day of regular camp activities, followed by our first full camp, co-ed evening of the summer. Kicking off the celebration with a full camp BBQ on our new covered picnic deck (tentatively named the Tennis Patio) the celebrations then continued at the campi-theatre with a talent show. Always a highlight of the summer— and filled with unexpected talents and performances— there were 26(!) acts this year, and no two the same. From a rousing rendition of “Take Me Out To the Ballgame” with Jake Zirolli; to an original song performed by The Senior Boys; a dance to “Paper Planes” by The Upper Seniors; gymnastics with Isabelle Hellman; a full-division song with The CIT Girls; a stand-up comedy routine with Simone Strauss and Lily Pisnoy; incredible solo singing from Jojo Roses, Lily Nielsen, Sam Ryan, Leah Moscou, and Roy Goldstein; and a dance with some Debs, each act inspired all-out Scatico applause. The night finished with a surprise performance by the Scatico lifeguard staff, who seemingly magically transformed into a rock band overnight!.Performing a Bon-Jovi hit, the lifeguards got the entire camp up on their feet, before heading to the golf course to watch fireworks under the stars.

Boys’ side highlights

Dressed in green and grey (of course!) and signs ready, the campers on both boys’ and girls’ sides gathered together for the Boys Nat basketball tournament. The Nat, named for Scatico founder Nat Holman, is a camp tradition that remains at the heart of summer here. Invitees this year included Wah-Nee, Pontiac, Eagle Hill, Timber Lake, and Kinder Ring. While Scatico lost their first game to Pontiac, we won our second against Kinder Ring, thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Oz Rubinson.

Over in the arts programs, boys have been busy with very different kinds of projects. Our new boys Arts head Helen, an off-season instructor at the nearby Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School, has been leading campers in the creation of unique stained glass and mosaic windows. Down in the Woodshop, Sergio, now in his sixth summer at Scatico, has been helping campers on a range of projects, including long-time favorites like pens, birdhouses, and even a Captain America shield! The Freshman boys are creating flower boxes for use on the Boys HC porch, and The Sophomores are building a new lost and found box (unfortunately, a great necessity).

Down at the lake, the boys partook in their first Polar Bear Swim— campers get up before reveille and swam the lane between boys’ and girls’ waterfronts (with some hot chocolate ahead of time to warm them up)— as well as our first Swim Meet of the summer at Camp Wah-Nee.The Senior Boys also won a night baseball game at Kenmont.

Girls’ side highlights

Over on girls’ side we had the first day of Tribes! Dressed in their red, yellow, blue and green, the day kicked off with the Swim Meet, which involves various lake races and competitions, including a plate hunting activity for the Jinters in the crib, and a life jacket relay for the Soopers. The afternoon was jam-packed with activities on the hill, followed by a Sing Down in the dining hall when it started to rain!

Tribes day one ended with a “campfire” (actually in the girls’ social hall, and involving no actual fire) where each team performed their Grace (a song we sing before meals in the dining hall) and demonstrated their Human Pyramid (somewhat self explanatory). The evening also incorporates random challenges, such as the Inters trying their best to guess the definitions of SAT words, and The Debs participating in a Talk Down (each girl is given the opposing side of a “debate,” such as Facebook vs. Instagram, and then do their best to talk about it simultaneously for a minute straight).

Another highlight this week was the choosing of Camp Sisters! As a tradition, the younger girls draw the name of an older camper out of a fishbowl, and the two are united as Camp Sisters for the duration of the summer. Girls side had its first Camp Sisters evening activity, which included a series of games— parachuting, line soccer, charades, and musical chairs— under the softball field lights.

Camp sisters!

Let’s Get Cookin!

Since its introduction to the Scatico program in 2006, Cooking has consistently been a favorite activity among boys and girls campers alike! We’re lucky to have Chef Ally— a longtime Scatico camper and counselor, head of cooking since 2006, and the head of NYC-based catering company Herb n Peach— back with us this summer, helping us whip up some delicious concoctions. Boys and girls started the summer with camp-style hors d’oeuvres like mini sliders and spinach artichoke dip, but desserts remain a camper and counselor ALL TIME favorite. We figured we’d share the (delicious) love, and the recipe for her famous S’more Brownie Bites!

Total Time: 45 min

Yield: 24 brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temp

• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup mini marshmallows

• 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, or 4 large graham crackers, finely crushed

Special equipment: 24-count mini muffin pan, 24 mini-muffin liners

Directions:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the over. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 24-count mini muffin pan with paper liners.

• Heat the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add 3/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour until the mixture is thick and smooth. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.

• Using a small cooking scoop, fill each paper liner with about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter. Push 3 mini marshmallows halfway down into the center of the batter. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the graham cracker crumbs over the marshmallows. Bake until the marshmallows are puffed and light golden, 10- 12 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes and serve.

Boogie Time!

A highly-anticipated event of the summer is the evening spent in the Pavilion singing and dancing with DJ Pure, a local DJ who has become beloved by the Scatico community.

Playing summer hits and taking some specialty requests— such as “Paper Planes” so that the Upper Seniors could recreate their talent show performance— Juniors and Frosh through CITs kept moving all night long!

Next week!

Check out our next blog for more updates including; college bowl, girls’ Nat and our first divisional overnights.

Summer 2019, Edition #1: June 28 - July 3

Opening Day!

Finally, after weeks of excitement and preparation, Camp Scatico’s 99th summer began June 28! With bunks unpacked, white shirts on, and camp fires blazing, the Scatico community welcomed back faces old and new to the 12523. We are delighted to continue to grow our family here at Scatico as we approach our 100th summer, and are looking forward to spending the next 7 weeks sharing with you all things Scatico.

Opening campfires

A staple of Camp Scatico tradition, the opening campfires remain one of the most memorable and rewarding times within our camp community.

Girls side gathers at their camp fire site, the buzz of camp setting in. The Soopers lead the evening activity, and begin by sharing the ‘spirits’ of camp including friendship, health, laughter, fire, and tradition. As the Soopers share each spirit, the campfire burns as the girls sit together arm in arm singing Scatico songs including “Friends”, “The Circle Game” and “The Year Song”. Within no time, those new to the Scatico community begin to feel a part of the family. The campfire ends with the girls side candle tradition, which symbolizes the passing of sisterhood between old and new campers. In the candle ceremony, returning campers light a new camper’s candle. As is tradition, the girls then make a wish before blowing them out. The night ended with a live performance from counselors Kara (a first-time Scaticonian, and our ceramics head) and Sole (a third-year counselor all the way from Argentina) who played guitar and sang “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes.

The boys side campfire is filled with its own set of traditions. Two games no campfire is complete without include Pillow Fights and Fool Ball. Pillow fights are self explanatory, in Fool Ball, a counselor passes a basketball back and forth between a line of campers from each division. Campers need to stand with their arms connected behind their back, and the counselor’s job is to fake them out. If your hands break, and the ball isn’t actually thrown to you— you’re out. After the games, David Fleischner regaled the boys camp with one of his classic campfire stories. In this (fictionalized) account, David told the story of the historic first landing on the moon, an event which celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer on July 20. In the story, David met Michael Collins— the astronaut who didn’t get the fame of Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin as he did not get to WALK on the moon, but had to stay in the capsule while it orbited. Collins embraced his role, and became the first human to experience the dark side of the moon on his own. The lesson being— even if you don’t get the star role, you never know what special component your contribution might bring. David remembers the summer of ‘69, when all of boys side gathered in the social hall around a small black and white TV and witnessed that historic “one small step.” Longtime Scaticonians (campers and counselors) Jamie Hamburg and Zach Wayne closed out the evening, with an acoustic rendition of “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers.

First activities

It seemed that within minutes the campers were back to their routines, catching up on their months away from camp and kicking the summer off with some incredible first activities and traditions.

Girls Side

First up, our youngest (and newest!) Junior girls spent the first evening at camp making friendship bracelets as a way to connect with each other. The Junior girls experienced some new and exciting things over the last few days including shooting a bow and arrow and even getting into canoes! The Jinters kicked off their summer at Scatico with a camp favorite: Kickball! The girls headed to the hill to play in the sun and took part in divisional bonding games as the evening continued. The Inters, on Monday, headed out for the first off-site hike of the summer to Boulder Rock— finishing with ice cream at Holy Cow (of course!). The Centers spent their first few hours back at Scatico playing 9 Square with the Inters. A camp favorite, 9 Square involves hitting a ball up into the air with the aim of it landing in someone else’s square. With the sun beaming down, the Debs and Subs kicked off the summer in the best way possible with singing and dancing games to get into the camp spirit, while our Senior girls competed in the first Spikeball tournament of the summer! And our eldest, the Sooper girls, have been spending their first few days on the hill playing traditional camp games while soaking in the sun. The girls have also been hard at work with the start of Tribes (more on that below).

Following tradition, on the very first night of camp the girls side gathered together for Song Night. Led by the Sooper girls, this evening activity remains a favorite. The Soopers lead the girls side in teaching new campers a selection of time-honored Scatico songs. Each division within girls side works alongside a few Soopers to learn the songs with, naturally, some unique choreography. After spending time practicing, the girls then take turns performing their songs for the rest of camp. This tradition acts as the first stepping stone to a thrilling summer where all are included.

Boys side

Our newly-minted Freshman boys took part in a cool activity down by the lake during one of the first evenings of camp called night fishing. The boys managed to find various turtles and fish during their exploration! The Sophmores kicked off their summer with a game of downhill tennis baseball (yes it is as fun and crazy as it sounds). They then headed down to the lake to swim the lane to the inflatable obstacle course. The Sub-junior counselors organized a safari around camp for their campers to explore and joined in with a multi-division jam session (more on that later). The Juniors played a game of skippy ball (sort of like baseball, but with a larger ball). The Inter boys focused on team bonding during the first few days with a game of backyard baseball (played on boys back campus).. The Subs opened their summer with an intense game of Frisbee and ended their weekend with some deep sea fishing (in the middle of the lake!) and a flag football! tournament at a nearby camp The Senior boys began their summer with a game of dodgeball in the boys social hall (always a fan favorite). And last but not least, the Upper Seniors were key participants in jamming with Jamie. The jam session involved the upper seniors, juniors, and sub-juniors who played various drum beats while walking all over camp.

Meet the Counselors

Always one of the first evening activities of the summer is… MEET THE COUNSELORS! On girls side it’s a night filled with laughter and ridiculous song lyrics, the counselors from each division write songs, poems and raps to various popular tunes and perform their new versions to the campers as a way to “introduce” themselves ! On boys side, counselors participate in various challenge games, with the divisions each cheering on their respective staffs.

Tribes break!

Meet the Counselors on Girls Side had a SURPRISE twist! The final performance (a dance from the Division Leaders) ended with them throwing red, blue, yellow and green confetti… which can only mean one thing… TRIBES!! Screams and cheers ensued, as all of girls side split into the four teams of Blazing Arrow (red), Flying Eagle (green), Thunderbolt (blue), and Racing Wind (yellow). Over the next 3 weeks the girls will compete in various activities and sports in their four tribes. Tribes is always a stand-out moment at Scatico and the smiles on the girls faces really do say it all!

Leagues, Tournaments and more Leagues!

While Tribes kicked off on girls side, the boys embarked on all their various sports leagues! Soccer and Hoops Leagues began for boys in the Inters division and down, and T-League started for Scatico campers and counselors of all ages! T-League is one of those timeless Scatico favorites, where boys head out to the ballfields and play games simultaneously on all four fields as the sun dips below the horizon. Opening night for the season included (after a light drizzle) an enormous double rainbow that stretched the entire length of the fields.

Scatico also hosted its first tournament of 2019. 5 camps joined us for a co-ed tennis tournament for campers entering 10th grade and younger. At least one Scatico entry reached the semi finals in all 4 divisions: male and female singles and doubles!

Stay tuned for next week’s updates… there’ll be Camp Sisters, College Bowl, Fourth of July, AND MORE!

Summer 2018, Edition #4: July 27 - August 6

Going out with a bang! 

The week leading into Color War is always a little packed program-wise, as groups sense the approaching end of summer and want to make sure to squeeze in everything possible.

There was the Divisional Sing (Juniors and Upper Seniors winning on boys side, Inters and Debs on girls), the Film Festival, and the Carnival (alien-themed and involving golf carts turned into space ships that crash-land on Mars--the batting cage on girls side just a little retrofitted). There was an Art Show and an Open Mic Night. There were Divisional Activities that included waterfront cookouts, Ropeburns, Murder Mysteries, and Iron Man Competitions.

There were divisional trips to the Mohunk Mountain House, Howe Caverns, Zoom Flume, Rafting (a new addition this year, after our normal Sub girls caving guide was unavailable) and the Baseball and Basketball Halls of Fame (the Inter boys even met former Knick Charles Oakley). There was a spontaneous full-camp mudslide (somehow there is always one of these each year) and multiple sightings of rainbows and our resident bald eagle. There were championships awarded in Basketball, Baseball, Soccer Leagues, and boys and girls T-Leagues, and we are now down to at least the semi-finals in full-camp tennis, chess, and 42(a basketball shooting game) tournaments.

Boys head counselor Cory Schwartz organized two rainy-day movies in the social hall, featuring favorites from his youth—“Goonies” and “Back to the Future”. There was a skills morning on the lower hill (tennis, basketball, and softball) and a first issue of “The Bugle Digest” (boys side newspaper). All of the above occurred during the week from Friday, July 27, to Friday, August 3. Whew!

1, 2, 3, 4... We Have Color War! 

GIRLS SIDE 

On Monday July 30, girls side thought they were gathering for just a regular movie night... but little did they know it was about to be COLOR WAR! Media counselor Gaston created one epic video sequence (involving the three Chief Judges as Charlie's Angles... full video available on our Facebook page) that ultimately revealed Color War was about to begin! Girls side erupted into cheers before reciting the Color War pledge and heading up to the tennis courts for dodgeball and team color reveals. 

In girls Color War each team picks a theme and this year the Soopers opted for Grey Circus and Green Monsters Inc.! The theme plays the largest role during Color War sing, which is the competition that officially kicks off Color War (and just happened Sunday night!). The Soopers and Seniors have a week to work together to make incredible backdrops, and write and teach their teams five songs: Entrance, March, Cheer, Folk Song and Alma Mater. All week green and grey rehearse and prepare. One of the most remarkable elements of sing, is how each division's efforts come together to create something spectacular. Rest Hours and Free Plays quickly become dedicated to reviewing song lyrics and practicing cheers "claps" in the bunk. Jinters take turns "leading" their friends, after observing how Soopers do it during team meetings. Subs create each team's emblem-- a felt patch worn pinned on every campers' T-Shirt throughout the duration of Color War. Seniors step up for their first major leadership opportunity: writing and leading the Color War cheer. And Soopers bond in this one-of-a-kind way that only the intensity and joy of Color War can create. In writing their team Alma Maters, they are able to reflect on their camper careers, and express all that Scatico has meant to them over the years.  

On Sunday night each team's hard work showed off as Green Monsters Inc. and Grey Circus brought the playhouse down! The Alma Maters were particular highlights, with Green's going to "Butterfly Fly Away" by Hannah Montana, and Grey's "All of Me" by John Legend. In the end, Green won the sing (their rendition of "Let it Be" by The Beatles for a Folk Song was especially beautiful), but the next few days are sure to bring more heated competition!

BOYS SIDE 

For the boys, the Color War broke came on Saturday night, August 4.

Just one day in to the competition there have already been a handful of moments that will make their way into Scatico lore for generations to come….  The full-camp Apache Relay race starts at the front gate, makes its way all the way to the boys A Court, and ends at the waterfront). In the final leg of the 50-plus-event relay race, two graduating Upper Seniors represent each team in a canoe that they hand paddle across a section of the lake to the boys beach and then sprint to “kiss” the flagpole. The lead see-sawed back and forth throughout the 30-minute-long race and the teams reached the canoes within seconds of each other, the Green team ultimately pulling out a come-from-behind victory.

One of the things we love is how campers re-strategize decades-old sections of the race. For example, Sub Senior Jacob Schiff calculated it was faster to run from the 250-yard marker to the Pagoda (a sprint of about 350 yards), by racing not in a straight line (on uneven ground) but by first running uphill to the ridge of the driving range and then across the top of the golf course hill before cutting over. This will be the new standard as he saved about 20 seconds.

Other first day highlights included an Upper Hill Mass Softball game that ended in a tie and was won in the “Fungo” overtime (three representatives from each time, furthest hit wins) and an Upper Senior-Senior soccer game that went to the 5th round of a shootout. Green was leading 2-0 with less than 10 minutes to play, but Gray tied the score on a header with 2 minutes remaining. Kornel Nemeth, our one Hungarian camper, had the winning goal. Kornel, in his second summer as a camper, lives in Budapest. His dad was a dishwasher at Scatico for two summers in the early 1990s! Both finishes came with the entire boys camp watching.

Certainly, more to soon follow over the next three days in Color War….

Brothers & Sister First, Green & Grey Second 

Even with all the sense of competition and daily adventure, what resonates most during the final two weeks of camp is the brotherhood and sisterhood that continues to grow within each division with each passing day. Especially at a 7-week camp like Scatico at which no campers join a group mid-season, the journey from Opening Day through the many highs (and even a few challenges) creates opportunities for bonding and community-building which will provide foundations for each camper to build on during the school years and summers to come. With closing campfires, banquets, candles across the lake, slideshows, and more of those final camp traditions still on the horizon, there will be plenty of opportunities to reflect on the magic of summer 2018.      

CIT DR TRIP 2018

Our CITs are back from their incredible week in the Dominican Republic leading a one-week day camp for 80 local campers, and embarking on a series of adventurous excursions. Read up on all the excitement and activity on our blog!

SUMMER 2018, EDITION #3: JULY 6 - JULY 19

“A little bit of everything” may be the best way to describe the past two weeks at Scatico. Or, maybe, “A lot of everything!”

There were rainbows, thunderstorms, and finally a beautiful break in the weather. There was the boys and girls Nat Holman Basketball Tournament, and a newly-created divisional evening activity (essentially a Fortnight-themed Manhunt that just might challenge Human Stratego as the favorite night program in the year-end camper surveys). There were divisional overnights and hikes; a Soph Titanic theme day (division leader Jamie Hamburg as the Iceberg); an Inter (girls) Pirate theme day complete with treasure hunt and "X marks the spot" cookie making; a first outing to the local golf course; “NFL Combines”; Rope Burns; Tribes days; Birthday Ball; and an American Idol competition.

SCATICO LET'S GO! 

On back-to-back Monday's-- July 9th and 16th-- Scatico got decked out in green, green, GREEN for the boys' and girls' Nat Tournaments! Invitees included Camp Pontiac, Camp Wah-Nee, Camp Eagle Hill, Camp Kinder Ring, and Berkshire Hills Camp. On boys side, as is tradition, before the tournament started the entire boys camp gathered in the "K Corner" to cheer, jump, blast music and get hyped.  While we lost our first game against Wah-Nee, we bounced back and were able to beat Berkshire Hills Camp in our second game. It was boys first Nat tournament with the new A-court bleachers (that have a backing to avoid losing constantly rolling balls) and they were deemed a success!

For the girls Nat, our team played an incredibly impressive four games! Due to the fact that there were an even number of teams, and several won their first game but lost their second, the girls Nat had to participate in a series of 5-minute 1-quarter games to make it on to the finals. Ultimately, after two intense games, Scatico lost to Pontiac in the finals by a mere two points. 

Shortly after the Nat, the Pavillion was converted for an entirely different activity use: DJ PURE!! One of the highlight nights of the summer, DJ Pure is a full-on dance night with boys and girls of all divisions. Complete with lights and many-a-Scatico shoutout, Scatico campers and counselors danced all night long and even managed to coordinate a full-camp Cotton-Eyed Joe! A song that is (shockingly) beginning to stand the test of time.  

Boys Side Legends  

Over the past two weeks boys side has several full-camp evening activities. On Visiting Day evening, the entire boys camp had a BBQ on the ballfields, followed by the annual “Scatico Legends” story-telling competition. For the event, all campers and counselors are divided into four teams: Guardians, Harbingers; Seers, and Alchemists (your team for your entire Scatico career). Inter Division Leader Zach Wayne finished in first place (for the Alchemists—a story about a bee that wanted to become a squirrel), but campers Jake Zirolli, Elias Halperiin-Ranzer, and Jared Pisetzner also captivated the camp with their tales.

Other highlights over the past two weeks included Intercamp Tournaments in archery, swimming, flag football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and soccer; and the start of the Intramural Lower Hill Twilight League Playoffs in baseball, basketball, and soccer. Six camps participated in Scatico’s Annual Chess Tournament, and Scatico had a strong second-place showing, including first-place finishes on “boards” by Jack Wasserman, Ryan Derasse, Oz Rubinson, and Josh Mazarin; and second-place finishes by Tommy Hall and Michael Fischgrund.  There was a full-camp evening game show night—“The Price Is Right”—where campers guessed the actual price on a variety of camp items, from a pint of milk to a 1-day golf cart rental to the Mets seats on the HC porch. Filming also began on the production of “The Wizard of O.D.” (as in “On Duty” for bunk coverage at night). Free time? Think endless games of Chicago and 42 on the basketball courts or chess and card games of Kent (a summer 2018 sensation) on the HC porch and bunk picnic tables.  

Happy Birthday to Us! 

Girls side celebrated its own time-honored tradition last week... Birthday Ball! A full girls' side birthday celebration, for Birthday Ball all girl side campers and staff are split into the four season, based on when they were born. Each season then comes up with a creative "theme," and designs costumes and scenery to deck out the dining hall for the occasion. This year's particularly creative themes were Kerri Winter-man (who dressed in typical head counselor Kerri gear, such as Michigan hats, sweats and white tees), Summer Interns (who donned ties and name tags), Poland Spring (sported green and blue), and Fall-y-wood (Lower Hill dressed as celebrities and upper hill as the paparazzi). The birthday ball "party favor" was a Scatico hat, and the evening ended (as it always does) with a lighting of one giant birthday cake with 98 candles (one for each summer Scatico has existed). As is tradition, candles are lit by the counselors and campers who have been at camp the longest-- starting with Diana and Kerri (who have over 20 years at Scatico each) down to DLs Emily Berger, Lexi Schecter and Katie Hecker (over 10 summers each), and eventually down to Junior Counselors. 

Other girls side highlights, included the final Tribes day-- complete with the "Peanut Hunt" (now a dog biscuit hunt), a revealing of the Plaques, and performing of the Aerobics routines and Folk songs-- the Jinter/Juniot/ Senior show of "High School Musical"; and the "Miss Ugly" pageant won by CIT Amanda Graf! 

LOOKING AHEAD

With only three weeks left in the summer, campers and staff alike know the best is yet to come: Minicamp; Carnival; Divisional Trips; Sing; the Art Show and Open Mic Night; Twilight League Playoffs; and Color War. That’s a lot to pack in…. And still the most cherished and memorable moments remain the in-between times when campers foster friendships and fully embrace the magic of the camp community.

SUMMER 2018, EDITION #2: JUNE 30 - JULY 5

Time at camp is always a distortion. Each day-- jam-packed with activities, small moments, laughs with friends-- feels long, like we've crammed a week's worth of action into 24 hours. But then you look back on these first two weeks of the summer, and it seems it's gone by in the blink of an eye. As the days begin to blur together, we realize camp is going by way too fast. 

RAINBOW CONNECTION

As our tri-state families are well aware of, this summer has been HOT HOT HOT! But before the current heat wave, we had a few days of rain, and Scatico was blessed with a Double Rainbow! 

WHAT MUSIC IS Scatico    LISTENING TO?

Boys' Side HIGHLIGHTS 

Last Sunday marked College Bowl, which is a yearly day long competition in which the camp is split into four teams or "colleges" (Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and UCLA), which are led by the Upper Seniors and in which all campers compete in a range of activities including Capture the Flag, Mass Softball (a one inning softball game where everyone bats), Dodgeball, and an Apache Relay. The day closes out with a memorable campfire, complete with highlights like Screaming Eagle (one team representative has to run around the campfire circle as many times as possible, singing aloud one note, see Josh Mazarin in the slideshow below), pyramid stacks, and pillow fights! 

And along with time-honored traditions, come some new and exciting firsts! This past week, boys side came together for the first ever full camp game of Sardines (which is sort of like hide and seek, and involves one person hiding while everyone else has to go search for them and then stay with them after they are found).

The boys have also kicked off the first overnights of the summer! With our talented new outdoor adventure director Jesse Prager at the helm, on July 2 the Sub Juniors pitched tents and slept at the boy's overnight site (it's in the woods somewhere between the boys ball fields and hockey rink). Prager showcased his culinary skills to the Sub Juniors, making chicken, steak, and vegetable pockets (each camper choosing their own main ingredients and spices and wrapping their dinner in aluminum foil to cook directly in the campfire). For dessert? Banana boats! (Bananas split in half and loaded with chocolate and then baked).

Girls' Side HIGHLIGHTS

And while the boys kicked off College Bowl, Girls Side had their first Tribes day of Summer 2018!! Tribes is an exciting, friendly competition (sort of like Color War "lite") in which all of girls side is split into four teams-- Racing Wind (yellow), Blazing Arrow (red), Thunderbolt (blue), and Flying Eagle (green)-- and competes in a series of sports, art projects, and songs, for one day a week over the course of three weeks. With the Soopers stepping up and taking on leadership positions-- teaching songs, coaching teams, and demonstrating spirit and sportsmanship-- and new campers quickly getting absorbed in all the action, Tribes marks a highlight of the summer year after year. 

Day 1 of Tribes featured general sports as well as the Swim Meet. Each Tribes day also closes with a "campfire" (it happens in the Social Hall, not around an actual open flame) where each team gets to showcase the songs, skits and dance routines they've been hard at work practicing for the past week. For Week 1 each team performed their "Grace," a song which girls sing at the start of each meal. 

The girls have also been enjoying their first hikes of the summer, with the Subs headed to Bonticuo Crag and the Seniors scaling the arduous but worth it for the vista Breakneck Ridge! 

Sports Highlights

Congratulations to Lulu Rubin and Kate Metzendorf for winning the Girls Doubles and to Isaac Malkin and Max Silverman for winning the Boys Doubles at Monday's Scatico (going into 10th Grade) Tennis Tournament !! The Sub Senior boys also came in 2nd (out of 8 teams!!) at the Mah-Kee-Nac Football tournament, and Coach Moises Torres led the going into 7th girls to a 2nd place victory at Timberlake!  

Friday Night SerVICES

Boys and Girls side both had their first Friday Night Services, a weekly camp tradition that emphasizes all the values of being at camp. Boys and girls sides each conduct their services slightly differently, with the boys gathering on the bleachers down by the waterfront and listening to a "sermon" from one member of boys side (it rotates weekly) who has a meaningful message to share. For the first service, the boys listened to Senior Staff Member and Head of Boys Crafts Ken Vallario. On Girls' side, services are lead by a different division each week at the outdoor "campi"theatre, with bunkmates working together to figure out the lesson, reflection or takeaway they want to share with the rest of camp. The Soopers kicked off the first service of the year for the girls.

Fourth of july

Wednesday marked Scatico's first co-ed activity of the summer: Fourth of July Celebrations! The epic evening kicks off with a full camp BBQ, followed by the 98th annual Talent Show, and then spectacular fireworks over the golf course. Always a special night in which people from all aspects of camp-- from the youngest campers, to senior staff, to support staff-- come together to celebrate, this year's 31 act (!) talent show  was particularly awe-inspiring! Some highlight acts included the opening act, a Hamilton rap from Jake Zirolli (appropriately patriotic), full division songs and dances from the Jinters, Juniors and Inters (who performed different numbers from "The Greatest Showman"), a series of dazzling karate moves from Sage Wasserman, a killer solo from Sam Ryan singing Charlie Puth's "Attention", a beautiful rendition of "Angela" by the Lumineers by Sophomore and Inter DL's Jamie Hamburg and Zack Wayne (as Wayne said before he started singing, performing at the talent show was something he wanted to "check off his Scatico bucket list"), a magic show from support staff-member Izzy, and a closing performance of "Brown-Eyed Girl" by ever-popular girls side trio  Gaby and Halle Phillips and Allie Burrows, this time accompanied by special guest  Dave Fleischner. (A full list of acts can be seen to the right, in a rare artifact from the Scatico 2018 archive!!)

Right after the talent show concluded, everyone headed to the golf course, red white and blue popsicles in hand, to enjoy the fireworks. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

This summer, Dave Fleischner is leading staff training for both the Counselors In Training (CITs) and Junior Counselors (JCs), meeting with them about once a week to brainstorm strategies, gather their input, and share advice on how to be the best possible Scatico counselors. In one activity for the JCs, Dave had them split into groups and come up with Scatico "slogans" to embody what the Scatico philosophy and values are really all about. Since the JC's did such a great job, we figured we'd share a few of their ideas at the end of each blog post! 

"Scatico: D3 sports, D1 friendships" 

SUMMER 2018, EDITION #1: JUNE 23 - JUNE 29

Opening Day!

After months, weeks and days of counting down and anticipation, Saturday, June 23rd marked the opening of Scatico's 98th Summer. It always astonishes how so much build-up quickly transitions into instant action. By the end of day one, as divisions filled the dining hall with cheers and then headed off to evening activities, it felt like we had never left.

FIRST ACTIVITIES 

The last parents have waved goodbye, the bugle has blown, and it's back into the swing of things in the 12523! Here is a snapshot of those very first moments at camp... 

Boys Side 

The Sophomores started off their summer with a fun game of Red Rover, The Sub Juniors with Skippy Ball (a somewhat-Scatico invention where you play softball with a kickball), The Juniors headed to 9 Square (a game that became SO popular when it was introduced two summers ago, we had to add another court!), The Inters took the lead from the rest of the world, and kicked it off with a game of World Cup, The Sub Seniors played Ultimate Frisbee, The Seniors hockey, and The Upper Seniors a true Scatico favorite: Dugout!

Girls Side  

The Jinters kicked off their camper careers with Arts n Crafts, The Inters played a fun game of Gaga, The Centers hit the athletic fields for kickball, The Debs took part in another Scatico-original BBK (a combination of Basketball, Baseball, and Kickball), The Subs channeled their inner zen with a relaxing session of Yoga, The Seniors tapped into their chef skills and cooked with Chef Molly, and the Soopers (possibly practicing for Tokyo 2020) headed off to Gymnastics.

At the start of the summer, campers and counselors alike appreciate how long the days are, soaking in those last rays of sun until well into the evening.  In the moments before sunset, in that magical golden hour to dusk glow, camp heads to evening activities.

Following Scatico tradition, the boys had a joint evening activity for their first night, where all the campers are introduced to the counselors, who compete against each other in a wide range of events including Yoo Hoo Chugs, Popsicle Eating, Limbo, Furthest Hit Tennis Ball, Softball Toss, Breath Holding Contest, and a Saltine Whistle Challenge. 

On girls side, the tradition looks a little different, and The Soopers (quickly stepping into their leadership roles) teach all of the campers a series of Scatico songs. Each division from Jinters through CITs is assigned a few Soopers to teach the lyrics (complete with some killer choreography, naturally) which is then performed for everyone else. Returning campers already know many of the songs by heart, and new campers are quick to catch-on, embodying how, like so many things at camp, tradition is contagious. 

Opening campfires

While they don't actually happen on the first night of camp, the boys and girls opening campfires feel like the official kick-off to Summer 2018. 

As Scatico has grown accustomed, Dave opened the boys' campfire with the tradition of calling out the "Scatico Years". Starting with the most senior member of staff, campers and counselors stand as the year they began attending Scatico is called. Though there may be only a handful of Scatico veterans standing at the beginning, by the time "2018" is called there is a unified standing circle. 

Next, the calm camp night is punctuated by laughs and action as boys participate in a series of campfire games and divisional pillow fights.

Camp teaches us many things, but one is flexibility, and that you always have to roll with the punches. So even though it started to rain, and the boys moved inside to the Social Hall, the campfire spirit did not diminish. To cap off the night, Dave told the story of historical baseball idol Ed Delahanty and Sophomore DL Jamie Hamburg played "Cover Me Up" by Jason Isbell (because every good campfire, ends with acoustic guitar). 

The girls campfire starts with a tradition of its own: The Soopers (who lead the campfire) share the "spirits" of camp, welcoming both new and returning campers and explaining the many small moments, memories and traditions that connect the Scatico family. Explanations of certain elements of the summer-- from how we preform Friday Night Services to the meaning of the FRIENDS Plaque-- are interspersed with old camp songs  such as "Friends," "The Circle Game," and "The Year Song." Soopers stand around the campfire circle, leading campers in songs that may now be unfamiliar, but by summer's close will be second-nature.  To close the night, the Soopers share their favorite memory from their camping years (usually to many laughs), and then distribute individual candles for every camper to make a wish on. As is tradition, returning campers light the candle of a new camper, symbolizing the passing on of sisterhood and tradition, until the campfire is encircled by a ring of glowing flames. 

BACK INTO THE SWiNG OF THINGS!

Many of the Boys' Side Sports Leagues are now underway. Including Hoops League for the Juniors and Inters, Twilight League for the Upper Hill and Juniors and Inters, and Soccer League for the Sophomores and Sub-Juniors!

And... drumroll please... TRIBES broke on girls side Tuesday Morning! Little did the girls know, but when they had their Fire Drill and began marching down to the canteen, they found a firetruck awaiting them! The Fire Chief blared over the loudspeaker: "Tribes 2018 has begun!" The only cameo by an Elizaville local for a Tribes break (at least in memory), if Tuesday was any indication this is going to be a Tribes for the ages! 

What Music is Boys and Girls Side Listening To?

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Favorite Meals

• Breakfast
  • Bagels
  • Pancakes
• Lunch
  • Pizza
  • Turkey Sandwiches
• Dinner
  • Fried Chicken
    • Mash Potatoes & Peas

Summer 2017: The End

It's always bittersweet to see a spectacular summer come to an end. While we soak in the excitement and special magic of all the final traditions- banquets, slide shows, closing campfires, candles across the lake (on girls side), and "Free Bird" at the flagpole (boys side)- we're also tearful at having to say goodbye- to our friends, to the carefree fun of summer, and the blue lake and green trees of the 12523. Since it's too hard to put into words all we feel in the hours of camp, we'll reflect on something a little more concrete... COLOR WAR! 

Color War 2017

Color War is always one of the most intense events of the summer, and is also one of the biggest highlights. One of the greatest things about Color War is that it gives every camper the opportunity to shine; when activities such as athletics, singing, art and writing projects, rope burn, chess, and trivia (just to name a few) are all integral and rewarded components of the competition, every camper has the potential to be a star. 

Campers take a time out on the team rivalry to display their friendship

Girls Color War 

Girls Color War is truly in the hands of the campers, which makes it so impressive what they are able to accomplish. Color War kicks off with Sing, where the teams choose a theme beforehand (Green Wonderland and Grey Mount Olympus this year) and perform a series of songs written and taught by the Soopers. The Soopers and Seniors work non-stop to create a scenery and skit accompanying their theme in the days leading up to Sing. The incredible scenery is hung up in the Social Hall to provide a backdrop for their team. Following the impressive Sing were three action-packed  days of Color War, filled with tons of exciting events including athletics, novelties (full camp mini-activities such as Jumprope, Hit the Penny, and Tug-of-war), Treasure and Scavenger Hunts, and the Apache relay. It was an extremely close Color War (with just a 7-point differential going into Day 3), but in the end, Grey came out on top. A few highlight moments:

Highlight Reel - GIRLS Top Color War Moments

• Color War started on a high note with Head Counselor Kerri Winderman announcing at the end it was "the best Color War Sing she'd ever seen." The team folk songs (Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen and The Rose by Bette Midler for Green) were particularly beautiful
• Amanda Graf pitched an awe-inspiring game during All Star Softball, also scoring a triple for her team (Grey) to ultimately win
• Deb-Sub Football was such a close game it went into overtime! Grey won with a last-minute touchdown
• The Bucket Brigade (always an intense Color War highlight involving teams passing along buckets of filled water and dumping them into a huge, empty garbage pail until a ping pong ball floats out the top) was especially close. Green won by only one bucket! 
• Green won the Apache Relay, a day three highlight that involves the participation of each and every girl on the team in activities as varied as finding objects in a haystack, making a backwards foul shot, and making (and eating) marshmallow taffy 
• The All-Star Basketball game was a particularly close one, with the score tied going into the 3rd quarter
• Kasey Wilner gets a shout out for being the last Grey team member in the all-camp jump rope novelty! After sticking it out for multiple rounds, Green ultimately won. 
• Emily Holzer had an impressive cross-country track meet showing, coming in first by "SO SO much" according to campers. The cross-country race has several Upper Hill team members race in a long-distance run that starts at the road by the tennis courts and loops down to the admin, all along the Golf Course, and up past the pavillion back to the start

Boys Color War

Green Generals Trichon and Bracutti

Boys Color War is four days of intensity, beginning with dodge-ball matches on the A-court and ending with the final chicken fight (boys hop on one leg, with one hand behind their back, and try to knock each other over) in the Social Hall. On boys side three counselors are chosen to be Generals for each team, and help the Upper Seniors lead and coach the rest of camp. At some moments the teams were neck in neck, but ultimately Grey pulled ahead to win. The four days had many magical moments, but here are a few standout highlights. 

Highlight Reel - BOYS Top Color War Moments

• On Day 1 the Senior-Upper Senior soccer game ended in a 1-1 tie and then went into the 10th round of penalty kicks! Twin brothers Nate and Owen Clendenin were in goal for each team and made 8 saves each in the first 8 rounds. Both teams scored in the 9th round before Nate Hall kicked the game-winner.
• Andrew Perlman set a new all-time Slapball Homerun Derby record at 31!
• The Sub Senior soccer game also went to penalty kicks— shout out to Max Rosh for shooting  the game-winner
• Lower Hill Mass Softball ended in a tie! Each team selected 3 fungo “champs” and Soph Etan Zerwitz hit the ball the farthest for the win
• Junior Quiz Bowl went down to the final question with Grey winning 67-66
• The Grey Team had an impressive time for the Rope Burn (always a Color War highlight, each team needs to build a fire tall enough that it burns through a rope tied over each lame), winning in 12 minutes and 40 seconds
• Shout out to Dylan Schmeidler for hitting a walk-off home run for Green in Sub Junior Slapball
• Simultaneously to the slapball game, (and on an adjacent court), the Senior-Upper Senior B basketball game went into a 4th overtime before a Grey victory. The game ended in a tie at regulation after a tip-in at the buzzer by Cooper Gottfried (on Green)

Boys Color War Has Begun!

Saturday night was an exciting one on Boys Side, as Color War 2017 officially began! The break happened immediately following the "Scatico Legends" evening activity, a new tradition spearheaded by Ken Vallario that brings a little storytelling and creative magic to boys side. The entire boys camp was gathered at the campfire site, when Moises Torres and his brother (a former Scatico counselor who was visiting for the weekend) emerged in full bears costume. With the Color War sign in their hands it was time to rush to the A court and learn team splits!!

Summer 2017, Edition #6: July 27th - August 2nd

It's been a hectic week at Camp Scatico, with Divisional Sing, Mini Camp, and Open Mic Night all on the calendar. We try to cram in as much camp fun and action before Color War reigns supreme for the last week or so of summer (pretty hard to believe), and so there is lots to report on from the 12523. 

Art-y Party

A summer favorite took place this past week, as the Art Show and Open Mic--both run by Ken Vallario--showcased all of the talent here at Camp Scatico. The night began with a fun and relaxing BBQ followed by the art show, where the canteen extension is transformed into a high-class gallery and mostly campers and a few counselors display their artistic masterpieces. But the creativity does not stop there -- afterwards, all of camp gathered into the (C)amphitheatre for Open Mic! There were many notable performances, including solos from the Jinter girls and Sophomore boys, a touching poem about Scatico by Ken, a few piano performances from the Senior Boys, and a song by Dave Fleischner accompanied by Mike Samuels on the drums. It was a great night to appreciate the artistic talent at Scatico.

Mini Camp

This past week, both Boys and Girls Side participated in Mini Camp, where campers ditch the schedule and are allowed to pick an activity/activities of their choice run by counselors. Girls Side specials included Go Green, where campers made hanging gardens out of recyclable materials for the Pagoda, a luau around the Lake, a Moana-themed swim and BBQ, Jewish Appreciation, including hand crafted Hamzas and Homemade hummus, and many more! Boys Side specials included a Sweat Lodge, which campers built and sat in, Wood Meat Fire, where campers participated in ropeburns, made fire, cooked outside, and more!

Sing it Out!

Divisional Sing, one of the most anticipated and beloved events of the summer, took place on July 30th for girls side and July 31st for boys side. Divisional Sing is an intense competition where each division performs a “fun” song (one song on boys side and a medley on girls side), which is rewritten by counselors to feature highlights from their campers’ summer, and a folk/real song. Counselors start writing the fun song and choosing the folk/real song weeks in advance, as the camper anticipation builds all summer long.  On girls side, each division picks a theme that incorporates their name, and then the theme comes to life through lyrics, costumes, and dance moves. On boys side, Sing is a bit more traditional, with no themes but lots of spirit. 

Sooper girls! 

Sub-Senior Boys

Each division put their heart and soul into their performances and displayed what they had been practicing for much of the summer. The weeks of prep, rehearsal, and determination of every division was reflected in each of their performances. The competition was fierce, however only one Upper Hill and one Lower Hill division from each camp could be victorious. On Girls side, the Debs came on top on Upper Hill with their patriotic performance as the “Deb-claration of Independence” the Centers won 1st place on Lower Hill as they took us back to the 90s as “Center-al Perk.” On Boys side, the Inters won Upper Hill and the Juniors nabbed 1st place on Lower Hill

Divisional Highlights

The Jinters and Sophomores went on their big trip to Howe Caverns... The Sub-Juniors and Inter Girls made a splash at Zoom Flume... The Juniors and Centers went zip-lining on their big trip... The Debs and Inter Boys went to Catamount... The Sub girls and Sub-Seniors had a ball on their caving big trip... The Senior girls had a groovy time at Woodstock... The Senior boys had a blast at Mohonk Reserve... The Soopers started preparing for Color War sing... The Upper Seniors enjoyed some of their last divisional activities as campers.