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.

Girls Color War 2017 Has Begun!

Girls side was in for a shock this morning for many reasons. To start, they were woken up by the bugle a half-hour earlier than usual and were told to go straight to lineup. While many campers were puzzled and tired, their confusion disappeared once they headed to back campus. All of the lines on the bunks had been filled with green and grey towels that read "Color War 2017." Exhaustion quickly turned to excitementt, but the surprises were not over yet! As the campers turned around, they noticed that there were not three, but four Chief Judges this year! The Judges and all the campers read the Color War pledge to officially kick off what will surely be a thrilling Color War! For the full team lists, please click on the button below (an asterisk indicates who was selected as Camper Captain.)

CIT DR Trip 2017

Our CITs just returned from Cabarete 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 2017, Edition #5: July 20th - 26th

While this past week has been particularly cold and rainy, it has not stopped the fun from happening at Camp Scatico. This week, we unfortunately had to say goodbye to our 4-weeker campers. Although we hate to see them go, we also welcomed in our Scaticonians In Training, or SITs,... Meanwhile at camp...

Tribes 2017: The Results are in

This past Friday, the Soopers led the camp in an exciting and competitive final day of Tribes. The day began on the hill with “Squidgulum”, where the teams participated in Tribes classics, including Man to Man, Kickball Stride Ball, Basketball Relays, and Line Soccer. In the afternoon, campers searched all over camp during the Dog Bone Hunt, where dog bones hidden amounted to a certain number of points that teams could gain. Finally, the night ended with a Tribal Campfire that included Aerobics, Camper Imitations, Folk Songs, Art Project presentations, and Novelties. In the end, Blazing Arrow came out as the victor of this very competitive, exciting, and close Tribes!

Racing Wind Runs It In for A Pre-Squidgulum Pep Talk

Dog Bone Hunt

Happy Birthday to Girls Side!

An exciting tradition that took place on Saturday was Birthday Ball, where all of Girls Side gets together to celebrate everyone’s birthday. Divided by season, campers and counselors alike devise fun themes that are a play-on-words and decorate the dining hall with banners and streamers that fit their chosen theme. Winter’s theme was “Winternational Airlines,” Summer was “In Summer” (Frozen), Spring was “Chandler Spring,” and Fall was “Help, I’ve Fallen and Can’t Get Up.” The night concluded with delicious birthday cake and a screening of "The Parent Trap."

Happy Birthday, Girls Side!

T-league and Tournaments and Evening Activities, oh my!

The Sub-juniors have been busy this week on the athletic fields with an exciting T-league game with the Sophomores and a Hockey Tournament at Pontiac which they won. This week’s full camp evening activity was Family Feud, where campers dress up like different celebrity families and name the most popular responses to survey questions about Scatico. The Boys Senior Staff and the Kardashian and Trump families all made their debut, with the Upper Seniors winning the most points and coming out on top. The first ever Baseball Tournament held at Scatico for 13 year olds going into 7th grade turned out to be a huge success, with Scatico beating Schodack after a hard fight. Tyler Winderman, the team’s pitcher, pitched 13 strikeouts, while teammate Ellis Zuckerman scored a single, a double, a triple, and stole two bases, greatly contributing to the team’s victory.

Dress to Impress

Divisional Snapshots

Girls Side

The SITs were introduced to a week in the life of a Scatico camper… The Jinters had their first overnight campout... The Inters learned some Scatico-original Color War activities with the SITs… The Centers and the Debs had the final play of the summer, ‘Beauty and the Beast’… The Debs made a splash with their H2O theme day… The Subs had an empowering Feminism theme day… The Seniors had a magical Harry Potter theme day, filled with Quidditch, homemade butterbeer, and a race to win the House Cup … The Soopers headed off to Lake Placid with the Upper Seniors…

Muggles Playing Quidditch? Unlikely...

Boys Side

SITs experienced a typical week on boys side... The Sophs hiked at Millbrook at Mohunk Reserve… The Sub-juniors went on an exciting bowling social… The Juniors had their 1st divisional softball tournament… The Inters hosted and won the 1st annual 7th grade baseball tournament… The Sub-seniors enjoyed their waterfront cookout… The Seniors hiked to breakneck… The Upper Seniors took off to Lake Placid with the Soopers…

1,2,3 Strikes You're Out of the Old Ball Game...

Summer 2017, Edition #4: July 11th-19th

Although it seems like it has all been done before, there is still plenty to report on here at Camp Scatico. From an exciting Visiting Day to Carnival, it’s hard to believe that we’re halfway through the summer! Meanwhile...

Wild for Carnival! 

Carnival, a coed fun afternoon of booths and games, is always a summer highlight. It was hard to believe that it could top last year’s Olympic theme  but Dusty, Ken, and the CITs, who organized Carnival, thoroughly impressed camp. This summer's theme was Psychedelic Safari, and campers could be seen sporting their tie-dyed shirts and bucket hats. The classics, such as the Upper Seniors' haunted house, Senior girls' Marriage Booth, Senior boys' dunk tank, Subs' Zap Mail (campers deliver messages to one another in balloons), and Aziz’s psychic tent contributed to the afternoon’s excitement, along with “safari” golf cart rides all along the golf course, or “jungle”. As always the local ice cream truck was a smash hit, as was the DL horse race to close out the afternoon of celebration, with Center/Junior DL’s Lexi Schecter and Josh Trichon taking first place.

Tribes Take 2 (and 3)! 

On Sunday, July 16th, an exciting second day of Tribes took place on girls side. The day included two divisional activities in the morning, a full-camp swim meet in the afternoon, and a Tribal “campfire” at night. The campfire featured an original “comic song,” a medley of songs which lovingly mock the problems in our camp (such as bugs, weather, etc.); a “rhythm band, in which campers act out a scene or activity using only sound effects with their mouths, and a counselor imitation. After two weeks of Tribes, Blazing Arrow is in first place, followed by Racing Wind, Flying Eagle, and then Thunderbolt. However, the standings are extremely tight, with Flying Eagle and Thunderbolt only one point apart! (Editor's note: Since publication, Blazing Arrow has emerged victorious...details to follow in a subsequent post.)

BOYS DOMINATE! 

On boys side, this past week has been full of non-stop excitement. The boys have had a plethora of victories on tournaments recently - The Chess team won the Scatico tournament (other participating camps were Wah-Nee, Greylock, and Eagle Hill), a tennis team at camp Mah-Kee-Nac finished in 2nd out of 6 teams, and a rising 7th grade basketball team reached the finals at Camp Winadu, winning a 1-point game in the semi-finals on a foul shot with 7 seconds remaining. The sub-juniors in particular have been successful during the in-camp competitions, including the second full-camp Rock Paper Scissor competition (won by Sub-junior Josh Montvelisky) and a full-camp knockout, in which sub-junior Jake Zirolli defeated head counselor Cory Schwartz in the finals. Boys side has experienced tons of fun aside from all the games as well. The first overnights of the summer occurred for bunks 3-4, 7-8, and 9-10. An evolving outdoor mural on the road to the ballfields is almost ready for display at the mid-summer art show.

Divisional Snapshots

Girls Side

The Jinters had their first performance in the "Scatico Playhouse" when they starred in three mini-plays that were directed by the Seniors... The Inters ran a fun-filled "High School Musical" themed  Lip Sync Battle evening activity... The Centers won the “All Star Division” award last week, an honor given by the Hill Staff to a division with exceptional athleticism and attitude on the hill... The Debs had their Waterfront Cookout with the Inter Boys... The Subs won the "Friends plaque" and were victorious on many tournaments... The Seniors went on their hike to Breakneck... The Soopers continued to have a blast leading Tribes, while also snagging a victory in the "Lip-Sync Battle."

Boys Side

The Sophs played an intense game of football in the rain...  The Sub-juniors had "speed dating" with the Inter Girls... The Juniors played in a baseball tournament at Scatico and a tennis tournament at Timberlake... The Inters had their Waterfront Cookout with the Deb Girls... The Sub-seniors came out on top in a football tournament at Taconic... The Seniors ran the Dunk Tank at Carnival (a.k.a. the "Dank Tank)... The Upper Seniors gave Scatico a fright when they ran the Haunted House at Carniva l

Jinter Sage Wasserman in the midst of a newcomb Tribes game.

Tribal Swim Meet

Subs playing Ultimate Ball

Senior Boys' Dunk Tank ("Dank Tank")

You may now kiss the bride...

The Jinter Funny Face

Summer 2017, Edition #3: July 4th - July 11th

From hikes and tournaments to Tribes, College Bowl and DJ Pure... as the days of summer go on, so does the fun! It’s hard to believe that Visiting Day is less than a week away, but in the meantime we have plenty to report on.

Party in the USA

Last Tuesday, the camp came together to celebrate one of the most spirited days of the summer: the 4th of July. Here at Scatico, we go all out for Independence day - campers ditch their uniform for red, white, and blue apparel and patriotic songs can be heard all around camp (from the bunks, dining hall, and even the bugle system!) At night, boys and girls side join together for a co-ed BBQ, followed by the annual talent show. The Talent Show, held for the 2nd time at the camp-itheater, featured 21 impressive performances, including singing and dancing from the Jinters, unforgettable karate routines from Sage and Jack Wasserman (accompanied by the Upper Senior boys), an acappella song from the CIT girls, and even a history lesson from Jake Zirolli! The festive day concluded with an epic display of fireworks on the golf course.

Tribes: Day One

Jinters trying to Bend it like Beckham

Saturday July 8th kicked off a thrilling first day of Tribes, full of athletics, songs, and intensity. The schedule featured two divisional activities in the AM, a full-camp track meet as the PM event, and concluding with a Tribal Campfire.  The first campfire always involves the debut of each team's entrance (a mini skit performed by the Soopers), a song to sing at the dining hall before meals, a Big Chief song (sung by the Big Chiefs before each of the next two campfires), and a human pyramid. With every individual component of the day scored and taken into account, the stakes were high and competition fierce! For the stats and standings of Week 1, check the link below.

Senior girls take a time out from Tribes and smile for the camera

College Bowl Concludes!

An Inter chugging for his team.

Last Friday, Boys side closed out their College Bowl competition with a campfire- a summer tradition that has remained relatively unchanged since College Bowl started in the 1980s. The campfire includes a wide-range of entertaining contests, such as a Yoohoo chug, human pyramid, Scatico staff imitation, and team song. As is tradition, the final scores are "accidentally" dropped in the fire... We guess everyone's a winner at Scatico!

Campers put their strength to the test in a human pyramid

Ball is Life! NAT tournaments one and two!

One of Scatico's longest-standing traditions, the Girls and Boys Nat tournaments were held Monday and Wednesday respectively. Named in honor of Scatico founder and NBA Hall-of-Famer Nat Holman, the Nat tournament brings all of boys and girls side together for a day of intense Scatico pride (and lots of Green!).

With an impressive 3-0 record, the Girls' Nat team was victorious for the second year in a row! Playing hard against Pontiac, Berkshire Hills, and Kinder Ring, the Nat team came out on top, led by co-captains Amanda Graf, Kasey Wilner, and Isabella Saenz. Special shoutout to the tournament MVP, Sub Emily Holzer, who topped the team in scoring. Scatico celebrated the big win with a bang, as campers danced the night away at DJ Pure. 

Just two days later teams from Camp Kinder Ring, Pontiac, WahNee and Surprise Lake Camp arrived for the Boys' Nat. While we did not come out on top (Pontiac nabbed 1st place), our team played hard and the Scatico stands showed plenty of pride. Special shout outs to the two Upper Senior team captains, Nathan Clendenin and Henry Beck! 

Scatico's where the hART is

New art specialty heads on boys and girls side have been keeping things extra creative this year! On girls side new ceramics head Zoe (who hails from Australia and is a jewelry designer in the off-season) has been helping divisions make ceramic jewelry (everything from bangles to woven crowns!) and leading Upper Hill in the communal construction of a ceramic mural. And down at arts and crafts, Sareema (a costume designed from the UK) helped campers sew, tie dye, and design their very own drawstring backpacks! 

Over on boys side Kyle (a recent art school grad), has "ignited" campers creative sides... literally. After boys learn how to use the pottery wheel and design their own vases, Kyle explodes a tiny firecracker inside so the vase develops a unique, abstract shape. He's also spearheaded an incredible outdoor mural (made on plywood) that greets all on their walk to the ball fields. 

Divisional Snapshots

GIRLS SIDE 

The Jinters practiced for their play, enjoyed their first tribes ever, and had fun with a slip n’ slide!...The Inters lit up the Scatico Playhouse with the first play of the season, “The Wizard of Oz” with The Subs... The Centers hosted a successful "So You Think You Can Dance" evening activity and had their hike through the Catskills. The Debs had a ton of fun inventing and then playing an original sport named “Scatico Ball” (something of a mix of capture the flag and dodgeball)...The Subs nabbed first place in a spirited “So You Think You Can Dance” evening activity...The Seniors headed off to Surprise Lake for a divisional beach volleyball tournament... The Soopers embraced all the perks of their last summer as campers, leading Tribes with intensity and cheering hard (or playing) during the Nat team victory! 

BOYS SIDE

The Sophs played hard in a baseball tournament with the Sub-juniors at Kenmont...The Sub-Juniors played in a basketball tournament at Kinder Ring and are also headed out for a soccer tournament at Timber Lake... The Juniors had a blast playing two boys side favorites, Slamma Jamma (the hoops are lowered on the A Court to facilitate dunking) and Slapball... The Inters headed out on their hike to North Point in the Catskills... The Sub-Seniors used teamwork to complete their Mohonk hike, which included a tricky but fun rock scramble...The Seniors also headed out on their hike, to the famous Breakneck Ridge...The Upper Seniors lost but played hard during a hockey intercamp Berkshire Hills (shoutout to Bart Tourri, who led the team in scoring!)