In true 60’s style, today’s decision for “No more snack, beverages, or popsicles” was met by a peaceful protest by Keystone campers and counselors. After Shadow’s announcement this morning, the campers were in a panic, demanding their “rights” to open snacking. After much deliberation, a “sit-in” was scheduled for lunch, and Shadow and The Grand Poohbah reconsidered their decision after seeing the picketing, parading, and protesting in the pavilion area. Snack was reinstated and all celebrated with some sugary sweets.”What do we want? SNACK! When do we want it? NOW!” Nice job my favorite campers! (: nar

An angry snacker demands his Red Rope Licorice!

If you were like me, it took weeks to figure out what to wear at Keystone’s annual “Halloween Bash”. The Halloween Parade and costume contest are two of the most long awaited events of all summer, and this year’s was no different! Phenomenal costumes graced the Keystone stage as The Joker, Captain Jack Sparrow, a man-eating shark, Lady Gaga, and the Jersey Shore’s own Snookie won over Friday’s delighted crowd as they strutted their stuff down the pavilion’s runway. We loved Trick or Treating at camp areas, and we even had some special Halloween “treats” with carnival games throughout the park.

One of the best moments came in the early morning as our very own Shadow donned what she thought would be “the summer’s BEST costume.” Princess and I definitely agreed as she sported her “Twister” hat and gown, confident in her victory of this year’s contest. Unfortunately for Shadow, counselor Flipper had the same idea! Both “Twister Games” looked stunning in the multi-colored dots of the board, but we couldn’t help but see the look of disappointment on Shadow’s face as she realized the contest wouldn’t belong to her this year. When I spoke with Shadow, she assured me “2011 is the year for me, just you wait and see.” Well Shadow, maybe you should start planning now? How about a Monopoly board? Connect four??  (: nar

Shadow hides behind a kind smile as she agonizes over defeat in this year's costume contest.

Keystone campers celebrated their “Unbirthdays” on Wednesday, complete with the longest birthday chain in Keystone history, “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”, and even a special root beer float snack! Check out Damien from Quartz as he celebrated his winning “tail” at lunch time. What a fun “Unbirthday” it was for everyone involved!

Hey Blog Squad, I am so excited to see all of your comments tonight! Today’s best pic comes directly from the Keystone stage, check out what it looked like as over 300 balloons dropped on our New Year Partiers! We brought in 2010 (and 1/2) with style today as Bailey and her ladies enjoyed their seats in the VIP lounge after her “New Years Resolution” win this morning.

A special thanks to counselors Giggles, Cher, Deezy, Clementine, and many others who helped make the balloon drop such a success!

Happy (un)birthday to all of you bloggers! I can’t wait to see you tomorrow – the PoohBah has a special birthday treat for you all tomorrow afternoon, yum!! (: nar

ps. Check out our very own New Year’s Ball, almost as grand as the one at in Times Square!!

pps. What is YOUR New Year’s Resolution? Post in the comments section.

Wow, if you were at Friday’s Penny Carnival Hoedown you will agree that it was the largest event in Keystone history! Over forty-five game booths were built by our counselors and campers as we collected pennies for “Many Mansions.” Did you see Polo getting bombed in the dunk tank? How about Zebra Stripe (Zsssss…) and her “Hoedown Throwdown”? Some of our carnival-goers decided to take some time away from the games and enjoy a cool foam bath from our foam cannon! One thing for sure, campers (and counselors) did an unbelievable job of supporting Many Mansions. We’re still working on counting the coins, but so far we’ve raised over $2000! Check back here soon for exact figures!

One particular story that personifies the Keystone Spirit was shared to me by our very own Shadow. Camper Olivia C. not only donated an unbelievable amount of pennies, she brought a huge bag of larger coins she had saved from her allowance for some time!. Olivia realized the true spirit of the Hoedown and decided to make a difference, donating her entire bag of coins! What a generous, thoughtful, and inspirational role model Olivia is. Nice job! (: nar (and Shadow!)

What’s that noise? Oh, just the Groat Family Wild West Show! Last Wednesday we were introduced to some rootin-tootin western outlaws Black Bart and his brother Rick as they fought, shot, and bickered old west style! What a great treat for western week. Check out this pic I got of Black Bart right before Bailey knocked him out! (: nar

Hi Blog Squad, it’s been awhile since I checked in and there has been so much happening at camp! I’ll try and catch up with a few new posts tonight to keep us all up-to-date! Keystone Idol was remarkable this year, and I can safely say we had THE BEST singers to date in Friday’s Finals! I don’t even know where to start: CILTS Cool Beans and Hot Tamale brought the house down, Jack paid tribute to rock legends U2, Andrew gave us his best “Ga-Ga” impersonation, and Max made Justin Beiber fans out of all of us, fedora and all! When the votes we tallied, Andrew M. nabbed a win by a mere ten votes! Andrew, known for his theatrical performances and stage presence, is a HUGE hit at Keystone. We can hear the screams of his fans every time he steps foot on the Keystone stage. “The Moose” and Counselor victor Rock finished up the week with an impromptu duet. Start practicing for next year Bloggers, this year’s competition is in the books! (: nar

Hi Bloggers, I need your help! Our very own Princess is hoping to get a new dog. She’s already found him…in fact, she’s already named him! It’s up to us to convince Shadow to let Princess take Tom-Lee home. How could anyone say no to that face?? Plus, Princess gives so much to Camp Keystone, don’t you think she deserves a little dog to fit in her hottest purse??

Leave comments for Shadow below and help us bring Tom-Lee home!!

Hi Bloggers! I just have a second but definitely wanted to check in about yesterday’s exciting ending to Color Wars! After a fantastic week of spirit, competitions, and fun, the Red Raptors were declared this year’s Color Wars champions with a win 2951 to 2941! A shocked crowd couldn’t believe it came down to just ten points, as the accounting offices of Klein and Swift reported.

What a great week for everyone! Ethan and Jake were honored as “Inspirational Campers of the Week” and both teams joined in the “YMCA” dance to put this year’s Color Wars in the history books!

Next week: Keystone Idol! Hope you’re practicing this weekend. Think I’ll do some singing in the shower. (:

One more thing: We need a name for our readers/bloggers. Any ideas?? Post comments and tell me what you think! (: nar

Honestly…as if it could get any better today?? We arrived with a spectacular treat from our counselors with the decorated pavilion, followed by a spectacular showing by Clover and Rock on Larry’s Log. Top that off with an incredible song challenge (go General Deezy), and today is what camp is made of!

I can’t wait for you all to experience tomorrow’s Field Riot! You haven’t seen anything yet! (: nar

ps. 178 comments for me to look through tonight…I’ll try and post them before I go to sleep!

Wow, it’s almost 10:30 and I just got home from camp! That’s right, for the last four hours your counselors have been decorating our pavilion, Color Wars style! Over fifty counselors showed up tonight to make our camp sparkle with blue and red! Why?? Well, I think it’s safe to say that Keystone has the BEST counselors around! I can’t wait for you all to see it in the morning!

Speaking of the BEST, do we have the best campers or what?? I just turned on my computer and was shocked to read 96 comments on the blog! A very cool Raptor named Jake had so much spirit for his team, he published over 50 comments himself! I think it’s safe to say that Jake wins the award for “Raptor of the Day!”

See you all tomorrow, hurry up and get back to camp! (: nar

Sky and Cooper showing their Blue Bolt pride!

Those of us who witnessed the unbelievable efforts of the Blue Bolts today couldn’t help but notice how successful their campers were this morning at the toothpaste challenge. I chatted with team member Cooper today (picture to come) and found out his secrets for success.

Nar: What did you think of the toothpaste challenge today Cooper?

Cooper: I thought it was easy! My team stole the 25 points away!

Nar: You must have a lot of experience with toothpaste Cooper.

Cooper: Nah, I hardly ever brush my teeth. I hate doing it!

Nar: <Gasp> Really Cooper, how often is “hardly ever?”

Cooper: Maybe four times a week! Only in the morning of course.

There you have it…while your dentist might not approve of the above conversation, whatever they’re doing I wouldn’t change! Go Blue Bolts!! (: nar

The Blue Bolts and the Red Raptors entered the pavilion with a swarm of energy, spirit, and good nature this morning as the Blue Bolts jumped ahead to a one day lead of 390 to 275. General Sky of the Bolts summarizes the day as “showing how strong our team is” while General Avalanche describes the Raptors as “off to a good start, getting our wheels going!” One thing for sure, Color Wars is off to a great start! Check back this week for lots of fun news and recaps!

Remember campers, leave a comment on the blog and get a five point bonus for your team. Be sure to include your name and color!

Have you voted on the Color Wars poll?? I can’t wait to see who becomes our “canvases” on Wednesday! (: nar

Fifteen cases, two contestants, and the possibility of winning a Toys R Us gift card for $1000 greeted campers arriving at camp this morning, and the action just got more exciting. Opening’s “Cupid Shuffle” had us all cracking up – did you see Polo “Walking it to himself”? As campers danced, Princess picked out the best “shuffler” to be our first contestant, and Izzy crossed her fingers all morning as she awaited her turn to crack the cases.

After dining on BBQ beef (and amazing potato salad), we were ready for our first contestant. Izzy confidently chose case #3, and after picking the first five cases was given a generous offer from the banker. “NO DEAL” the audience shouted, and Izzy couldn’t wait to respond to the offer. After more cases and a couple more phone calls from the banker (and one from MY mom), we were disappointed to find out that Izzy didn’t have the grand prize. Our first contestant walked away with three Pixy Stix and a big smile on her face! We added $500 to the grand prize and the audience gasped with expectation!

The afternoon session started with a raffle to determine the contestant, and Elliot raced to the stage to take the challenge. Elliot was a serious competitor and his strategy was to listen to the crowd’s wishes. Unfortunately for Elliot, luck wasn’t in his cards and he won “All you can eat leftover lunch!” Well, I did say the potato salad was good!

Tomorrow – Keystone’s Got Talent! Bring any equipment you need to show us your best! If the action is anything like today, we’re in for quite a competition! (: nar

With all that goes on during our days, what a great place this is to catch up on all the news and events at Camp Keystone! Welcome to all campers, parents, families, and friends! We’ll be posting all kinds of content and media to make your connection with the Keystone family even stronger, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back often. We’ll be able to relive the very best moments of camp and show everyone why Camp Keystone is the best camp in southern California!! (: nar

“I was born on the Keystone stage,” says ten year old Andrew M., one of six finalists in this week’s Keystone Idol contest. His performances have earned him the first ever “Camper Spotlight” recognition on the Keystone blog, and I was lucky enough to have a few minutes with this shining star.

Andrew, or “Moose” as his friends and fans know him, started singing at the young age of three, imitating Cher’s dance moves from the live DVD his parents played for him. While reinacting tours was his start, Andrew says his true love for singing came when he first hit the Keystone stage three years ago while in the Lava group. “I did a really sour job, but I still made it to the semi-finals,” Andrew explained, “I sang Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day.” Luckily, this early exposure to Keystone fame led Andrew to start singing lessons during the school year, which he still continues to this day. “Keystone Idol has been the inspiration for my singing career,” Andrew states, “It’s a great way for kids to show off their singing abilities.”

Andrew’s fame spills over into all aspects of his life, as this performer has been recognized outside of camp “at least thirty times” by fellow campers. He is a self-procliamed “hugger” and can often times be seen encouraging his fellow campers, even his fiercest competitors. Andrew has taken his skills on the road and is now working with a Turkish soap opera doing voice overs for American children. “The Moose” definitely has found his passion for entertaining an audience.

The competitive side of Andrew mentions CILT Diva as his biggest competitor, but is quick to say, “I’ve made a ton of great friends throughout the competition, and that’s the most important thing. I have a one-in-six chance of winning.” This modest talent goes out of his way to thank his friends and fans with every singing appearance. Andrew personifies the Camp Keystone spirit, and our stage is very lucky to have him.

The spirit of Friday’s Penny Carnival was captured perfectly by eight year old Erin S., winner of $107 in the 50/50 drawing, when she donated ALL of her winnings to Camp Harmony. “I already get to go to a great camp. Can I give this all to the kids who need help?” We couldn’t be more proud of Erin, she truly understands the meaning of helping others.

We are pleased to announce that Friday’s Penny Carnival was a huge success! Our attendance was over 600 campers and family members, all enjoying game booths our counselors and campers worked on all week. We feasted on cotton candy and ice cream, dunked our favorite counselors in the dunk tank, made carnival hats at the Mad Hatter, and cheered as the Crespi Celts were crowned this year’s “High School Singing Bee” champions.

All this fun and raising money for charity at the same time?? That’s right, thanks to the generous donations of money and time by our campers, parents, and counselors, we are able to present United in Harmony with a generous gift, close to $4,000!! This money will go towards Camp Harmony and will be used to help provide camping experiences to homeless children in Los Angeles. This is a monumental amount of money to be raised by our kids, thank you once again for supporting this wonderful cause!

Camp Keystone is filled with creative, intelligent, resourceful, and kind campers, which is why we developed the “Camp Council” to help make camp even more exciting! Ten campers were appointed to the council yesterday, and an election was held to choose the President of Camp Keystone.

We heard from our candidates in a “Town Hall” meeting, overwhelmed by their energy and grand ideas. Ben said he would attempt to, “Encourage more daytime activities like the Swim Carnival and the Penny Carnival,” while Ashkon declared, “It’s my first year at Camp Keystone, but I know it’s the most awesome camp ever. Nothing would make me happier than being your president.” Campers each voted in democratic style and when the votes were counted, Aubrey Golding was the kids’ choice by an overwhelming majority. “I am capable of helping kids have fun and do right,” Aubrey claimed, hoping to promote “more fundraisers for shelters for homeless and abused animals.” Congratulations to all of our new Camp Council members, and a special Keystone Congratulations to Aubrey, our new CAMP PRESIDENT!