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GO UP

Kiniya Lingo

Check out our A-Z fun facts to help get you excited for CAMP!!!!

 

Aide – A young woman who has been to camp before and has been accepted to the leadership development program. She is 15 years old, participates in all camp activities, and is a support to her leader in a cabin of younger girls.

Assistant & Junior Leader – In the third year of the Leadership Development Program, the AL is 17 and the JL 16. They work with the leader in the cabin and as a coach on teams. She is constantly helping in any way possible and setting a good example for all.

Awards & Awards Ceremony

Each division gives an “award” that recognizes campers for participating fully in the Kiniya program and working hard to live each day according to the Camp motto, “The Other Fellow First.” Following our Banquet, we attend the end of session Awards Ceremony, where girls are recognized for their accomplishments during the summer.

Banquet – At the end of each session, before the parents arrive, we put on a nice outfit and have a marvelous thanksgiving style dinner to celebrate our time together. 

Bells – Before each meal there are 3 bells. The bell is located on the front porch of the dining hall. The bell is rung 30 minutes before each meal, 15 minutes before, and finally on the third bell we all enter the Dining Hall and find our seats. Marnie usually asks someone to ring the final bell for each meal!

Buddy Board – At Junior and Senior waterfronts each person has a buddy tag! This buddy tag must be placed with a friends tag on the board next to the activity you have decided to do.

Buddy Check – When you are swimming at the Waterfront, periodic buddy checks will be performed. Quick! Swim and find your buddy, throw your hands up in the air, listen and get ready to call out your number (in order of course!).

Bungalow – Bungalow is home to 3 cabins – Riverside, Meadowside and Lakeside. It has the best location… right next to the Dining Hall!

Cabin Supper – Each Cabin will spend time at one of our campfire locations on campus and cook their own meal!

Camp Number – Since 2006, every camper has received her very own camp number. #20,000 was awarded in honor of all women who came before 2006 and our Director, Marnie McDonagh, received #20001. Your number is yours for life!

Catamount Division – One of four divisions, the Cat’s are in between the Cub and Junior campers. 

Chapel – Each Sunday morning the entire Kiniya community will gather for Chapel.  Campers and staff members participate in this all-camp meeting through music, poetry or prose.  Most Sundays, a pre-arranged speaker will address the community at this time. This gathering is intended to celebrate the diversity within the camp community.  Attire for Chapel is Kiniya’s original uniform – a white button-down shirt and dark (navy, black or khaki) pants, skirt or shorts. 

Chapel Talk – Each morning at breakfast, a staff member will give a 5 min talk that contains an inspirational message or thoughts for the day.  These can take the form of either a personal experience or a personal story with a moral.

Clay Point Swim – Campers and Staff can elect to participate in our 1.5-mile swim to Clay Point. Paddlers coast alongside our swimmers for safety and moral support. It is a wonderful tradition and a big accomplishment for many Kiniya-ites.

Coleman Dining Hall – Oh, the Dining Hall – a favorite place of many! The food is AMAZING. The singing, cheering and dancing is simply like nothing else. The energy in the dining hall will wake you up, make you smile, and keep you thinking about camp all year round. Oh, except for breakfast. The food is still delicious… we just don’t sing; need to save up the energy for the day and the other two meals. 

Council Ring – Every night we have a different evening activity. One of them is Council Ring which takes place around a campfire and typically has a crazy theme. Cabins get dressed up, perform skits, sing songs and play games. Sometimes, we even have s’mores ☺

Cub Division – One of four divisions, the Cub’s are the youngest campers. 

D-Head – Short for Division Head. There are four division heads at Kiniya, one for each division, Cubs, Catamounts, Junior and Seniors. They are responsible for the organization of the divisional activities and are a supervisor to all leaders in their division. 

Evening Activity – Evening Activity or Evening Game commences at 7.00pm each night. Evening Activity include all-camp games, council ring, Wednesday and Saturday Night shows, cabin night, and Hymn Sing! 

Extravaganza – Extravaganzas are a great way to keep you guessing. The leaders in your division spontaneously create an extravaganza that could require you to dress up, paint your face, engage in hilarious activities, or challenge you to put your thinking caps on. You never know what fun is going to come your way!!

Hymn Sing – Every Sunday night we gather by cabin in the Lodge and sing. The first half is rowdy, loud, exciting, and full of energy. The second half is softer and sweeter and gets us ready for bed, reflecting on the week past and thinking about the week ahead. After your first Hymn Sing, you will understand the amazingness of it, we promise.

Junior Division – One of four divisions, the Junior’s are in between Cats and Seniors. 

Kiniya Outdoor Barn – Commonly referred to as the “KOB”, you will meet here for all of your outdoor adventures. The original home of Kiniya’s Riding Program, the KOB now supports all aspects of the Outdoor Program including the Challenge Course (Low and High elements), Climbing Tower, Campcraft and Gardening Program, and of course, our Tripping Center! 

Kiniya Cheer

Oh, Five Four Four Six

Morning dips (HEY!) Kiwi discs

SAYYYY Kiniya, rise and shine

Meet, out in the pines

‘Cross many miles

See the smiles

Girls! To waterski, riding WOO!

White and Blue forever true

Dudley, at Kiniya

Taps!

Kiniya Hymn

‘Neath the Pines

‘Neath the pines over Champlain’s waters

Lies a spirit strong and kind

Girls whose hearts are full and loyal

Find themselves at home

 

Watch the sun setting o’er the mountains

Listen for our brothers’ song

Feel the calm when the day is over

Find yourself at home

 

If you find you’re far away from

Kiniya girls who hold you dear

Close your eyes year the soft, sweet whisper

Beckons us home, beckons us home, 

beckons us home to its shores.

 

Kiwi One of Kiniya’s most well-known traditions revolves around becoming a Kiwi. Any member of the community, camper through Staff, who returns to camp for their fourth summer, becomes a Kiwi. Camp recognizes these people with our beloved Kiwi disc on a special evening dedicated to their time and commitment to Camp. 

Lean-to – Kiniya has its’ very own lean-to out on the trails behind the barn. It overlooks the Lamoille River and is a great place for Cabin Suppers if it’s not too buggy!

Lost & Found – Located on the back porch of Coleman, Lost and Found is distributed at mealtimes. Make sure you label EVERYTHING!

Mail – Outgoing mail can be placed in the letterbox on the piano in the Dining Hall. The mail is delivered to Camp Monday through Saturday and distributed to each cabin in the afternoon. 

Majors – Each camper will choose three majors to focus on: an Athletic major, an Outdoor Major and an Art major. You will be able to focus in these areas during your time at camp while still being exposed to all camp activities. 

Meals at Camp Meals at camp are great fun! Campers sit with their cabin unit and leadership team. One camper will be your waitress, whom you must treat with great respect, for she sets and clears the table, in addition to bringing the food. For this service, she serves herself before anyone else at the table, including you! 

Mimi’s Lodge – Dedicated to Marilyn Williams, Mimi’s lodge is the home of our theater department. Mimi’s is an excellent space to practice your performance skills! 

Morning Dip – Some mornings at camp we offer a Morning Dip in Lake Champlain. This is different than going for a swim. During a dip, we simply go in, wake up (!), and come out. 

Muster – Before activities begin we gather by division before heading off to our respective areas. This typically involves a few cheers with our teams and off we go! 

The Other Fellow First – Our camp motto! All members of our community strive to follow this motto and we feel that it is an excellent way to live life.

Pines – These beautifully tall trees are in front of the dining hall and reach all the way over to the Stables. They were hand planted by our founder, Helen C. Van Buren, back in the 1930s. We often use the phrase “‘neath the pines”, – usually this means meet outside the front of the dining hall. 

Rest Hour – Everyday at camp we enjoy an hour-long break from the busy summer days. After lunch, all campers, leaders, and staff return to their cabin for rest hour. This is a time to sleep, write letters or read a book. Ultimately, we use this time to get ready for the rest of our day!

Senior Division – One of four divisions, the Senior’s are the oldest campers. 

Share Shack – Forget something at home? The share shack is stocked with all of the essentials. Ask your leader if you need something from the shack!

Treiber – Our gorgeous Arts and Crafts Center, built in 2011 is located directly next to the dining hall. It has one amazing view of the lake and a screened-in porch for extra space. 

Vespers – Every night (except Sundays) cabin groups sit together and chat in a circle on the floor of their cabin. Topics can range from setting goals and the other fellow first, to our favorite superhero. It is a great time to reflect on our time at camp and to learn more about ourselves and each other. Leaders and members of the Leadership team encourage campers to join in the discussion, elicit responses as well as monitor participation so that each camper voices her opinion. 

Waterfront – Paddling, sailing, swimming, kayaking, waterskiing. Need we say more?

Welcome Center – The Welcome Center handles all summer operations. The mail is sorted and delivered from here and our Leadership and Program offices are located in the back. Come here if you are looking for service time!

YOHA – When you love something or something is incredibly awesome… throw up a yoha! Both hands meeting with a clap over your head, fingertips up to the sky!

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