Hey, Candy Cravers!

Certain holidays seem to have complimenting candies that go together like sidekicks hang around superheroes. Easter has Cadbury eggs for instance while Valentines offers candy hearts with suggestive messages printed on the side to say what secret admirers can’t say in person.

But this is the month of October when we celebrate All Hallows Eve. I think everyone knows that candy corn is Halloween’s candy sidekick. But other than that, not much is known about this popular, yet mysterious candy treat.

People say that candy corn was created in the 1880’s by someone named George Renninger who worked for a place called Wunderle Candy Company. But this really only refers to the candy once it was marketed and sold as candy corn. This stuff had been around for a much longer time than just 133 years.

Candy corn never had a patent in the beginning. It’s recipe was simply passed down from generation to generation. At first candy corn was made by hand—forming sugar, corn syrup, wax ,artificial coloring, and binders into multicolored, candy imitation of a corn kernel.

When the candy first hit the market, it belonged to a company called Goelitz. It wasn’t called candy corn at this point; it fact, it wasn’t really called anything. Goelitz gave it its first, official marketing name, christening it, “Chicken Feed.”

The name didn’t last long as it sounds absolutely revolting, but the recipe hasn’t really changed since the days before it was patented. Since this candy’s hit the market, it’s exploded (which is surprising since most people don’t even like candy corn).

Lots of people find the taste of candy corn to be too bland and waxy. Personally, I think they’re all crazy! I’ve loved this treat since my first Halloween!

So remember to get your Chicken—er, candy corn this year, Kids, and enjoy the age-old treat!

- John

P.S. Can you guess how many pieces are in here? Win our Candy Corn Contest with the right number! Submit your best guess here.  You could win a $100 Everything Summer Camp gift card!

Hey, Ball Fans!

Who can resist America’s favorite pastime—Baseball?! It’s come quite a long way from hitting a ball with a stick in an alley. Baseball today is far from your great-grandfather’s baseball. Instead of an unorganized activity for fun after school, it’s become the Major Leagues, Homeruns, Stadium Hot Dogs, and Bob Uecker. This is the story of the World Series and how it got be the way it is now.

Way back when—and when I say way back, I’m talking 1870’s—there was only one league: the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (who soon changed their name to the National League). They were the top dogs until 1882 when a second major league was formed—the American Association.

Up until that point the championship simply went to the team with the best record at the end of the season. But with the American Association now in the picture, the two leagues decided to face each other in a series of games to see who would win the championship.

These championship series are essentially what evolved into the World Series, however, they weren’t nearly as organized or official as the World Series we know today. Some series only lasted three games. Others lasted fifteen. And some even ended in ties!

The games were advertised as “The Championship of the United States” or the “World’s Championship Series,” which birthed the shorthand “World’s Series.” Up until 1930, people considered Baseball’s Championships to have started in 1884 near the rise of the American Association; however, nowadays the World Series isn’t considered to have started until 1903.

Last year, the San Francisco Giants took the World Series after defeating the Detroit Tigers. Who will take the Series this year is anyone’s guess. Keep watching and remember to root, root, root for the home team! Till next time, Ball Fans!

Hey there, History Buffs!

Happy Columbus Day, Everybody! If you’re reading this Blog post you must be pretty smart, so I’ll just go ahead and assume that you already know all the basic stuff about Christopher Columbus—you know, “Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492” with the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria–not to mention, he most-likely took a footlocker or two with him on his travels.

But here are three things that I bet you didn’t know about Chris…

If That is his Real Name…

First of all, Christopher Columbus’ name is not actually Christopher Columbus. Actually no one knows what his real name really was. We call him Christopher Columbus after what we believe his original, Genoan name to be: Cristoforo Colombo. In Spain, his name is Cristóbal Colón. But the fact is, no one really knows what it was; one thing is for sure, though: his name was not Christopher Columbus.

Not Checking for Roundness

Contrary to popular belief, Christopher Columbus was not trying to prove that the earth was round. In fact, by 1492, most educated people knew that the world was a round spinning ball and not a flat disc, so there was no misnomer to correct. What Columbus was doing was looking for a shortcut to India. He thought that heading West might get you there quicker which is why he dubbed the Natives of the New World “Indians” when he first saw them.

And lastly,

Columbus Crashed

Well, he didn’t do it himself exactly, but he put the cabin boy in charge of the flagship who crashed it. It was Christmas Eve of 1492 when the Santa Maria was beached on a coral reef around the northern coast of present-day Haiti. The wreck cost Columbus the ship itself along with 40 crewmembers who Columbus was forced to leave behind.

So, History Buffs, you can wish people a Happy Cristoforo Colombo Day today and spread these little known facts about the “discoverer of the Americas.”

- John

Hey, Faithful Customers!

Today begins the celebratory event that gets recognized the world over—welcome to Customer Service Week. Since we have the utmost respect and appreciation for our customers, everyone here at Everything Summer Camp is happy to acknowledge the importance behind customer service and to salute everyone who consistently displays diligent service and effective support for their customers.

So how did such an event come to be? Customer Service Week is a rather new event to be celebrated. It started in the early 90’s. Since 1991, an organization called the Customer Service Group has continued to sponsor an official program dubbed the Customer Service Week.

From providing instructional information on customer service to getting materials ready for celebration, the Customer Service Group has done so much to inspire the hundreds of professionals who help create the Customer Service Week celebration with their celebration ideas and plans.

One year later, the United States Congress declared the first full week in October to be Customer Service Week, making it a nationally recognized, annual event. This year’s Customer Service Week starts today and ends on Friday the 11th.

So what’s the point in celebrating Customer Service Week? Well, because we’re people—because our hard work continues when we see that people appreciate it. We want to know that we’re making a difference.

Without customers who appreciated the way they were served and taken care of, Everything Summer Camp couldn’t exist (nor could any other organization that relies on its customers). It’s a pretty important thing.

Customer Service Week is based off five essential goals:

1.) Motivate, encourage teamwork and boost morale in general

2.) Reward representatives for the important work they do all throughout the year

3.) Raise company-wide understanding of the importance behind customer service

4.) Thank other departments for their support

5.) Remind customers of your commitment to customer satisfaction

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

You know your education doesn’t always have to happen within the walls of a school building, right? In fact, throughout you entire life, you’ll probably do most of your learning outside of school. Just think of how much you learn every year at summer camp!

Today I’m talking about the history of the Mexican Independence Day. Contrary to common belief, Mexican Independence Day is celebrated today and not on the fifth of May as so many people think it to be. Cinco de Mayo is actually Mexico’s regaining of their freedom in 1862 from the short-lived French invasion. Their freedom from Spain is much more important to the people of Mexico.

September 16, 1810 is the day that one Father Miguel Hidalgo, a Catholic priest, literally rounded people up from the markets and streets of Mexico to declare their independence from Spain. Hidalgo’s rallying is known as the Cry of Delores. Hidalgo gathered more than 600 men in a matter of minutes and by the end of his leadership had amassed an army of 80,000.

Spain had ruled Mexico for hundreds of years and, despite the revolt in 1810, the war for freedom lasted 11 years. In those eleven years guerilla warfare ensued in Mexico wherever Father Hidalgo led his growing, angry mob of rebels to take Mexico back from every Spaniard they could find.

Regarded as one of their most important holidays, September 16 is celebrated in Mexico with dances, parades, and festivals. And on the night of the 15th, there’s an annual reenactment put on by mayors and other local politicians of Father Hidalgo’s Cry of Delores speech in which they ring the very bell Father Hidalgo did over 200 years ago and give the same speech that rallied hundreds.

The crowd cheers and fireworks explode in the sky!

So the next time someone tries to tell you that Cinco De Mayo is the Mexican Independence Day, you’ll know better. Till next time, Readers.