Friday Music: The Kennolyn Song

After introducing you to my experience at summer camp, and my recent journey to the memorial for Aunt Marion of Kennolyn Camp, I thought I’d make my Friday Music this week one of a similarly sentimental nature. Kennolyn was the camp that I attended as a kid, and then later was a counselor at. Like all camps (I imagine), it had its own song, simply titled “The Kennolyn Song.”

The camp was founded in 1946, and so some of the traditions and campfire songs hail from that time. Our song was originally known as “The Lollypop Song,” and an extra verse was added to it to include the camp’s name. One of my all time favorite memories of camp is of Uncle Max leading everyone at campfire. He loved to sing, and often had hand motions that went along with the songs. When he sang this song at campfire, he’d flex his muscles when the “man who made it musta been a champ line” came up.

So here’s our song – take a listen:


The Kennolyn Song from Paula on Vimeo.

The lyrics are super simple:
K-E-double N-O-L-Y-N spells Kennolyn, Kennolyn
That’s the only decent kind of camp, camp
Man who made it must have been a champ, champ
K-E-double N-O-L-Y-N you see,
Its a camp in the woods
guaranteed to make you good,
It’s Kennolyn for me
And for you, too!

And here are a few more images from the day: