Camp Runoia “Harmonyville” is rolling! Our determination to open Camp Runoia with safety precautions in place this summer is three-fold: First, we want to show girls there is a path forward through this pandemic; we want to give them hope. Second, we want to provide campers and staff with the life skills for a new normal; you can adapt and manage life with new protocols like no hand shaking, new virtual high fives and lots of hand washing. Finally and perhaps most important, we want to model when things get hard, we work harder and we overcome hard things by using our brains and determination. Grit? Yes, I dare say we are modeling grit.
Here are a few updates from camp this week. We have an ever-evolving picture of camp this summer and some of our guidelines have expanded. So, we wanted to update you as we do weekly.
The Updates:
Mail – will be a thing! No packages for campers, please. We have set up to get mail by the Mail Boat/Water route this summer. A first for Runoia! Mark will set up a mail area on the Big Float so John, the postal delivery person will drive up to the Big Float and drop the mail/pick up the mail. This way we do not have to have Sara our office manager leave camp to get the mail. All these little details are being worked out.
Packages for Campers – did you get the part about no packages? We just wanted to be sure you heard us. 🙂
The Bus While auto drop off is the preferred mode of transportation to camp, the bus home from camp is possible – are you interested? Email alex@runoia.com
Our Financial Policy update was announced last week – this reduced risk has made it more attractive for some families to come to camp.
Enrollment We still have a few spaces in camp. We feel confident about what we are doing. We know your decision is personal and unique. Contact pam@runoia.com if you are interested or exploring again and have more questions.
Other News
Medical: Our health team is fully hired with 9 members of health team joining us. Our doctors are meeting with other camp doctors next week and have already met with Maine General Infectious Disease Preventionist and the Maine CDC Epidemiologist and our local physician at the Belgrade Regional Health Center. We have a dedicated team of two nurses who will work with our MDs and will care for patients under investigation (PUI) and a COVID-19 camper or staff organizing pick up to head home. The rest of the nurses will be managing all the regular health care needs from an itchy mosquito bite to a twisted ankle. We will be arranging for medical visits off site with PPE as necessary.
Program: We have most of our programs thought through and realize the areas that will be most difficult for everyone at camp to do this summer will be waterskiing, wilderness trips, sailing, Blue/White team competitions and climbing tower/zipline. Everything else seems reasonable to run and disinfect and run again! For both sailing and waterskiing, limited number of groups of campers from the same household will be able to do these activities. The list of participants will expand if we can move into graduated phases.
Counselors: Alex has re-interviewed each and every counselor so they understand the “camp in a bubble” for 5 weeks, the fluidity of their jobs this summer and the counselors coming to camp are “all in”. They know they will have to get all their refreshing by being in and around camp and they are very excited to join in the effort to make camp a positive, learning, skill-building summer. Out of our 16 key leaders in camp, 15 are returning to model and lead with the Runoia Mission.
That’s all from camp for this week. Please be in touch if you have any questions.
All my best,
Pam – For the Runoia Team
pam@runoia.com