Today is a day I am proud to be an American. Democracy at its finest – the opportunity for US citizens over the age of 18 to vote. The opportunity for people’s voices to be heard. The chance to elect the leaders who best represent us and to cast our votes on issues that are important to us.

Camp Runoia has its own piece of democracy and holds elections at camp each summer. We give the chance for each camper to vote for her team captain. After we’ve had a chance as a camp to discuss leadership qualities we think are important in a captain, those tiny slips of white paper and golf pencils are handed out and each camper hand writes her vote. It’s been done like this for summer after summer since 1923 when the Blue and White Teams were created at Camp Runoia. Hand written nostalgia. Once the votes are cast, colllected and tallyed, the session team captains are announced to the whole camp with great cheering and excitement.

This summer we had eight girls representing their teams in the two sessions: First Session captains were Kayley and Charlie for the Whites, Piper and Itsy for the Blues and in Second Session: Samantha and Cate for the Whites; Carolyn and Tessa for the Blues. These captains worked hard, led courageously, cheered on their teams when they needed encouragement, organized field line up and batting/kicking order, helped at swim races and organized daily at Flag Raising – a camp tradition.

Hooray for our camp team captains!

Hooray for Camp Runoia and most of all, hooray for democracy.