It is here. It is the time of year when we are expected to take a deep breath and stop and consider why we are thankful. Why are YOU thankful?
I, like many, will pause and reflect on my health, my family, the fact that I have a safe place to dwell, food on my table and my freedom to worship as I choose and to speak my mind freely.
As a mother, I easily turn my thoughts to my 9-year old daughter as well.
Raising a child is certainly an adventure that, most days, we are grateful for. The ability to see the world through new, energized, optimistic eyes…the ability to know that our child may further impact the good work in the world which each of us sets out to do. These things make parenting a wonderful, tiring, awesome, enthralling adventure.
As we delve into the holidays and the darkness of winter and cold that often accompanies these days, it is with fondness that I remember my gratitude for experiences like Runoia and its significance on my daughter and the other girls who find a second home in Belgrade Lakes, ME, each summer.
For 7 magical weeks of summer, there is a place where girls can go and be surrounded with the good of the world that will only make them grow stronger, supporting them in becoming the best people which they can be. Rich in the tradition and history of its camp founders, Miss Weiser and Miss Pond, Runoia provides the support, respect and confidence needed for girls to develop and grow strong.
There are abundant opportunities for girls to take risks – to take flight – from water skiing for the first time to archery to overnight excursions. There is independence within a safe, supportive setting. There are caring adults ensuring physical health. There are ample opportunities for physical explorations which promote health and wellness. And food? There are fresh vegetables and fruit, sprinkled with the sweetness of birthday cake which is delivered with song and smiles.
As the sun sets on each day of opportunity, there is time for reflection as girls connect about the day’s successes and those things which they will strive for again tomorrow. And as darkness falls, there is calm and quiet – except for the loons. As good nights are said and cabin lights dim, there is always a presence of gratitude.
Runoia is place which exudes gratitude for life.
Wishing you and yours a blessed day of thankfulness.
How grateful we are that our Camp Runoia founders were brave women who dared to venture out of their comfort zones. Pioneers of their time they chose to take a path that not many women had walked and left us a great legacy of strength and fortitude.
Early residential summer camps were primarily established to provide an opportunity for children from urban areas to be away from the cities and have an experience in nature. Initially it was boys who were provided with this opportunity but it wasn’t long before girls’ camps opened alongside them. It was strongly believed that living away from the conveniences of home in the ‘wilderness’ would build character and strong moral values. Perhaps unique in Runoia’s case was that women were our primary founders.
The 1907 world that Miss Weiser and Miss Pond lived in seems a million lifetimes away from the lives that our campers lead today.
Can you imagine that in 1907…
Women’s life expectancy was around 50
English suffragettes stormed British Parliament and many were arrested
Julia Ward Howe was the first woman elected to National Institute of Arts & Letters
Theodore Roosevelt was president
The passenger liner RMS Lusitania made its maiden voyage from England to NYC
Katharine Hepburn and John Wayne were born
Rudyard Kipling received the Nobel prize for literature
Good Housekeeping magazine cost $1 for an annual subscription
Trade unions were established
Oklahoma become the 46th state
It is amazing that the values promoted by residential summer camps in 1907 are the same as they are in 2017
Camp helps build self-confidence and self-esteem
Camp is a safe environment
Camp is a place to build social skills and make friends
We hope that Camp Runoia will continue to provide girls with the opportunity to bravely follow in the footsteps of the pioneering women who came before us. We hope that we may all have strong female role models and be them too.
Piloting a new program at camp is always interesting. The easiest part is often brainstorming in the winter months and getting everything down on paper. Success is achieved by finally putting it into action during the short but incredibly busy summer. After the program is initially piloted decisions are then made as to whether the program enhances the Runoia experience.
This past summer Harmony Land Camp at Runoia was born. We formulated a program so that younger girls could experience all that Runoia has to offer in a shorter session. A shift in demand has allowed us the opportunity to offer a 10 or 12 day experience for girls ages 7-9. While some girls are eager for a full 3 1/2 week session at this age others may not be quite ready or summer schedules just don’t allow for the length of time away.
Harmony Land Camp (HLC) was a huge success; the campers got a great taste of camp activities, Runoia daily life, day trips and community. They spent a little more time in a smaller group, had a few earlier nights and we worked through some minor teething problems. In 2017 HLC is going live as a fully-fledged Camp Runoia program with 3 sessions and the opportunity for more girls to have an introductory Camp Runoia overnight experience.
Even after 110 seasons we are open to trying new things, taking safe risks and continuing to develop Runoia as a premier girl’s camp that meets the needs of the current market. It is never too early to start building life skills.
I truly love living in Maine, mostly because of the distinct change in the seasons. Remember I grew up in England where 50 and drizzly is the most common year round weather! Each season in Maine has unique offerings and a diversity of outdoor activities that are specific to it. While the summer and overnight camp is obviously top of my list each other season has it’s own feel and events to look forward to.
Fall is truly a quick change, from long, warm summer days by the lake to days that become crisp, cool and seem suddenly so much shorter. Early Saturday soccer matches are often spent wrapped in a fleece blanket to ward off the chill and what would be E.P time at camp is already PJ’s and a book time.
There is certainly at this time of year more leisure time in my schedule. I love to be out in the crisp Maine air enjoying a hike or a drive through the foliage.
One of my favorite Fall rites of passage is to go apple picking. There are many local orchards and we often go a few times just to make sure that we hit all of our favorites spots. The bakery at a couple of places is an added incentive. The picking doesn’t take too long but sorting and figuring out what to make afterwards is often an enjoyable all-day event. Some apples are designated for eating, we always make plenty of cinnamon apple sauce, apple crisp is a big favorite and then we enjoy scouring Pinterest for random recipes to use up the rest.
I often wish that camp lasted into these late September days so we could share the bounty of Maine with our Runoia family. Wherever you are I hope that you Fall is fun and filled with quality family time and outdoor fun.
I spent this past weekend at the annual retreat for my women’s chorus. It was a beautiful Maine weekend and we stayed at a camp by the coast with the typical set up of bunks and group dining. I have been a member of this group for ten years and enjoy spending time with a diverse group of women whose only true commonality is their love of choral singing.
Team building
During the two day weekend we were challenged musically, engaged socially and built community together. For many of the women being away from the comforts of home with a group of people they don’t know all that well is quiet a step out of their comfort zone. Not unlike the first day of camp at Runoia we played name games, shared details about ourselves that others did not know and worked together in order to break through some of our nervous reservations.
I am always amazed by the outcomes that happen in such a short space of time. By the second night most of the group had the confidence to participate in the ‘talent’ show and had bonded in a unique way. It seems that when we can put aside the rigors and familiarities of our everyday lives then we are more able to open ourselves to stretching the boundaries of our comfort zones.
Talent show!
At Runoia we challenge our girls every day to step beyond the safety of their comfort zone. Even for the adults and regardless of how many summers they have spent on Great Pond they are also stretched and push the limits of their own comfort zone. A sleep away experience provides us all with an opportunity to grow both individual and as a great part of the whole group. Seeing what a group of sometimes reluctant to participate middle aged women got out of two days at ‘camp’ reinforced for me how life changing a session at Runoia can be for young girls.
While I am certainly already counting down the days to Runoia 2017 and seeing my summer family again I am glad to have had the opportunity to continue being challenged in a different group which is just as dear to my heart.
One of the greatest things I love about being at Camp Runoia all summer long is the routine and schedule! You never have to worry about when or what you are going to eat, laundry goes out and comes back right when you expect it to, you know when to get up and when to go to bed and the ringing of the bell dictates everything in between.
The other really awesome thing about camp when you are the family manager and chauffeur is that no one needs to go anywhere! Sleep away camp gets all of your needs met in one place. Everyone is quite happy and busy, there are no practices or play dates to squeeze in or Birthday parties at the same time in two different directions or grocery shopping to be done. It is a formal schedule but not a hectic one. Within the routine and structure at camp there is also plenty of time to take a minute to enjoy someone’s company or stop and pick some blueberries.
Don’t get me wrong I have enjoyed the last few weeks of summer, lazing around in PJ’s eating whatever, whenever and being on the relaxed plan for what to do when. I am now ready to embrace the Fall with the new sometimes hectic schedules, weekend adventures in the beautiful foliage and a routine all of its own. The days are getting shorter and the nights are definitely chillier but I’m sure before I know it we will be back on Runoia time again.
This week was our American Camp Association Accreditation visit which after much preparation went off without a hitch. It is a peer review by other camp directors to ensure that we are maintaining the highest standards of health and safety in the camping industry. Did you know that Camp Runoia has been an accredited ACA camp since 1960 and that we continuously run our programs to the industry standards that are provided?
“The American Camp Association is the only nationwide organization that accredits children’s camps. The ACA Accreditation process is a voluntary commitment by camps to the highest standards of health, safety, and program quality.
One purpose of the ACA Accreditation program is to educate camp owners and directors in the administration of key aspects of camp operation, particularly those related to program quality and the health and safety of campers and staff. The standards establish guidelines for needed policies, procedures, and practices. The camp is then responsible for the ongoing implementation of the policies.” (From ACANE)
At Camp Runoia we are incredibly proud to be able to provide a high quality, residential camp experience for our campers and employee’s. Safety first!
Tell your friends and family about the sleep away opportunity that we provide.
Enrollment for 2017 will be opening soon and new camper spaces will be in high demand!
Our second session here at Camp Runoia has started off splendidly. The first session girls all made it home safely and our new arrivals are fully settled in. We have girls from so many different places. Our English campers finally got out of school and flew on over, we have an alumnae daughter from Japan and also girls from as far away as Hong Kong and Vietnam. The continental US is well represented from CA girls to those from FL and a whole heap from our great state of Maine.
Our days have been glorious. Warm and sunny although sometimes a little windy for skiing so some of the girls have been enjoying sneaking out a little early to get out on Great Pond before breakfast. There have been no complaints about waking up before the bell. There is something magical about getting up before everyone else and enjoying the solitude on the lake.
Our second session of Harmony Land Camp for our youngest campers is half way finished. They’ve been enjoying all the camp activities and having fun times with their counselors. We hope they will return next summer!
Trips have already gone out and returned with tales of adventure and s’mores around the campfire. Projects have been started, we are growing food, shooting at targets, climbing the wall, riding horses, are out in boats and generally busy as we can be all the way through our fun and entertaining EP’s. There is much anticipation for the new campers picking their blue and white teams this weekend and lots of speculation about how captain elections will turn out. We are filling our days to the max and enjoy falling asleep to the sounds of the loons after long and productive days
It is always a “Fine Maine Day’ for building life skills.
Keep the letters coming our campers love to get mail from family and friends.
It is amazing how much we cram into a week at camp! What a diversity of experiences there have been in the past few days. Even the weather has kept us on or toes with moderate winds to dead calm and baking sun to a cool rainy day. We have had new beginnings every day and very happy endings.
For EP we have been energetic at the scavenger hunt and chilled out at campfire, really tacky during everyone’s favorite ‘Ms Tacky Runoia’ and talented at our very own Runoia’s got talent’s show the Voice and USA gymnastics team had better watch out!
Team captains were chosen with the ‘A’ team of Ally and Anna leading the Whites and Z and Eliza managing the Blues. All of the girls that chose to run for the position gave great speeches at assembly and were commended for having the courage to ‘give it a go.’ Soccer games were already played with many more activities to compete in this coming week.
We have seen so many firsts as girls tried new things, met new people and adventured far and wide and we are beginning to see some of the lasts for our oldest campers. Painting their boards to put up in the boat house was bitter sweet.
Perhaps the most meaningful moment of the week was our youngest and newest group of campers the ‘Harmony Land Camp’ girls sharing their love with the graduating senior village girls. It was the first Runoia campfire for the HLC girls and the last as campers for our graduates. A very meaningful moment as traditions are passed along and legacies left to the next generation. Harmony Land Camp is our new short session taster program for 7 and 8 year old girls and it is already a big hit.
We will make the most of our last 5 days of first session and are already anticipating the ‘see you next summer’ goodbyes as we hug those we now call our ‘summer sisters.’
