This year’s log dedication to the Runoia journey is written by Eliza Schechter, who began at Runoia ten years ago, as ‘Eliza Mae’ Brown – for just one summer, she thought – and has since found her way back year after year, through Covid, moves, near impossible schedules, and earning her doctorate.
Who better to share with us about the journey of Runoia?
Flash back to summer 2014, As I anxiously drive the mile down Point Road to a place I never knew existed until that year. That fall, I found an open position as “Head of Archery” and said “Sure, I can do that” even though I had little to no experience in a role like it. I took a leap of faith – just as many of you did – to join a summer camp I’ve never visited or had any prior connection to.
That summer was tough. I struggled to fit in and to connect with my campers. But probably the most difficult task: filling the shoes of the prior, very well loved archery instructor, Ted. It was a roller coaster of a summer, my energy drained by the time I climbed into my little twin bed at the end of circle time. Nonetheless, I found myself wanting to do more and more as the days went on – like a camper waiting to tag up for the new block. It was a summer packed with accomplishments and I can now say I understand the struggle SV goes through when completing their plaques.
That first summer was very rewarding, but it was also tiring and sometimes overwhelming. I felt comfortable leaving that summer with just my fond memories, and no plan to return.
And yet here I am in 2023, my 10th consecutive summer.
Runoia is the kind of place where you can grow. You might climb mountains you never knew you could, shoot bullseyes with a bow you’ve never picked up before, ski on water when you just learned about waterskiing 5 minutes before that, you may create art you never knew you had the ability to, or climb the rock wall even when your afraid of heights. You find new passions in activities you may have never done and you get to progress in those areas every year you return.
I started going to a summer camp similar to Runoia when I was 7 years old and spent 10 years there as a camper, then CIT, and junior counselor. Then I was lucky enough to be welcomed into this community for the next 10 years – from head of archery and a 6th shack counselor, to head of target sports and an Ocho counselor, to head of cabin, and now to residential life manager. Harmony Land campers, junior and senior campers, CITs, staff, cabin counselors, directors, alumni, and everyone in between – this is the Runoia community that makes camp what it is.
Therefore, I hereby dedicate the 2023 log to the Camp Runoia journey. It looks different for everyone, but that journey will always be yours.
Dallas with her cabin mates and counselors during her first summer, 2013
One of the most special things about Camp Runoia is the strong scholarship (deemed ‘campership’ in our community) effort made by the CRAO – Camp Runoia Alumni Organization – that makes camp possible for so many campers every summer. What many don’t know about our program, however, is that our hope is to not only open the Runoia gates to those campers once, but to keep it open for years of camp and to bring them into our camp community for the rest of their lives.
It’s often not a one-summer shot for our campers, but a multi-summer relationship built that often leads to participating in our CIT program and eventually joining our staff.
One such community member at Runoia is former camper and current staff member Dallas White. Dallas was a long-time Runoia camper – 7 summers total – and is now an incredible advocate and proponent of camp and the CRAO campership program. We’re lucky that Dallas is still connected to the Runoia community and is here to share a piece of her camp and campership experience in this week’s blog:
Incoming… Summer 2013. I want you to think about where you were, what you were doing, and what was the most significant thing going on for you at the time. For 9-year-old Dallas and her sister Dillan (age 13), thinking about if we were going to be able to attend sleep-away camp for the very first time felt like the end of the world.
We came from a single-parent household and sending both my sister and me to a sleep-away camp seemed nearly impossible. My sister and I had done many a day camp, but from our affluent peers, were constantly being bombarded about how much fun sleep-away is.
Learning how to rig a sailboat? We’d instead learn how to ride the subway system by ourselves first, being from the “big apple” and all. A sleep-away camp was simply a dream for the White-Haynes family.
However, my mom was not the type of person to give up so easily. She was going to make what my sister and I wanted so badly a reality. She got online and found Camp Runoia and immediately reached out to former owner, Pam Cobb, about what potential financial aid could be awarded to us. Elated, Cobb helped out my mom generously with a “campership” from The Betty Cobb Memorial Campership Fund pooled together by the Camp Runoia Alumni Organization (CRAO).
The BCMCF has been helping kids since the 1980s. And smiling from ear to ear, my sister and I’s most memorable summers had just begun. From the barn to the waterfront, we did everything – soaked up every moment.
There’s something truly magical about sleep-away camp that I truly believe every child should get to experience. It’s a feeling that never leaves you with memories that never fade.
-Dallas White, year 8 in 2023
Dallas now with old camp friend Pixie – both are back to work as counselors in 2023!
The impact of camp is unarguable. The impact of providing access to that experience inexplicable. We are so grateful for our incredible CRAO and the impact they’ve made!
Letters are a love language here at camp, and with our campers’ penpals assigned and so many letters written and sent already, I’m thinking more than ever about the language of letter-writing during the summer.
With hand-written letters as our families’ main portal into their campers’ summer, the writing and reading of them is a more important experience, and more nuanced, than many of us realize.
Read on for a comprehensive guide to communicating with your camper through snail mail this summer, including science-backed recommendations and the do’s and don’t’s of letters.
returning campers share photos with their 2023 letters written to their new penpals!
Receiving a sad or homesick letter
Dr. Tracy Brenner, “The Camp Counselor”, shared something in a recent webinar with the Maine Camp Experience that has stuck with me since. She put emotions throughout camp into perspective for attendees by having us consider the following: how many emotions do you experience in a day, even hour by hour? How about minute by minute? Now stretch that across three weeks or an entire summer. Our campers, staff, and families are all individually and communally experiencing this wide array of thoughts and feelings all throughout the season.
What does this mean for our campers’ letters?
Each letter your camper sends is a snapshot in time and emotion – not just a snapshot, but one of a moment that happened days prior (which feels more like worlds away at camp) by the time that letter arrives in your mailbox. We also need to recognize that along that spectrum of daily emotions, among the good and even the neutral, there are also many which are tough feelings. Working through these emotions are a function and benefit of camp and communal living – not a fault nor error. And here’s the good thing: homesickness is normal and typically mild. In a study of 329 campers, Dr. Thurber reported that about 83% of campers reported feeling homesick on at least one day of camp.
So, if and when you receive a letter with some tougher feelings, you can:
take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is natural, okay, and expected
ground yourself – take care of your own emotions before writing a response, and call us if you need help in that process
reply with encouragement and celebration of their resilience, appreciation for communicating their feelings, and highlighting the good in their letter
take it into perspective – was this letter written at a time that was situationally difficult, like their first night away from you, a time when they experienced disappointment, etc.?
offer a topic change or a shift in perspective in your response
if you have concerns about something serious communicated in your child’s letter, email their Head of Cabin (HOC) or give us a call
How often to write your camper
It is likely clear to our camp families that there is a level of ‘too few’ letters for our campers to receive. Getting no letters while at camp, especially as a new or younger camper, can make children feel anxious about home and their family’s well-being, and can cause feelings of being left out when seeing their bunkmates receive mail.
How many of us also realize that there is a such thing as ‘too many’ letters?
Hear us out – receiving letters daily, especially multiple per day, can potentially turn into an emotional crutch for campers, and make it more challenging for them to truly disconnect and fully experience camp and engage in our community. This can jeopardize some of the biggest benefits of camp: learning to self-regulate, find their own place in a larger community, and practice resilience while being ‘away’. Trust us that your camper will have no shortage of trusted adults in their camp community, and we want to encourage campers to communicate with their counselors, HOCs, and directors when those big feelings come along.
To help your camper feel just connected enough, here are two quick tips:
consider sending a letter a few days before camp starts for them to receive on the first full day of camp with encouraging words
depending on their age, send your camper to Runoia with a healthy number of pre-addressed and stamped envelopes to write home
What to write in a letter
Help your child process those tough emotions with phrases like:
“that sounds really tough – I’m so impressed with you for working through that and telling me about it.”
“your feelings are normal, and I promise you everyone is feeling the same way or has before.”
“you sound ____ (sad/homesick/disappointed/etc.), have you told a counselor or adult about it?”
“what have you tried when you feel ____ that has helped you feel better?”
“I know if you work through this, you will have so much fun and be more confident coming back next year.”
“I am confident you can do this – I believe in you.”
“give yourself some more time – the days will start to fly by.”
Once you’ve acknowledged your camper’s feelings at the beginning of your letter, move on to asking questions about camp to help her reach a better headspace by the end of your letter. Help your child ground herself when they write their next letter by asking specific questions, like:
“what are your counselors’ names?”
“who are your roommates, and what are they like?”
“what is your favorite thing you’ve done at camp so far?”
“what is one thing you’re looking forward to this week?”
“what’s one activity you’ve tried and loved?”
“what’s one thing you accomplished this week?”
“how have you been a good friend to another camper?”
Talk with your camper about some go-to coping skills that work for them before leaving for camp, then help remind them of them. This will be unique to each child, but might look like:
“the next time you feel that way, tell a trusted adult at camp.”
“stay busy – what book are you reading right now?”
“how can you relax when camp feels a little crazy?”
“enjoy your rest hour today – slow down and write in your journal or make a bracelet.”
What not to write in a letter
If you’ve read our family handbook, you know that we stress just how important it is to never make ‘the pick-up deal’ prior to camp or in a letter. It can be hard to not know exactly how your child is feeling at all times, and certainly even tougher to get an emotional letter. Our instinct is to save the day, but when we resist that urge, we’re encouraging resilience and resourcefulness in our children – one of the main benefits of camp. Here’s a quick list of what to avoid when writing a letter home:
avoid writing back immediately if your camper’s letter has heightened your own emotions – let yourself regulate before sitting down to reply
don’t write about how much you miss your camper or the family fun she’s missing out on while at camp
don’t write about sad family news – if it’s big news, call camp and we’ll create a communication plan together
don’t promise anything – promises to pick your child up or for them to call home are not promises you can keep, and only give your child false hope and prevent them from managing their own emotions
There you have it – the language of letters, the Runoia way. There is no perfect formula to letter-writing, and each camper is different, but if you follow these guidelines, you will be supporting your camper to work through their tough emotions, self-regulate, and get the most they can from their short few weeks at Camp Runoia.
And in between each letter you write and receive, remind yourself that there are countless smiles, giggles, and skills gained – so many, your camper can’t fit them all in one letter. Check our photos on your dashboard every few days, keep an eye to our social media and blogs, watch your email for our newsletters – you might catch an amazing experience that she forgot to mention in that snapshot moment of missing home.
And don’t forget that also between each letter, your camper is loved, cared for, and encouraged by our staff, directors, and her community at Runoia!
The land that is now Camp Runoia was originally stewarded by the tribes of the Wabanaki Confederacy – the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Mi’kmaq – and it is now our responsibility and honor to carry on the care of this land, on Earth Day and every day.
We start each ‘Fine Maine Day’ at Runoia with the following mantra: “Grant that we have safe and fun days, and that we respect each other, ourselves, and our planet.” We go on throughout our day with the gratitude for the water of Great Pond – conserved by the 7 Lakes Alliance, for the land so beautifully maintained by our maintenance director Tim Pearson, and for both the days full of sunshine and rain – knowing our planet needs both.
We are so fortunate that the campers and families that flock to Runoia are natural leaders and lovers of our earth. In former camper and counselor Grace Pratt’s 2019 log dedication to our planet, she said “Runoia is a magical place, but that magic wouldn’t be possible without the planet we live on. Earth is our common ground, the reason we get to explore, grow, and connect.”
Knowing our community, we’re willing to bet that so many in our Runoia family will be putting the earth first this weekend for Earth Day – spending their days outside in gratitude, volunteering, doing whatever they can for our planet.
We invite our community to join us collectively to volunteer all around the world in honor of Earth Day – as our campers come from near and far, we know our reach has amazing potential! Wherever you call home this time of year, can you get out this weekend to help our planet?
Luckily, there are so many resources to find volunteer opportunities near you, and it’s not too late to join in the fun!
Here are some resources to help you volunteer or celebrate in:
This week, we have one of our most exciting guest blogs to date – Jen Dresdow is here, announcing Runoia’s 2023 Equestrian Camp!
The equestrian program at Camp Runoia has grown over the past decade into one of our capstone programs. The past several summers have seen sold out lesson numbers. We are excited to launch enrollment for our new Equestrian Camp which will allow even more riders to enjoy our fantastic program! This riding intensive week will run Sunday August 13th to Saturday August 19th and will be open to girls going into 6th – 12th grade. This camp is an ideal prep week for those in both IEA and EAP, as they will have an opportunity to ride a variety of horses and practice in a show. However, there will be some spaces for beginner level riders as well.
Our lead coach for the week will be Kayleigh Burke. Kayleigh is collegiate level coach, having worked with both Hollins University and Virginia Tech, and currently coaches an IEA team out of Virginia Tech. Kayleigh is also a USEF ‘r’ rated judge for hunters and hunt seat equitation. Kayleigh will be assisted by collegiate level riders from Hollins University and Miami of Ohio University.
Along with 2 mounted riding lessons per day, campers will also get 2 unmounted lessons per day covering a variety of horsemanship topics from how to walk to a course to equine first aid to show grooming and braiding. Kayleigh and her staff will also discuss collegiate riding opportunities. Lessons will have 4-5 riders in the group with 2 instructors. A sample daily schedule is:
7:00 – Chores at barn (campers will rotate helping)
Campers will also go on field trip to a local tack shop and sale barn. There will be some fun surprises as well! On Saturday August 19th, all campers will participate in a final horse show at 10am. Parents are welcome to attend the show and depart after with their camper.
Transportation from/to Portland Jetport will be available and a van from the Boston area may be available if we get enough demand. Cost for the camp is $1900. An early bird rate of $1800 will apply until May 1st. Parents can apply on our website. This program is limited to 18 riders and there are limited spots based on riders level. A $500 deposit is due at the time of confirmed enrollment.
Questions or to check on space, email jen@runoia.com or call 207-613-7004
Feeling ‘ready’ for camp is an exciting milestone for kids – sometimes they are able to self-advocate for wanting to attend camp and come readily equipped with the confidence to take on a new experience. My conversations with new and prospective camp families, however, have taught me that most campers don’t fall into this category – it is normal to feel apprehensive and uncertain about camp!
Camp is a powerful builder of confidence and independence – especially for return campers – but it can be a bit of a catch-22: how can you feel ready for such a major confidence-building experience without first feeling confident enough to try it?
Luckily, there are ways we can help our campers and children feel ready – or, at the very least, willing – to try a major new experience like camp.
Start Small: Harmony Land Camp
Runoia created its Harmony Land Camp program precisely for the purpose of scaffolding our youngest campers toward comfort and a positive first experience with overnight camping. With expert support and individualized care, Harmony Land campers can grow their confidence over a summer or two in this program before taking the leap of attending a longer 3-week session of our typical camp program. HLC is tailored for kids aged 6-8 to form tight-knit friendships, explore new interests, and ease into camp life. Choose from ‘mini’ 9-day sessions OR our standard 12-day HLC sessions.
HLC is such a wildly popular ‘starter camp’ program at Runoia, we added a new session in 2023!
AND – we’ve heard our parents and families saying that even at older ages, our kids aren’t feeling ‘ready’ for the full 3-week sleep-away experience.
SO, we’ve opened up our HLC B session to a new, older age group: rising 5th graders and 10-year-olds are now welcome to enroll in this Harmony Land Camp session!
Practice
Like anything else, being away from family members and ‘safe space’ people for a few weeks can be daunting.
Think of how you can help your child practice being away from home and family members they see daily, by doing things like attending sleep-overs with friends or spending the night at a grandparent’s or trusted family member’s house.
You can also help your child practice independence with tasks that you typically help them with so they can feel more prepared at camp – things like brushing their own hair, picking out outfits for their activities, or making their bed – but rest assured that they will also have caring counselors to help them.
Make a friend
Runoia aims to support new campers by helping them create connections and form bonds leading up to camp. Runoia buddies up penpals between returning and new campers in the spring to help first-time Runoia campers make connections and have a buddy they’ve spent time talking to on the first day they arrive at camp.
Talk about how to self-advocate with your child
One of the most important life skills that we help our campers build every summer is self advocacy. We encourage our campers to speak up for themselves, let someone know when they need help, and to identify and feel comfortable approaching trusted adults in our community.
It helps to talk with your child about self advocacy and how and who to approach for help at camp. Luckily, camp is well-equipped with caring adults prepared to help your child at any moment. Some of the trusted adults and helpers in our community that your child can ask for help are:
Directors and assistant directors
Leadership staff – look for someone with a walkie talkie
Your child’s Head of Cabin (HOC)
Your child’s cabin counselors
Program staff during classes
CITs
No Surprises – Setting Expectations
Having clear expectations and knowing what to anticipate is important for a child’s first camp experience, especially if they are feeling on the apprehensive side. You can help your child form realistic expectations for camp by:
Talking regularly about camp leading up to the summer and listen to how they’re imagining it, what they’re most excited for, etc.
Going through our website and using different tools like our media galleries, videos, our virtual tour, etc. to help them form an idea of camp
Discussing how you will communicate over the summer – including learning how to write and send letters if necessary – campers should know that phone calls, promises to be picked up, etc. are not realistic expectations for camp
Identifying and discussing things that will look and feel different at camp – like meals, showers and self care, alone time, etc.
Still have questions? Give us a call!
Prepare Coping Skills
When the inevitable does happen at camp – having a bad moment or day, struggling with a new skill, adjusting to a new social situation – it’s important for kids to know that they can do hard things and have the skills and tools to move through those tough feelings. ‘Coping skills’ may sound like a scary term meant for crisis situations, but really they’re helping tools for us all to use when we’re feeling a bit stressed or overwhelmed. Coping skills can be distraction methods, tools for processing emotions, physical calming strategies, and more.
Look through our suggested guide of camp-specific coping skills at the end of this blog and help your camper make their own, individualized list that they can use at camp.
Jump in Anyway!
At the end of the day, we may never really be fully ‘ready’ for anything we try in life – and we think it’s okay to jump in anyway. At camp, our counselors and campers learn that they are capable of doing hard things. Sometimes we have to do things scared, or we’ll never do them at all. And whatever happens along the way, we can handle it with our community by our side.
March 1st marks the first day of a month-long celebration here at Camp Runoia: Women’s History Month! Founded by a small group of incredible women, carried on by more incredible women for generations, with its history recorded in detail by incredible women – 116 summers later (soon to be 117), here we still are!
A painting from the 1910-13 log – “Miss Pond’s New Toy!”
Most of the record keeping of Runoia summers was done so in what we call summer logs – a tradition we still carry on each summer. The main difference is that through the years, we saw logs transform from handwritten pieces and newspaper clippings to typewriter passages and now to typed and printed, full-color books.
Our logs tell stories of formative people and summers past, and provide an amazing inside look to the fashions, language, and current events of each time period in American and Runoian history.
Camp Runoia predates women’s right and ability to vote in our country, for example – and in our oldest log available online, we can see evidence of something we already knew within us: that Runoia ‘gals’ were among those pushing for their right to vote:
A page from the 1910-13 log: “Serena’s emblem” regarding women’s right to vote in the US.
So, some things change and some things remain: it’s with gratitude that I say the women of Runoia are still carrying on the legacy of recording camp history, and now thanks to the work of women of that history, we hold the right to vote in this country. And perhaps the most lasting thing among the Runoia community: 110 years after the completion of this log, we are still fighting for our rights, for the rights of friends and family in our community, and working to ‘add more seats to the table.’
While the fashions and language change from log to log throughout Runoia history, it’s also astonishing to see so many things that hold true of Runoia campers across 116 summers. The learned lesson from borrowing and lending important things, the occasional rainy Maine summer day, the love for sunny afternoons on Great Pond, cotillion, silly songs and rhymes, the love for horses – the list goes on.
And, perhaps one of my favorite lasting gems that I found in our logs – the sign-off of “Love, Ainour” which still is a signature stamp of love and care from our camp.
At Runoia, we’re lucky enough to offer such a diverse list of options that we couldn’t fit all of our incredible art activities in just one blog! Ruby, our Head of Creative Arts, is back this week to continue telling us all about each and every offering in our arts department at camp. This time, she’s delving into the more niche art forms you can try with us:
Hi y’all! Just like last time, my name is Ruby and I’m the Head of Creative Arts at Runoia. Did you find your perfect creative outlet in our last post about art activities? This time we’ll be talking about six more art activities and why you might be interested in learning more about them!
Whether you sign up for every art possible, or find yourself in one of our many art classes, welcome! On average, one of four campers will be in an art class at any time, so let’s see what they’re doing! Stained Glass – An activity reserved for the oldest campers, stained glass combines so many creative elements together to create a lasting piece. Do you want to create a flower motif from glass, a boat out on those blue waves, or perhaps create a design with the help of our expert staff? Definitely give this a try if you’re looking to make an awe-inspiring piece!
A beautiful finished Runoia stained glass piece!
Photography – Do you take a hundred photos of your pets everyday? Or maybe scenic landscapes, or portraits? Our photo classes will help you hone your camera skills while teaching you about the chemical reactions needed to develop film in our dark room! If you want to up your photography game, definitely take this class.
Sewing – If you’re looking for a craft to connect to over one hundred years of Runoia history, look no further than sewing. While this traditional skill can make some think of mending or fixing holes in socks, don’t count this activity out! For the truly fashion forward, sewing is a great way to see designs come to life! From scrunchies, tote bags, and even small plushies, sewing is a great way to try creating functional art.
Drama – Do you have about a million songs downloaded onto your device of choice? Do you wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is jazz hands? Okay maybe not, but our drama program might be right for you! Our drama instructors help campers put on a play the first session, and a musical in the second session!
Campers enjoy our newest art option: leathercraft!
Leathercraft – This new craft made its debut to Runoia in 2022, and had rave reviews from campers! Some people relax with yoga, a warm beverage, a good book, or a comforting movie. Others love taking a rubber mallet and whacking precise holes and designs into hand sewn leather goods. The concentration needed for this art lets the background just melt away, and allows you to focus on crafting a one of a kind piece. Once you start decorating, it begs the question, to stamp or not to stamp?
All smiles in the process of making this basket!
Baskets – Now I know what you’re thinking, basket weaving? Like underwater basket weaving? Yes! Well, weather dependent, but the regular basket weaving happens all the time. Basket weaving is an awesome and odd skill to have. If you’ve ever wanted to live out your cottage-core dreams, learning how to basket weave should be the first step on your journey. Plus you can use your new basket to collect berries at camp!
Now that you know all about the arts we have at camp, start thinking of that perfect schedule. I think mine would be AC, swim, baskets, and then sewing! There’s so many awesome and new things to try at camp, but what fun is planned this year? I don’t want to give too much away, you’ll just have to come and see for yourself!
Runoia reads – for fun, to grow, to learn, to challenge perspectives, and to place ourselves in the shoes of others.
Reading is a major component of the Runoia lifestyle – with unstructured free-time, an amazing library, and group reading time in cabins before bed, we are sure to make it a priority every day that we can! It serves as a time to unwind from the tiring and busy camp day, and to escape to alternate worlds.
In the past year, our Diversity Advisory Committee has worked to diversify our library with books that fall under the following categories: Black representation, Black history, gender fluidity, South Asian representation, Asian-American representation, Latinx representation, Indigenous representation, Jewish representation, LGBTQ+ representation, and protagonists with disabilities. From DAC member Claire Williamson’s book list to our 2022 selections that Pam and I stocked our library with this past summer, we are happy to offer more and more voices and represent more of our campers with each passing year.
In honor of MLK day next week, and in celebration and commemoration of Dr. King’s life and work and upcoming Black History Month, we encourage our campers, family, staff, and friends to incorporate more books with Black voices, history, and experiences into their reading lists.
This week we are sharing recommendations from our reading list, with many books you can find in the Runoia library! If you find one that catches your eye, consider ordering from a Black-owned bookstore local to you. Runoia reads, and we hope you join us!
Black Representation
A is for All the Things You Are: A Joyful ABC Book by Anna Forgerson Hindley
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
A Visit to Grandad: An African ABC by Sade Fedipe
Big Hair, Don’t Care by Crystal Swain-Bates
Black is Brown is Tan By Arnold Adoff
Change Sings by Amanda Gorman (Youth Poet Laureate)
I am Enough by Grace Byers
The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
The Water Princess by Susan Verde
Waiting in the Wings by Debbie Allen
Black History
Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
How I Met Lewis Howard Lattimer by Ramon Robinson and Brandon Freeny
Little Leaders, Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Malcolm Little by Ilyasah Shabazz
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Graphic Novels
March by John Lewis
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Last month, Dr. Tracy Brenner, “The Camp Counselor”, began a series at the Maine Camp Experience to help guide MCE parents through emotionally preparing for camp, starting with the topic of resilience in the face of homesickness and the absence of parental help.
In the vast majority of introductory conversations with parents of new campers, the inevitable topic of homesickness and preparedness for the camp experience comes up: “How do you help campers through homesickness?”, “What happens if she doesn’t adjust immediately?”
Before diving into explaining our in-depth staff training, our strategies for helping individual campers adjust, and how our social, emotional, and behavioral health specialist provides higher-level support, I always begin by first saying that homesickness is perhaps the most ‘normal’ and expected part of camp. Even the ‘campiest’ of kids experience pangs of homesickness and sadness that can make their way into a letter home, and those letters can be devastating for a parent to read.
But here’s a secret: usually by the time that letter has made it to a loved one’s mailbox, the feelings are three-days old, and those three days were full of smiles, laughter, new skills learned, and countless moments of bravery. Experiencing big feelings can be overwhelming at the best of times, and writing can be an exceptional release of those emotions to the people a camper trusts the most. Sometimes it takes time for campers to feel comfortable expressing those feelings to a friend or adult at camp instead, and be able to save the most exciting news for those letters home.
In the meantime, through all the tough moments, what we do know is that camp builds resilience (in my experience, for kids and adults alike!) Imagine a single day at camp and all of the moments a child will experience – some exciting, some disappointing. Each moment is an opportunity for growth in their resilience. From picking their sail back up after dropping it while windsurfing, to committing to fixing a mistake or rolling with it in an art project, to sitting with the disappointment of not getting their dream role in the play and choosing to be happy for their friend. For kids, these are hard things – but hard things that at camp, they are capable of.
And building that resilience can be exhausting and trying – so don’t be surprised if at week three, you find yourself picking up a quiet, tired kid. In a week or so, they might be ready to open upabout all of their amazing experiences – but be patient, they’ve been building resilience at camp for twenty-one days! And one day, that resilience may just develop to carry them up Mt. Katahdin, challenge them to go to JMG test camp, convince them to try the Oak Island swim, or accomplish something like American Archer, Advanced Equestrian, or Advanced Skipper.
Flash back to summer 2014, As I anxiously drive the mile down Point Road to a place I never knew existed until that year. That fall, I found an open position as “Head of Archery” and said “Sure, I can do that” even though I had little to no experience in a role like it. I took a leap of faith – just as many of you did – to join a summer camp I’ve never visited or had any prior connection to.
rough when completing their plaques.
I started going to a summer camp similar to Runoia when I was 7 years old and spent 10 years there as a camper, then CIT, and junior counselor. Then I was lucky enough to be welcomed into this community for the next 10 years – from head of archery and a 6th shack counselor, to head of target sports and an Ocho counselor, to head of cabin, and now to residential life manager. Harmony Land campers, junior and senior campers, CITs, staff, cabin counselors, directors, alumni, and everyone in between – this is the Runoia community that makes camp what it is. 
