Category: Camp

Unplugged – Camp Can Help

Posted on by camprunoia

Happy New Year one and all! It’s the time for reflection on the past year and a looking ahead to the next. For many, it is a time to make resolutions… exercise more, lose weight, and the one I have most heard this year, is “unplug more”. I’ve been thinking about what it means to unplug, and found myself remembering when “unplugged” was not in our everyday vocabulary. Now I am not OLD but I am older, and I remember well how different life was 10, 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Perhaps you remember some of these things too…

Waiting your turn for the home phone to call your “besties” and hearing the dreaded busy signal (no call-waiting) or no answer and no voicemail. Now we connect to anyone or multiple people in any place and at any time.

Taking pen to little scraps of paper in school to write notes to my best buds and figuring out all sorts of tricky ways to pass them. No texting, snapchatting, Instagram, etc.

Waiting with great anticipation for next week’s episode of my favorite TV show instead of binge watching a whole season in one weekend.

Talking with friends face to face, playing games, listening to music together, goofing around, and just generally, “being”.

Being in nature, whether a walk on the beach, a hike in the woods, or a paddle on a lake, and the “music” was the waves, wind, and bird calls.

“Plugging in” is not bad – it’s wonderful to be able to connect with friends and family so easily and I do enjoy some binge watching, but it can dominate us unless we intentionally keep things in balance. Camp can be an enforced and welcome balancing force. As a director, I do need to be “plugged in” at times each day, but it’s just as important for me to leave the screen and go out and play and talk with girls and counselors in our beautiful natural environment. Unplugging is just one of the gifts of camp but it is one that girls benefit from so much and most of them end up loving the experience. Catherine Steiner Adair, a Maine camp alumna, a researcher, writer and leader in the field of girl’s development has written extensively about technology and the value of unplugging for girls and families in today’s world. It’s well worth a read.

 

New year new challenges

Posted on by Alex

You can teach an old dog new tricks

I have been singing in various women’s choirs since I was seven years old and have had the pleasure of working alongside some amazing conductors and competing in international choral competitions to great success.  As a member of a choir it is a comfortable easy place for me to be.  You literally can lean on those around you to help carry the tune or maintain the sound.  I have sung with my current chorus for the past 12 years and it is safely within all aspects of my comfort zone.  There is a sense of community and support among the eclectic group of women not unlike that which we have at Camp Runoia.

With my Women In Harmony singing friends.

This fall stepping completely out of my comfort zone and with a little trepidation and a good amount of anxiety I decided to challenge myself and started taking private voice lessons.  In most aspects of my life I am generally a very confident person but when it comes to singing alone I often clam up and feel very uncomfortable.  Leading camp songs isn’t too much of a problem but more formal performance in front of an unknown audience terrifies me.

I wanted to develop my vocal technique, understand my somewhat irrational fear and be able to overcome some of my lack of confidence in solo singing.  Our chorus pianist is one of the most brilliant musicians I have met and is very non-threatening so was a great choice for taking this leap of faith with.  She doesn’t even require a financial commitment so I couldn’t even use the ‘you’ve paid for it so you have to go’ as an incentive for showing up.  It is interesting as an adult to push outside of your comfort zone by choice and then to stick with is even when it is fairly painful.  Not knowing really what to expect I convinced myself that I could at least make it through the first class.  I did! and now look forward to those 45 minutes a week when I focus on my own skill development.  I don’t think my technique has improved all that much yet but I feel more confident walking in and know that I can do things that I find challenging even if I have to give myself a little mental push.

As you welcome in the New Year and perhaps make resolutions to change or start something new, I hope that you will be confident and courageous, try something unexpected and go outside of your comfort zone.  As we often tell our campers ‘it isn’t always easy to try something new.’ It is great for kids to see adults not always be good at something and have to work to get better or to overcome a challenge.  Share your journey with those around you and embrace and enjoy the process.

Bring on 2018!

Bringing in the light

Posted on by Alex

Winter Solstice – when the dark days or winter turn into the light days of summer.

As the Winter Solstice creeps up on us and daylight lasts barely 9 hours up here in Maine, we are thankful for the seasonal celebrations that fill our homes with light and brilliance.  Often around our house at this time of year you will hear laments of ‘but at camp we wouldn’t even have started EP yet!’ as PJ’s are snuggled into and bedtime stories read so much earlier than they would be in the summer.  It is certainly a time for hunkering down, reflecting on the past year and taking time to contemplate the months ahead.

Whether decorating a tree, lighting candles or stringing lights around the house there are plenty of ways to brighten up the dull days and to literally bring in the light.  Luckily  in Maine we now have a lovely coating of snow so the white, brilliance reflects the sunshine and certainly makes our short days more cheerful.

Holly by the Runoia farmhouse.

Bringing light into our homes is an ancient tradition to ward off the dark days of winter and celebrate the return of the light. Feasting and decorating have long been practices used to help the long nights pass more quickly.   Can you imagine bringing in a whole tree to burn as they often did in Europe the Yule log was often burned throughought the festive season – it makes our Sunday night Campfires at Runoia look pretty tame!

However you choose to bring in the light at this dark time of year may the memories of the longer days of summer warm your heart and brighten your spirits.  As we celebrate the turn of the earth into longer days we will be counting them down until it is back to summer and our time to gather again on Great Pond.

 

Season of Giving or is it?

Posted on by Alex

‘Tis really the Season of chaos….

We still don’t have a tree and now there is 6” of snow on the ground, my closet is a stack of unopened Amazon packages, the ‘Elves on the Shelves’ haven’t moved in 2 days, I need to get a new windshield (thanks to yesterday’s storm) and there are definitely just not enough daylight hours in these very short, Maine winter days.

At this time of year it is so hard to not get sucked into the crazy chaos of the season.  With school concerts, Holiday events, shopping, family gatherings and all the regular day to day life stuff snowballing around us it is hard to find the time to take a moment for yourself,  to breath and be appreciative.  This Holiday season I hope that you can take a second or two and pause, relish those around you, be present not panicked and generally enjoy the moments not count the minutes.

The good news is today I dropped off 3 bags of gifts at a local nonprofit for our sponsor family, I actually have 99% of the Holiday cards ready to go in the mail- what a joy it was to write them and reminisce as many of them are to Camp Runoia friends made over the past 20 years, tonight I get to go to an awesome lecture about empowering girls – Rachel Simmons, the Holiday tunes are on and I just booked a really fun surprise for the kids next week.  I am determined to make memories, build on our traditions and try and embody the true spirit of the season rather than being bombarded by the commercial components or a need to keep up with the Facebook friends!

I am going to win the Holidays and I hope that you do too!

Helping Others Help Themselves

Posted on by Pam Cobb

You inspire us at Camp Runoia to be the best we can be by helping others, and sharing our passion for the camp experience with children and adults.

In honor of all the campers and counselors of Camp Runoia, we are making a donation to two camps in the Sonoma area of California that suffered devastating destruction from wildfires this fall. Both camps are committed to rebuild, re-open and create a magical summer for campers in 2018.

In this spirit, we hope you spread your own Runoia generosity and cheer and help others during this holiday season.

May peace be with you as you celebrate the holidays and the start of the new year with your family and friends!

For information on the camps damaged by the California wildfires that we are donating to this holiday season:

Cloverleaf Ranch

Camp Newman

Camp Begins its Long Winter’s Rest

Posted on by camprunoia

Camp is settling in for its long winter’s rest. It’s quite beautiful though different, to walk the land now. The dried grass sparkles with frost in the sunlight. Most of the trees are bare, with the exception of the Oaks who hold their dead leaves until into the winter. All the trees have settled into their resting time. To survive the cold, they have become “dormant”, a significant slowing of their growth and energy consumption. The gift of the leafless trees is seeing so many birds’ nests that were hidden in the canopy all summer. Our beautiful ferns, which are so prolific during the warmer months, have died back showing just their short brown stalks topped by seedpods. There are places on the paths where you can see ice crystals pushing their way above the surface as the annual ground freeze begins. The lake is still open water but it has undergone its “turnover”, when the warmer oxygen-filled surface layer, cools and sinks to the bottom. This begins the vital process of re-oxygenating and bringing nutrients to the deep cold water. Soon the lake will freeze, and everything underneath will rest.

 

Animals are also preparing for the winter. The porcupine that was seen in the Apple Tree field is active in the winter but has fattened up and grown a thicker under-layer of fur. Even the porcupines’ quills help to insulate them from the cold and wind, so you might just see a porcupine at this time of year. You won’t see our woodchucks – they are true hibernators, and you won’t hear our Loons as they have migrated to the open water of the ocean. However, one animal you will see scurrying about through winter, are the squirrels. They’ve had a banner year storing up caches of one their favorite foods – acorns from all of our Oak trees.

 

Soon the snow will cover the land, and then the long winter’s rest will truly begin.

 

 

 

Heart of Camp ~ Counselors and Staff

Posted on by camprunoia

I have been so fortunate to do my life’s work as a camp director for over 30 years. I have had the deep satisfaction and joy of sharing the lives of thousands of children as they have grown into such fine adults. I have been honored to be welcomed by families as a partner in their parenting. I have worked with so many fine counselors. I have lived, worked and played in the beautiful out-of-doors while learning so much about myself. And I have had so much fun!

All of these experiences have been connected completely to the heart of camp – the counselors and staff. Each summer we bring together a group of young, and not-so-young women and men to work with our girls. They come from different parts of the world with diverse life experiences. The reasons they come to camp are many. Some have grown up in camp and often cite that they want to give back to the community that has given them so much. New staff members are excited about teaching skills, working with children, being outdoors, making friends, etc. etc.

For whatever reason they come, they soon realize that it is a job working 24-hour days, 7-days a week that requires being a friend, coach, mentor, big sister, role model, and parent all rolled into one. Counselors need to employ skills in decision making, problem solving, motivational speaking, organization, refereeing, group management, interpersonal dynamics, safety awareness, creativity, time management, teaching, care taking, sensitivity, empathy, and flexibility. They set aside much of their own lives – friends, family, hobbies, social life, work, school – to take on this responsibility. They demonstrate amazing commitment every day as they give so much of themselves to create a magical experience for girls.

We know that are counselors and staff could choose to do so many other things with their summers, and we are so grateful they choose to be with us at camp. These fine people truly are the heart of camp.

 

 

 

With Gratitude for our Girls and Families

Posted on by camprunoia

Greetings from Camp Runoia!

The month of November is often associated with gratitude. Like so many, we find ourselves thinking about people, places and things we are grateful for, and we are grateful for you ~ our parents, families and girls that make Runoia the special place it is for all of us.  A “summer camp” is really just some land and buildings until you add the special ingredient… people. We know there are so many ways a girl can spend her summer, and we feel fortunate that you value the camp experience enough to choose Runoia for your daughter. We also appreciate that it can be a bit “nervous-making” to entrust your child to others. We are honored that you have chosen us and trust us to care for your daughter while she is with us in the summer.

We take this trust very seriously and strive to hire the type of counselors that will serve as positive adult role models as they teach, mentor, care for, and have fun with your daughter. We will do our best to create an environment where girls can discover themselves, make positive choices, develop life skills, create deep friendships, have joyous fun, and create memories that will last throughout their lives. We are very lucky to do this special work of camp.

We are so excited that so many girls have already re-enrolled for 2018. Perhaps you know a girl that would be a perfect addition to our community? We do still have a few spots available in all of our sessions, so please share your stories of the Runoia experience with your friends. Camp is a wonderful gift to share.

We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and many thanks again for being a part of our Runoia family!

Best wishes,

T

In My Senior Year I Reflect on Seven Summers by Olivia Stein Colby- College 2018

Posted on by Pam Cobb

It’s the fall of my senior year of college and I can’t help but think back on all of the experiences that got me to where I am today. I often find myself thinking of the seven years spent at Camp Runoia in particular. At Runoia I learned the importance of female friendship, having confidence and patience while trying something new, taking time to be goofy and weird, all while discovering my love for Maine and the outdoors.

I had an amazing six summers as a camper, and each school-year was spent counting down the days until I could return to my favorite place surrounded by my summer sisters. I returned as a counselor in training and during that summer our CIT group did a college tour of Colby College in Waterville, ME. It was the first college campus I visited and I remember not being very impressed looking at a bunch of brick buildings on an empty campus. But a couple years later when I was applying to schools I realized how much that visit meant. From the ages of nine to fifteen all of my favorite memories came from camp – the friendships I made, sailing on Great Pond, Junior Maine Guide, Sunday night campfires, peanut butter pie and everything in-between. So, when choosing a college, it just seemed right to pick a school ten minutes from Lucy Weiser Lane where all of my favorite memories took place.

My experiences at Runoia have come to life so often during my past three years at Colby. I make every effort to engage in outdoor activities, to form deep friendships, and to have confidence in my classes the same way I grew confidence solo skippering for the first time. At school, I am a pre-orientation leader for freshman and this year I led a trip to Tumbledown mountain. I couldn’t help but sing a camp favorite “In a little town there is Mount Tumbledown…” over and over until all my freshman could sing along with me. I remembered my experience as a camper so clearly – hiking Tumbledown on a day trip, and feeling so accomplished when we made it to the lake marking how close we were to the summit. Runoia gave me a love of adventure, and taught me to love the rewarding feeling when you summit a mountain even if you’re a little cold, or tired, or it starts to rain.

I’m thankful for Runoia for giving me the confidence to pursue my passions and for instilling the importance of friendship and always supporting and loving those around you. I’ll never forget the countless memories I made at camp surrounded by all the campers, counselors and directors who made it feel like home.

Fine Maine Days at Camp Runoia

Posted on by Alex

It is pouring with rain today in Maine.  The kind of drenching, nonstop rain that comes from a dense, grey cloud that lingers low to the ground.  The day is dark and you need the lights on inside and a rain jacket and umbrella if you venture outside.   It is the first significant rain we have had all month and is a big change from the mild and sunny weather we have become accustomed to.

Wet foliage is still beautiful.

Today’s rain and the significant precipitation that we will get over the next couple of days is however being welcomed.  It brings relief to the dry ground, reduces the fire danger and fills up the water table a little before the hard freeze of winter comes.  We have missed the rain and can tolerate it intruding into our crisp fall days as we relish the benefits that it will bring.

For many years now assembly at Runoia has often included the phrase ‘It’s a Fine Maine Day’ it has become a tradition and a tag line of sorts that we have come to expect.  Some days it may have an addendum that reflects the current climatic conditions, ‘the liquid sunshine will be sure to keep our fields and forests green’ or maybe ‘it’s tropical out make sure you have your water bottles.’  Whatever the weather at camp we make the best of it and we embrace it for what it is.  We can control many components of our days and schedules but the weather is not one of them.  Putting a positive spin on the things we cannot change helps us to develop resiliency, flexibility and confidence that we are in charge of our own mood.  We can choose to waste our day grumbling and complaining or get on with having a blast and enjoying every minute of our time at camp.

There are always positives to be found in the variable Maine summer weather.  A rainy morning may result in a ‘sleep in’ with a later bell and the opportunity for a little extra time to snooze.  Rain may come as a relief from a stretch of baking sunny days that can be exhausting.  A fire in the Lodge is cozy and an opportunity to not have to rush and take time to enjoy reading the logs or a good book.  Rainy day program is often a fun, entertaining and creative switch up from our regular scheduling.

Whatever the weather in your location we hope that you can make it an ‘FMD’, make the most of the opportunities that the day presents and imagine the noise of the rain on the metals roofs at camp.

Maine – the way life should be whatever the weather!