Category: Camp

Maine Maple Syrup – natures bounty

Posted on by Alex

The sap is running!  It is an exciting time of the year in Maine. After being buried in snow we are so happy to see that  spring is just around the corner.   At this time of year local syrup producers long for cold nights and warm days.  As the air warms up and the signs of spring appear, trees are tapped and buckets of sap collected in order to produce real Maine maple syrup. The temperatures must be below freezing at night and above during the day time. Right now with a thaw happening conditions in Maine are perfect.

Maple syrup comes from sap.

By literally tapping into Mother Nature sap is collected and boiled down in a simple process that produces maple syrup. It does however, take a large quantity of sap, time, patience with the weather and a willingness to get outdoors even with a chill in the air and snow still on the ground.

Maine Maple Sunday is the last weekend in March if you have the chance to pop up to Maine it is a fun time to see the process in action.  Maple Syrup producers are often small, family owned operations that welcome the public to visit and see the all-natural product being made.  Along with the syrup there are always a large selection of yummy maple products to try, our favorites are maple popcorn and maple beans.

 

Great Pond frozen.

Sometimes we wish we had winter camp at Runoia then we could do fun things like this!  Can you imagine skating on Great Pond, cross country skiing around the archery field and warming up by the fire in the Lodge?  Sadly the shacks would be a little chill so I suppose we will have to stick with our summer overnight camp experience.

We are now actively counting down the days until camp! 119 to go.

Professional Networking and Development

Posted on by Pam Cobb

As camp professionals working with youth and young adults, we take professional development and professional networking seriously. This is the time of year many camp conferences across the country take place providing education, networking, inspirational speakers, and new ideas for everything from staff training, in-service training, camper support and guidance, special programming, and more. Check out the American Camp Association conference in Albuquerque, NM going on right now.

We are fortunate that Marijean “MJ” Parry is at the conference this week, networking and learning to bring back to Runoia. If you haven’t met MJ yet, her introduction is here on our Runoia site.  Our leadership team will be convening  in March at the ACA/NE conference in New Hampshire. We look forward to meeting in person and connecting with others helping Runoia to continue to grow and build lifelong skills of its own!

Our professional development doesn’t end with our camp connections. As I grow in my own field of work, I see youth outreach programs that are extraordinary. I am impressed by my childhood friend from Princeton, Jonathan Diamond, founder and director of the Hilltown Youth and Recovery Theatre helping youth through theatre and performing to recover from addiction and/or anxiety and other mental health challenges.

Jonathan grew up at camp in Maine and his sons attended Chewonki as well. He credits his camp experience to who he is today and the important work he is doing with children. I’m impressed with his work as shown in this short and compelling video.

The images of the work his program provides are vivid and powerful. Hats off to Jonathan and his team. If you are a person who works in counseling or helps youth with anxiety, addiction or other mental health challenges, I encourage you to check out Hilltown Youth and contact Jonathan if you are interested in more information. jonathan@crocker.com

Our connections with youth professionals from foster care to prep schools makes us better camp professionals. We are fortunate to know so many fantastic people doing great things helping us to stretch and grow just like our campers and staff do each summer!

 

 

 

Camp Runoia chickens in winter

Posted on by Alex

How we keep the Runoia chickens happy in the snow.

You may be wondering what on earth the Camp Runoia chickens are up to during all of this snow in Maine.  It is fun and easy to have the chickens in our Runoia farm program during the summer, the winter takes a bit more planning.

The hens are well cared for and we thought that we would share some of our best tips for keeping the flock safe, warm and laying all winter long.  This latest nor’easter dumped 2 feet of snow on the coop and was certainly a test of our chicken farmer resources.  Typically when the weather is fine the flock free ranges and like to be out and about but once there is snow on the ground they stay in their covered pen attached to the coop.

 

The hens have an insulated coop and are hardy breeds so they don’t mind the cold too much.  They tend to stay inside if it is very cold.  They hate their feet in the snow so we put down lots of straw and shavings to help them keep their toes warm

A heated water bucket is essential they drink a lot even when it is cold and we have to keep it clean and unfrozen.

Grain is kept filled up as they eat much more food in the cold months as there is little available to supplement.  They love tasty, high protein treats which help them to stay warm, dried mealworms look a little gross but they get eaten up quickly.

The girls have surprisingly been laying a lot this winter even though we choose to not put a light in the coop.  Hens typically need around 12 hours of daylight in order to stay in a laying cycle.  That is tough up here in Maine with the short days and usually they stop laying for a couple of months.  Oyster shells keep the eggs coming and stop weak shells forming when there is no dirt to peck at outside.

All in all they don’t seem too bothered by the snow and cold but will be excited to get out free ranging in the Spring.

Need more info about chicken care check out our Pinterest board – ‘Runoia’s backyard chickens’ keeping hens is easier and more fun than you think!

Resolution Check-In Time – Make 2017 More Like Camp All Year

Posted on by Pam Cobb

Resolutions to Make 2017 More Like Camp All Year Round – Guest Blog by Carrie Murphey

It’s a simple fact that camp is the very best time of year. It’s basically magic. Except for how it doesn’t last ALL year. That part is not magic. So how do we resolve to make this year more like camp every day?

  1. Be active

You know how Camp Sleep is the very best sleep? Sure, part of it is because you’re all snuggled up in your warm bed, listening to the peaceful sounds of nature, and the Maine chill in the air keeps you cozy all night long. But also you know why you sleep so well at camp? You are SO dang tired at the end of every day! Because you did a million things! You were an archer, and a swimmer, and a basket-weaver, and a wall-climber, and you ran from Junior End to the lodge to be first for tag-up, and you zoomed all over the kickball field during Evening Program, and then you had a spontaneous dance-off in your shack while you brushed your teeth, and then goodnights and lights out and BAM. Out like a log.

Do you move your body half as much in the rest of the year as you do during camp? No, me neither. I could do more and I bet you could too!

  1. Sing lots

From the lodge in the morning to the lake in the afternoon to belting out to the radio during shower time to campfire on Sundays to Taps at night, we are always singing at camp. We don’t always sound greeeeeeeeeat, but we’re usually going at it with gusto.

So turn your music up, or grab your camp songbook, and just SING.

  1. Try new things

Days at camp are filled with new activities and new friendships to make. It seems there’s never enough time to try ALL the things and meet ALL the people. Caught up in the contagious joy of camp, you’re also more inclined to be understanding of all the difference around you and excited by every new experience you have and each new person you encounter.

During the year, you have more time, but if you’re anything like me, probably less enthusiasm for trying new things. You stick with your routine, with your established set of friends, and you may even eat the very same thing for breakfast every day. Try to make your year a little more like camp by stepping outside your comfort zone in small ways. Talk to a new person in your class. Learn more about a different club at your school. Read a book in a genre you’ve never tried. Take a try-it size portion of a food you’re almost positive you don’t like just in case. Not everything will stick like your old stand-bys, but like camp, you just might discover new interests and cool people.

  1. Invest in your friendships

There is an immediacy to making friends at camp. You only have so much time together and you want to make every moment count. You share stories at lightening speed and can’t remember a time when you didn’t know each other. You spend your days doing lots of the same things together and then talking late into the evening about the memories you’ve already made with one another. In a very short amount of time, you crystalize these close friendships and feel bonded for life.

You certainly have close friends outside of camp. But how often are you spending time just sharing stories and talking about each other’s days? Some of those new things you’re trying out, maybe your friends want to try with you. Chances are, they’d like to have a little more camp in their lives too.

  1. Unplug

That first day of camp, when you’re separated from your phone or your computer, oof, it hits like a ton of bricks. Your hand twitches to refresh your SnapChat or take a mindless BuzzFeed quiz. But within hours (if not minutes) of being swept into that sweet unplugged camp life, I doubt you miss either one very much. And because you’re talking to real people in real time, face-to-face, you’re able to make lasting connections and have incredible experiences by hearing with your full ears and seeing with your whole eyes. There is nothing to divide your attention and so you can invest your attention in anything and everything you do.

It’s not always completely realistic to give up a phone or a computer the rest of the year (I, for one, would be fired from my job), but I promise you, the more time we spend away from either, the more we can pay attention to – friends, family, activities – with our undivided selves.

So, let us all resolve to live 2017 a little more like camp. Remembering to bring a few dashes of that magic to our everyday is bound to make the time between camp seasons pass that much more mercifully quick… right?

Why choose sleep-away camp at Runoia?

Posted on by Alex

Returning Runoia parents already know about a million reasons why they send their darling daughter off to sleep-away camp at Camp Runoia in Maine for a few weeks each summer.  They are happy to share with us stories of the growth their daughter makes while on Great Pond, the life skills she has developed and how Runoia has helped her to become a strong and fearless young woman ready to head off to boarding school or College.

 

We also speak everyday with parents who are not quite sure why they would pay to be away from their child. Or why sending her far from home away from all of the creature comforts and technology that she is used to would have any value at all.  The overnight camp experience can be a tough sell especially to the many parents who themselves have never had the experience.

We know that there are parents who lurk out there wondering and pondering if a Runoia summer is right for their daughter.  We make it easy to get information and are always happy to chat about camp in a general context not just as a sales pitch for Runoia.  Finding the right place for all kids to grow and be successful is our goal.

 

If you are out there in cyber space wondering if Camp Runoia is the right sleep-away camp experience for your daughter drop us a line.  There are also lots of great articles that support the benefits of  a residential summer camp and we are happy to share our thoughts and discuss your concerns.  We love talking about Runoia so share us with your friends and family so that more girls may experience the wonder of a life changing summer building life skills on the shores of Great Pond.

Some good reads:

A grandparents perspective

More reasons in favor of camp

From the NYT

Hope to see you on Great Pond

Aionur

Camp Runoia Creating Harmony

Posted on by Alex

Wow what a week!

Starting with the celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr, including the inauguration of a new US President and ending with thousands of women marching to protect their rights in cities around the nation we are definitely holding on for the ride!

It certainly seems like a time of great uncertainty when we are all waiting with baited breath to see what will happen next.  One thing is certain,  Camp Runoia will spend the summer of 2017 like it has for the past 110 years helping girls and young women to grow and learn in a safe place.  We will be separated from the frenetic pace of the outside world, the mass media and the constant stream of communication.

Our companions will be a diverse group of people who may or may not be like us yet we will find commonality through shared space.  We will share time and experiences, solve problems, experience sheer joy and enjoy being surrounded by nature in a beautiful place in Maine where we can just be ourselves.

At Camp Runoia girls will continue to be surrounded by strong role models, have the opportunity to speak out if they feel something is unjust, gain resiliency by taking risks in a safe environment and be free from judgement.

If you are looking for some other inspiring organizations that promote girls to be the best that they can be then check out:

Lit World empowering girls through reading and stories.

(Founded by Former Camp Runoia Mom Pam Allyn)

Hardy Girls Healthy Women (Pam Cobb was on the board)

Girls on the Run

Camp Runoia pledges to continue making a positive difference in the lives of all of the girls and young women that we encounter.  We hope that you will spread the message about camp and be a voice for harmony in your local community.

The Gift of Freedom (aka The Art of Tagging Up)

Posted on by Alex

Written by: Jeannie Fleming-Gifford

“How to Raise a Creative Child. Step One: Back Off.” This New York Times article headline was like a slap in the side of my head, a nice wake-up call.

Yes, I am one of those parents. My child arrived in this world with bright blue eyes. They sparkled and I immediately saw her potential. I dream big for her future and the gifts she will offer the world.

From her earliest days, we have taken advantage of library programs, countless recreational classes – from swimming to soccer, and she has had access to a multitude of mediums for her artistic endeavors. I, like so many, have seized the opportunities deemed worthy to fuel my child’s success, but, as I read this article, I began to question some of my efforts.

The words “back off” had punch. They stung a little. Back off? Um, it may be the opposite of how I have approached fueling the creativity of my child over the last 9 years.

As I sipped my coffee, I continued to delve into the contents of this article:

“What holds them (children) back is that they don’t learn to be original. They strive to earn the approval of their parents and the admiration of their teachers…practice makes perfect, but it doesn’t make new.”

And what DID this article note fuels the creative mind? “Children had freedom to sort out their own values and discover their own interests. And that sets them up to flourish as creative adults.”

Freedom. Discover interests. Flourishing.

Yes, I want this for my child as well!  How can we – as parents – find the balance?

All through the school year, we help to plot and plan our children’s lives. Oh yes, they help select those activities, but some things are also just a given.  They are expected, and, I also know…they are needed. The daily routines and structure we set to support our children’s growth and development provides them with opportunities to learn and grow, but are they also stifling their creative minds?

What will fuel them with spark and perseverance in working towards their passions? How do we find balance between driving our child’s interests and skills and helping them develop the skills to think, grow and act independently…be driven by their joy and passions?

Last summer, as a parent of a Runoia camper and a staff member of the Runoia camp, I gained a unique perspective. As a staff member, I became part of the process of helping to create, oversee and implement diverse, quality, safe and FUN summer experiences. As a parent, I watched my daughter and many other girls immerse themselves in these opportunities.

There are numerous activities for girls to explore at Runoia: art, equestrian, high ropes, farm and garden, tennis, ceramics, swimming, drama, riflery, wood working, and the list goes on and on…

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And the beauty of the structure of these activities? There is FREEDOM. There is CHOICE.

And with this, GIRLS FLOURISH.

If you’re a Runoia girl, you know all about “tagging up.” Last year, I watched the excitement of each morning as campers were called in for this tradition of choosing their daily adventures. I watched Alex as she talked with every camper, every day, about what choices THEY wanted to make about their day. I watched girls relish in their freedom of these choices. I listened to their excited chatter as they stood by the tag board and eagerly waited to “tag up” for THEIR day. The multitude of options and THEIR FREEDOM to make those choices is a gift to these girls each summer.

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I know – as a parent too – that through the year, my child makes choices about her activities, but those choices are then long-term commitments – weeks, sometimes months – of routine. Yes, those commitments yield benefits. But the opportunity to then provide a summer of explorations, a summer of choice also nets many rewards. The chance to try something new, even daily…to engage in a new endeavor. To not have to be the expert, but to find joy in learning something new…to have the time to challenge oneself…

“What motives people…passion – discovered through natural curiosity or nurtured through early enjoyable experiences with an activity or many activities.”

“If you want your children to bring original ideas into the world, you need to let them pursue their passions, not yours.”

 

This is summer at Runoia and it may be one of the greatest gifts we can give our girls.

Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year.

Making memories with traditions at home and camp

Posted on by Alex

Hopefully during this Holiday season you have found the time to be present in the moment and enjoy special family times and traditions with those that you love the most.

friends

Whether you have favorite recipes that you cook together, a gingerbread project that everyone works on or a special place that you visit it is often the routine of tradition that is of most value to our kids.  The fancy wrapped packages have been unwrapped and the anticipation of the moment has now passed but the activities that you do together will cement the great feeling of the season.

Hopefully you can take time to just hang out, play games, go for a walk and just relax together.  We would love to see your  photos of the family fun you have had over break.

At camp our girls love the times when they get to connect with each other, when they do something that they can only do at camp or that only happens once a session.

Maybe over the school break your daughter  can take the time to write a real mail letter to a camp friend.  Make a connection, start a tradition.

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As the year ends the official countdown to summer 2017 is on. We still have spaces for our 2017 season sign up here!

The Gift of Camp Keeps Giving

Posted on by Pam Cobb

When connecting with alumnae we hear them say how camp “changed their lives”, “made them the person they are today”, “was a profound experience in their childhood”, “camp friends are their best friends”. Here’s a little more information from sources that help us truly understand why camp is the gift that keeps on giving!

Research about how camp helps build self esteem through American Camp Association’s study on camp outcomes is compelling: http://www.acacamps.org/press-room/aca-facts-trends provides significant data that camps help build self esteem in children.

The “growing up” experience explained in Michael Thompson Ph.D blog on PBS showing the independence campers feel when they overcome homesickness and learn how to be away from home: http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2011/05/helping-kids-beat-homesickness.html

How the camp experience helps people master transitions – a life skill that is needed as a child, a teen, a young adult, an adult, a senior: http://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/camping-magazine/time-our-lives-how-summer-camp-tames-transition-trouble

These are just a few links to substantiate the case of “why camp” and how camp is a gift that builds lifelong skills. As we mention on our Partnering with Parents page: https://runoia.com/families/partnering-with-parents/

“Camp’s ability to develop 21st century skills from face to face collaboration to team work and group problem solving help children build life skills. Camp is more than just clean air and fun these days – camp is a profound life shaping experience. We are honored to be part of the growth of your children and we take the responsibility very seriously. Not only that, but we love what we do and we are passionate about youth development and being part of helping prepare your daughters for life. Thank you for sharing your daughters with us!”

Camp is more than a summer of fun. Camp is a significant experience. At Camp Runoia, we believe that camp is the gift that keeps on giving!

Happy gifting!

Love,

Aionur

The gift of Camp Runoia

Posted on by Alex

‘Tis the season for giving

gifts

When you gift your daughter a season at Camp Runoia she gets….

The legacy of Miss Weiser and Miss Pond

The beauty of Great Pond

Friends from all over the world

Summer in Maine

The chance to make independent decisions

Sisters for the summer

Free time to play

Caring adults

Choices

The chance to succeed

The smell of pine trees

Blues and whites

Sugar cereal Saturdays

A place to be creative

The sound of loons at night

Life skills

A lifetime of memories

A home away from home

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Enroll now