Category: Current News

Second Session is Rolling Ahead – Meal Time Tradition

Posted on by camprunoia

Hello to all of our Second Session families and friends. We are already rolling along into 2nd Session having already completed our first Block of the session – time certainly does fly by!!  Campers are settling in nicely and getting to know all of their new cabin friends and counselors while meeting and getting to know our 130 Second Session campers. It has been a real smooth start despite some up and down weather conditions.

As you know, this is my first summer here at Runoia. One of my favorite traditions that I have learned here at Camp Runoia is during meal time. Each week our campers are randomly assigned to a specific table (rotated weekly) and sit together with 3-4 staff members mixed in to the tables as well.  This is instead of the more traditional cabin table approach during meal time.  For our campers, young and old, it is really nice that the girls get a chance to meet a wide variety of campers and on a very personal level this way. Especially for the younger campers, it is a great opportunity for them to meet older campers who show them the ropes and tell them all sorts of stories about camp and their activities. It is a great way to pass along traditions and make younger campers excited about growing up at Runoia. Even for the older girls, it is a great real life experience of being a role model and starting to develop true leadership skills. Undoubtedly, it is the start of a great relationship for many of our campers, that very likely would not have otherwise have formed if we did not sit in our tables in this fashion.

Camp Kindness table

Meal time is just one example of the purposeful and fun way that Camp Runoia helps campers and staff alike to develop meaningful relationships and learn some terrific life skills.  It is why I am a true believer in the Camp Runoia spirit.

WEEK 4 RECAP

Sunday was camper arrival under rainy conditions. With a few delayed arrivals, we are off and running with 2nd Session. Campers play Scategories and new additions to Runoia – Human Fusbol and Noodle Hockey for Evening Programming.

Monday – Orientation Day – all new campers get a full day of learning the ropes, tagging up for Blocks and get to try their first Runoia activities. Swimming in the afternoon for all!!

Tuesday – First day of Blocks – sailing, skiing, ropes, tennis, mountain biking, pottery making and all the arts & crafts you could ever want are rolled out all day for the campers. Staff is excited and gets campers juiced up for a full day of action.  5th Shack departs on a great 3 day hiking trip. At night, a newer EP called “Country Creation” is enjoyed. By Shack, campers created their very own country with mottos, official birds/animals and tourist attractions, and then promote then try to “sell” their country as the best to a panel of judges.

Wed – Blocks continue. Campers are having fun despite overcast conditions. No rain!! Horseback riding, soccer, windsurfing and target sports… campers work on their skills and try to progress with their ability. Lots of swimming today as it is pretty humid. At night, campers enjoy a Scavenger Hunt as they work together to locate some 40 specific items.  Winning tables managed 37 of the items. Great day!

Thursday – Morning activities get in even after some overnight rain.  But in the afternoon RAIN, RAIN, RAIN!  But does that stop us??? NO WAY!! Camp Kindness afternoon as campers make numerous art projects but for another camper in camp. It was really great and the girls worked hard to give away a nice project to one of their fellow campers.  Campers also created 60 cards for “Cradles to Crayons” charitable program. What a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. In the evening, it is time to “Get to Know Your Counselor.” Campers spent 20 min grilling one of their counselors with all sorts of questions and then have to be able to recite answers as part of a game show. Great time had by all.

Today is a nice warm and “fine Maine day.”  We are back on schedule with Block 2. Looking forward to seeing many of our Alumni up at camp for the weekend during then annual CRAO meeting. Have a great weekend!!!

More to come…

CR Week 2 in Review – Accomplishments Galore & More

Posted on by camprunoia
Hello from sunny Camp Runoia! It has been an unbelievable week here for our campers. As First Session rolls along, there is a great vibe among everyone. We have had unbelievable weather, no rain, lots of sun and that has translated to campers going all out in their daily activities. The accomplishments have been many as our girls try new things or hunker down and challenge themselves to improve and get better with their skills. And the projects… my oh my are our girls creative!  The great works of pottery and art are numerous and you can’t even begin to count all the bracelets being made whether for themselves or a new friend.
As we complete our 2nd week, it’s been a joy for me personally to meet all your daughters and already see what just 2 short weeks of camp brings out of them. Accomplishments abound with pure joy and happiness as she rides a horse for the first time, the big smile from learning how to drop a ski, the pride in showing her counselors and friends her finished masterpiece, a humble thank you after being congratulated for earning Blue or White Team Captain, and the appreciation to be back at Camp Runoia after returning from a challenging but worthwhile hiking or canoe trip. It’s all happening here… and in less than 2 weeks.
It’s so great, and a lot to cover in one blog post, but here is your Week 2 in Review…
After the 4th of July and a Trip Day, we got back into our regular activity schedule. This week your daughter signed up for and completed a 2 and 3 day block, so she was able to participate in up to 8 different Runoia activities of her own choosing. That led to lots of new projects, lots of boating and paddling in Great Pond and multiple attempts at new activities. Walk around and you see rock wall climbing, new arts projects in batik making, girls striving for that next level in archery and riflery and many more learning to shoot and dribble or swing a racket. Of course lots of fun was had along the way, like the “CIT Super Chill Sublime Time.”  Music was playing while the girls did their hair and nails and just hung out, and I even got my nails (fingers and toes) “done” for the first time ever. That’s right, all 10 nails and 10 different colors!! Just what I always wanted…
Speaking of awesome accomplishments, throughout this week most of the campers went out on their First Session camping trip.  This included the older campers heading out on a canoe trip on the Mooseookmeguntic, and two groups hiking up to the summit of Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine at over 5200 feet.  A great feat for anyone, and our girls were up to the challenge! Additionally, 3rd Shackers went to Camden Hills or Oak Island for an overnighter, and 1st Shack slept on the camp grounds over at Fairy Ring.  Upon returning home our girls felt a great sense of accomplishment… right after they got to take a hot shower.
For evening programs, it was a great mix of activity and creativity. One night we had the always popular Counselor Hunt – good old fashioned hide and seek. Another night, the girls enjoyed “Fractured Fairy Tales.” The girls were given two fairy tales and had to craft a short skit based upon the mix up of the two tales. Funny stuff and a great time had by all. Our most recent EP was right out of my era growing up, as the we hosted an 80’s Dance Party in the Den. The outfits were hysterical as neon and big hair was EVERYWHERE!! The girls danced the night away to all of our favorite hits from the great bygone era of the 80’s.  Now the girls are prepping for the big TALENT SHOW on Saturday night.
To say the least, it has been a fun and busy week.  And the coming week will prove to be just as busy as we head to the finish of First Session.  We are all so proud of our campers and what they are taking on, overcoming and learning along the way.  Great accomplishments by them all, and we are seeing our girls connect and make friends with one another on a very real and personal level. Camp is amazing, and camping at Runoia is at another level!!
Until next week…

Happy 4th of July from the HOTTEST Camp Runoia!!

Posted on by camprunoia

Hi to all, hope you had a great 4th of July and enjoyed yourself. Here, like most of the country, it was and is HOT, HOT, HOT. So we have been doing lots and lots of things to beat the heat, mostly using the gorgeous Great Pond to full effect. Even with the heat, everyone is settling in nicely and getting into the routine of Camp.  Our first full week has been a wonderful time of old friends catching up, campers meeting the staff with our counselors getting to really know their campers, and the start of making new life long friends. Great times and it’s only the beginning. Here is our…

Camp Runoia Week 1 in Review

After Moving in Day and Orientation on Saturday, the girls “tagged up” and got started with Block 1 on Sunday.  New for Runoia in 2018 is 2 and 3 day Blocks (instead of daily sign up). This will give all of the girls an opportunity to better learn new skills, hone already existing skills and complete project more easily. Sunday started our first 3 day block, and the initial feed back has been extremely positive. So Sunday, Monday, Tuesday your daughter signed up for 4 activities of her choosing and then has Swim for 1 period.  Great start to the summer for all!!

For Evening Programs we really mixed it up a lot, from Crrazzy Counselor Night and Log Nite to my personal favorite (so far) Powder Fairies.  Crazzy Counselor Night is a funny dress up game where the campers get to pick one of their counselors and dress them up in as

Crrrazzyy Counselor Night was hilarious!!

many clothes as they can fit on their bodies. We had unicorn masks, layers and layers of shirts (over 80 shirts on 1 counselor) and tutus flying everywhere. Silly fun for all!! Powder Fairies was a lot more active for the kids as they got grouped into 12 different teams and then had to accomplish exciting and challenging team tasks at 9 separate stations. Making it more challenging, there were 3 Powder Fairies (counselors dressed up as… you guessed it… fairies) with the power to FREEZE the entire group if any member of the group was tagged. Needless to say, running and chaos ensued and the campers had a blast!!

Then the heat moved in on Tuesday afternoon and it has not stopped. 90s, mostly cloudless and pretty windless too. So it has been just HOT! And of course, what do you do at camp when it’s hot? Get in the water, so it has been water activities galore for all. Quick dips in the lake. Rec Swims. Get in the water and drink lots of water has been the non-stop message.

Nothing beats a swim in Great Pond. Nothing!!

But we did not let the heat beat us on 4th of July. No way. The CITs did an amazing job and put together a great day for all of the campers. After being split into their 2 traditional teams, America and Great Britain, it was time to go head to head at the Station Rotation. 10 different games for all to play, and with the heat, many of them were water themed – like Slip and Slide, water balloon toss, water wars and more. Into the afternoon they battled and did the annual Relay Race across camp ending in 2 Senior Villagers swimming their respective watermelons across the finish line together!!  Great time for us all, and it all ended with a swim in Great Pond to cool off again.

The heat is finally supposed to break tomorrow and should allow us to keep on moving ahead with regular programming into Week 2. More fun to come!! Talk to you next week…

Welcome to the Official Start of Camp Runoia 2018!!

Posted on by camprunoia

And we are off!! The summer of 2018 is about to begin here on Great Pond. My name is Matt Abrams and this will be my first summer at Camp Runoia as a senior staff member.  I am a long time camper, counselor and former Director of a boys camp back in Wisconsin, and I will be your weekly (every Wed starting next week) newsletter blogger.  I am so excited to fill you in to provide just a glimpse of the fun and experiences your daughters are having here throughout the summer.

What a summer it will be!!  Horseback riding, swimming, skiing, sailing, zip lining to go along with arts & crafts, pottery, basket weaving, archery & riflery.  Add in some sports and activities like basketball, mountain bike riding, tennis and soccer and of course lots and lots of singing, quality time with friends and laughter, all while carrying on the amazing Runoia traditions.  We know it will be a memorable summer, full of growth and making ever lasting connections. It will be an absolutely terrific and unforgettable summer!!

Ready to jump into summer at Runoia!!

The Runoia staff is ready. They have been training hard for nearly 10 days now and are literally jumping out of their skin because they are so excited for their campers to arrive tomorrow afternoon to get summer underway.  For those dropping off their daughters at camp tomorrow (FRIDAY) – travel safe and we look forward to seeing you here soon. For those dropping off at buses and planes, be on time and know we are ready for your daughters to arrive.

It is going to be an outstanding summer on Great Pond.  Lets get jumping!

Please check in here every week for the Camp Runoia weekly newsletter that will be posted every WEDNESDAY. We will also continue to post pictures just about everyday on CampMinder (login through the www.runoia.com) and a few on Facebook throughout the summer. Looking forward to meeting you if you will be at camp this summer, but looking forward to meeting your daughters even more.

Until next week!!

Maine magic – the wonder of spring

Posted on by Alex

Summer arrives quickly in Maine!

I have lived in Maine for around 20 years and still the spring transition from frozen tundra to vegetative jungle surprises me every year.  Spring is just incredible here! In just a matter of a few weeks the dramatic change in weather and landscape literally unfolds before your eyes.

The ‘Lupine Lady’ has been busy around the state of Maine

The ice melts off the lake and docks and boats are hauled out of storage and are back in use before the water gets much above 40 degrees.  Intrepid swimmers even brave the chilly water making the most of the days when it gets above 70 degrees.

The garden around the farmhouse at camp has started to spring up with lupines, irises and peonies.   It is always a time to wonder how long they have been established there and remember the days that Betty Cobb would tend to the weeds before camp opened.

The rhododendron outside my office window is blooming a glorious pink and regularly attracts bees and hummingbirds.  Anytime you step outside after 5am the air is filled with the noisy sounds of birds and the number of squirrels and chipmunks appears to have quadrupled overnight.  After so many months of dark, quiet and cold it is a time of great excitement and activity.

It will only be a couple of very short weeks until it is officially summer and Camp Runoia’s 112th season will be beginning on Great Pond.  Like the Maine spring things happen very quickly at the start of the season.  The camp docks and boats are in, the horses have already arrived, staff are trickling in and there is a flurry of activity both in person and in our inboxes.

We cannot wait for camp to be in full swing, for our campers to be here and to be enjoying the hazy, lazy days of summer.  The sounds of loons on the lake will soon be lulling us to sleep ad our days will be spent submerged in all that nature has to offer us.

Camp is Coming to Life and Summer is Almost Here!

Posted on by camprunoia

In just over 5 weeks, Runoia will open its 112th season, and camp is coming to life! Yesterday was a Fine Maine Day in the truest sense of the word; bright sunshine, blue skies, warm temperatures, and a little breeze. It’s crazy to think that just a few short weeks ago, the ground was still snow covered, ice coated the pond, the trees were bare, and the ferns were waiting patiently underground to pop up. Now, camp has emerged from its winter rest; the trees have leafed out, flowers are in bloom, bird songs are heard from early morning till evening, and it’s easy to see that summer is right around the corner. While our trees and plants are growing into their summertime beauty, there are lots of people busy with the long checklist of opening camp. Here’s a sample of what’s happening now and in the next few weeks:

  • Opening and cleaning cabins and buildings
  • Turning on water throughout camp
  • Putting in the docks and moorings
  • Mowing grass and trimming bushes
  • Planting the garden
  • Preparing the barn and riding rings for the horses
  • Spreading mulch
  • Inspecting the ropes course and climb tower
  • Readying the boats
  • Setting up the kitchen and ordering food
  • Unpacking supplies
  • Etc., Etc., Etc.

While the site is being readied, we’re also talking with families, answering questions, finalizing plans for program and staff training, making trip reservations, reviewing camper forms, arranging transportation, and taking care of all the myriad of details that need to be covered before June 29th. Everyday, more counselors will be arriving bringing their enthusiasm and energy and sharing in the fun of getting camp ready for girls.

Sure, there is a lot to do but it’s joyful work, because it means that very soon Opening Day 2018 will be here when we will welcome our campers for the best summer ever!

P.S. Check out our Facebook page for daily photos of camp!

Runoia Summer Camp Raids & Pranks; scale 1-10

Posted on by Pam Cobb

Back in the day, the use of the word “raid” meant when one group of campers or staff did something to make another group laugh or be surprised or think to themselves, “Oh! How clever!”.  A few classic Runoia raids had to do with major shenanigans by counselors.

Examples include:

Moving canoes to the Kickball Field and decorating them with a tapestry of multi-colored spinnaker sails running off of a pole erected between the maze of canoes.  Level of effort = 10, level of cleverness = 10, level of surprise = 10, level of regret raiders had when they had to put everything away in the morning = 100.

Taking an entire dining hall table with place settings and plates taped to it, benches and chairs and moving it to the Majorie (float).  Level of effort = 10, level of cleverness = 10, level of surprise = 10, level of anxiousness by cooks when table was missing = 100.

Placing Betty Cobb’s car keys in a Pine Island Camp hat in the parking lot and moving her car to the lawn at the beach.  Level of effort = 10, level of cleverness = 10, level of surprise = 10, level of furiousness Betty Cobb displayed upon discovery = 100.

As time went on, raids morphed into a surprise trick or act that often left one group mad at the other. Somehow, the name raid also morphed into prank and they were less complicated and less clever:

These included stunts like taking a person’s under garments and running them up the flag pole only to be discovered in front of everyone in the morning. Level of effort = 2, level of cleverness = 1, level of surprise, embarrassment and humiliation = 100.

Or taking everyone’s pillow in one cabin and hiding it in the Pix of another.  Level of effort = 1, level of cleverness = 1, level of surprise = varies but enraged campers who had gross pillows became a directors’ problem.

One entire cabin of shoes all tied together and strung around the dining hall. Level of effort = 5, level of cleverness = 5, level of surprise = 10, level of effort by raiders who had to untie and return all the shoes = 10!

Right around that time, Runoia directors decided raids were not such a great idea as children’s feelings were getting hurt or they lost belongings or campers were prowling around at night and safety was a concern. The concept of doing nice things for others came up but never really stuck year after year (people still do a lot of nice things for each other in that pay it forward kind of way). The concept of doing funny, surprise things around camp like: random fairy houses, 4 and ½ shack built at the flag pole, honey bears being painted and left on the tables, still happens.

A new tradition emerged about 7 summers ago where the oldest campers in Senior Village (SV) at Runoia get to do a fun prank/raid type event that is meant to surprise and leave an indelible impression of our graduating campers upon others without wrecking anything or hurting anyone or wasting resources. These 15-year-old seniors have been thoughtful and fun and funny over the past few years.  An all-time favorite that is the prank that keeps on giving:

Tiny SV14notes stuck everyone all over camp that we are still finding four years later in 2018!

Level of effort =10, level of cleverness = 10, level of surprise = 10

Keeping it fun and clean; the Runoia way.

 

Spring has almost sprung in Maine

Posted on by Alex

Being from ‘away’ I often feel like spring in Maine is somewhat of a myth, it is long awaited yet gone in a fleeting moment.   It seems like we go from freezing nights to 70 degree days without any transition time.

Springs arrival cannot consistently be predicted even by the trusty local farmer’s almanac.  This year as we head to the end of April many of the lakes still have ice on them but in previous years we have had 80 degree days and have been swimming in Great Pond.  The poor crocuses and daffodils have had to  battle their way through left over snow piles and the still freezing nighttime temperatures to make their colorful appearance.

This is the local joke here about the seasons.  We have hopefully skipped right over mud season this year as the orange cones are already out on many of our local roads.  The transformation from winter to summer is sometimes so fast you blink and miss it.

The studded snow tires are off the car, kayak racks replace ski racks, the famers markets are moving back outdoors, snow shoes are exchanged for hiking boots, the sand we put down on the driveway is now shoveled back up and we are ready for the new season.

There is a definite hint of color in the trees although it will be a few more weeks until we see actual leaves.  Promise fills the air as the sun shines for more hours a day, the sky is so blue and there isn’t even the murmur of the ‘s’ word in the weather forecast.

At this time of year there is a frenetic pace around the Camp Runoia office.  The fruits of our winter labors are about to come to fruition and we want to be well prepared for the harvest.  We are fielding phone calls and emails from parents who are keen to get their paperwork and registration details squared away, staff are beginning to plan their travel and orders are being placed for a myriad of items that we will need to get the season started.  The cabin list is full with just a few beds open for those last minute sign ups and we are so excited to put the faces to the names that we have been looking at all winter.

Hurry up summer, we will be ready!

The writing on the wall – hand-prints on my heart

Posted on by Alex

Twenty years ago when we moved into this house there were a lot of DIY projects that needed accomplishing. Painting the downstairs bathroom was not high on the list of priorities.  In order to brighten the place up a little we started adding the hand-prints of our visitors.  The parameters were basic: pick your colors, pick your spot, paint your hand and print it on the wall then add your name and date your print.  The hand-prints themselves started out simple, often with just one color and expanded to more elaborate creations that reflected the personality of their owner.  There are now a couple of hundred of prints representing friends from all aspects of life,  a large percentage of whom I know through camp.

The hand-prints tell their own stories. Jayen was an international counselor who just spent one summer with us. Angela is still a feature on our CRAO board.

The hand-prints are a regular reminder of the people that have touched my life.  Some of the folk are still regular visitors, or perhaps sadly now deceased, still others were only around for a short time and we have now lost touch.  They all generate memories of a time and place when we were connected, a shared history and an impression left in my life.  There are many old Camp Runoia friends, campers and staff that passed through for a summer or two or who it feels like I have known for a lifetime.  They hold a space in time that is a reminder not just of them but also of a particular summer on Great Pond.  The dates are helpful in remembering just how long ago it was that they were at camp and how quickly time flies.

Betty-Jo Howard a Runoia legend

 

At Runoia the names in the boathouse are a similar memorial to those that have passed through at some previous point in time.  They remind us of people we know and also trigger thoughts about those whose story is now  a mystery lost in time.  The faces may be long forgotten but their names are painted in bright colors to remind us that they were here and are part of the rich fabric of our camp community.

The hand-prints on my wall definitely reflect the hand-prints left on my heart.  This will be my 23rd summer at Camp Runoia in Belgrade Lakes, Maine  and I hope to add a few more hand-prints to my bathroom wall and a lot more to my heart.

Consider Yourself Charmed at Runoia

Posted on by Pam Cobb

How lucky are we to get to experience “vacation” from school or our busy work lives. Hearing that four million college students go to Florida each “Spring Break” got me thinking about the concept of vacation.

Definitions vary but the basic concept is the same as defined in Merriam-Webster:

a period of time that a person spends away from home, school, or business usually in order to relax or travel.

When you pause to think of it, we are quite privileged to take the time and resources to relax and possibly travel.  I just returned from vacation. I took a trip to the windward islands of the Caribbean where I, with family and friends, rented a sailboat and cruised island to island. I love vacation with a purpose and fun. I love to learn, be active and engaged in what I’m doing. So a sailing trip is a good match for me! And I certainly do feel lucky to have the opportunity to do a trip.

Summer camp is often seen as vacation. Of course, being at Camp Runoia, in the beautiful Belgrade Lakes of Maine, is fun and engaging, learning and skill building. Technically it’s not about relaxing or necessarily traveling but it’s all about having a break from routine and being away from home and school.  And of course, being unplugged. One could say campers get a vacation from their phones!

Whether you take vacation to relax or to learn and engage in something completely different, if you get to have a vacation, consider yourself  charmed. You have the chance to take a break from your daily life to experience something outside of your routine be it school or work life.