Every staff member here at Camp Runoia woke up buzzing with excitement for opening day. After finishing touches were put on cabins and everyone changed into their uniforms, you could feel the magic in the air as the first campers filtered down into their cabins. The little bit of rain we had in no way put a damper on the exhilaration of arriving at camp.
After some time getting to know their cabin-mates and counselors, everyone gathered into the Dining Hall for our first meal of our 113th summer (spaghetti, of course). After everyone was nice and full, junior and senior ends split up for evening program, and let me tell you, the cheering and roaring laughter coming from the Lodge and the Den carried throughout all of camp. Then, after some bedtime milk and crackers, everyone got cozy in their cabins and rested up for the big day we all have ahead of us.
Todaywill be our orientation so that our new campers can get to know everything available to them at Camp Runoia, and returners can have a refresher about procedures and schedules.
It is a Fine Maine Day, and everyone is ready to start getting into a routine.
Tomorrow will mark the beginning of our first block of programming, where campers will have a schedule of their activities and get to go about their day participating in programs that they get to choose themselves. From waterskiing to basketweaving to swimming lessons, every last kiddo will fall into a groove and camp will begin to feel like their second home.
We are so pleased and ecstatic to have full shacks again, and thankful that girls love coming back to Runoia summer after summer. Here’s to making this the best one yet!
My name is Nina and I am one of the new Assistant Director/ Head of Cabins at Camp Runoia this year. I’ve been on the edge of my seat, gearing up for the 2019 camp season for a while now, and I am extremely excited to get things going in full swing.
I firmly believe that the value of the camp experience for children goes far beyond the summer. When a kiddo gets their first bullseye in archery or tackles their fear of heights on a ropes course, they get this new found confidence in themselves that is just infectious— it spreads to their friends and peers, creating an incredible energy and sense of camaraderie. This is what kids will remember forever.
Down the road they may forget how to shoot an arrow or navigate a climbing wall, but I know from experience that campers remember less about what exactly was done or said at camp, and much more about how camp made them feel. I believe in cultivating an environment and culture that supports kids’ inherent need to grow and explore and try new things and speak up for themselves.
When training counselors, I like to tell them that as a camp staff member, “You are a TV, and you’re always on,” meaning that kids will watch and often model the behavior and actions of their counselor or CIT. This is a beautiful thing because it cultivates campers who are become strong, loud, passionate individuals, which is important and amazing.
I am excited for Summer 2019, and honored to be a part of the 113th summer at Camp Runoia. See everyone soon!
Camp is already humming with activity as we prepare for the arrival of our campers in just two weeks. Staff have started to arrive, the horses have arrived back from their winter homes, the grass seems to need cutting on a daily basis and buildings are shedding their winter dust. Even with a lengthy to do list every day, the excitement is palpable as each day brings us closer to our Camp Runoia girls arriving. We are sure that everything will be ready by opening day.
Many of our campers are finishing off their final days of school, saying goodbye to friends for the summer and starting to pack their camp trunks. Our inboxes are filled with questions from new parents and forms and information as families tie up all the paperwork loose ends before sending their daughter off to Great Pond.
The horses made fast work of the grass in the pasture.
The barn has been bustling with activity getting all of the horses settled in and used to the camp routines. Many of our horses spend their winters working in college programs so they are fit and ready for their camper riders. Our bunny King Louis is already in residence and the chickens just joined the barn yard fun.
The waterfront is ready to roll with a new addition to the dock system, boats are sitting on their moorings waiting to be sailed and the floats are ready for the first enthusiastic jumpers and divers. A few more ‘fine Maine days’ and the water will be warmed right up.
Our hard working team of pre-camp workers have been making sure the grounds are in tip top shape, grass mowed, porches painted, paths mulched, gardens trimmed, flower boxes planted, there may even be a surprise or two in store.
Kate the great!
We truly are counting down the minutes until the rest of the staff arrive for training this weekend and then it will be time to open the gates to our campers.
Bring on the Camp Runoia 113th season; we are so ready so let’s go!
Over the past couple of weeks our new Camp Runoia campers should have found a letter or two in their mailbox from a camp ‘penpal’. The tradition of welcoming new girls to camp and being available to answer any questions has been going on for many, many years. It encourages campers to make connections even before their arrivals to camp in June or July. Returning campers may be writing to a new girl in their cabin group or older girls may be reaching out to a younger ‘little sister.’ Girls look forward to writing notes and often seek out their new camp friend once they arrive at camp. For new campers we hope that it helps them to feel like a part of the community and to get excited about the new adventure that they are taking.
Handwritten notes from a new camp friend are a long standing Runoia tradition.
In our techno world of texting and social media interactions it seems rare to actually receive a paper letter or card in the actual mail. Often the mailbox is just full of solicitations and advertising along with some online shopping packages! What a treat to find a handwritten envelope addressed to you personally. This short video is a great introduction to letter writing to help kids for whom it may be a new skill.
At camp a campers only option of communicating with the outside world is through regular mail. While parents can send one way emails, ‘real’ letters are still the most valued and appreciated. Campers often show up with stationary boxes, a supply of stamps and some cool pens for their letter writing times. Rest hour and before bed are common times that girls will be found writing to family and friends. Campers and staff look forward to rest hour when mail is given out and often share news from home with their bunk mates or pin the notes that they receive to the wall by their beds.
Handwritten letters carry a charm and thoughtfulness that seems so radically different than an email or text message. The fact that someone took the time to write to you and that it is an unedited conscious stream of thought makes it super special. Parents often tell of the stacks of camp letters tucked away in memory boxes as treasures from their daughter’s time away at camp.
Send us some ‘real’ mail this summer it will be so greatly appreciated, we love when the PO Box is bursting at the seams.
Smart phones and social media keep us connected in our fast paced world. We know that younger and younger kids have access to constant media use and switching it off for a few weeks of camp can be a challenge for all of us. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a very real affliction for many who are used to a constant stream of updates and notifications telling them what everyone they are connected to is up to at any given moment. Added into the Oxford Dictionary in 2013, FOMO is defined as “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.”
There is a great deal of scientific and social research about how FOMO has become a rel phenomenon in our current society. For an interesting read check out this article from Psychology Today.
Appreciation and mindfulness for the moment that we are in can generate great satisfaction. It may be hard initially to turn off our brains to wondering what our friends and family are up to while we are at Camp Runoia but once we get into the busy days of camp life, the outside world becomes more of a blur. At camp we learn to be present in the moment, to engage with the people around is, to not worry what others are up to or even what is going on in the outside world. Fortunately camp is generally exciting and interesting! There is always something going on and a wide variety of people to connect with. We learn to enjoy and relish living in our Runoia bubble
Not having access to electronics at camp really helps reduce the FOMO
Parents, family and friends can really help their campers adjust to camp life by sending letters and emails that are encouraging and ask questions about camp life. Making life at home sound really boring and not listing a bunch of fun things that have been going on while their camper has been gone really helps too.
Camp is where all the action is in the summer and when we are living in the thick of it we definitely don’t feel like we are missing out on anything and are so sad to see it come to an end.
The end of our long Camp Runoia day finishes snuggled up in our cabins with a good book. While some campers choose to read their own literature that they either bring with them or borrow from our extensive library, group reading is still the cabin norm. Every night after circle time the on duty counselor sits in the hall on her crazy creek camp chair and reads a chapter or two from the shack book. We truly believe that there are great benefits and joys of reading aloud to children of all ages and celebrate this camp tradition as an important part of the Runoia experience.
The shared bedtime reading experience provides cabin groups with a reliable bedtime routine, discussion points for the next day and a chance to collaborate and decision make as a group when choosing a new book.
The shack is quiet and the main lights are turned off so only flashlights light up the pages. For some campers the excitement of a story that is new to them is engaging, for others they are literally lulled to sleep by the sound of the reading.
On rare occasion some staff have been known to scoot back early from a night off to catch a much anticipated chapter that ended on a cliff hanger the night before.
Reading is an important part of the Camp Runoia culture, we have a book club that meets a couple of times a week to discuss a chosen story, girls can borrow books from the library and reading is a great activity to do during rest hour or free time. In the shacks girls keep track on a paper plate of how many books they have read collectively in their cabin group and we celebrate those high numbers at the end of the session.
In the technological age camp provides campers with the opportunity to engage with reading without distraction and to enjoy the feel of a real book in their hands.
If you want a good book to read before you get to camp the first session 2019 book club book is Shannon Messenger’s Keeper of the Lost Cities.
From an early age children are developing skills that will help them to be independent of their caregivers. Adults work hard to provide physically and emotionally safe spaces for children to have the opportunity to develop their confidence and the skills that they will need to live independently. When children are small it may be parents and caregivers spend time teaching basic skills. Some skills are instinctive like feeding themselves and learning to walk while others required direction and input from older humans. Learning the alphabet, reading, tying your shoe laces and riding a bike may all take a while to master. Children begin to learn the boundaries of their own capabilities and to feel more confident in the world around them. As their world grows so does their need for the skill of being more independent. Camp can play an important role in developing more independence than other more restrictive opportunities.
While parents are initially a child’s primary resource, school and extracurricular activities provide for the academic development of our kids and are supplemented by experiences with our extended families and in the community.
In our house it’s kind of a family joke about ‘life skills training’ especially when I am asking the kids to do chores or be helpful. Some skills are ‘advanced’ and not able to be mastered yet and all need a growth mind set to learn. These ‘life skills’ certainly have equal value to academic skills.
How do kids develop independence? They certainly can’t do it if every minute of their day is managed by adults. For some kids even ‘free play’ time is on the schedule and actively supervised with adults intervening if conflict or upset arises. We have to provide kids with the time and space to do their own thing.
At camp a simple way that we develop independence is by offering choices. Supported by caring adults and within the structure and routine of the camp day, campers choose activities, the food they eat, what to do in free time, who to hang out with and the clothes they are going to wear.
From the youngest age groups, girls manage their belongings, navigate around camp, make choices about what they will do or not do, figure out what they want to eat and develop relationships without constraints. It’s great that you don’t need to schedule a time or have a ride if you want a play date there is a diverse array of people to connect with.
Runoia girls make their own choices.
The multi-age structure at camp allows girls to develop where their skill level is at. We know that not everyone gains the same skills at the same speed or age so camp allows for a variety of ages and abilities to be working alongside each other. Girls are ready for camp at different ages too, Parenting Magazine has a great article about determining if your child is ready for a sleep away camp experience.
Of course at Runoia there is structure and support in place to help girls feel confident in their decision making. Camp Runoia’s, Harmony Land Camp program is specifically designed for younger campers who are away from home for the first time. Directed by seasoned camp counselors who are skilled adults that are educators this age appropriate program has realistic expectations and provides these young campers with an introduction to the Runoia experience. Girls spend time with their group as well as integrating with main camp. They have the opportunity to be more independent than they may get to be at home or school and often leave ready and determined to do a full session the following year.
We can’t wait for June and toe be together on the shores of Great Pond.
Even Runoia’s youngest girls are brimming with enthusiasm for camp life.
Throughout the school year we often get photos from camp families of our Runoia girls getting together outside of camp. The power of camp friendships is very strong and often travels great distances for a hug and to reconnect. Family vacations might be planned around the location of a camp friends home and as girls get older they may head off alone on an adventure to see their camp people.
I recently had a weekend, whirlwind trip to NYC with my 13 year old daughter. We had been planning it for over a year as a camp friend was celebrating her Bat Mitzvah. The girls have been full season campers together since they were small and have a strong bond. Even though they may not typically see each other through the school year their friendship reignites once camp rolls around. It was with much excitement that we planned the journey from Maine, fancy outfits and dress shoes packed as we travelled in snow boots and parkas!
Camp friends made up a large chunk of the kids present at the party. It was amazing to see that our Runoia parents recognized the value of these summer relationships and the importance of sharing non camp special events together. They had made a huge effort to get their girls to NYC. For some it included traveling long distances some of it through a snow storm and also other camp families hosting sleepovers and helping with transportation. The love and joy in the room was palpable, the hugs and bright smiles just continued all afternoon. New memories were made in a radically different venue with heads bent close together in deep conversation, wild dancing on the dance floor and of course sad goodbyes at the end. I often tell prospective parents to make their choice wisely and try and help them to understand that their commitment is not just to the next 5- 8 summers but also to all of the in between times.
Runoia girls love to hit the slopes and often spend time together at Sugarloaf. Maine mountains are as great as Maine camps.Horse friends end up showing together in the Mid West
Personally it was such a treat to spend non camp, social time with our girls , an added bonus was seeing the younger and older sisters of those invited and of course our awesome camp parents. The Runoia community is truly a large family, we show up for each other and celebrate all that we individually are.
Our Camp Runoia alumnae also love getting together and have spring gatherings coming up. March 31st in Boston and April 7th in DC. It is a great opportunity to share camp stories and fellowship. It really doesn’t matter what years you were at camp or if you even know the other women attending. The spirit of Camp Runoia transcends the generations and the connections, traditions, songs and stories are common to all.
PA gathering with “Runoia Gals”
Camp is not only about having amazing summers together on Great Pond, we truly hope that our girls will remain friends long into adulthood and will share many other lifetime experiences and memory making opportunities together. As the Runoia song says ‘camp friends for long days old friends for always.’
So you just dropped the kids off at overnight camp in Maine now what? Three or four weeks with no children to entertain can be liberating. If you are not jetting off to Europe or racing back to work, you may want to enjoy the local area at least for a few days. With the tag line ‘Vacationland’ Maine is the perfect place to be in the summer so why not extend your camp drop off or pick up trip and have a few days of relaxation and vacation time before heading back south.
With a myriad of things to do or not do Maine provides opportunity for everyone, from the outdoor enthusiast to those that love nothing more than a beautiful view and a good book. With places that are great to take the kids and places to just have some quality adult time, Maine really does have it all. Here is a brief snap shot of some of our favorite places to visit.
In the summers E.B. White spent time writing on the shores of Great Pond – we have the ‘White House’ at Runoia.
The beautiful and peaceful Belgrade Lakes region has all of the quintessential charm of lake life. Renting a cottage on one of the large and quiet lakes is a perfectly relaxing choice. The village hosts a number of interesting curio type shops and some great food experiences. Days Stores has everything you never knew you needed including Lakeside Scoops Ice Cream. Our friend Shari is always cooking up a storm at Hello Good Pie – it’s not just pie! and the Village Inn is also an excellent dining option. Ranked best public course in Maine and with a world class view the Belgrade Lakes golf course is worth a round. Spend a few days hanging out in the local area and you’ll be feeling relaxed and rejuvenated in no time.
Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park
A little further afield but worth the drive up 95, the bustling coastal town of Bar Harbor is a great place to stay and check Maine’s National Park off your ‘must see’ list. From car camping to deluxe accommodations, hiking to scenic drives there is something for everyone. Acadia’s Mt Cadillac boasts the earliest sunrise in the US and we are pretty fond of biking on the carriage trails around the park.
Disclaimer you really can’t get a lobster for 99c these days!
Portland – Foodie City
If you don’t have time for a long stay and are heading back south as soon as drop off is done at least take time to stop for a bite to eat in Portland. The little city of the east coast has fast become a food haven with so many choices everyone will be happy. Got a little more time? Shop the Old Port, take a stroll at the most photographed lighthouse – the Portland Head Light, take the ferry out to Peaks Island or visit one of the many attractions in town the Victoria Mansion and Museum of Art are always popular.
This is obviously just a few of the spectacular Maine opportunities. Hopefully on the way too and from Camp Runoia you will have time to enjoy our great state. Still need inspiration? We have a Pinterest board for that!
ay, and everyone is ready to start getting into a routine. 
