At the end of every year, TikTok buzzes with a variety of creative trends to reflect on the prior year. This year was no exception – the app has been infiltrated with countless videos of reflections on 2023. Of course we’re hopping on trend to bring you our version – Runoia wrapped – a view into our 2023 in numbers.
It feels a bit odd to be reflecting on the 2023 season in January, as we have really been in 2024 mode since August and even before – filling camper spaces, hiring 2024 staff, and coming up with ideas for the best summer yet. Yet in the camp world, we live “10 for 2” and so much of our best moments of each year are packed into just those two months. And for so many of our campers, you can shorten that to a very concentrated 3-week period.
So our reflection of 2023 is really of 8 weeks of 52 – a mere 15% of the calendar year. The remaining 85% is full of work for some, school for others, time with ‘non-camp friends’ (but if we’re truly lucky, with camp friends too) and family. But for me, and many others, the 8 weeks represents far beyond 15% of my best memories and favorite moments of each year.
Here are some of our accomplishments of 2023 in numbers:
100% of campers reported that they made a new friend
98% of campers reported that they tried something new
83 of our campers experienced their first ever Runoia summer
Our teams fought hard to earn a collective 2,344 points for the Bees and the Ellies
28 of the highest-possible program awards were achieved
Our campers hiked a combined 308 miles while on Katahdin trips
We celebrated 21 campers’ birthdays with them during the summer
250 campers and 90+ staff made a combined 340+ summers of a lifetime experienced
We absolutely cannot wait to see what 2024 has in store for us!
Whenever the calendar switches from one year to the next, our excitement for camp explodes (even though we’ve been preparing for the next summer since the last) and we know a lot of our camp families and hopeful campers feel the same way.
Living ‘10 for 2‘ – that is, waiting through those 10 months of ‘real life’ for the 2 months of ‘camp life’ – is typical for the Runoia community. The year-round team is the biggest example of this: we spend all year hiring the best staff, talking to amazing new families, and planning the best summer ever. When summer finally comes, it can feel like it was over in a flash – and so we reset our sights on the next summer on and the cycle repeats.
We understand more than anyone that it can be hard to feel camp-sick when we’re home the rest of the year, and that summer can feel further away than ever before. Some of our seasoned campers and staff may be feeling particularly antsy, and some of our soon-to-be first year campers may be feeling a little bit more nervous as summer starts to come into view.
Luckily, feeling camp magic at home is fully possible with a little effort. One of the hardest tasks for us, our campers, and our staff is explaining the camp experience to ‘outsiders’ – it’s something you kind of just have to be there for yourself. But we can share some of the pieces of the camp puzzle with our families and friends by making a little magic happen at home.
Here are some sure-fire ways to make some Runoia magic at home, get your campers excited for the summer, and share the experience with your family and friends:
Has your camper told you that Runoia’s 118 summers are well documented in logs? A lot of them are online! Read through some of the coolest versions in our history here
Feeling camp magic is possible any time of year, because of the community, skills, memories, and life-long friendship made over the summer.
Luckily, these things last far beyond just one summer at camp!
Our ‘starter camp’ program, Harmony Land Camp, continues to grow and result in confident campers each summer. Assistant director and year-round head of HLC Mindy shares some of the amazing outcomes of the HLC program and some of the changes made in 2024 in this week’s blog:
The Harmony Land Camp program at Runoia is a shorter ‘starter camp’ program specially designed for younger campers, providing them with a safe and immersive introduction to summer camp and our warm and welcoming Runoia community. This unique “try-it” program is available to campers ages 6-10 and has given so many campers a sense of belonging, independence, and community, offering a transformative intro-to-camp experience they’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Our shorter HLC programs allow campers to try out camp life with extra support and without committing to being away from home for a full three weeks. HLC campers live with staff in one of our newest cabins, purposely built for HLC right in the heart of camp. HLC cabins are spacious and bright, and have bathrooms with showers. Campers live and play together, making new friends and experiencing lots of activities – some with main camp and some that are special just for HLC.
Harmony Land Campers spend time on the waterfront with older junior end campers!
Our HLC Elm program runs concurrently with our second session of main camp. Elm is a longer program geared towards returning HLC campers or anyone else in the HLC age range who is ready to spend 3 weeks at camp with the support of the HLC program. Campers in Elm receive the same support and specialized programming that our shorter HLC programs include, with a little more autonomy and choice. It’s a great bridge between our shorter HLC sessions and your returning HLC camper’s first year in main camp, or a great fit for a 6-10 year old first-time camper who wants a longer “try out.”
HLC provides your camper with:
1. Introduction to Camp Life: New campers will be introduced to the daily routines, traditions, camp facilities, and values that make Runoia a unique and welcoming place.
2. Activities: HLC campers engage in age-appropriate camp activities together as a group – developing skills, teamwork, and self-confidence. Activities are selected to provide a wide range of experiences, including arts and crafts, waterfront time, outdoor adventures, horse riding, sports, and more. Campers choosing our longer Elm program will have the chance to select some of their own activities and help shape their own experience.
3. Counselor Support: Experienced and caring counselors are hand-picked for the HLC program. These counselors are knowledgeable about the needs of younger and newer campers and will provide day-to-day care, ensuring campers feel safe, supported, and encouraged in their new environment. HLC counselors are supported by both the HLC Director and the Runoia Camp Director, both of whom have had the experience of sending their own young children to camp!
The Benefits of Attending Camp Can Start at a Young Age:
1. Independence: Young campers learn valuable life skills, such as decision-making, problem-solving, and self-reliance, in a supportive and nurturing environment.
2. Confidence: Camp helps boost self-esteem and self-confidence as campers achieve personal goals and gain new skills, especially those living away from home for the first time.
3. Social Skills: Camp provides opportunities to make friends, live with peers, and develop strong interpersonal skills that are essential in building meaningful relationships.
4. Connection to Nature: Spending time in Maine’s natural beauty fosters a love for the outdoors and environmental awareness. At camp we strive to do everything we do in harmony with nature.
5. Resilience: Campers learn to adapt to new situations and overcome challenges, building resilience and a positive outlook.
HLC is a Camp Within a Camp: A Smaller Camp with The Benefits of the Runoia Community
1. Friendships: Camp is a place where lifelong friendships are formed, providing a strong support network throughout life.
2. Empowerment: Camp encourages campers to explore their interests, pursue their passions, and become leaders in their own right.
3. Inclusivity: Runoia values diversity and inclusion, creating an environment where every camper feels accepted and valued, whoever they are and wherever they are from.
4. Positive Role Models: Camp provides access to strong role models – counselors, senior staff, and older campers who inspire HLC campers and welcome them into the Runoia community.
5. Summer Fun: HLC Camp activities range from horseback riding to tubing to campcraft to arts and crafts to sports. HLC campers participate in our meaningful, long-standing Runoia traditions. There’s no better place to be in summer than at our beautiful waterfront!
In the HLC program at Runoia, we believe that the early camp experience lays the foundation for a lifetime of personal growth, resilience, and a sense of belonging to a supportive community of like-minded people. Join us in Maine for an unforgettable summer adventure where friendships and memories are made to last a lifetime!
Interested in exploring HLC for your camper? Reach out to Mindy to learn more!
As we reach the mid-point of early enrollment for returning campers, it has brought the year-round team joy each and every time we see an application roll through our system to confirm that a camper is returning in 2024. I get an especially great hit of joy when first-time campers from this summer re-enroll and I know that they’ve found ‘the camp’ for them.
The feeling of excitement for a summer that is nine months away and the simultaneous sadness over a summer that is over a month past its expiration is one I’ve known well since I was seven years old. It’s funny that it doesn’t go away even as an adult, and now I feel only more excitement watching our current generation of campers experience it, too.
I recently listened to a podcast episode of NPR’s ‘Hidden Brain‘, a show in which host Shankar Vedantam ‘uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships’ according to the show’s Spotify description.
The episode titled “You 2.0: Make the Good Times Last” caught my eye with the following description: “Sorrows have a way of finding us, no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Joys, on the other hand, are often hard to notice and appreciate. This week, we continue our conversation with psychologist Fred Bryant about the science of savoring, and how to make the most of the good things in our lives.”
In the episode, Dr. Bryant of Loyola University describes his own negative life experience with a back injury and his journey of regretting not savoring the period of his life in which he had a healthy back that supported his favorite hobbies. This experience launched Dr. Bryant into the exploration of savoring the good in life – looking forward to exciting experiences, and the mindfulness to enjoy the littlest things in life as they happen. Now, Dr. Bryant researches the science of savoring and the human hard-wired tendency to notice the negative more than the positive.
It’s unsurprising that this episode had me thinking about camp and how camp life mimics what Fred Bryant observes about the human experience: sometimes we don’t notice the friendships, the moments with nature, the feeling of being safe and at peace in this community in real-time. But we always find ourselves a month or so later with the deep-rooted feeling of ‘campsickness’ and looking forward to our next chance at these experiences.
The good thing, according to Dr. Bryant, is that we can increase our sensitivity to the good – we can learn to savor positive experiences more and more, and we can practice and become better at ‘savoring‘ over time. “The key is to not miss the opportunities to savor when they arise,” shared Fred.
There is no shortage of small moments at camp that we can savor. I challenged myself to think of them and almost savor them retro-actively in gratitude for this summer – here are some moments that came to mind:
watching a camper finally stand up and stay up on waterskis on day 3 of a block
post-dinner cartwheels at golden hour
star-gazing in the apple tree field
watching captain candidates congratulate winners and celebrate with each other
the uncontrollable laughter of campers while tubing
seeing our international staff experience fireflies for the first time
Lucky for us, the tech-free nature of camp frees up our attention to these positive moments that much more. In summer 2024, I’ll be looking out for those moments more than ever.
For now, I’ll sit here like so many of our campers and staff reminiscing and savoring in the past tense.
Among many other Runoia traditions, the name story is one that delights at Cotillion at the close of the summer. Each year, Alex Jackson works hard to incorporate even the trickiest of last names into a fun story to share on that final night.
The name story contains the last names of full season campers, leadership staff and few extra folk whose names added to the fun. Enjoy our 2023 name story!
The rain in Maine falls mainly on the …..
It Shirley couldn’t rain anymore at Camp Runoia. The summer of 2023 had been so wet with rain falling in sheets even the Glucks had had enough. Howes on earth were the campers supposed to have a fun summer when everywhere was soaking and their toes were Winklering in their Wetzel shoes? They couldn’t just Lallygag around at camp all day Dresdow in their rain jackets and fending off the Colbourn in Worley sweaters.
The counselors had to come up with a plan and fast. Grace put the Kettell on to make a Wright nice cup of tea so that they could have a planning meeting to Mullen over what to do. It aPearson was never going to come out and there was no chance of a Blauberg sky day. Assembly announcements included ‘the long range forecast looks a little Sussman with it aPerrin to never be clearing up. It’s really going to Martone of the summer for sure.’
While there were plenty of indoor activities like Weavering baskets, and a popular new class where campers could learn to Cook-Wright and Bakewell, the campers really wanted to get on with outdoor fun. “This is no Goodman I Nadzo what to do with my SV kids – they just can’t Hackett” complained the counselors. “They would rather be at the beach getting Friedman.” There was no Vinarskying going on at the lake so no need to go down to the Marini for gas only the lonesome Martone-Gulling sound rang out over the water.
Mahedy we can Headley into town and all watch that new movie as the old proSchecter in the Lodge is Rohatyn.
Good news was that Adams and RussellsParent had shopped at Shaws on the way to camp and provided enough contraband for all of senior end to be Mnuchin all summer long. Plenty of jelly Beans, some British Hobbsnobs Bixbys and a big box of Pridhams chocolates.
It was business as usual at riding. The horses were Nagleing and the donkeys were making a Baydin at the barn while JacksonBradshaw was working hard doing chores. Campers were Patarining around the ring on horses and the staff were Kleimen over the jumps to demonstrate 2 point position. ‘Don’t Mulry if you lose a stirrup you won’t fall off’ yelled Jacob
A couple of the campers from Pine Island had been hanging out in the cove. Ryan O’Malley was talking to his buddy ‘Urdan don’t be such a Dorsch’ yelling Pine Island cheers. It’s the best I can do as I’m feeling Shieferstein about talking to the Runoia campers I Mrazik a fool of myself.
It had been another eventful summer at Runoia and as the final Kells rang there were many happy tears and hugs.
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.
As we come toward the end of an incredible 117th consecutive summer, one thing remains true year after year: Runoia loves to sing, and our singing builds community at camp. When COVID came and changed life and camp as we knew it, we weren’t able to sing as a community in the same way we always had.
Luckily, with the continuity of our campers, staff, and leadership – our singing and passing down of camp songs has resurged with so much energy this summer. Campfires are alive with songs new and old, and our oldest campers especially jump at every opportunity to sing more and push their bedtime a little later.
Songs can be heard at meals – singing for birthdays, the melody of ‘save your spoons, save your spoons for dessert…’, at assembly with songs led by staff, CITs, and campers, at campfires as we join together for our most reflective songs, and all of the in between moments – even at CRAO meetings!
Singing is vital to the Runoia community, and not for no reason – singing at camp benefits our community in countless ways –
It’s a chance to be silly and care-free…
a chance to be creative and make your own songs – like our HLC B campers who created ‘The Monkey Song’ from ‘The Beaver Song’ this session, or our 4th shack campers who rewrote a Taylor Swift song for the variety show
a chance to be brave and bold and stand up before a crowd
a chance to connect to camp’s history and sing the songs of generations before us
a way to relax and have fun
an opportunity to learn new things
and a way to build community.
But don’t just take it from us – singing to build community is a tale as old as time, a thing of historical and cultural significance, and has scientific evidence to back its social benefits.
In Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine, writer Jill Suttie shares that “Listening to music and singing together has been shown in several studies to directly impact neuro-chemicals in the brain, many of which play a role in closeness and connection.” She goes on to share that research in community music shows that “endorphins produced in singing can act to draw large groups together quickly.”
We’re glad to know that the science recognizes what Runoia has known as a universal truth for generations. We won’t be halting our singing, dancing, or piano-playing anytime soon here on Great Pond.
During an expert guest JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) training by Shola Jones at OAAARs, Shola asked us to think of five things we hope our campers get out of their experience at Runoia. We turned to a neighbor and shared, and then bounced around the room sharing for the whole group. Shola urged us to not only share the ‘what’ but also the ‘why’ of our choices.
One that came to mind for me was the hope that our campers (and staff) get to experience the feeling of happiness for others and excitement for the accomplishments of their peers. My ‘why’ was that I felt this was an indicator of a healthy, loving, and supportive community – a major part of who we are as a camp at Runoia.
Did you know that there’s a word for exactly this feeling? It’s ‘confelicity’ – meaning ‘delight in someone else’s happiness.’
Part of my job here at Runoia is taking some of our photos and sorting through them for our Camp in Touch portal and for social media. As I’ve filtered through our photos recently, I noticed something pretty amazing: example after example of confelicity at camp strewn across faces of both campers and staff members.
The camp environment and community gives us all a unique opportunity to flex and build our empathy and connection to others and their feelings. We balance celebrating our own successes with the celebration of others’ as we also balance coping with our own disappointments and supporting others during moments of their own. It is a strength to be proud of.
Feeling happiness in the face of others’ achievements and moments ‘in the light’ is not easy – especially when it means that it’s not your own moment to shine. But Runoia campers and staff know that a win for one of us is really a shining moment for our entire community. You need only witness a single ‘Bobos’ sung, an American Archer announcement at assembly, a night of birthday tables, a horse show ribbon ceremony, the welcome committee at the end of the Oak Island Swim, or the moment a camper stands on their skis for the first time to know this is true in the Runoia community.
As we close out this session, we are lucky to have proof of the strength of our community and the happiness for others that is exemplified here on a daily basis. Our returning campers and staff have shown our first-timers the ‘Runoia way’ and we see it carried on from year to year.
Gratitude toward all members of our community as we reflect on our time together in first session and get ready to welcome so many forever friends to be on Monday.
Would it even be a Runoia opening day without a little rain? Probably not – and what a perfect first opportunity of summer 2023 for our staff to practice our ‘we can deal’ skills learned all throughout camp staff training!
Today was the day we’ve been preparing for for nearly two weeks now – our campers are here! We’re waiting so eagerly for our last few friends to arrive via bus and plane, but camp is already buzzing with reunions and the beginnings of new friendships alike.
Our super staff once again made arrival day a breeze for campers, families, and each other by putting their skills to use. Over the past twelve days, we’ve built a community together and learned so much so quickly.
We kicked off staff training in classic Camp Runoia style – with tie-dyeing, a campfire, s’mores, and lots of singing!
Even after days of tricky weather, our transportation guru Jen Dresdow got all of our staff – from near and far – safely to camp in time. We’re lucky to be back fully with lots of international staff this year from a plethora of countries – our 2023 staff are representing Mexico, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia!
Evie helps train and support new staff members in ropes
We balanced activity time and full group training sessions, and brought in some experts on important topics like JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) from training group OAAARs, camper and staff mental health, and camper safety in our community.
We even made enough time for a few fun surprises (can you imagine: root beer floats at the waterfront? Star’bunks’ the day before kids arrive? Taking the entire staff tubing the night before opening day?!)
Our staff learned how to teach from “Runoia experts” in their activity areas all week, and got to test out their skills with their peers and with a local school group this past Wednesday. We were lucky enough that amidst all of the rain, we got sunshine and calm waters that day!
Over the past few days, we tied up all loose ends, tidied up the cabins, made welcome signs and chore charts, and savored a few final moments in our community before growing times three today. We welcomed the end of staff training knowing that it was more-so the beginning of something even more wonderful to come. Our staff are so happy to have our campers here, and we can’t wait to share all about the growing we’ll be doing and fun we’ll be having all summer long.
Lilly Grace, a long-time Runoia camper and staff member who is celebrating her 10th summer at Runoia in 2023, joins us as a guest blogger to share all about living in the moment at T-Swift’s The Eras Tour, and how she got that ability from all of her time at camp:
Since the middle of March, Swifties all around the country (including many people in our Runoia community) have been traveling from near and far to see Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” in stadiums all around the United States. A few weekends ago, I myself had the privilege of being able to see Taylor in concert for her May 21 performance at Gillette Stadium, which was something I had been looking forward to since November when I was lucky enough to secure tickets. Something unique about this tour is that it is Swift’s first tour since the pandemic, a time in which our world became even more reliant on digital technology, particularly live streaming and social media platforms. In preparing for the concert, being able to communicate through social media with fans around the country about tips and tricks was very helpful. Had it not been for social media platforms, I would not have known about essential details regarding the concert such as ideal times to arrive at the stadium or what to wear. Additionally, I never would have learned about the Eras Tour Fan project, which involved making and trading Taylor Swift-themed friendship bracelets inside the stadium with other fans, which was one of my favorite parts about the whole experience.
Lilly and Amy, long-time Runoia friends, at the Eras Tour together
With that being said, there are always negative parts of social media presence as well. One of my biggest concerns leading up to the concert was that I would be stuck behind one of the hundreds of fans who were livestreaming the entire concert to their social media followers, and obstructing the view of those around them. This may sound like a silly concern to anyone who does not go to concerts often, but as a frequent concertgoer, I can verify that it has become a genuine problem and has impacted my experience at way too many concerts in the past year. While I am the first to admit that I can barely go anywhere without my smartphone, one of my biggest pet peeves is being around people who are not even willing to take a step away from their technology to live in the moment, and I fully expected and prepared myself to experience this at Taylor Swift’s concert. However, I was so pleasantly surprised by how Swifities in my section and throughout the stadium were actually able to put down their phones and enjoy watching the show live. While many people, including me, were still recording their favorite parts of the show so they could rewatch them later, fans seemed less focused on getting the perfect video and were constantly looking up from their devices to actually take in the experience around them. In addition to the show itself, I noticed fans were fully embracing every moment of the experience from the minute we got to the stadium, which is so rare at concerts nowadays. Between supporting the opening acts, trading friendship bracelets, and bonding over their equally difficult experiences getting tickets, most fans were clearly making an active effort to stay off of their phones, live in the moment, and make genuine connections with those around them. As I looked around my section of the stadium during the show, my heart filled as I realized that the number of fans cheering, singing their hearts out, dancing along to the music and fully embracing each moment of the 3 ½ hour show clearly outnumbered the fans who were focused on recording every song. In this sense, this experience in Gillette Stadium reminded me a lot of Camp Runoia, a place where nearly every memory I have made for the past 10 years has been, and will continue to be, without the assistance of video footage.
Throughout the summer at camp, there are always so many fun moments that we want to capture and remember forever, from the annual relay race through all of camp on the Fourth of July, to the anticipation of watching as a random staff member reveals the final scores for the B’s and E’s competition on the last night of camp. If we had our phones available, we would probably want to capture as many of these unforgettable moments as possible. However, being able to form memories through experience is not only a life long skill that campers build on at camp, but something that I value about the camp experience every year. There are very few places now, aside from summer camps, where kids and adults alike can break free from the burden of technology and just embrace living in the moment with those around you. So, experiencing that unique sense of community outside of camp at a concert, where the unifying factor was not trying to get the perfect video for social media but rather radiating a collective sense of love and appreciation for an incredibly talented artist, was so special and an experience I will never forget.
As we get closer to opening day at camp, I am already getting so excited and counting down the days until I get to hear from all of the Runoia Swifties about their eras tour adventures, not through videos and pictures but rather through their own recollection of unforgettable memories!
-Lilly
the best coincidence – Lilly and Amy ran into two other Runoia gals – Izzy and Vanessa!
