Uncategorized Archives - Page 16 of 19

Learning All Year

Posted on September 22, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Off Season/In Service – Directors and Learning All Year Round

Camp is an inclusive environment. Camp is community. Camp provides a place for people to overcome their fears.

Almost a week ago Runoia Directors attended a day long workshop on gender identity and campers at camp.

Two of the guests were 10 year old Lia and 15 year old John. Both attended the conference with their parents. These children were in a room full of 85 camp professionals and telling us their stories. Their stories were focused on their hopes for finding a place to belong, to be a camper, to try things at camp that they don’t usually do at home and to feel a community of support while doing these things.

A room full of camp professionals who spend their lives working round the clock to make their camps the best place possible for all children listened and spoke up, took in information and wrote ideas on newsprint to digest and dissect…. all to figure out how Maine camps can be the leaders in how to include transgender children who want to belong to a camp. It’s a progressive thought to say the least.

The honest truth? These children want to be children and enjoy their summer at camp just like all other children you know. It takes issues we struggle with every day and makes them simple. It’s slightly mind bending or mind blowing depending on how you think about it. And, let’s remember, these children don’t have a campaign or issue with anyone else. They just want to slip in and be part of the fabric of their camp communities.

So, whether it is pottery or horseback riding, skiing or climbing a mountain, we have children who want to be part of camp. What’s wrong with that? In the spirit of inclusive community, creating a place where people can be themselves and enjoy a summer at camp in Maine, these children deserve to be able to face their fears on the Dragon Fly zipline, in a ski boat, on a horse or at the potter’s wheel.

Lifeguards!

Posted on September 8, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

Ahhh September, the days are getting a little shorter and the nights are certainly cooler. It is a quiet, peaceful time of year around camp. Wait a minute what is going on at the waterfront? Lifeguard training? It looks like it is the directors and senior staff. What a great time of year to find time to sharpen up their skills.

Who wouldn’t want to be in the lake on such a ‘Fine Maine Day?’

For year round staff and those that commit to camp as part of their regular summer routine the late summer and fall are a great time to start getting prepared for the next season. We are constantly improving our own personal skills, planning and preparing, taking advantages of training opportunities and striving to be the best that we can be in order to provide an exemplary camp experience for our girls.

After a little down time at the end of camp we are back in action ready to get things rolling for 2016. In the month of September alone we will be renewing our certifications, attending workshops, meeting with other camp directors for round table discussions, taking online courses and of course working on site to make improvements and additions for the 2016 season. Camper enrollment is already ongoing and we will start our rehiring for staff later this month.

Our Runoia 2016 community is already forming and we are excited to connect with every new member.

The life of camp director is never dull and even when camp is not filled with campers and staff there is always something to do.

Camp Runoia provides us all with the opportunities for Building Life Long Skills!

Making Songs into Summer Messages

Posted on July 26, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

I know a place where the sun is like gold, and every evening you play games like Know Your Counselor, Lip Synch Contest, Stop the Bus and Broomball.

Out on the blue waves, where summer breezes blow, our boats, kayaks, windsurfers, swimmers and stand up paddle boarders go sailing into sunset glow.

Make new friends but keep the old; this summer at Runoia we’re meeting people from California to Florida, from Minnesota to Texas and from England, Spain, Venezuela, Ireland, Hungary and Switzerland. We are a merry merry crew the Runoia girls are we!

Be it ever so humble there’s no place like camp and when you travel to Attean Pond and to the Bigelow range, returning to camp feels just like home. Our equestrian team traveled to Camp Vega and brought home the Championship ribbon. There’s no place like home!

And so I thank the earth for giving me, the sun and the rain the apple tree – we are ever grateful for our sun drenched days, and even a summer storm or two keeping camp green and perpetuating a #FineMaineDay.

Where does the wind come from? Does anybody know?

Besides turning thoughts into camp song, we’ve been busy with activities, meeting people, creating art, learning about tennis, archery, riding, skiing, sailing, basket making and more.

Until next week. Love, Aionur

Camp Runoia Magic

Posted on July 1, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Magic…Magic Happens. Magic happens here.

Where is here? Here is everywhere you are.

Who are you? You are a Runoia Gal.

The allure of the calling loon, the cool breeze off the lake, the feeling of sand between your toes, the crackle of the camp fire, giggles and cuddles with friends and counselors, climbing to the top of ropes, hitting a bull’s-eye, swimming to Oak Island… that is magic.

But it is not felt at summer camp for all immediately…the reality is behind the magic is bravery. And bravery takes trust and love…confidence and courage….time.

It takes a brave girl to leave their home of 11 months to come home to Runoia for 1.

But in that one month…magic evolves with an organic nature.

Runoia means harmony in Abenaki, and thus we call this camp “Harmony Land” and it is here, that girls and young women travel from near and far, descending on Great Pond. There is an enormous amount of courage and bravery and love that endure. It is no easy task to leave your place of comfort and convenience, leave your parents and your school, leave your friends and your teams, your phones and your connectedness with technology.

Camp has begun…and as the sun rises each morning we all will bring our best selves to Harmony Land for an experience of a lifetime. We will laugh and we will cry, we will smile and we will frown, we will grow and we will change, we will be here. We will be one with each other, woven in harmonious exploration of self.

We will be Runoia Gals…and that is MAGIC.

What Camp Means to Me

Posted on June 25, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Camp Runoia has helped make me who I am today. Runoia has taught me many life lessons, 
especially how to adjust to change in my life. Before camp, I had never been away from my parents.  
Although it was extremely hard for me being away from my family my first year, 
Pam and the staff handled themselves great, always being there for me when I was feeling homesick.  
The second and third year, I had a fantastic time, and had started to learn how to adjust 
to the change of not being with my family. Now, fast forward to college.  
I am from Pennsylvania and because Camp Runoia taught me to be an independent woman, 
I was able to go to the University of Maine.  Here at the University of Maine, 
I met my now fiancé, John and are now settling in the Portland, Maine region.  
I would never have been able to go to college far away from my parents, if I had not been to Runoia.  
Camp Runoia has helped me become a strong independent woman. I am so grateful for my time at Runoia, 
and feel that sending me to Runoia was the greatest gift they ever gave me, for at Runoia 
I learned so many life lessons. I really believe I would not have the life I have today 
without Camp Runoia. 

Anastasia Kerner

Singing

Posted on May 13, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

Perfect Harmony

This week is concert week for the chorus that I am a member of. It means two nights of rehearsal and two performances which equals a lot of singing. I love being part of a group of women that spends time together making music. We are not professional musicians but spend time and effort learning notes, exploring musical nuances and perfecting our performance. For 2 ½ hours a week I become lost in the complexity of music mastery and the production of choral sound.

At camp singing is a large part of our everyday lives. We sing silly songs, rowdy songs, quiet, contemplative melodies and most importantly we sing our Runoia songs. We spend time at Assembly learning songs; some have been sung for generations and others are new to Runoia. Old songs carry our history. Hearing them reminds us of our special place on Great Pond. We find ourselves humming Runoia tunes when we are far from camp and know that many of our alumnae sing them to their own children as lullabies.

Our camp songs have actions, guitar accompaniments, nonsense words, no words, harmonies, different parts or barely a tune. We make songs up to popular tunes, we lip sync, we cry while we sing: sometimes from laughing and sometimes because it is our last time of the season singing together.

At camp it is not the quality or musicality that matters so much although we do channel our inner Diane Smith and try to hit those odd high notes in Tumbledown and It’s Blue and White! It is more that we do something together. We can be heard singing in the Lodge, Dining Hall, around the campfire, in a sail boat or canoe, down the path to the waterfront, out on the hiking trails, for the camp Talent Show and in the vans. Songs are a unique part of our camp culture that we pass along orally and through our song book.

Songs and singing make us happy! Music has the ability to unite us. We may not always sing in perfect harmony but we sing together to celebrate our community, traditions and just because we can! It is part of who we are at Runoia it is our ‘Harmony’.

Listen to a few favorite Runoia songs here!

Meet the staff

Posted on May 1, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

A guest blog by Morgan Price

My name is Morgan and I will be the girl who runs around camp taking pictures, updating our social media sites, blogging about all of your exciting adventures and activities and helping with event planning! You will almost always see me in my bright colored, monogrammed hats.

A little about me: I am from Marietta, Georgia- right outside of Atlanta. I am finishing up my sophomore year at Georgia College and State University with a major in Marketing. I am highly involved on campus and have served a few different positions for my sorority Zeta Tau Alpha. At school I live in a house with thirteen girls and love it! I have two sisters, a twin sister and a twelve year old sister. I love shopping, exploring, traveling, cooking and dancing. I can teach you how to make an awesome friendship bracelet and love making crazy costumes!

Even though this is my very first summer spent at a sleep away camp, I am so excited for camp to start and I hope y’all are as ready for it as I am. I purchased my bright pink duffle bag and I am already shopping and packing for everything I need for camp. While Georgia isn’t exactly across the world, I am still excited to travel 1300 miles to see the beautiful state of Maine that I have heard so much about.

A “Little Life Lesson” from me:

Sing Loud, Sing Proud; dance like nobody is watching; and try everything!

I will openly tell you I am one of the worst singers to ever walk the planet, but that doesn’t stop me from singing. I love to sing even though I am not as talented as Taylor Swift I give it my best shot. Remember this when you are getting ready to sign up for activities each week. Camp Runoia offers many activities from Archery to Windsurfing and everything you can imagine in between. Just because you may not be the best at something does not mean you shouldn’t sign up for that as an activity!

Always remember “the best thing to hold onto in life is each other”- Audrey Hepburn

Love Morgan

Camp trunk?

Posted on April 7, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

A trunk or not a trunk? that is the question!

I am a first time at sleep away camp for my youngest daughter Mom this year. My oldest did a whole bunch of programs that either just required a duffel bag or a suitcase. She was more the college campus, camp kind of girl! it’s been a while so I am back shopping for camp supplies.

Today’s question for deliberation is what to pack in to? A trunk or duffel bags? and if we do decide on a trunk what type? my head is already swirling just contemplating thinking about it. You would think as the camp director I’d have a clear vision but it seems that there are so many pro’s and con’s for each option. To me the ubiquitous trunk screams sleep away camp and is a connection to the long time tradition of kids packing up for the summer and heading out by train to camp. But wait this is 2015 and no one arrives by train anymore and we won’t be traveling far with her stuff!

The girls that bring trunks to camp love them as they are a great catch all for spare towels and linens dress up clothes and all manner of junk you can just throw in there before cabin inspection. You can sit on them, use them to get up to your top bunk and play a round of cards on top. Trunks these days comes in such an array of styles and colors they can be an identity statement and it’s also pretty cool to bring your parents old camp trunk.

Duffel bags are easy to pack and can be tucked away on the luggage rack collecting dust bunnies until the end of the season. With all of her stuff unpacked she won’t forget about items that may be stored in the trunk and will be able to see everything.

Whichever option we go with I am sure it will work out fine it usually comes out about 50/50 amongst the campers. There are then those international staff who manage to put everything they need for the entire summer into one small backpack maybe that’s what we should do!

Spring has sprung

Posted on April 1, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

This weekend the first in April is a busy one. For some it is the beginning of Passover for others a celebration of Easter for almost all it is a time to get together with family, shake off winter and greet the new season. April is a time of hope and the promise of better weather, new life growing from the once frozen ground and an end in sight to the school year it brings a promise that summer is just around the corner.

In the camp calendar April is the beginning of our busy season a time of planning and of preparation. We are nose to the ground getting everything ready for our staff and campers arrival in June. Most of the hiring is done, beds are filled (don’t worry for those still considering camp we have a few spots open) and staff training planned. We are filling in the summer schedule with camping reservations, adventurous day trips, competitions at other camps and a myriad of other fun events.

Our families and staff are also preparing so we field a lot of questions about paperwork, what to pack and the other little details that bring it all together. We love sharing the excitement of those that will be coming to join us for the summer and are always happy to talk through concerns or trouble shoot challenges.

April gets us fired up, filled with excitement and raring to go, we are impatient for time to go by quickly, the last of the snow to melt and the ice to be off the lake. We throw an a Runoia T-shirt even though it is still only 40 degrees out and celebrate that Spring is here and summer will soon follow. We are excited!

The bus!

Posted on January 22, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

Reflections on the not so magic school bus

My kids stopped riding the school bus this year. We live in a small, rural community only about 4 minutes on the same road from their school. It dawned on me that while riding the bus is the norm and was certainly convenient it did not have any benefits and perhaps was actually having a detrimental impact on all of us. A change in routine with me driving them has significantly reduced stress in our lives and has strengthened not only our relationships as a family but also our connections within our community.

The bonuses are many: I get to build social relations with the other parents picking up ‘walkers’ at school, I see some of the teachers in the halls and can stop to catch up for a minute or two, if it’s good weather we hang out playing outside school with friends, my kids talk to me and each other on the ride there and back so I find out way more than I did when they were on the bus, we also have more time for fun and stress free homework before heading off to activities.

While driving I have paused to noticed the number of parents on our route that sit in their cars for sometimes 20 minutes or more waiting for the bus when they could drive up to school and get their kids. It is interesting that we become so conditioned to do something a particular way that we never look at it from a different perspective or question the ‘why’.

I know there are many reasons why riding the bus is a good thing for kids and I am not arguing the for or against but more the concept that sometimes taking a step back, questioning or doing simple everyday things differently can have unexpected results.

There are many things that we do in life with little thought or intentionality. Mix it up, try doing something differently or at least pausing for a moment of thought about why you are doing it the way that you are!