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Giving Thanks by Chris

Posted on November 30, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Giving Thanks

Greetings from Camp Runoia! It’s hard to believe that the summer has passed, fall is on its way out and winter will be upon us before we know it. As we all prepare this week for Thanksgiving, I am inspired by the holiday and what it is really all about. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of life, particularly this time of year with all of the material things which are constantly being forced upon us. Sometimes we forget about the things in life that really matter. Family, friendship, and community are of paramount importance and should be recognized and celebrated. The neat thing about sleepaway summer camp is that we are asked to leave most of our material possessions at home and focus on the here and now. We ask our campers to invest in the community in which they are living and to focus on making friends, trying new things and experiences, all of which result in personal growth. I saw this poem which inspired me to write this blog.

Best Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here, so our minds have turned
To what time has taught us, to what we’ve learned:
We often focus all our thought
On shiny things we’ve shopped and bought.
We take our pleasure in material things,
Forgetting the pleasure that friendship brings.
If a lot of our stuff just vanished today,
We’d see the foundation of each happy day
Is special relationships, constant and true,
And that’s when our thoughts go directly to you.
We wish you a Thanksgiving you’ll never forget,
Full of love and joy—your best one yet!

By Joanna Fuchs

Celebrating Camp Birthdays at Runoia

Posted on November 12, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Having a birthday at camp is special and fun in many ways. It’s a birthday bonanza!

There are the songs. The cards. The decorations. There is the birthday party on birthday night. There are the cakes – your cakes and all the other cakes. There are more songs and costumes and loud, crazy, silliness. Lots of birthdays are celebrated at Runoia each summer and they are something everyone looks forward to each session.

Songs are silly songs like: I thought I heard my grandmother say that so and so’s birthday was today with a fee fo and a fi fo… OR Ice cream soda water ginger ale pop, the cake the cake with the candles on top, get ready get ready your pearly white teeth… ALL Runoia campers and alumna can finish the words to these crazy songs.

So whenever your birthday falls, think of the playful Runoia celebrations, the special moments given to girls whether it’s their birthday or not. The whole camp has a party – that’s pretty sweet!

Messing with Time by Chris Mercier

Posted on November 2, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

It’s the time of year we turn back the clocks. As the last few colorful leaves cling on the trees, they await their perpetual fall to the forest floor, and here in the northern hemisphere, we prepare for the shorter, darker, colder days. The joys of summertime and summer camp start to become a distant memories but much like the leaves on the trees, we cling to these memories and experiences and they bring us such great joy.

We are reminded of this phenomenon every year when we set our clocks back an hour and brace ourselves for the long winter months. We are engrossed in our hectic lives of work and school routines and it is also a perfect time to reflect on the amazing experiences from summers’ past. I saw this poem and it inspired me to think about the double meaning of messing with time and turning back the clocks and how it relates to camp and personal growth:

Sometimes we have to
turn back the clock
to face our fears.
Search back through our memories
to find out how and when they began.
Look deep within our soul
for the answers that we seek.
Locate the source of our torment
to eradicate it complete.
Our fears began somewhere
and the only way to find out where and when
is to turn back the clock.

-David Harris

Summer camp provides an incredible outlet to our youth to face their fears both physically and socially and to try new things that they never would have tried back in the safety of their lives at home. The simple concept of creating our own community for seven weeks in Maine where we work, play, learn, sleep and eat together each day can be a source of fear and uncertainty for many of our new campers each summer at Camp Runoia.

Once we experience it, we realize the value and importance of what we have created and the lessons and personal growth that ensue. The bonds and the connectivity that we experience in our own “bubble” each summer is a hard concept to relate to unless you have experienced this on your own.

As the days get shorter and time has “changed” I would challenge you to ask yourself…if you could turn back time, what would you

have done differently? We all know that this is not possible, but the beauty of summer camp is that each summer, we all have the opportunity to start fresh and build off our experiences from the past summer. We can conquer our fears and take the experience to the next level. What is it like to live in a cabin away from home? What does it feel like to try the “Dragonfly” for the first time? How will I ever hike to the top of Mount Katahdin?

Runoia girls face these fears each summer head on. They are willing to try new things and go outside of their comfort zone. Once they accomplish the unknown, they have such a great sense of empowerment and accomplishment. Time is an incredible concept. It can be welcome, or it can be a burden, but most of all it allows us to experience new things, learn about ourselves and reflect to strengthen ourselves as individuals.

A Runoia girl

Posted on September 29, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

What a Runoia girl is to me – Emily Friedman aged 9

At the end of every summer, looking back, I remember Runoia. Each summer is better than the last. Camp inspires me to be who I am and know that there are people out there that really care about me. Sometimes even a whole shack of friends!

These photos represent camp to me. The images show some of the places around camp. I also created a model of arts and crafts, a ropes course, drama, woodshop and camp craft. Most of these are my favorite activities. This set up helped me remember Camp when I was missing it after first session was over and I was back at home.

I always remember that:

Every night, someone at Runoia thinks about you before they go to sleep.

At least fifteen Runoia girls somewhere in this world love you.

There are at least two Runoia girls that would die for you.

You mean the world to a Runoia girl.

Someone that you don’t even know from camp loves you.

When you make a big mistake at camp, something good comes from it.

When you think your friend has turned her back on you, take another look.

Always remember the compliments you’ve received from Runoia girls.

Runoia girls will…

Remember

Understand

Never hate

Optimize

Inspire

Amaze

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!