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Mixing it Up at Runoia

Posted on by Pam Cobb

Each week campers and counselors spend on average 25 hours of their week in “regular program”. The schedule is 5 classes a day and rotate in blocks of 2 day schedules and 3 day schedules. The rest of our day is filled with cabin clean up, recreational swims in Great Pond (a lake 8000 acres in size!) a unique Evening Program, meals, snacks and Rest Hour. Let’s not forget about our wilderness trip program where each shack group is out for 2 -3 days in the beautiful state of Maine.

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Two and one half weeks into the session, we mixed it up with a Fun Day Sunday. In 2018 it started with a pirate attack at Assembly:

Followed by loads of fun at different stations from photo booth to Captain’s Coming, tattoo station and Find Your Pirate Name (for instance Iron Claw Captain) lots of competition between the Black Team and the White Team.

  

Snacks of pirate cookies and popcorn and Pirate Booty were in store for campers and counselors alike.

The evening finale of watching an outoor movie on Mahadin with glow stick necklaces was a hit and a great way to chill out after a long day.

Mixing up our program at camp keeps camp fun and energizing and throws an element of surprise. With Harry Potter Day last year, Summer Olympics, County Fair, and Take me out to the Ball Game in previous years, we can only wonder, what surprise will be discovered in 2019?

With Love from Belgrade Lakes,

Aionur

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…

Packing for a summer at Camp Runoia

Posted on by Alex

The first time I came to the US to be a camp counselor all I had was a large backpack and a carry on filled with everything that I thought I could possibly need for the summer.  The internet was not yet a thing and Portland Maine was just a dot on the map.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into, had never heard of Super Walmart and was certain that I would be living in the middle of a forest far from civilization.

Fast forward 25 years and I should have taken a leaf out of my old book when it comes to packing light!

It is complete chaos at my house as we try to finish up school and get ready for the next adventure – Camp!  We are packing and cleaning and getting ready to be full time at Runoia.  It is such an exciting time of year and also a little overwhelming as we transition to our summer home.  There has been much anticipation and we have had weeks of talking everyday about seeing camp friends, playing in the woods and swimming in the lake.   I am so glad that it is now finally time.

There are boxes and half packed bags waiting to be closed up and packed into the car.  The pet carries are ready to be filled and we are nearly ready!  It is amazing what one family needs for the summer, even though our house is only a little over an hour from camp we really don’t come back once we have moved north and I apparently forget every year that there are stores in Augusta!

In the past week it seems that everyone has shot up (or in my case out!) and desperately needs new Runoia uniform ordering.  Thankfully Land’s End ship fast.  Wellies for the wet mornings grass have been bought, bug spray and sunscreen ordered in bulk and a myriad of small items organized and checked off the packing list.  Of course I’m sure a number of items that were not on the list have sneaked in too!

It’s now time to sharpie names into everything because who has time to order name tags? so will have to use a trusty pen to get the job done fast.

As you prepare your daughter for camp know that we are available to help with last minute questions, that if something is forgotten we will help trouble shoot making sure that she has what she needs.  Don’t forget to sneak a little note into her trunk or duffle that she may fine when she unpacks.  Don’t let the packing exasperate or overwhelm you it’s worth it.

We are so excited for the fantastic summer that is awaiting us on Great Pond and cannot wait to see our Runoia girls soon.

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!

Women who dared

Posted on by Alex

I have long been amazed at the tenacity of our Camp Runoia founders Lucy Wieser and Jessie Pond.   Their dedication to starting a camp for girls showed great bravery and confidence when heading off into the unknown wilds of Maine.  In our world of high speed transportation and at your finger tips technology it is sometimes very hard to imagine how different life was back in the early 1900’s.  Rural Maine was sparsely populated with few paved roads and limited access to many areas.  The Maine Central railroad had only established the Belgrade Depot in 1850 and the local community was mostly made up of farms with some vacation housing  in the village.  Arriving by train from the city into Belgrade must have been quite a culture shock.  While the actual story of their first adventure has become a little lost in the mists of time I imagine them in skirts or dresses, hiring a horse and cart to travel around the area.

Belgrade Depot station around the time Ms Weiser and Ms Pond founded Camp Runoia.

On our staycation this week we traveled to the Owls Head Transportation Museum which had some fascinating displays the most interesting of which for me was about the early female pioneers of travel.  Like our Runoia founders they were making history in the early 1900’s and boldly going places that women typically hadn’t ventured to.  Their names were new to me and their adventures and experiences seemed so radical for the time.  Can you imagine driving a car cross country with a couple of your girlfriends?  Now think about doing it when there were only 156 miles of paved roads and your car barely had a roof!

Can you imagine traveling cross country in this?!

I shall continue to be inspired by the brave bold women of the early 1900’s and to keep sharing their stories with our fearless young women at camp. Maybe they will become the pioneers of this new generation.

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.

 

Consider Yourself Charmed at Runoia

Posted on by Pam Cobb

How lucky are some of us that we 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.

 

Admiration for Our Young People of Today

Posted on by camprunoia

We live in complex and challenging times. But something happened in the last month that has given me hope for a saner, safer world: the Never Again movement that was born out of the Parkland, FL school shooting. What makes me hopeful is young people are leading this effort. They took it upon themselves to work together and take action on their convictions.

These teens took their grief, fear, and disillusionment and channeled it into action. They brought their courage, commitment, and resiliency to bear in speaking out with passion and conviction about the changes they want to see in the world. They are using their remarkable organizational skills to plan meetings with officials and media, holding rallies, and mobilizing walkouts. Most recently they spearheaded the “March For Our Lives” in more than 800 cities across the country. They have used their expertise with social media to communicate with peers around the world, inviting them to join this call to action. They have demonstrated their training in debate and public speaking, and the importance of having a clear and compelling message articulated with confidence and passion. They have shown gratitude to their teachers in their lives who have helped prepare them for this work. They are acting today and planning for tomorrow as they partner with adults, learn about the process of making change, and advocate for young people to register to vote and be a part of the democratic process. As Rebecca Schneid, a sixteen-year-old Parkland survivor said, “We understand that this is a marathon and that we’ll be fighting for years. We’re just getting started. Now we have to use our rights as voters to make things change.” It is amazing that these young people have done all of this in six weeks time and in a non-violent way.

There have been several articles comparing the Never Again movement to the Civil Rights movement in the ‘60s. Among the many similarities, this is a movement that has a groundswell of young people, committed to making the world a better place. I have not heard the words of Martin Luther King used, but I have to believe that the sentiment; “I have a dream…” rings true for this cause.

John F. Kennedy said, “We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through the darkness to a safe and sane future.” The young people of Parkland have lit the candle. I respect and admire them and I am hopeful that they will help us not only to have safer schools today, but to create a safer world for all of us and future generations. I wonder where this experience will lead them in their adult life.

Spring Has Sprung – Or So Says The Calendar!

Posted on by camprunoia

Spring has sprung – or so says the calendar with the Spring Equinox occurring on March 20th. Equinoxes occur twice a year, in March and September, to mark the onset of spring and autumn. During an equinox, which in Latin translates to “equal night,” both day and night are the same in length. Now the days will become longer in our part of the world with earlier sunrises and sunsets. But just because we are officially in spring doesn’t mean that it is spring-like yet. Those of us in the northeast will attest to that as we prepare for the 4th Nor’easter in three weeks! The ground is snow covered with huge piles, lakes have refrozen after earlier thaws, and the trees look as dormant as they do in January. However, changes are happening.

Typically, late winter/early spring sees the preparation for maple sugaring season when the landscape becomes dotted with iconic metal sap buckets hung on trees, as well as the more modern bright rubber tubing and large sap collection vats. This year the collection season in New England had an early start in many areas with a thaw at the end of January and into February. Then winter roared back in, and now maple syrup producers are hoping for a second stretch of classic sugaring weather with days in the low 40s and nights below freezing, and before trees start producing buds and the maple season ends. It’s not too late to check out maple sugar houses and treat yourself to some “sugar on snow”.

Mating and nesting season has already begun for some of our wonderful birds. Last night, as I looked out over our snow-covered forest, I heard a Barred Owl concert of the familiar “Whooo cooks for you” call. Then this morning I was greeted by the mournful, soft cooing of the Mourning Dove. The birds are not alone, many of our common mammals are coming out of their dormant or less active winter state, to start their spring mating as well. The squirrels and chipmunks have been wildly chasing around in the trees, across our roof, and even taking sledding runs on the snowbanks around our driveway. The current snow is a benefit to picking out animal signs like the tracks of porcupine, fox, and fishers as they become more active as the days grow longer. Even with the winter-like weather, the spring awakening of the natural world is happening.

Perhaps one of those signs that reminds me in such a simple way that warm days are coming is when I park my car in a sunny spot. Even if the outside temperature is cold, the stronger, higher angle of sunshine warms up the inside of the car, and now when I get in, instead of mid-winter frigid, it can be downright toasty. Yep, it may not look like it, but spring has arrived.