Tag: amazing summers

After Camp – More Camp

Posted on by Pam Cobb

We are thrilled to host Young At Arts again for an amazing after camp.

YAA is an organization founded in 2005 to bring youth together with the power of art, acting, dance and music. Sharyn Pirtle is the founder and director and she runs the program year round in Bronxville, NY.

About 65 people gathered at Camp Runoia for the week to work on performing arts: music and dance. Seeing the campers arrive nervous and uncertain and leave empowered and connected affirms the great work MANY camps do across the country. YAA campers practiced their arts and also got to enjoy Runoia activities like kayaking with MJ, Art with Eylse, Climbing Tower with Kate, Archery with Eliza Mae , Tennis with Amelia and Basketball with Eliza.

Runoia is honored to have YAA here in August to have their “summer” camp and enjoy a residential experience on the shores of Great Pond. 

Thanks for joining us YAA. And Bobos for a great performance this 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.

Play ~ One of the Great Things About Camp

Posted on by camprunoia

I love seeing girls and counselors grow in their confidence, skills, decision making, problem solving, team work, and self-esteem. One of the simple but critical parts of camp that helps all those things happen is play. We play in organized games and relay races, we play in activities and special events, but the really special play time happens during unstructured time. Girls make up silly games in the cabin, explore camp, jump rope, throw a frisbee, do somersaults, build fairy houses, make costumes, watch clouds, etc. etc. They giggle and tell jokes, they share stories, and create memories. It’s joyful and creative, it’s unplugged fun that sometimes can’t even be explained because it happens organically. When girls play they are learning about themselves and each other and they are tapping into parts of their minds, hearts and bodies that don’t always get the exercise they need.

I played organized sports all through school and was active in clubs and student government, and I loved it, but when I think back to my childhood, the memories that are the most vivid are playing. It didn’t matter if it was building forts, poking around in the woods, playing Kick the Can, jumping in leaves, making crazy things out of bits and pieces, or laying in the grass and seriously discussing Halloween costumes, these were the best times. I was fortunate that this simple play was woven into my life year-round and I wish the same was true for all children today. I know it’s not and I know it is also not the case for many of us as adults.

So yeah for camp – the place where playing is just as important as anything else we do and girls and adults alike are not only encouraged to play but expected to play!

Whys is play is valuable – check here and how about for adults? Check here

112 Years of Runoia & Special Ingredient: Alum

Posted on by camprunoia

Camp Runoia will celebrate 112 years this summer of providing girls with an amazing camp experience. We have wonderful staff, a beautiful site, strong traditions, and excellent activities. We also have a special ingredient that supports everything we do: our alum, those dedicated women and men who have come before us. They support us through raising money for our scholarship fund so that girls, who would not be able to come to camp, can join us through their generous support. They introduce their own daughters and granddaughters, as well as new families to our special camp. They love to gather at Runoia or around the country to reminisce and rekindle lifelong friendships. They share their skills in creating beautiful artwork and projects to showcase our site. And always, our alum share their stories and help keep our wonderful history alive and vibrant. We are fortunate to have so many people who love Runoia and treasure their time on Great Pond. Enjoy the latest newsletter of the Camp Runoia Alumnae Organization  SPRING 2018 RUNOIA CRAO and if you’re not a member please consider joining, you’ll be glad you did!

 

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.

The writing on the wall – hand-prints on my heart

Posted on by Alex

Twenty years ago when we moved into this house there were a lot of DIY projects that needed accomplishing. Painting the downstairs bathroom was not high on the list of priorities.  In order to brighten the place up a little we started adding the hand-prints of our visitors.  The parameters were basic: pick your colors, pick your spot, paint your hand and print it on the wall then add your name and date your print.  The hand-prints themselves started out simple, often with just one color and expanded to more elaborate creations that reflected the personality of their owner.  There are now a couple of hundred of prints representing friends from all aspects of life,  a large percentage of whom I know through camp.

The hand-prints tell their own stories. Jayen was an international counselor who just spent one summer with us. Angela is still a feature on our CRAO board.

The hand-prints are a regular reminder of the people that have touched my life.  Some of the folk are still regular visitors, or perhaps sadly now deceased, still others were only around for a short time and we have now lost touch.  They all generate memories of a time and place when we were connected, a shared history and an impression left in my life.  There are many old Camp Runoia friends, campers and staff that passed through for a summer or two or who it feels like I have known for a lifetime.  They hold a space in time that is a reminder not just of them but also of a particular summer on Great Pond.  The dates are helpful in remembering just how long ago it was that they were at camp and how quickly time flies.

Betty-Jo Howard a Runoia legend

 

At Runoia the names in the boathouse are a similar memorial to those that have passed through at some previous point in time.  They remind us of people we know and also trigger thoughts about those whose story is now  a mystery lost in time.  The faces may be long forgotten but their names are painted in bright colors to remind us that they were here and are part of the rich fabric of our camp community.

The hand-prints on my wall definitely reflect the hand-prints left on my heart.  This will be my 23rd summer at Camp Runoia in Belgrade Lakes, Maine  and I hope to add a few more hand-prints to my bathroom wall and a lot more to my heart.

Camp Runoia’s ‘to do’ lists

Posted on by Alex

Hard to believe that we just had another 6” of snow this past weekend but we are hopeful that there is a touch of spring in the air.  We are getting very excited to start our 112th season on the shores of Great Pond.  At this time of year we have a lot of Camp Runoia ’to do’ lists and just lists in general.  The cabin list already looks very full, the hired staff list is coming along nicely, Glenn is checking things off the maintenance list and the alumnae organization has checked off their winter reunions.  We have lists that keep us on track for what needs to get done at this time of year and also lists that evolve as we discuss and plan for the upcoming summer.

Monday mornings often find me rewriting my to do list. Last week’s looks like a disaster with crossings out, added notes, scribbles, doodles, phone numbers and a myriad of incomprehensible ramblings.  It is evidence of a productive work week but not a very useful tool for the new week.  I like to start the week with a fresh sheet of paper and a pencil (yeah I’m old school).

Making a new list creates a sense of accomplishment (and occasionally disappointment), the things that were completed are left on last week’s list and a fresh list brings hope for the new week.  Sometimes it is lengthy and as camp time draws near it can be a little overwhelming but often it is short as new items will get added as the week goes on.  Our Directors meeting on Tuesdays always drum’s up some new additions and each day can be unexpected as the business of camp is often unpredictable.  Lists are apparently good for us and there are many great articles and blogs about the why’s and how’s.

We are pretty excited that the camp database can now produce lists of the blue and white team! If you’re an alum make sure we know your team.  Legacy campers follow their Mother onto a team so the accuracy of the list is very important.

Historical lists are very important.

If signing your daughter up for overnight camp is on your list we recommend doing it soon at spaces at Camp Runoia are now very limited.

Happy to be checking this week’s blog post off of my list!

 

Camp Runoia – finding your tribe

Posted on by Alex

Have you found your tribe?

At our workshop last week we were invited to find a group with only random volunteers standing up as the group leaders.  The task was to be accomplished without speaking and with no other direction other than ‘find your tribe.’  There was no knowledge of what we were to accomplish in the found group or how long we were committing ourselves to those that we chose.  Reluctantly people moved to join a group, glancing around to see where others were going and apprehensively acknowledging those that came to join them.  It felt strange to make a choice with little information and based mostly on an impression of the volunteer group leader.

Finding your tribe has become a buzz of the current blog and social media world, sometimes is happens organically and sometimes you have to put effort into finding your people.

Our first task in our new group was sharing why we had chosen to belong there.  Answers ranged from the simple and thoughtless ‘it was near to my seat’ to more complex stories about previous connections, commonalities and a feeling that it would be a good place which had swayed their decision making.

In our lives we have many groups that we belong to, some through choice others through situation.  We all seek a place to belong, for like-minded people who we can share experiences with and who we can feel our best selves among.  Being a member of a group of people in which we feel like our true selves and are loved and accepted as we are is a comforting place where we can relax and engage without hesitation. We naturally have a desire for unity in the communities in which we live, work and play.

Runoia girls have a ready made tribe.
We are glad that these women found their tribe back in 1907 and founded Camp Runoia.

Camp Runoia provides campers and staff with the opportunity to have a ready-made tribe of people who come from a variety of places to be the Runoia summer family. The  group forms and reforms with new members joining and old ones moving on.  We remain connected by our commonalities and often bound by our differences.  We enjoy the belonging for the moment of time that is the summer season and sometimes keep the bonds through the years.  We regroup again the next summer.  Having a place and a group of people to be a part of is empowering and reassuring.

We can’t wait to be back on the shores of Great Pond with our Runoia 2018 tribe!  If your daughter is still looking for a place to belong this summer you can sign up here.

‘No More Mean Girls’

Posted on by Alex

Monday night, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a lecture by psychotherapist and author Katie Hurley.  Her latest book ‘No More Mean Girls – the secret to raising strong, confident and compassionate girls ’ delves into the realms of relational aggression and how it is starting among girls at a younger age than ever before.  In her research and collaboration with experts from around the world it is clear that young women are facing greater challenges in their social interactions which is having a negative impact on mental and emotional health.

Hurley’s latest book is an excellent read for parents and educators.

The increased use of technology and the ease with which cyber bullying can occur are prevalent factors in the social interactions that most girls experience today.   A rumor or photo once shared with a quick click can become instant public humiliation and a destroyer of lifelong friendships. Exclusion from the social group is one of the biggest and most damaging forms of social aggression that our girls are facing.  Girls are often left to flounder alone in an environment that can instantly become dangerous and emotionally damaging.

Adults need to teach, model and help girls to navigate the relational world that they live in.  Helping girls to understand the concepts of empathy and kindness and how they can be incorporated into their social interactions both in person and online are crucial to the development of healthy relationships.  Educating girls about what mean behavior looks like, how they can not be part of the problem and helping them understand steps to being a solution will help strengthen their connections.

Hurley claims that girls can be the change in their own social worlds by:

  • Being the ‘upstander’
  • Refuting the rumors
  • Meeting negative comments with positive ones
  • Saying something nice to the victim
  • Involving adults

Fortunately overnight camp provides girls with the opportunity to develop face to face relationships, to be tech free for a few weeks, to work through hard social situations with the support of caring adults and to continue to grow their self-esteem and self-worth.  We must commit to helping girls navigate the complex social world that they live in, help them to not be the ‘mean girl,’ recognize when relational aggression is happening and stand up when they can.

For more from Katie Hurley and a ton more great articles check out her website