Tag: amazing summers

Developing leadership skills at camp

Posted on by Alex

Residential camp provides a unique opportunity to allow young people to develop their leadership skills.  When girls attend Camp Runoia they have an opportunity to not only develop hard skills in activity areas and interpersonal skills but also to begin developing strong leadership skills.  Leadership starts at an early age at camp as adults often allow girls room to try out their skills and begin to develop their own sense of autonomy.  As their time at camp extends into their teen years older girls become mentors to younger campers, leaders of teams, assistant coaches in activity areas and communicators in their shack groups.  Some of this leadership development is organic while some is intentional youth development through our Camp Runoia programming.

The Counselor In Training(CIT)  and subsequent Junior Counselor (JC) programs at Camp Runoia help High School aged campers focus on their own leadership development within the safe and supportive community in which they have often spent many summers.  Feeling comfortable and confident in a place that you know well is a perfect environment for challenging yourself.

Intentional leadership training provides opportunities for girls to build on their current skill set and also challenge themselves to go out of their comfort zone and try new skills too.  It includes formal training certification programs like archery instructor, lifeguard, first aid, CPR courses and the Junior Maine Guide programs.   Event planning and implementation for large groups is a big component for the CIT group- they manage the entire 4th of July festivities for the whole camp.  Helping out in shacks with younger campers, assisting in lessons and learning to manage a group, teach skills and keep track of performance are all just examples of putting leadership into action.  More informal opportunities exist when hanging out with younger girls and being a positive role model.

Within the CIT group leadership often comes in the form of collaborative decision making and group process.  It may be about finding your voice or learning when to be quiet to let someone else speak up.

Both the CIT and JC programs are designed to be a full summer experience so that young women can practice their new skills over time and grow into great camp leaders.  They take back home with them not only a stack of certificates and accomplishments but a greater sense of self, more confidence and skills that will be transferable into other aspects of their lives.

 

 

Living in the moment – enjoying the time, place and people without FOMO

Posted on by Alex

Smart phones and social media keep us connected in our fast paced world.  We know that younger and younger kids have access to constant media use and switching it off for a few weeks of camp can be a challenge for all of us. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a very real affliction for many who are used to a constant stream of updates and notifications telling them what everyone they are connected to is up to at any given moment.  Added into the Oxford Dictionary in 2013,  FOMO is defined as “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.”

There is a great deal of scientific and social research about how FOMO has become a rel phenomenon in our current society.  For an interesting read check out this article from Psychology Today.

Appreciation and mindfulness for the moment that we are in can generate great satisfaction.  It may be hard initially to turn off our brains to wondering what our friends and family are up to while we are at Camp Runoia but once we get into the busy days of camp life, the outside world becomes more of a blur. At camp we learn to be present in the moment, to engage with the people around is, to not worry what others are up to or even what is going on in the outside world.  Fortunately camp is generally exciting and interesting! There is always something going on and a wide variety of people to connect with.  We learn to enjoy and relish living in our Runoia bubble

Not having access to electronics at camp really helps reduce the FOMO

Parents, family and friends can really help their campers adjust to camp life by sending letters and emails that are encouraging and ask questions about camp life.   Making life at home sound really boring and not listing a bunch of fun things that have been going on while their camper has been gone really helps too.

Camp is where all the action is in the summer and when we are living in the thick of it we definitely don’t feel like we are missing out on anything and are so sad to see it come to an end.

The benefits and joys of reading aloud

Posted on by Alex

The end of our long Camp Runoia day finishes snuggled up in our cabins with a good book.  While some campers choose to read their own literature that they either bring with them or borrow from our extensive library, group reading is still the cabin norm.  Every night after circle time the on duty counselor sits in the hall on her crazy creek camp chair and reads a chapter or two from the shack book.  We truly believe that there are great benefits and joys of reading aloud to children of all ages and celebrate this camp tradition as an important part of the Runoia experience.

The shared bedtime reading experience provides cabin groups with a reliable bedtime routine, discussion points for the next day and a chance to collaborate and decision make as a group when choosing a new book.

The shack is quiet and the main lights are turned off so only flashlights light up the pages.  For some campers the excitement of a story that is new to them is engaging, for others they are literally lulled to sleep by the sound of the reading.

On rare occasion some staff have been known to scoot back early from a night off to catch a much anticipated chapter that ended on a cliff hanger the night before.

Reading is an important part of the Camp Runoia culture, we have a book club that meets a couple of times a week to discuss a chosen story, girls can borrow books from the library and reading is a great activity to do during rest hour or free time.  In the shacks girls keep track on a paper plate of how many books they have read collectively in their cabin group and we celebrate those high numbers at the end of the session.

In the technological age camp provides campers with the opportunity to engage with reading without distraction and to enjoy the feel of a real book in their hands.

If you want a good book to read before you get to camp the first session 2019 book club book is Shannon Messenger’s Keeper of the Lost Cities.

Developing independence at camp

Posted on by Alex

From an early age children are developing skills that will help them to be independent of their caregivers.  Adults work hard to provide physically and emotionally safe spaces for children to have the opportunity to develop their confidence and the skills that they will need to live independently.   When children are small it may be parents and caregivers spend time teaching basic skills.  Some skills are instinctive  like feeding themselves and learning to walk while others required direction and input from older humans.  Learning the alphabet,  reading, tying your shoe laces and riding a bike may all take a while to master. Children begin to learn the boundaries of their own capabilities and to feel more confident in the world around them.  As their world grows so does their need for the skill of being more independent.  Camp can play an important role in developing more independence than other more restrictive opportunities.

While parents are initially a child’s primary resource,  school and extracurricular activities provide for the academic development of our kids and are supplemented by experiences with our extended families and in the community.

In our house it’s kind of a family joke about ‘life skills training’ especially when I am asking the kids to do chores or be helpful.  Some skills are ‘advanced’ and not able to be mastered yet and all need a growth mind set to learn. These ‘life skills’ certainly have equal value to academic skills.

How do kids develop independence? They certainly can’t do it if every minute of their day is managed by adults.  For some kids even ‘free play’ time is on the schedule and actively supervised with adults intervening if conflict or upset arises.  We have to provide kids with the time and space to do their own thing.

At camp a simple way that we develop independence is by offering choices.  Supported by caring adults and within the structure and routine of the camp day, campers choose activities, the food they eat, what to do in free time, who to hang out with and the clothes they are going to wear.

From the youngest age groups, girls manage their belongings, navigate around camp, make choices about what they will do or not do, figure out what they want to eat and develop relationships without constraints.  It’s great that you don’t need to schedule a time or have a ride if you want a play date there is a diverse  array of people to connect with.

Runoia girls make their own choices.

The multi-age structure at camp allows girls to develop where their skill level is at.  We know that not everyone gains the same skills at the same speed or age so camp allows for a variety of ages and abilities to be working alongside each other. Girls are ready for camp at different ages too, Parenting Magazine has a great article about determining if your child is ready for a sleep away camp experience.

Of course at Runoia there is structure and support in place to help girls feel confident in their decision making.  Camp Runoia’s, Harmony Land Camp program is specifically designed for younger campers who are away from home for the first time.  Directed by seasoned camp counselors who are skilled adults that are educators this age appropriate program has realistic expectations and provides these young campers with an introduction to the Runoia experience. Girls spend time with their group as well as integrating with main camp.  They have the opportunity to be more independent than they may get to be at home or school and often leave ready and determined to do a full session the following year.

We can’t wait for June and toe be together on the shores of Great Pond.

 

Even Runoia’s youngest girls are brimming with enthusiasm for camp life.

Be the change you want to see in the world

Posted on by Alex

Our camp Runoia community attempts to create change through simple acts of kindness and caring, hoping  to make the world that we live in a better place.  We believe that we can engage campers and staff to be the change that they want to see in our local communities and in the greater world around us.

In our Giving Tuesday blog back in November we shared about a new community service initiative that we were excited to be getting involved with.   We are moving forward with this partnership and continuing our monetary giving into the summer season.

‘World of Change’ is a philanthropic organization with a home base right here in Maine.   It  encourages youth to participate in collections of loose change that can then be used to create ‘change’ in their local communities.  We are excited to be one of the startup camps that are joining the drive and will be collecting change this summer.  We are hopeful that this will create enthusiasm among our campers for continuing this support in upcoming seasons.

The statistics of how much money is just sitting around in our homes, cars, and workplaces is just staggering.

How much loose change do you have lying around?

Camp Runoia families are always incredibly generous and our ‘cans from campers’ food drives have been very successful.  Through support of our local food pantry, we have had the opportunity to be a positive presence in Runoia’s small, home town .  We will continue collecting food on opening days this summer and hope  that gathering change throughout the school year to bring to camp will catch on too.

We know that a lot of people giving a little can really create positive change for those in need.  All of the money that World of Change generates goes directly to the nonprofits working in communities identified as having needs.  The six focus areas ensure that all children get strong foundations to grow on.

Promoting kindness at camp and at home.

We hope that our Camp Runoia campers will engage with the World of Change philosophy and strive to make a difference in their home communities.  Where will you start? How can you be the change in your community? It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking spending an hour picking up trash or helping an elderly neighbor with yard work can be a great place to start.

Together we truly can be the change we want to see in the world.

Taxes, Boat Stickers and What this has to do with Camp

Posted on by Pam Cobb

The middle of April means, for most Americans, it’s time to settle up with the IRS on whether you owe taxes or the government refunds you the money you set aside for taxes. Regardless of where you stand, it is not a favorite time for most people.  As Benjamin Franklin quoted “but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

Like it or not, tax season is a reality for grownups.

What might help you is a deduction Child and Dependent Care Credit.  Check with your accountant about the possibility of claiming a deduction related to the expense of summer camp or read up on the deduction here. Imagine, your daughter can have a profound camp experience and you may be able to account for the expense and lower your taxes owed.

Speaking of taxes and making things better, did you know Maine’s Environmental Protection Agency and Maine Lakes Society partnered to create the Lake Smart Program and also to make sure the awareness of invasive plant species and reduction of invasive aquatic plants and animals is required of all boat registrations through the “Milfoil Sticker”. A small fee is collected from boat owners to go toward education, inspection, detection and reduction. Our hopes is reduction means 100% avoidance, protecting our dear lakes of Maine. Maine Lakes Society is based in our dear town of Belgrade Lakes with the Seven Lakes Alliance  in the Maine Lakes Resource Center in the village.

Awareness is the best form of prevention of spreading milfoil and other invasive plants and animals from lake to lake. Keeping Maine lakes clear and free of invasive species is a win-win for everyone. It ensures lakes in Maine and our Great Pond continue to remain the amazing lakes they are today. This is win-win for today AND for the next generations of campers, shore-front property owners, visitors and local businesses keeping Maine the state that is dubbed Vacationland.

So, although for some people mid-April is what we think of as tax time, know that programs like the “Milfoil Sticker” help Maine stay the way we love it, “The Way Life Should Be”.

Camp Runoia staff hiring

Posted on by Alex

At this time of year a large focus of our office time shifts from camper recruitment to staff hiring.

We are literally scouring the globe to find the right people to join the Runoia summer team.

Being a camp counselor is never dull! Hiring staff who will fit into our camp family is crucial.

Our returning staff are usually quick to sign back up and then long time camp staffers find us if they are looking for a change from their previous camp. Campers from years gone by often reappear on our radar as they enter the college years and find themselves with a summer available to make a return to Great Pond.  Positions quickly fill up as friends and alums also tell people about the opportunities available at Camp Runoia.

Our primary goal with hiring staff is to find the right people for our community. We want them to get to Runoia and feel like they have arrived at their summer home where they fit into the ‘family’. In our experience being happy and content produces peoples best work so having a philosophical alignment with Runoia is essential.  Staff having a true passion for working and living with children is crucial; we can easily teach people the policies, procedures and systems.  Finding caring young adults that are willing to share their skills with our girls is our focus.

Most of our staff are college age students both from the US and overseas.  Many are on a focused career track and are seeking to gain more experience working with children. Camp also provides the opportunity for a new adventure and to see a different part of the world.  The connections counselors make with their campers and peers are often long lasting and have great value.

For those that have never attended camp spending a summer in the woods of Maine without their technology can be a harder sell.   It is often a challenge to convince students (and their college tuition paying parents!) that camp can provide them with the opportunity to continue developing and honing their 21st century skills.  Often colleges are pushing career related internships and work experience that will be a resume builder. It may come as a surprise to find out that camps are often more than happy to accommodate internships and also provide an array of transferable skills that are attractive to employers. Along with hard skills there is a great deal of holistic development gained from a summer at camp.  We are happy to help translate these skills developed at camp into tangible resume language Translating-Camp-Employment-To-Your-Resume.

If you think you have what it takes to be part of the Runoia team or know someone who does there is an online application via our website.  We can’t wait to meet the summer staff of 2019 our  ‘Runoia rock stars.’

The power of camp friendships

Posted on by Alex

Throughout the school year we often get photos from camp families of our Runoia girls getting together outside of camp.  The power of camp friendships is very strong and often travels great distances for a hug and to reconnect.  Family vacations might be planned around the location of a camp friends home and as girls get older they may head off alone on an adventure to see their camp people.

 

I recently had a weekend, whirlwind trip to NYC with my 13 year old daughter.  We had been planning it for over a year as a camp friend was celebrating her Bat Mitzvah.  The girls have been full season campers together since they were small and have a strong bond. Even though they may not typically see each other through the school year their friendship reignites once camp rolls around.  It was with much excitement that we planned the journey from Maine, fancy outfits and dress shoes packed as we travelled in snow boots and parkas!

Camp friends made up a large chunk of the kids present at the party.  It was amazing to see that our  Runoia parents recognized the value of these summer relationships and the importance of sharing non camp special events together.  They had made a huge effort to get their girls to NYC.  For some it included traveling long distances  some of it through a snow storm and also other camp families hosting sleepovers and helping with transportation.  The love and joy in the room was palpable, the hugs and bright smiles just continued all afternoon.  New memories were made in a radically different venue with heads bent close together in deep conversation, wild dancing on the dance floor and of course sad goodbyes at the end.   I often tell prospective parents to make their choice wisely and try and help them to understand that their commitment is not just to the next 5- 8 summers but also to all of the in between times.

Runoia girls love to hit the slopes and often spend time together at Sugarloaf. Maine mountains are as great as Maine camps.
Horse friends end up showing together in the Mid West

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally it was such a treat to spend non camp, social time with our girls , an added bonus was seeing the younger and older sisters of those invited and of course our awesome camp parents.  The Runoia community is truly a large family, we show up for each other and celebrate all that we individually are.

Our Camp Runoia alumnae  also love getting together and have spring  gatherings coming up.   March 31st in Boston and April 7th in DC.  It is a great opportunity to share camp stories and fellowship.  It really doesn’t matter what years you were at camp or if you even know the other women attending.  The spirit of Camp Runoia transcends the generations and the connections, traditions,  songs and stories are common to all.

PA gathering with “Runoia Gals”

Camp is not only about having amazing summers together on Great Pond, we truly hope that our girls will remain friends long into adulthood and will share many other lifetime experiences and memory making opportunities together. As the Runoia song says ‘camp friends for long days old friends for always.’

Maine the way life should be

Posted on by Alex

So you just dropped the kids off at overnight camp in Maine now what?  Three or four weeks with no children to entertain can be liberating.   If you are not jetting off to Europe or racing back to work, you may want to enjoy the local area at least for a few days.  With the tag line ‘Vacationland’ Maine is the perfect place to be in the summer so why not extend your camp drop off or pick up trip and have a few days of relaxation and vacation time before heading back south.

With a myriad of things to do or not do Maine provides opportunity for everyone,  from the outdoor enthusiast to those that love nothing more than a beautiful view and a good book.  With places that are great to take the kids and places to just have some quality adult time, Maine really does have it all.  Here is a brief snap shot of some of our favorite places to visit.

In the summers E.B. White spent time writing on the shores of Great Pond – we have the ‘White House’ at Runoia.

 

Local to Camp Runoia

The beautiful and peaceful Belgrade Lakes region has all of the quintessential charm of lake life.  Renting a cottage on one of the large and quiet lakes is a perfectly relaxing choice.  The village hosts a number of interesting curio type shops and some great food experiences.  Days Stores has everything you never knew you needed including Lakeside Scoops Ice Cream.  Our friend Shari is always cooking up a storm at Hello Good Pie – it’s not just pie! and the Village Inn is also an excellent dining option.  Ranked best public course in Maine and with a world class view the Belgrade Lakes golf course is worth a round.  Spend a few days hanging out in the local area and you’ll be feeling relaxed and rejuvenated  in no time.

Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park

A little further afield but worth the drive up 95, the bustling coastal town of Bar Harbor is a great place to stay and check Maine’s National Park off your ‘must see’ list.  From car camping to deluxe accommodations, hiking to scenic drives there is something for everyone.  Acadia’s Mt Cadillac boasts the earliest sunrise in the US and we are pretty fond of biking on the carriage trails around the park.

Disclaimer you really can’t get a lobster for 99c these days!

Portland – Foodie City

If you don’t have time for a long stay and are heading back south as soon as drop off is done at least take time to stop for a bite to eat in Portland.  The little city of the east coast has fast become a food haven with so many choices everyone will be happy.  Got a little more time? Shop the Old Port, take a stroll at the most photographed lighthouse – the Portland Head Light, take the ferry out to Peaks Island or visit one of the many attractions in town the Victoria Mansion and Museum of Art are always popular.

This is obviously just a few of the spectacular Maine opportunities.  Hopefully on the way too and from Camp Runoia you will have time to enjoy our great state. Still need inspiration? We have a Pinterest board for that!

We can’t wait to see you this summer.