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Camp Runoia leadership team

Posted on May 11, 2016October 18, 2016 by Alex

Meet the leaders of the 2016 ‘Magic Makers’ staff team .

Jennifer Dresdow

Hello Camp Runoia 2016! I live in Fort Wayne, IN with my husband, Wes, and my daughter, Natalie, along with our dog, Ein, our cat, The Dude, a cast of hermit crabs, and one of our camp horses, Ditto. August to May, I work at an elementary school organizing all things related to Title I. I also coach an Interscholastic Equestrian Team and teach riding lessons. Natalie has grown into a competent rider and we stay busy all winter competing all over the Midwest.

Natalie and I will be returning to Runoia for our seventh summer this year. The community created each summer by the staff and campers, as well as the beautiful setting, keep us coming back each year. At Runoia, my primary role is Equestrian Director, maintaining our quality of our riding program. I am grateful to be able to share my passion for horses with our campers each summer. I also work with Alex in the program office with scheduling, tag up, transportation, and all the other fun bits and pieces that happen behind the scenes. Looking forward to seeing everyone at camp next month! On opening days, I hope you’ll come visit the horses at the barn and meet the riding team at the Runoia stables!

Jeannie Fleming-Gifford,

Hello Runoia! I am traveling from Cleveland, OH to be part of the Runoia Magic Makers team this summer. I wrote a blog for Runoia about how this all came about! You can see read it here:

I am the Director of Education and Lead Director of a non-profit, arts education organization that engages 1400 students weekly in music, dance, theatre and visual arts. I have a BA in Music (French Horn) and MA in Child Development. I have a love of animals and have been involved in raising guide dog pups for over 10 years. Other passions of mine include running, yoga, creative writing and any other adventures that can be found outside. This summer I look forward to supporting the counselors in the Senior End of camp (cabins 5, 6,7) to be the best they can be at Runoia and to have a good time with your daughter. Additionally, I am the Director of Arts at Runoia supporting the team in all ten art activities including: pottery, crafts, basket weaving, wood burning, stained glass, batik, wood working, photography and theatre! Fortunately there are a lot of returning, seasoned staff who can help me learn the ropes and get up to speed on all things Runoia! I look forward to meeting you on opening days in Senior End!

Alex Jackson

It’s my 21^st summer season at Camp Runoia. There is no place else I would rather be working and raising my family. I work year round hiring staff, developing program and managing many aspects of Camp Runoia. With a dedicated eye to safety I love American Camp Association standards (keeping camp physically and emotionally safe for campers, staff and animals) and developing protocols and operating procedures. Pam and I work year round together running camp and although I work at my home office I get to camp as often as I can. 04918 is my happy place! In my spare time I can be found out and about in Maine, skiing, hiking and enjoying time with my kids. I sing with a local women’s chorus and I am often found volunteering my time for local organizations. At camp I am in charge of the schedules and day to day program operations. When the opportunity arises you will find me teaching at the lake or on the ropes course or wrangling some chickens!

Jai Kells

I am one of the assistant directors at camp. This will be my 5th year working at camp, and my 16th summer at Runoia! During the off-season I am at home with my kids, Molly (7), Sawyer (4.5) and Frannie (4months). I can’t wait to get the whole gang up there in just about 5 weeks! During the summer I help support the oldest camper area called Senior Village. I also oversee the kitchen at Runoia. I’m looking forward to working with our new chef, Leighann Davis, who plans to keep the same menu (don’t worry Runoia foodies!) and only make it better! please email me Jai@runoia.com with any food allergies or concerns. My husband, Jesse, comes up on weekends and integrates himself into camp usually on the basket ball courts, at the waterfront and playing guitar around camp. Last summer Jesse and I received our Lifeguard Training certification so we can be more helpful on the waterfront. In my “free time” I enjoy trying new recipes, exploring vegetarian cooking and cooking for family and friends and doing cross-fit work outs and running, and reading about 4 pages before I fall asleep into my book at night. 😉 I can’t wait to see you soon!

Kelly Sandman

I moved to Maine from Ohio last spring. This will be my third summer at Runoia. This year I have the privilege of teaching stained glass and filling in wherever else I’m needed, as adaptability and facilitation are two of my super powers. I identify as a builder in many forms: woodworking, building construction, sewing, stained glass, etc. I enjoy adventures, sports, and activities of all kinds, including acting in local theater, yoga, cycling, volunteering at a woodworking school where I’m enrolled for a class this fall, and playing badminton (especially with Ted, he’s a ringer). I am ever in search of new adventures and experiences, and I look forward to being a part of everyone’s summer adventure and to you being a part of mine!

Barb St Peter

My name is Barb and this will be my seventh summer at Runioa. The past few summers I have directed the Counselor in Training program and this summer I will be the Head of Junior End where the youngest campers live. My role is to help support counselors to do their job with confidence and enthusiasm! When I am not at camp I work full time in a grade 3-5 special education classroom at an elementary school in Old Town, Maine. I am also taking classes at Husson University to get my teaching certification. In the winter I work at Sugarloaf ski resort both in the fitness center and at The Bag and Kettle restaurant. When I have free time I like to downhill ski and spend time with my two nieces, one is almost four and one just 15 months.

Pam Cobb Heuberger

I am delighted to be working with this amazing Runoia team of administrative staff at Runoia. Their dedication to camp is contagious throughout the staff. Alex and I direct camp year round and many of the administrative team volunteer their time in the off-season to meet, attend conferences and collaborate with us. Runoia couldn’t be the camp it is with all these people PLUS others who aren’t even listed in this intro. Over my 30 years at Runoia, I’ve found people to be at the center of success. Sure, we have great program, quality equipment, safe facilities and more, but the individuals that make up the team are who pushes us from good to great!

My role in the off-season is to connect with new and returning families, support our alumnae group, facilitate long range planning, work with Alex on managing camp business and I oversee all the off season departments of camp. In the summer, I am involved in the daily running of camp and see your daughters every day – many times a day. I love being there when they are smiling and achieving as well as when they need a hug or a chance to problem solve with someone.

I am thrilled to have my daughter, Jai, return for her fifth summer and especially thrilled that she brings my three granddaughters to camp! My husband, Mark, is instrumental in consulting about Camp Runoia’s site and facilities, waterfront programming, tending the fruit trees and gardens. He works as a consultant in the Enviromental and Safety industry and attempts to free up his summer for camp whenever possible. During camp Mark loves to see the girls grow over the time they are at camp. The past two summers he has supervised the waterfront at Runoia and prior to that the sailing and waterski programs. Mark has trained his replacements and will be checking with them periodically this summer to uphold his standards of quality and excellence! Together, we are thrilled to greet you on opening days and welcome you and your daughters to our 110^th continuous summer of Camp Runoia!

Six Degrees of Camp Runoia

Posted on May 3, 2016October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Rushing to get to work I stepped on an ottoman, which immediately flipped. I landed on my neck and face causing spinal injuries in two neck disks. Ending up at Maine Medical Center and looking at neurosurgery was not a fun experience. My neurosurgeon was confident it was an easy fix and so I relied on his expertise. A week of hospitalization, rehab and five weeks of a neck brace followed.

Happily I am back at work, regaining my stamina and beginning to feel like myself again. A huge thanks to all who helped me though the experience and my surgeon who happens to have the good judgment to be a Camp Runoia Dad!

This note was written by our camp nurse of almost two decades. Kathy Dishner volunteers every summer still with check in and her husband, Ted, is returning for his sixth summer as Head of Target Sports and Woodshop. Both of their daughters attended Runoia as children and worked at camp as counselors. Thank you Dishner family for your generosity toward Runoia, your belief in camp and your contributions to camp every summer. Kathy, we are so glad you are healthy and healing from your spill and that your surgeon was a Runoia parent! It is a small world indeed.

Six degrees of separation is a reference that we only ever six people away from someone we are interacting with (a friend of a friend type thing). There’s also a decent movie that’s a comedy about the subject titled, you guessed it, Six Degrees of Separation.

We used to laugh at Baynie, one of our long time alumna who knew everyone in the world and whenever you met someone they knew her or knew of her and/or she knew of them. As Runoia’s name continues to build cache through its 110 years, we truly believe six degrees of separation from Camp Runoia is a real thing.

Risk taking

Posted on March 30, 2016October 18, 2016 by Alex

This week I took a giant risk for my family. It was a spur of the moment decision forced by a series of events that led me to take the leap. I briefly weighed the pros and cons and decided that there was nothing to lose so I forged ahead. If it works out there will be a few major obstacles to overcome but the rewards will be worth it, if nothing comes of it then life will continue as it currently does and truly other than about $40 nothing will have been lost.

Risk taking is part of human nature, as a species we enjoy learning from our own experiences and living in the moments when we are challenging ourselves. Taking risks is something we all do every day, some risks are measured and undertaken with great clarity and hope of a positive end result others are more reckless and can lead to potentially negative consequences. Being able to judge the difference is a critical life skill.

As an adult my previous risk taking history helped me to gauge whether or not this current risk is worth talking. Fortunately children have adults to guide them in their choices and steer them from choices that would result in disaster. It is advantageous to their development if we are able to provide our children with the opportunity to take measured risks. Children benefit from challenging themselves and their own decision making. Much is learned by trying and succeeding but we also learn from trying and failing.

Camp provides endless opportunity for safe risk taking in both emotional and physical forums. You can reach out to a new friend, literally take the ‘Leap of Absolute Faith’ on the ropes course intentionally capsize your boat to practice your own self rescue skills, try new food, act in a play, try to reach the top of a mountain and so the list goes on.

Our campers at Runoia are encouraged to take on new challenges and are of course fully supported by caring adults, safety procedures and a community that is looking out for them. Through their adventures at overnight camp girls can gain life skills. The decision making processes that they develop will help them to weigh the pros and cons of future risks that will inevitably challenge them.

Overnight camp is a risk worth taking.

That is So Cool; Camp Runoia – Style!

Posted on March 22, 2016October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

“Wow! That is so cool. Where did you learn to make that?”

Upon being asked, you reply, “ Camp Runoia”.

With great pride, you show off your stained glass, woven basket, or wooden box–just a few of the art projects possible at Runoia.

For many years, Camp Runoia has provided campers with a unique and exciting visual arts program which continues to flourish. The days of summer are filled with inspiring opportunities, allowing girls to find their inner talents, regardless of age or skill. Think back to your first time you finished a basket and stood on the rock and heard the shouts of “BASKET WEAVING SHOW OFF TIME.” Remember when you showed up at dinner wearing earrings you personally designed. How did it feel when you learned to wood burn and created a beautiful image of a loon on the box you made in woodworking?

This summer, I encourage you to tag up for a visual art project at Camp Runoia–perhaps one that may seem challenging or time consuming. You will be surprised to find

Make a Basket - a Runoia Keepsake! — Make a Basket – a Runoia Keepsake!

that you have talents waiting to be discovered. You will also learn a few things about other campers in the activity and perhaps find a new friend. The very best part is that you will have an object to keep as a memory of your summer or a special surprise gift for someone you know. More links to arts and Runoia programs are here.

I am very excited for you to discover the many visual art opportunities around camp. You will be amazed at the artwork created by fellow campers as well as yourself. Just think of what your friends back home will say when you show them the art project you made at summer camp!

By Jeanne S. – returning to weave baskets with you second session 2016!

Camp ready or not?

Posted on March 16, 2016October 18, 2016 by Alex

Can you believe my son will be 9 this summer and to the shock of many of my camp colleagues he will not be heading off to overnight camp. There are no shortage of options and many boys camp directors ready to welcome him through their gate but he just isn’t ready. I am honestly not even sure that camp is ever going to be his thing only time will tell. He feels like his summer is already perfect why would he want anything different? We spend the school year challenging the routine and structure of school so ‘camp’ to him is his time to chill out and free range.

I committed a long time ago to not forcing my children to be campers just because it was my job. My oldest daughter did a variety of programs most in NYC and she ended up on staff at a dance camp located on a ritzy college campus about as far from the Maine woods as you can get! My youngest daughter can’t wait to be full summer in a cabin at Runoia. She is definitely ready and excited for this next step. As for Ri you’ll find him digging in mud puddles, picking blue berries, building sandcastles and living life to the max at ‘his’ camp.

This year at Runoia we are excited to introduce Harmony Land Camp. It is a shorter, self-contained program to give some girls the opportunity to try camp life and being away from home. As we know kids grow and develop at all different speeds and they are camp ‘ready’ at their own time. Helping parents figure out if it is their daughter’s camp time is something that we love to do.

We still have a few openings for the 2016 season so if you are pondering camp for your daughter give us a call.

Traditional books

Posted on February 18, 2016October 18, 2016 by Alex

Reading aloud, a classic Runoia tradition

At camp we love the tradition of reading a book out loud to campers at night in the shacks before lights out. I am sure that like it is at Runoia, story time is a revered part of the day in many homes. As my children have aged the density of the books and length of reading time has significantly increased. What was once a pile of picture books that took maybe 5-10 minutes to read through is now at least a 30 minute sojourn into a hefty novel.

Even with kids of different ages and interests we often hit on a book that everyone wants to listen to. After finding a pile of old Nancy Drew books in the Runoia library we have recently traveled down a path of reading older children’s literature. This not not only stimulates our imaginations as we read about places far beyond out imaginations but these books also generate many interesting conversations about life for children in ‘the olden days.’

Here are some of our recent favorites with our ‘what were they thinking observations and questions?!’

Enid Blyton was a favorite author of my childhood. We had these books shipped over from England so that my kids could enjoy them too.

“I mean really Mum, like you would let us go traipsing all over the countryside with just a basket of sandwiches.” “You probably shouldn’t climb giant trees without telling your parents what you are up to”

“Mum if we were gone for a whole day and had just vanished you’d call the police right?”

“Wow there is no chance I’d be traveling on a boat by myself from India to New York if I were only 12 years old!”

“I think if I went adventuring I certainly wouldn’t be wearing a pretty dress. She really should wear jeans.”

We would love to know what you are reading. We will be looking for suggestions for the Runoia summer book club in the Spring.

Enjoy curling up with a good book and don’t forget to make it more fun by reading aloud with your family or friends. You never know how it will stimulate conversations and your own imaginations.

My Home Away from Home – Erin Lasher

Posted on February 10, 2016October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

I have spent ten summers of my life at Runoia. I grew up there, and made some of the most amazing memories. Camp is not just a place anymore for me, it is a feeling of home. This past summer as I drove myself to camp for the first time I realized how much I had grown up. For the first time I was driving myself to a place that I called home, instead of having my family drive me, but as I was sitting in the car I realized that I was not going to be away from my family at all. I was returning to the family that I got to choose.

Pam and Alex have been in my life since I was 8 years old. They are my moms and they definitely had a hand in raising me. Camp was not just a place for me to learn activities, and later teach them, but a place for me to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be. I loved every activity at camp, and it is amazing to say that I made the basket that now sits on my desk, but the things I hold most dear are those that were outside of activities.

The things that you don’t even realize that you are learning are at times more valuable than the known skills, things like sharing a room, becoming a leader, asking for help, being able to laugh at yourself, and being independent. I still remember my Mom driving my sister and I to camp for the first time all those years ago. I was only nine years old and absolutely terrified. That summer I became known to Alex as the one who cried, and she, along with the rest of camp, made Runoia feel like home by the end. I ended up signing up for camp for the next six years, and then became a CIT and a counselor. I bet neither Pam nor Alex could have expected that the scared little girl they held that day would end up being there for the next decade.

At 20 years old I have spent half of my life at camp. I have laughed, cried, and made the best friendships imaginable. I can proudly say that I have Runoia sisters all over the world. I was even lucky enough to be able to visit them while I was living in Europe last semester. They were a little bit of home for me, and I was so fortunate to be able to visit them in their own countries. At camp I found family, and learned lessons that I am still discovering. Over ten years being a part of the Runoia family is incredible, and I have made friends that I will hopefully keep for the rest of my life. Being able to have the opportunity to be a camper and a counselor was amazing and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for my home away from home.

Camp Runoia community partnerships in action

Posted on February 4, 2016October 18, 2016 by Alex

Our Community Partnerships

We are very lucky to have in our local area some great organizations that fit well with Camp Runoia’s mission and philosophy. These local groups are always willing to support our camp program and share their expertise and knowledge with our staff and campers. There are many benefits to be gained by enhancing our regular camp program utilizing local expertise.

Through the Maine Lakes Resource Center in Belgrade Lakes we have had the benefit of nature experts on our local area hikes. They also provide educators to talk about Maine’s natural history and provide some great Chewonki animal presentations that our younger campers attend. It is a great place to stop by if you are in town.

The Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance provides us with access to a great deal of local land in conservation easement. With a focus on water quality and watershed protection we are happy to learn from them about preserving the fantastic quality of our lake and are proud owners of the Lake Smart award.

Hardy Girls Healthy Women based in nearby Waterville is dedicated to the health and well being of girls and women. Pam has previously served on the board for HGHW helping to ensure that all girls, everywhere get the best empowerment opportunities. HGHW has designed a curriculum specifically to use with girls at camp.

The partnerships go both ways; our CIT’S volunteer at the kids table for Lake Day, we support lake protection initiatives and milfoil eradication work and do as much as we can to engage with securing the future of our local area.

Partnerships make our community stronger and help our girls to feel more connected to the place that is their summer home away from home.

The perfect Camp Runoia picture

Posted on January 21, 2016October 18, 2016 by Alex

I spend a lot of time looking through Camp Runoia photographs. Not just the thousands on the hard drive from this summer but many from previous years and even ‘real’ photos from our archives that are not digitally available.

We use camp photographs for many different reasons but mostly to share the message of Runoia.

So what makes the perfect photo? Is it a happy smiling face? a shot of two girls arm in arm walking down a path? a beautiful sunset over the lake? or a campfire close up?

Depending on the purpose there are 100’s of shots that could be deemed ‘perfect.’

On any given day for any given reason the perfect photograph speaks to the heart and captures the soul of Runoia.

Some of the time while searching I get distracted and just enjoy looking at the memories that each snap catches. reminders of the people the place and the fun that we get up to at camp.

More often it turns out that the perfect shot isn’t on film but is stored in our hearts and minds. The photograph is just a perfect reminder.

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” Ansel Adams

Posted on December 28, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

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