best camp ever Archives - Page 13 of 14

Camp Anticipation

Posted on June 10, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

I am nervous there are butterflies in my stomach, my nights are often sleepless and I start my days in great anticipation. It is almost time for camp! I have spent the whole year since the end of last August preparing for this. The stage is set and I eagerly anticipate the curtains opening.

The days become a blur with long hours both in the office and out on site. We are preparing, checking, double checking, chasing down information, finishing up the last projects and filling the waiting with work.

Even though I have done this many times it is always so new, so exciting and just a little nerve wracking. I will be met with a new audience while some faces are the same the mix is different. Will I recognize returning faces? Will the lake be warm? Will all run smoothly? Will the sun shine? Can we meet the promises that we have sold to families and to our new staff?

I am confident in Runoia’s ability to run smoothly like a well-oiled machine. We live for and store up our energy for this – the summer season when it truly is camp time. Maine is looking beautiful and ready for it’s summer campers and their families.

Bring it on it’s going to be awesome and we are going to totally make the Runoia dream team for 2015 a reality!

What is a #runoiagal?

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

By Kyleigh

A #Runoiagal – She is adventurous, but cautious. She is intelligent and she is full of inquisition. She loves to laugh. She likes to explore. She appreciates herself. She cares for the world and her family and friends.

In just a few short weeks, we are going to welcome “home” many experienced Runoia Gals and many new.

Together we will make magic happen!

Here is a poem written from one of the youngest campers this year at Runoia. She is beyond excited to come to camp and meet new friends, try new activities, gain autonomy in her physical and emotional abilities. And she is beyond excited to smell the moss and kiss the horses!

I thought I saw nothing…

But it might have been something.

I saw something blue,

But it could also be black

With big white clouds

All the blue connects

Big Beautiful sky!

Where birds fly everyday

I thought I saw nothing…

but it might have been something.

Trees swaying in the wind

The wind smells like the moss and flowers

I am the forest!

Big beautiful forest!

Where birds rest in nests every day.

Here is to all the Runoia Gals that ever have been and ever will be!

Meet the staff

Posted on May 1, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

A guest blog by Morgan Price

My name is Morgan and I will be the girl who runs around camp taking pictures, updating our social media sites, blogging about all of your exciting adventures and activities and helping with event planning! You will almost always see me in my bright colored, monogrammed hats.

A little about me: I am from Marietta, Georgia- right outside of Atlanta. I am finishing up my sophomore year at Georgia College and State University with a major in Marketing. I am highly involved on campus and have served a few different positions for my sorority Zeta Tau Alpha. At school I live in a house with thirteen girls and love it! I have two sisters, a twin sister and a twelve year old sister. I love shopping, exploring, traveling, cooking and dancing. I can teach you how to make an awesome friendship bracelet and love making crazy costumes!

Even though this is my very first summer spent at a sleep away camp, I am so excited for camp to start and I hope y’all are as ready for it as I am. I purchased my bright pink duffle bag and I am already shopping and packing for everything I need for camp. While Georgia isn’t exactly across the world, I am still excited to travel 1300 miles to see the beautiful state of Maine that I have heard so much about.

A “Little Life Lesson” from me:

Sing Loud, Sing Proud; dance like nobody is watching; and try everything!

I will openly tell you I am one of the worst singers to ever walk the planet, but that doesn’t stop me from singing. I love to sing even though I am not as talented as Taylor Swift I give it my best shot. Remember this when you are getting ready to sign up for activities each week. Camp Runoia offers many activities from Archery to Windsurfing and everything you can imagine in between. Just because you may not be the best at something does not mean you shouldn’t sign up for that as an activity!

Always remember “the best thing to hold onto in life is each other”- Audrey Hepburn

Love Morgan

A moment in time.

Posted on April 27, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

Vernal pools temporary yet essential.

As the snow finally melts here in Maine and we transition into what is often a short spring there are many new and temporary delights to be found. Around camp where the water is pooling in depressions or a small stream has widened on its way down to Great Pond you can now see vernal pools. While they will likely be long gone by the time the campers arrive for the moment they provide a temporary habitat for the creatures emerging from the winter. Although vernal pools may only contain water for a relatively short period of time, they serve as essential breeding habitat for certain species of Maine wildlife, including salamanders and frogs. The air at night is now loudly filled with the noise of spring peepers and wood frogs that are quickly mating and laying eggs before the pools dry up.

This time of year is energizing and engaging, we see signs that summer will soon be here and still have a quiet moment to enjoy the beautiful environment around us. How fortunate we are that Ms. Weiser and Ms. Pond found the perfect spot for Runoia amidst the tall, shady, pine trees. Much of our property is in a tree farm easement which allows us to keep the natural habitat available for all of our local wildlife.

While individual people’s time at Runoia may be temporary we are grateful to all who have stepped through the gates and left their mark on our camp. The vision of our founders and those that have preserved Runoia as a camp along with all of our girls and counselors breed the memories that will be preserved for a lifetime. The summer of 2015 like a vernal pool or lunar moth will exist for only a short moment in time yet will grow the spirit of Runoia for generations to come.

Camp and 21st Century skills

Posted on April 15, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

21^st century skills

There is a lot of buzz particular in schools but also in the wider community about kids reaching adulthood prepared for their future. There is a need for youth to be skilled enough to navigate the world into which they will be employed and living. These so called ‘21^st century skills’ will hopefully enable a young person to gain the greatest potential success in their life and will be sought by both higher education institutions and employers.

Summer camps have been watching this trendy terminology with a happy glint in their eye as the intentional learning that we provide every day in a safe and fun environment fits right into this model. Camps can easily argue that they can complement the developmental components of 21^st century skills in an environment that varies so greatly from school that it allows for more and varied success. Camps are not just a somewhat expensive commodity that either provides child care or a ‘fun’ way to spend the summer, they are learning environments where children don’t even realize they are engaging with skill development.

Camps often work hard to convince parents that first and foremost their children will be safe and secondly that they are providing good value for money in the skills that campers leave with.

Often parents may focus on hard skills – did their child get better at tennis or swimming? It is the camp benefits that are perhaps less tangible which meet the 21^st century skill set, a deeper appreciation for nature, the ability to build relationships and make connections, greater independence, more resilience (it does rain at camp sometimes!).

We are proud to be actively promoting 21^st century skills and look forward to sharing more moments of learning with our girls this summer. Camp Runoia building lifelong skills.

Encourage in Four Words

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

Today’s trending topic on Twitter is #EncourageEveryoneIn4Words or in four words: Encourage in Four Words. With a definition of “Offer up a few words (four to be exact) to give your friends a little extra boost.”

We can think of a lot of ways camp gives people an extra boost but here is one of our favorites:

And a timeless award winning four word bit of happiness:

But when you think about it, if we thought of camp itself in these sound bites, what would be say:

Camp Gives Children Lifeskills

Campers Make Great People (substitute: Workers, Parents, Partners, Co-Workers, Citizens, Businesswomen, Scientists, Thinkers – the list goes on and on).

Encourage everyone in four words is a fun way to start the week. We are big fans that something so small has to do with encouragement. We also know that leads to people being clever and funny and silly and smart and taking it all to another level. We like that, too! Why not?

The bigger question we leave you with is “what four words would you use to encourage?”

Have Fun With It!

A journey to camp

Posted on February 22, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

Is it a torch or a flashlight?

Perhaps the greatest adventure of my life was my first trip to the US. I had just finished my second year of college and having spent the previous summer living back at home and working retail full time had I was in search of a different opportunity. Luckily my college was a big early proponent of ‘abroad’ experiences and the being a ‘camp counselor at American summer camp’ was a popular choice for sports science majors.

I have vivid memories of the planning, packing and journey. Remember this was back in the dark ages before the internet so I had little clue what the place looked like and had honestly never heard of Maine! My entire knowledge of American culture had been absorbed from the limited US TV shows on British television. It was likely some combination of ‘Fame’ and ‘Starskey and Hutch’! This was also before the time of the super Walmart and I thought I needed to pack every item I could possibly need for the next 3 months in my human sized backpack it never dawned on me I could shop when I got there!

I was giddy with enthusiasm, met a random girl who was working at the same camp at the airport and headed out into the wide blue yonder.

What a trip it has been! While I have traveled to many countries and had many experiences that trip to the US was truly a life changer.

Now over 20 years later summer camp has become my career, the journey has taken many twists and turns and I have met so many amazing and interesting people along the way. I could never have imagined that I would have ended up living and raising my children in Maine.

Having the courage to take the first step of the journey can lead you to places you never imagined. Be daring and go for it.

Happy what?

Posted on January 4, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

Merry Birthday

Kids Birthdays and the Holidays are a challenge for any parent. Believe me not only have I lived through my own childhood experience of always having an Easter Birthday (which for the record is a 2 week school break in the UK!) I now have to navigate my sons New Year’s Day Birthday celebrations.

Things that stink:

There is no mail!! How can you get a pile of cards or parcels when the mail isn’t delivered?

There is some kind of party other than yours going on that everyone gets to go to.

People forget as they are so busy with the Holidays.

People are away on vacation therefore you are challenged to get party attendees – “oh we can come if we are not at the mountain”!

You get doubled up gifts ‘this is for Christmas and your Birthday.’

With a Birthday near Christmas the house is already saturated with new stuff so getting more a week later lacks the magic it would do on some random date in June.

As I parent I try to make it as special as possible, I make sure all of the Christmas decorations are down and we make an effort to do Birthday decorations and balloons. We get a different surprise not just a leftover off the Santa list gift. There is a party of some kind with whoever can make it and we really try to make it a special day.

Camp birthday’s fall into the not quite your average Birthday celebration category.

Awesome things that happen on camp Birthdays:

170+ people sing to you!

People take time to make you stuff like cards and friendship bracelets.

Everyone has to come to the party and dress up in crazy costumes.

There is a Birthday song known only to Runoia people.

You get to parade around an entire dining hall showing off your cake

You likely get to celebrate again when you get home.

However you celebrate your Birthday we hope it’s always got ‘cake with candles on top’ I dare someone to try putting them on the bottom!

Elf time!

Posted on December 18, 2014October 18, 2016 by Alex

Elf on the Shelf – not for the under 10 readers!

There have been lots of commentaries in the mass media about the Elf on the Shelf love it or hate it the under 10 crowd all know what it’s about and it is a very present part of many people’s Holiday build up.

Here’s how it works at our house:

The Elves – yup we have 2 my kids are not the best sharers and we had an old one from Grammy so the retro version showed up too! For the record 2 Elves can get into way more trouble than one.

Timing – they show up whenever Santa remembers to send them! They have been found once or twice hiding out in the tote boxes that we store decorations in, imagine that silly elves.

Names – um yeah about that place in the back of the book where you are supposed to write the names that your oh so adorable toddlers made up – epic fail!

Busted – Luckily their much older sister must have gotten in so late that the elves were scared off from their flight to the North Pole and waited until Mum was at the Post Office!

Pintrest and other parent shaming social sharing sites – I avoid them like the plague and look for links like ‘25 easy things to do with your elf’

Lying – Many parents constantly lie to their kids its part of the deal to enhance and preserve the innocence of childhood and create a little grown up magic in a world that is sometimes pretty tough!

Behavior – a lot of the diatribe on the internet revolves around the moral implications of threatening small children that the elves are going to report to Santa about bad behavior and they will ultimately get coal in their stocking. Luckily my kids are always angels and behave perfectly at all times so we never have to use this threat.

Fun – I think it is totally fun and I love my kids waking up and hunting down the elves laughing at their antics and discussing if they really can see hot glue holding their heads on.

If you’re going to do the Easter Bunny, Santa or the Tooth Fairy then a little Elf magic certainly can’t hurt can it?

It would be kind of fun if they showed up at Camp Runoia.

More reading about those loveable elves is available for endless hours on the www
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/12/16/the-elf-on-the-shelf-is-preparing-your-child-to-live-in-a-future-police-state-professor-says/

http://www.elfontheshelf.com/

https://www.facebook.com/elfontheshelf

The Center of Camp

Posted on November 29, 2014October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

In the center of camp is a special place. Its hub endures the hustle and bustle of camp’s daily flow. We greet it with the pattering of feet as we fall out from flag raising and it shudders at the end of the day as milk gets spilled upon its floors and crackers crumble into happy mouths. We sing and fill the rafters with graces, bobos and birthday songs.

Celebrating Birthdays - a Tradition! — Celebrating Birthdays – a Tradition!

Where else besides cabins do we spend two and a half hours almost every day with an assorted group of random people? Where else could you find thousands of red and white flowered and plain squares? Like a silent movie, benches and chairs get moved in and out, up on top of tables and down again. It is only furniture but it’s furniture that fills its innards with substance and fortitude.

Probably the person who spent the most time within its screened walls was Johnny. For 54 summers Marion “Johnny” Johnson sat regally reigning from the corner by the flagpole. To date, some of her special sayings are shared in that very same corner. Betty’s Table became, and still is, an icon of good manners, quietly closing doors, trying new foods and cleaning plates. Counselors who return to camp for a couple years adopt their own table and create their own legacies with the campers who share meals around them.

Betty and Diane raised their newborn children under her eaves. Alex, K and other camp parents (and in 2014 Jai and Gines raise their respective little ones) over the summers have done the same. Campers have laughed, cried, screamed, and shrieked with delight amidst the pine paneling. The hum of the water cooler adorned with the magically changing poster provides a watering hole for many. Each corner has its own echo, each it’s own feeling. Late night sardines has been played in all the nooks and crannies. Dances and casino halls, specialty restaurants and rainy day games have transformed her façade at times. Snacks, studying for JMG, package surprises, the mail bag, counselors’ coffee and board games have all been part of its personality. On its walls, some over 100 years old, banners and posters, signs and memorabilia hang to be seen by all. It is the epicenter of our daily sustenance, the Mother Ship of our excursions, the source of many good times and tastes.

The 2006 Log is dedicated to the Dining Hall, to all its bumps and leaks and all its glory.