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Minutes and Moments at Camp Runoia

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Pam Cobb

Today is a landmark day at camp. Harmony Land Camp – mini session for our 7 & 8 year olds ended. We all wished them a fond farewell and “See ya next year”. We are 10 days into our summer season and girls have fully arrived at camp. They know their routines and have made connections. There is laughter and song that floats around. We are sharing minutes together and lots of moments, too.

I’m in the Runoia Lodge. It’s free time in camp. Someone is playing the theme song to Dr. Zhivago on the piano. A few girls are discovering blueberries in the bushes. Others are playing gaga-ball together. I see a stream of campers walking up together from the beach from optional recreational “rec” swim. I can hear the bounce of the basketball as campers take shots on the court outside the Lodge.

Part of camp are the activities and part is the community, the connection to a place bigger than yourself. This week, trips went out to the Maine coast, to Saddleback and Umbagog Lake, one camper has passed her American Archer level – the highest rank. Pots are being thrown, baskets made, horses ridden – and some girls went to a horseshow. Swimming lessons are helping girls build skills… YES!

Lots is happening here at camp and yet the essence could be summed up in free time and goodnights. Here are some notes from directors this week as they took a moment to take in the end of the day:

Opening night: “Goodnights” went well tonight. Everyone was happily tucked in their beds.

Day two: All was well in harmony land! 6^th and 7^th were bouncing off walls it was all good and they settled down. Senior Village was respectfully in bed. Yay!

Day 3: Junior End was good. No tears. Special shout out to their counselor who was leading circle up in 3rd shack. She was asking campers about their favorite words and why. They had wonderful words (unique, different, unicorn, imagination, etc.) and their thoughtfulness was sweet. 6th shack was deep in conversation about respect. Counselors did a good job of facilitating the conversation and getting all voices heard. Relationships are building there – between all. Another counselor arrived just as lights were going to go out. She was greeted with much love from these girls. Sweetness.

Day 4: 7th shack was once again loud on my way down to Sr. end. I went to them first to ask them to bring the volume down. They did, but then it went up again, but settled finally. Ocho was smooth and quiet and content. SV was still all circled up and a bit rowdy tonight:) All went to their beds, lights off, good nights, but I could hear giggles and more talking as I headed up the path.

Day 6: Someone in one shack having hard time settling as she misplaced flashlight. We found a solution and all seemed well. Tears have diminished around camp as campers are settlin

g into a nice camp routine.

Day 8: Lots of tired girls last night 🙂 everyone seemed great.

7th shack were having a circle to address some issues. One new girl gave another a big hug before bed which was super cute. SV had some bonding time watching the sunset at the waterfront and were in bed when I left. The moon was lovely 🙂

Day 9: From cabins 5, 6 and 7: Wonderful sharing in Shack 5 from their trip adventures. Anna was sooooo excited for her 13th birthday tomorrow and friends in shack were busy working on poster after lights went out. 6 was just happy and a bit silly. 7 had one party corner, but mostly all settled in. Ocho was quiet, quiet, quiet with many girls already asleep. SV was good. Energetic, chatty and happy, but good. Rae and Emma also in good spirits. In one of the shacks they have devised a memo transport service that is quite amusing. Played “taps” for them and they all cheered – made my heart smile and wonderful way to finish off good nights.

As we journey on into the summer, we look forward to the traditions and the moments. As our friend Niambi says, “Minutes disappear after they happen; Moments last a lifetime.”

Perseverance Builds Lifeskills at Camp Runoia

Posted on April 11, 2017April 11, 2017 by Pam Cobb

After watching the final round of the PGA Masters tournament, all I could think of was “that’s serious perseverance”. Sergio Garcia had played in over 70 Major PGA events and finally won his first Major on April 9. He was graced with the iconic green jacket and history was in the books.

You can probably see where I’m going with this but one thing you do not know about me as the owner and director of Camp Runoia… I’m married to a sports fanatic. He put the “fan” in fanatic. That means a lot of conversation comes up about all major sports events daily. There is always a sport in season. And although we don’t watch much TV, you can guarantee there is a sports game on any night you want to watch. Spring is an exciting season in the pro world because as baseball starts, NHL hockey is in the final games and NBA is in the semi finals. #nonstopsports We actually met each other over pro sports so I’m pretty enthusiastic about sports, too. (add horse events and all women’s pro teams!).

But back to Senor Garcia. Ah-maze-ing. Tied at the end of four days of battling for the win, led to a “playoff” at the Masters. Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia, best friends after playing over 20 years together, they tied to finish. The whole story is akin to mythology. Anyway, in the end Sergio persevered. That’s the real story. Seventy three tries at winning a major tournament in the PGA and he finally won one. One. One big one. I can feel the emotion all over again and I can only imagine how he felt.

So, the takeaway is pretty clear. Even when we are pretty good, we are not always the best at something… yet: When we try things, we need to practice and have patience in our own work and play. Whether it is getting more refined in a sport, improving reading comprehension, making meaningful connections with others, learning how to reduce impetuous behavior, developing a friendship, or understanding how the wind affects the sail power of a boat. Let me say it again: we need to practice, have patience, learn from our mistakes and try again. This is what makes pros win major tournaments and this is what makes Runoia campers grow up to be strong women. Perseverance.

Resolution Check-In Time – Make 2017 More Like Camp All Year

Posted on February 8, 2017February 8, 2017 by Pam Cobb

Resolutions to Make 2017 More Like Camp All Year Round – Guest Blog by Carrie Murphey

It’s a simple fact that camp is the very best time of year. It’s basically magic. Except for how it doesn’t last ALL year. That part is not magic. So how do we resolve to make this year more like camp every day?

Be active

You know how Camp Sleep is the very best sleep? Sure, part of it is because you’re all snuggled up in your warm bed, listening to the peaceful sounds of nature, and the Maine chill in the air keeps you cozy all night long. But also you know why you sleep so well at camp? You are SO dang tired at the end of every day! Because you did a million things! You were an archer, and a swimmer, and a basket-weaver, and a wall-climber, and you ran from Junior End to the lodge to be first for tag-up, and you zoomed all over the kickball field during Evening Program, and then you had a spontaneous dance-off in your shack while you brushed your teeth, and then goodnights and lights out and BAM. Out like a log.

Do you move your body half as much in the rest of the year as you do during camp? No, me neither. I could do more and I bet you could too!

Sing lots

From the lodge in the morning to the lake in the afternoon to belting out to the radio during shower time to campfire on Sundays to Taps at night, we are always singing at camp. We don’t always sound greeeeeeeeeat, but we’re usually going at it with gusto.

So turn your music up, or grab your camp songbook, and just SING.

Try new things

Days at camp are filled with new activities and new friendships to make. It seems there’s never enough time to try ALL the things and meet ALL the people. Caught up in the contagious joy of camp, you’re also more inclined to be understanding of all the difference around you and excited by every new experience you have and each new person you encounter.

During the year, you have more time, but if you’re anything like me, probably less enthusiasm for trying new things. You stick with your routine, with your established set of friends, and you may even eat the very same thing for breakfast every day. Try to make your year a little more like camp by stepping outside your comfort zone in small ways. Talk to a new person in your class. Learn more about a different club at your school. Read a book in a genre you’ve never tried. Take a try-it size portion of a food you’re almost positive you don’t like just in case. Not everything will stick like your old stand-bys, but like camp, you just might discover new interests and cool people.

Invest in your friendships

There is an immediacy to making friends at camp. You only have so much time together and you want to make every moment count. You share stories at lightening speed and can’t remember a time when you didn’t know each other. You spend your days doing lots of the same things together and then talking late into the evening about the memories you’ve already made with one another. In a very short amount of time, you crystalize these close friendships and feel bonded for life.

You certainly have close friends outside of camp. But how often are you spending time just sharing stories and talking about each other’s days? Some of those new things you’re trying out, maybe your friends want to try with you. Chances are, they’d like to have a little more camp in their lives too.

Unplug

That first day of camp, when you’re separated from your phone or your computer, oof, it hits like a ton of bricks. Your hand twitches to refresh your SnapChat or take a mindless BuzzFeed quiz. But within hours (if not minutes) of being swept into that sweet unplugged camp life, I doubt you miss either one very much. And because you’re talking to real people in real time, face-to-face, you’re able to make lasting connections and have incredible experiences by hearing with your full ears and seeing with your whole eyes. There is nothing to divide your attention and so you can invest your attention in anything and everything you do.

It’s not always completely realistic to give up a phone or a computer the rest of the year (I, for one, would be fired from my job), but I promise you, the more time we spend away from either, the more we can pay attention to – friends, family, activities – with our undivided selves.

So, let us all resolve to live 2017 a little more like camp. Remembering to bring a few dashes of that magic to our everyday is bound to make the time between camp seasons pass that much more mercifully quick… right?

Life Long Skills – Winners and Losers Learn to Work Together at Camp Runoia

Posted on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Camp Runoia has a tradition of the losing team cheering the team who wins. It’s almost a game to see who can cheer first. Who thinks of others before themselves? Who praises a job well done? And who accepts defeat with humble gratitude to all the players who helped the team get as far as they could? The value of children learning how to lose graciously or win with good sportsmanship builds life long skills.

Accepting the outcome of a swim race, an official’s call on the softball field or the fact that the wind wasn’t blowing enough to have a sailing race at all, is part of managing disappointment. Celebrating victory and a job well done is also part of daily life at camp. Placing in a horse show or not placing in the top six spots and learning how to ask your friend who is staring down defeat, “how did you ride today? Were you happy with your ride” rather than focus on “did you get a blue ribbon”. The examples go on and on… Cheering on someone else’s success for getting up on water skis when you are still struggling. Learning how to frame a win or a loss or a success or defeat is practiced at camp every day.

The ultimate learning experience may be admitting when the Gaga ball hits your foot and you’re out but no one saw it. Ethics is doing the right thing even when no one else is looking. Camp teaches this kind of self-governed morality. Without a doubt, the culture of camp affects who we become in so many ways.

At Runoia, this “win-win, you tried your best, go back out and try again” culture is pervasive beyond field sports. You learn how to humbly congratulate the actor for getting the lead role when you didn’t. You smile and congratulate the artist who gets tops votes for their art piece when yours didn’t get many at all. Perhaps you even study what they did and learn from their success. Your cabin group works together to get the best score in cabin clean up. If someone is not as good as sweeping as you, you help them out, teach them how to do a better job. Better for all.

Making do with what your have or changing and trying harder and doing better the next time is all part of camp outcomes. How fortunate are we to be in a position where this happens day after day for a session or a season and hopefully year after year? Very.

The way Runoia gals cheer the winning team with a “Bobo” or “Kemo” is tradition. We cherish the way Blues and Whites hug each other on our final Cotillion night when the summer scores are revealed and campers find out who won the competition. Again, tradition.

We could all learn a thing or two from the campers and staff who play together well. Building life long skills through the camp experience is more than just fun and games on a lake in Maine. _dsc3192

Run, Swim, Jump, Kick at Runoia

Posted on August 8, 2016October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

It’s Sports Week! What some camps call Color War, Runoia calls Sports Week. The short story is we have kicked, run, raced, swum, jumped, trotted, shot arrows, competed, played hard and played like a girl!

On top of it, we have had birthday parties, Evening Programs of “Create Your Own Country”, Pillow Football, Birthday Bash, Build A Boat to Float Contest, Talent Show, Runoia Caberet, Graduation Dinner and a Camp Fire with the theme of What Camp Friendships Mean to You.

Here are some of the pictures to tell the story:

The Epic Oak Island Swim

Blue and White Team Captains Second Session

The Pine Tree in the Back Shows it's a Maine Peach! — The Pine Tree in the Back Shows it’s a Maine Peach!

Coco Crisp Enjoys his 10th Summer at Runoia and Gets His Own Blanket

We hope to see you next year!

The Runoia Team

Ready Set Go – All Runoia All Summer!

Posted on June 16, 2016October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

This is the time of summer we bring people, our camp counselors, kitchen crew, summer maintenance team, directors, assistant directors, health team and specialist together from all over the world to build team, complete certification for training, practice teaching with each and our camp neighbors and friends, run emergency drills and plan for trips out of camp. Let’s break it down!

Just like our campers need a chance to get oriented to Runoia, meet people they will build friendships with, find out all the cool stuff they can do at sleepover camp and learn the rules about how to do them safely, so do our Camp Runoia counselors.

Our director team takes charge and spends 10-14 hours each day working with counselors in small and large groups to accomplish the feat. If you are wondering why we aren’t replying to your emails right away, that’s why!

We have discovered we have an AMAZING group of people, a diverse group (age, backgrounds, cultures, citizenship, religions, the colors of our skin and the different fields of education, new staff, returning staff, campers who are now college age staff). How lucky are we?!

Here are some pictures from our two days of training thus far:

Magic Makers

Posted on June 4, 2016October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Magic Makers Schedule (mini version) for Runoia Counselors and All Staff:

Sunday, June 12 – Riding Training – How to be an AMAZING Runoia Riding Instructor and Barn Team Member.

Monday, June 13 – Training Clinics/You would know if you are doing them – when in doubt, email Alex: alex@runoia.com – Ropes, Trips and more!

Tuesday, June 14 – Brilliant New Staff Training from 9 am till 8:30 pm.*

Wed., 15th – All staff training VIP Stuff: emergencies, health care, full value contract, cultural exchange. Afternoon and Evening with Jennifer Stanchfield most awesome presenter and facilitator on experiential education.

Thurs., 16th – Lively lesson planning, program time with your heads of activities and in your fantastic camp activity department. Prep for “mock” lessons where you teach other counselors your activity. Lucky them!

Friday., 17 – Waterfront Orientation and safety. Also find out about: “A Fabulous Rec Swim”, Mandatory Kitchen Training (keeping it safe my friends) for all kitchen staff, More Program Time because you know you love it.

Sat., 18 – Finish up loose ends in your pretty perky program. Cell Phone Funeral, practice driving time for authorized (safe and keen) motor boat and van drivers, Afternoon time to move into summer cabin assignments (!) and shoot for 4:30 pm Terrific TIME OFF – you are due back MONDAY morning 7:30 am for Flag Raising.

Optional trips offered by camp on Sunday – check with Jen Dresdow for more info on trip options.

Sunday – Dear ones: Day Off!

Monday – June 20, DUE BACK BY 7:30 am. Just do it! Cabin prep and training, preparing to greet and settle in our campers and make it the best and most successful summer EVER!

Tuesday – 21, Cabin Training 401. Trip leader group/bus chaperones – you are fabulous. All others Graduation!

Wed., 22, Final prep for camp looking tidy and neat for parents and campers (don’t forget the French braid or at least a shower and comb through!), meet and greet & first impressions. revisit your plan and schedule for opening day. Late evening, international campers arrive. WELCOME! Thanks Jen and Kelly for the Boston pick up trip. You are rock stars!

Thursday – OPENING DAY FIRST SESSION! It’s gonna be a good one FOLKS!

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.

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!

Planning Gardens and Waiting for Bird Migration at Runoia

Posted on February 25, 2016October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

This is the time of year, for those of us who live in northern climates like Maine, we dream of spring gardens and bird migration among other wonders of the changing season. Did you know March is the “most snowfall” month of the year in Maine?! Although February might seem early to be dreaming of birds and gardens, dreams are what keep us positive when we have 31 days of winter in March (a true statement in

Maine!). So although maple sap is flowing early this year, you never know if we’ll get another cold snap and a lot of snow.

Back to those dreams about gardens and birds. Camp Runoia’s seed order has been not only ordered but has been received. The season for sleepaway camps doesn’t match with the Maine growing season so we are sure to put in early harvesting vegetables like spinach, kale, snap peas and sugar peas and summer squash.

Lots of Fun Growing in the Runoia Greenhouse Later in the summer the tomatoes, basil, lettuce and other herbs and veggies flourish in our greenhouse.

Lots of Fun Growing in the Runoia Greenhouse Later in the summer the tomatoes, basil, lettuce and other herbs and veggies flourish in our greenhouse.

Always a Delight to Spy an Oriole at Runoia

The day the robins show up in April is always a sign of spring and the migrating birds coming through. We hang orange slices to attract the Baltimore Orioles – they are such fun to see.

One thing we learned in recent years from our wood shop aficionado, Ted, is painting bird houses is detrimental to birds. Who knew? So here’s a project one camper did combining our wood shop and wood burning program areas. It’s an awesome birdhouse with a beautiful floral designed burned in with wood burning tools. All made at camp! So enjoy the wonders of spring, catch those birds going by and dream next of summer and summer camp!