Tag: camp runoia

Friday night pizza- we love camp food!.

Posted on by Alex

As the Holidays roll around and our focus becomes not just on family but also a lot on food,  it is a great time to reflect on how camp food plays an important role in the overall experience. Food in general has such significant cultural value, it shapes our days and times with people. At camp we enjoy food together for three meals a day and spend a lot of time talking about our favorite things to eat. Sometimes we may miss things from home and at others we are wondering when some camp favorites are going to be served.

At Thanksgiving dinner you probably ate food that has meaning in your family; grandma’s pumpkin pie made from an age old recipe or that sweet potato bake you have every year without fail. Food not only fills us and gives us a reason to come together with loved ones but its sentimental meaning also truly warms our hearts.

Days at camp are often a blur with not as much definition as you may find in your regular week. It’s often hard to figure out what day of the week it is unless it’s Thursday trip day or a sleepy Sunday.  More often than not the days are measured by the food being served. Friday night is always homemade pizza night! Chef and the kitchen crew cook up the usual cheese and pepperoni favorites but there are always also a couple of surprises that you don’t know about until they are served! On Fridays there is always a buzzing excitement around super time for pizza night.

Sunday morning donuts and cinnamon rolls are a staple. Even though it is still sleepy come in your pajamas breakfast there is often a line after the first bell at 8am as campers are keen to dig into the sweet treats.

You may remember the’ green table’ and grill for Saturday night cookout with hotdogs and burgers. The location has changed to be closer the kitchen but there is still the same fare.

Alums will likely remember ‘Sunday Sundaes’ served on the last Sunday at the end of the session, it’s a tradition that is much anticipated and has been around for many years. Congo bars are perhaps the truest Runoia favorite and have been enjoyed throughout the generations.  Do any Alums may remember bishops bread?

Our Camp Runoia food is healthy and wholesome and fills not just our bellies but also our hearts. It leaves us with tasty memories of our long summer days

The Spirit of Giving

Posted on by Pam Cobb

Runoia’s continued partnership with World of Change deepens the spirit of giving. We feel honored to donate to WOC on behalf of our campers and staff.

Last summer we encouraged families to bring their loose change to camp. In the US over $10 million in loose change exists today. That’s about $90 per household.  Founder and executive of WOC, Matt Hoidal, came to camp to share about the organization with our campers. Amidst cheers and clapping, holding up two large jars of change, Matt exclaimed, you are giving over $200! Matt explained how ALL the money raised goes directly to recipients. His salary is paid by a donor so that none of the overhead in running the organization is paid through donations. What a great model!

Matt then surprised us by sharing that all the money will go to specific needs and, wait for it, we can choose! The campers decided to buy a bed for a child who was sleeping on the floor, backpacks for back to school students and hot meals for people who needed food. We all got a warm feeling from the experience.

This summer we hope to double our change fundraiser. At the beginning and end of each session, change jars will be available. Collect change at home or find some in your car on opening or closing day. You’ll get a great feeling from being part of the movement!

And, if you’re reading this and want to do a mitzvah, you can raise money at your school or community for World of Change. Find out more about inspiring others here.

We are thrilled to make the connection this holiday season and donate to WOC from all of us at Runoia.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Aionur

Find your Favorite Camp Runoia Song!

Posted on by Pam Cobb

Hail! Hail! Comrades all! Greetings from Camp Runoia. As chilly temperatures settle in this fall, are you feeling

nostalgic about your camp days? Relive them through camp songs – find your favorite in this blog. You can also peruse recordings of Runoia songs on our website.

It won’t be long before we’ll be gazing at sunlight on the water and hearing the wind blow through the mid pine trees by the waterside. Where does the wind come from? We often ask ourselves in our leisurely tech-free time at Runoia. For many girls these days it’s a long road to freedom to detach from their cell phones and screen time. But it’s like a cowboy’s lullaby to give in and unplug for a few short weeks.

When the girls arrive and turn down Point Road you can hear the ring of oh here we come as campers burst with excitement. It’s been months they’ve been dreaming of sailing out on the blue waves and canoeing with paddles softly dip, dip and swing-ing across the cove. Whether they’ve come from out in Wyoming or nearby.

It’s that first sunset at camp where we shout give me the light of the campfire so we can continue our evening as darkness descends. That’s’ the moment when mmm-mmm I want to linger is audible across the beach.

The summer flies by in a flash and it’s not long before girls are leaving on a jet plane. Reflections of somethingspecial there at Camp Runoia stand out as girls return home to study hard and then, back to canoes and paddles.

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like camp!

The Value of Camp by Jen Dresdow

Posted on by Pam Cobb

After nine summers as a full season camper it was an easy decision for my daughter, Natalie, to apply for the CIT program for more value at Camp Runoia. She was excited to not only spend one more summer with her friends, but also participate in a leadership program that would add value and skills to her resume. As a camper, Natalie earned the highest awards in both riding and windsurfing and she looked forward to sharing her passion with younger campers and developing her teaching skills in those areas.

The first challenge CITs face is planning and executing the 4th of July festivities at camp. Though this process Natalie learned some valuable lessons about teamwork, trial and error, and communication. After the 4th, CITs focus on either lifeguard training (LGT) or Junior Maine Guide(JMG). Natalie choose to work towards her lifeguard certification as she hoped to work as a windsurfing counselor in the future. Natalie found the lifeguard training challenging, but with the support of Ally, the head of swimming, she was able to meet all the goals.

During the second part of the summer, the CITs honed their teaching skills. All of the CITs worked with Eliza to complete their level 1 Archery Instructor certification. Natalie spent the majority of her teaching time at the waterfront or at the barn. She further supported the riding program by traveling to shows with the girls and helping them prepare to go in the ring. Additionally, the CITs participated in various community service events.

Like many sixteen year olds, Natalie wanted to get a job to earn money of her own. Before she got home from camp, she was offered a job on Monday evenings at the barn she rides at here in Kansas. Her official title is “gopher”, which entails helping young riders get prepared for their lesson, teaching them to groom and tack, and doing evening chores such as watering and turning out horses. Through this job Natalie is able to continue to gain experience working with children and share her love of horses.

Natalie also applied for a lifeguard position at Jewish Community Center here in Overland Park. She was hired on the spot for the job and works twice a week after school. Lifeguarding is a great job for high school as the shifts are short due to the attention demands and the pay is above average for most jobs available to sixteen year olds. Natalie not only uses her lifeguarding skills at this job, but also sharpens her customer service skills and leadership skills as she navigates the demands of pool goers both young and old.

This fall, Natalie applied and interviewed for a Junior Counselor position at Camp Runoia. She is excited to return for her eleventh summer at camp and work in both the windsurfing and

riding programs. Through these camp experiences, she’s been able to successfully navigate application and interview processes, gain leadership skills, live in a community, and develop her talents. All things that will certainly benefit her as she begins the college application process next fall. Camp has been an integral part of Natalie formative years and invaluable in helping her prepare for college and beyond.

Why is dressing up so much fun?

Posted on by Alex

From sleep Sunday morning’s, 4th of July , evening programs, event days  and a myriad of other opportunities we love to get dressed up at camp!  The Runoia costume area is loaded with so many opportunities: clothing, hats, shoes, accessories,  face paint  and endless props.   It has been known that campers and staff who are returning to camp and know the ropes also have a tendency to bring copious amounts of additional fun items with them to supplement the camp supplies.  You never know what you may need for Ms. Tacky or an end of the week Saturday lunch, themed,  table extravaganza.

At camp we are freed of our inhibitions and celebrate the ability to throw on a costume, act a part or  just look ridiculous for no apparent reason.  We craft adventures, themes and engage with frivolity just because we can and nobody restricts the amount of fun that we can have with our imaginations. What joy there is in creating something out of just an idea or a thought and presenting it to the community where it is always so well received. You would be amazed what we can pull together in a very short amount of time and with limited resources. Adults are as equally enthusiastic to join in, it’s a rare job that you can throw on a silly hat or an evening gown just because it’s Thursday evening!

July 4th wear whatever you want in the red, white and blue!

Our costume department isn’t really anything too fancy and primarily allows us to use just a lot of creativity, think 21st century skill development here!  Saturday end of the week lunches give everyone the opportunity to dress up. It is so engaging to think up a table theme or even just choose a random idea out of the basket and then figure out if everyone has something to wear that will work – even just different colored T-shirts with hand written labels on them can be quickly and easily transformed into a colorful box of crayons.

Event days are always a good time to sport a great costume – Runoia rodeo

We’d love to see what our Runoia girls have come up with for their Halloween costumes, store bought or homemade? tried and true spooky or original and unique? However they choose to dress up we know that they will rock it with confidence and pizazz.

100 years of change for women – right to vote

Posted on by Alex

As we come off a summer where girls have access to all the activities and experiences that they choose it is hard to imagine what life 100 years ago was like for women.  When Lucy Weiser and Jessie Pond decided to start a camp for girls in very, rural Maine they lived in a society where women had little say in their own lives.  It was 13 more years until they had the right to vote,  can you imagine what fierce and bold women they must have been! How fortunate we are that they created a place where girls can grow and be empowered.

Ms Weiser

The women’s suffrage movement began to formally organize in 1848 but is wasn’t until 1919/20 that women were finally allowed a say in the democratic process and were given the right to vote. Even then not all women were able to vote as minorities were still excluded. The 19th amendment was passed on August 18th 1920 long after those pioneer women had started their campaigning and 13 years after Camp Runoia opened. Maine was a little ahead of the national curve ‘On November 4, 1919, Governor Milliken called a special session of the Maine state legislature. By a vote of 72 – 68, Maine became the 19th state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment.’  Here’s a short video that may be fun to watch with your daughter. You can ask her what the process at camp is like when we vote for our team captains.

I wonder if the women who founded Runoia were involved in the suffrage process. Did they take to the streets with sashes and signs to advocate for their rights or were they quiet observers as many other women of the time were. We constantly encourage our Runoia girls to advocate for themselves, speak up for their needs, make their own choices and to not always just go along with what everyone else is doing.  It’s certainly challenging to think that for most women a hundred years ago participating in the adventurous activities our girls do today would have been impossible. Even to other women the suffragettes seemed somewhat extreme ‘they seemed bold and unladylike to venture out into the world.’

The Suffrage Centennial in Maine is in full celebratory swing with many different events planned around the State over the next six months.  One of our camp mom’s is a curator of the Maine State Museum which is hosting an exhibit and special events that are both informational and entertaining.

How thankful we are that brave, strong women walked before us and that our girls have equal opportunities.

Share the stories of the suffragettes with your daughters and take them with you when you go to vote!

Camp Sick

Posted on by Alex

September blew by in whirl of activity. It was nice to be home, to have time to read a book and fix the yard up. There were lots of fine Maine days, the lake was still warm enough to swim in and getting back into the fall routines kept everyone busy.  The summer camp season is intense and exhilarating so a rest is definitely needed both physically and mentally when it ends.

Today it’s a rainy, cool October day.  I got real mail in the post from a camp friend and I’m camp sick. I miss those hazy days of summer on Great Pond, the sounds of people all around me and the late night loon calls on the lake. I miss the simplicity of camp life, where I don’t have to drive anywhere, I show up for meals without having to shop or cook and there is always someone to chat with or just be around. I miss random hugs, and crazy giggles and all the in between connections with girls and staff throughout the day. I miss my early morning coffee in the Lodge office with the sun rising over the lake and deer for company outside my window.  I miss campfires, songs and of course the bell!

The Runoia bubble is so unique and so difficult to describe to those who haven’t experienced it. Camp days are so long and so full it is hard to comprehend all that goes on in a whole summer filled with them.  Later this month a camp friend from Australia will be here, she hasn’t been to Maine in 15 years and is so excited to be able to come back to reconnect with the people and the place that she enjoyed for only 2 summers. The bonds formed at camp last a long time and over great distance for sure.

 

As sign-ups for next season come in, I love sending out postcards to welcome back our returning girls and start a connection with those who will be new. I am already counting down the days until our 114th season and cannot wait to be back on Great Pond with my Runoia summer family.

Post Camp at Runoia is Bittersweet

Posted on by Pam Cobb

How and why is post camp bittersweet? It’s too quiet around here. I miss the giggles at night time, the splashes in the water, the sound of doors slamming and the laughter rippling or roaring out of a shack. Yet, there’s something about completing a camp season that feeds the soul. There are memories tucked away. There is the growth in campers you can measure, see and experience. There are the notes and emails and excitement about next year.

So, we get busy. We plan and strategize and take feedback from campers, families, staff and administrators and we make things happen. This fall, we are building an addition on our health cabin. This will expand the h

ousing we have for nurses and create two more beds and a new storage and organizing room for nurses.

Additionally, shacks 1- 7 are getting a face lift – well, a floor lift, really.  All the buildings will be raised and new posts and pads will be replacing the old and, wait for it… the floors will be sanded and finished. Say goodbye to splinters!

This is the mundane stuff we camp people get excited about. Yeah, sure, we are planning program and continual improvement, staff training and connecting with staff about re-hiring, we are interviewing excited but nervous new families and still running fall tours as we visit people in their homes. That’s super exciting, too.

But creating spaces and places in camp is the kind of warm and fuzzy we often feel in the fall when we dream about next summer.

Just next week, we’ll be meeting with 150 other Maine camp directors for the Maine Summer Camp Directors’ fall gathering. A time where we share and confer, brainstorm and collaborate to make Maine camps the best camps in the world. So, there’s lots going on for us as you focus on back to school but the bottom line is we can’t wait till next summer already. For now, we’ll take it a week at a time!

Until next week,

Aionur

 

Camp job – working a summer at Runoia

Posted on by Alex

Returning to the routines of fall I’m often asked how was your summer? What did you do? was it relaxing? For other people, summer is a kick back relaxed time of days at the beach and family barbecues.  For those of us who work in the summer camp industry it’s when we bring our best game and our work ramps up to an intensity that is difficult to describe. Having a camp job is not really comparable to any other industry so it is very difficult to articulate what makes it one of the best jobs ever.

It is hard to know where to start when answering people’s questions.  Here in Maine saying that ‘I was at camp all summer,’ can mean a number of things. In Maine people often refer to their summer cottage, lake house or even a hunting cabin in the woods as their ‘camp’ so one has to clearly define that you were actually working at a residential children’s camp not chilling in a lounger by the lake all summer or off hunting deer! Once the definition of ‘camp’ has been determined it is typically met with ‘oh that must be lovely you get to be on the lake all summer.’ People’s perception is often that I spend my summer swimming, boating and playing with some kids. They also think I must now have the rest of the year ‘off’ as camp just lasts a couple of months of the summer. My Mum is still not convinced that I have a ‘real’ job!

The Lodge office has a great view of Great Pond and deer for early morning coworkers.
When a break from the office means being 40′ up the tower!

The reality is that I spend most of my summer in an office – granted it has one of the best views ever and is often infiltrated with generally happy, smaller humans who have something about their day that they want to share. I manage schedules, answer emails and generally make sure all is running smoothly for the almost 200 people that we have on site at camp. I also get to dress up in crazy costumes, have ‘moo off’s’ with my boss and be immersed in a community filled with love and laughter. A day at camp has more crammed into it than a week of life outside so it is a busy, non-stop and highly engaging job. Throw in a few unexpected thunder storms, an afternoon at the top of the zip line tower or an escaped goat and the long days are never dull.

Lunch time table group hug!

 

Summer camp in Maine is a large revenue generating industry, with over 200 camps that employ thousands of workers, it is big business and plays a large role in the states tourism industry.  Maine summer camps have their own organization that promotes and supports our Maine Summer Camps  and we are a committed group of camp professionals that truly believe that a camp experience is great for all kids. We truly love our jobs.

When people ask ‘how was your summer?’ I simply smile and reply ‘spectacularly exhausting.’ I have one of the best jobs, it is truly a gift to see children and young adults grow and develop over their summers at camp.

Our Camp Runoia 2020 season is already open for enrollment because we just can’t wait to do it all again.

We’ll see you on Great Pond!

The Log Dedication to Our Planet by Grace Pratt

Posted on by Pam Cobb

Log Dedication 2019

When I was asked to write this dedication, I wasn’t sure where to start.  What could I possibly relate to every Runoia girls’ 2019 summer?  I thought for a long time about what makes camp such a special place.  After nine summers at Runoia, I still find it impossible to explain the magic of camp to the outsiders.  How can this place bring so many wonderful people together and create such long-lasting friendships and memories?Maine Coast Trip

Loon on Great PondWhile contemplating this question, I landed upon the phrase we start every day at camp with. “Grant that we have safe and fun days and that we respect each other, ourselves and our planet.”  This pledge reflects Runoia’s core values: the importance of caring for the things and people around us.  We as a community demonstrate these values in a number of ways, ranging from picking up a forgotten plate on the kickball field to comforting a homesick friend.

Tonight, I would like to focus on the last word of that pledge.  Our planet has changed disproportionally over the last century.  While environmental issues such as climate change threaten Earth’s natural places, I’m happy to see campers, directors, and counselors alike taking advantage of every “fine Maine day” offered to them, whether that be through enjoying activities, participating in trips, or simply relaxing in the outdoors. Runoia is a magical place, but that magic wouldn’t be possible without the planet we live on.  Earth is our common ground, the reason we get to explore, grow, and connect.  Therefore, I would like to dedicate the 2019 log to our planet, and those who live in harmony with it.