camp runoia Archives - Page 7 of 9

Marking time

Posted on May 25, 2016October 18, 2016 by Alex

There are less than three weeks to go until we move up to camp. I figure I have about 500 items that need labeling with names! Even with my poor math I am pretty sure I am going to have to pull an all-nighter to get it done in time and there is still bound to be a pair of socks that escapes. Thank goodness for the ‘sharpie’ it is a life saver at this time of year. Fortunately with a fairly unusual hyphenated last name just the initials written on a label will suffice.

Marking clothing, shoes, toiletries and pretty much every item that we are taking to camp is always a sign of the passage of time for me. While it is sometimes a little frantic because I have left it until the last minute I know that our summer is just around the corner and the past years’ worth of work will be coming to fruition.

New summer clothes yet to be worn being labelled and packed for camp are a precursor to the fine weather, long summer days and fun we will all be having at Runoia. There is no point packing anything too fancy so those clothes stay home, the old winter stuff that won’t fit in the fall can be handed down and it is a time for reorganizing closets and dressers. The anticipation of knowing the next time you wear those packed clothes will be at camp fills us with anticipation.

So thank you Sanford Ink company “Sharpie” was originally a name designating a permanent marker launched in 1964 by the Sanford Ink Company. The Sharpie also became the first pen-style permanent marker.” I am eternally grateful to not have to be sewing or ironing on labels because really who has time for that?

Happy packing it is almost time to be on Great Pond!

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.

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!

Count Down to Runoia 2016!

Posted on January 26, 2016October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

The countdown to summer sleepaway camp is well underway as we just passed the 150 “days till camp” marker. While some campers are enjoying the count down, others are feeling a big nervous and maybe even somewhat anxious about overnight camp. This is perfectly normal!

What can you do to encourage your campers to be ready for camp? Here’s some tips from the experts:

Brooke Cheley-Klebe from Cheley Camps suggests “Get your camper involved in picking out gear for camp. If you buy hiking boots, go on a hike with them!”

Camp Owner and TED talk extraordinaire, Steve Baskin suggests reframe what three weeks away is about “wise parents provide their children with a different frame to look at camp. It is not “3 weeks away from mom and dad”, but is instead “a grand adventure full of fun and friends”.

Jen Bush writes for American Camp Association: “Learn details of the facilities. Will your child have to walk to the bathroom at night? Some kids, especially those from urban areas, are unaccustomed to total darkness, so it’s a good idea to practice using a flashlight. Will she be exposed to a lot of bugs and wildlife? Consider taking a family camping trip in advance to familiarize your child with the outdoor environment, nighttime sounds, and roughing it a bit.”

A great idea we heard from a parent is have your teenager take a mini-vacation from their phone or screen. Make it a positive experience where you go do something together or something she enjoys and explain that it’s about being present together. Not tying it “going away to camp” will be in their favor.

Other ideas:
• Look over the packing list together on https://runoia.com/camp-store/, start browsing your closets and stores and gathering items together for camp.
• Practice sorting their dirty laundry from clean clothes, carrying their toiletries to the shower, brushing and braiding their hair, making their bed. Make a list of things they will be expected to do at camp on their own or with the support of a counselor or a friend and start practicing!
• Discuss what they will enjoy doing at camp, look over the camp activities, help explain how they can sign up for activities at the camp and who to turn to if they would like to change their schedule.
• Let them know how Runoia directors and adults are around all the time to help them at camp. Have them write an email to us about any concerns so we can address them. Reducing uncertainty and knowing adults will be there to help them really helps.

Let your camper know it is absolutely normal to be nervous about camp and let her know that everyone is nervous – even the campers returning to Runoia. Remind her we are great at helping campers adjust and get oriented at Camp Runoia and we want her to have the best time of her life!

Camp Runoia video blog

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

Staff member Erica Carthy ‘Dream Team 2015’ captured the spirit of camp in this excellent video blog.

Take 3 1/2 minutes to relax and become absorbed in Runoia life #magichappens at Camp Runoia.

We are certain that it will leave you longing for camp days.

Thanks Erica!

We’re gonna make this place your home!

Mountain Biking at Runoia and beyond

Posted on October 14, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

As the crisp autumn air flows in, I am reassured as to why I live in New England. For the seasons. Now is a perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy all that New England has to offer. Perhaps a swift hike in the woods or a leisurely walk along the water suits you. For me, I want to go mountain biking.

I was so inspired last summer spending time mountain biking with the girls of Camp Runoia. It is truly a gift to be able to pass on my passion for a great sport onto these young ladies. To watch their eagerness to learn and explore is a tough feeling to beat. I started mountain biking back in the early nineties when the sport first started to take off. Historically, this has been a sport dominated by men, but the question remains, how do we get more girls and women involved in this great sport? When I came to Runoia, I was thrilled to see that we had a mountain bike program. What a great way to expose our girls to a sport they may not be exposed to otherwise. As the bike technology advances and trails and parks become more accessible, my hope is that more young women will try mountain biking. I wanted to share something that a local mountain bike park that I ride at in New Hampshire hosted last weekend. Click here to see a short video with some highlights from the “Women’s Freeride Festival” hosted by Highland Mountain Bike Park.

Highland Mountain Bike Park is a very progressive place which is really on the cutting edge of the sport. Constantly creating new terrain and technical elements, they draw amateur and professional riders from all over the world. I feel lucky to have this resource not far from home. They obviously recognize that in order to sustain a sport like this and a facility like this, they need more riders. I’m sure that this workshop inspired so many women to get into this sport or if already in it, it empowered them to take it to the next level. This is a sport all about personal growth. You can go as slow or as fast as you want…as big or as small as you want. What a feeling when you accomplish the next big challenge for the first time. It truly gives you a great sense of power and accomplishment.

If you have never mountain biked, I encourage you to give it a try! This is an amazing sport which is here to stay. I look forward to many more “Fine Maine Days” next summer spent mountain biking with the fabulous girls of a little sleep away camp which we call Runoia!

By Chris Mercier

Meri Wicks on the Value of Summer Camp

Posted on June 16, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Why Camp?

How many of you went to camp when you were younger? What did you do? Who did you meet? Or maybe, what did you learn? Now imagine if you didn’t have those amazing summers filled these opportunities.

I attended an all girls summer camp in Belgrade Lakes, Maine for 8 years as a camper. In less than a month I will be heading back to Camp Runoia for my third year as a counselor for a total of 11 summers overall. Camp had an extreme impact on my life and I can see it having the same impact on my younger campers.

Will your child go to camp? I hope to persuade all of you to understand that kids need camp even more than before to receive a sense of independence connecting with nature, and learning life long skills in a safe and kid friendly environment that can really help them thrive and succeed in their lives.

Unlike in the school setting where we had to learn what was mandatory and what was required to pass. Camp gave some of us our first taste of independence. Camp allows kids to choose activities they want to do. I remember I had a huge passion for sailing. While I know my mom would have wanted me to kayak all day or go on hikes, I choose to sail everyday. From a radio podcast done by CNN by a senior executive producer Michael Schuler, Schuler spoke with a summer camp advocate, physiologist and school consultant Michael Thompson about summer camps. Thompson explained camp as, “the closet thing to Hogwarts that kids are likely to get. All of children’s literature knows that the adventures only begin when you’re away from your parents. Every great children’s story is driven by the child being away from parents, experiencing things on their own.” Later in the podcast, Thompson summarizers how kids gain independence and how camp can be the place to start that journey to independence he says, “Your parent has to open the door and let you walk out and find independence, experience it and become comfortable with it.” Camp gives you theses independence experiences from even a young age and can help you when you start looking for colleges or majors you want to study. Because at camp you became comfortable with your independence you can have a better idea of maybe what you want and what you think is best.

What if 20 years done the road no one talked face to face? Scary to think about, right? Today we already see it on a smaller scale. Look around. People are on their phones at restaurants instead of having small talk with the person across from them, or even at parties where it’s almost all about face-to-face communication. There is always a group of people sitting in the corner head knocked over and thumbs raptly going across the keyboard saying things like “I’m bored.” Of course you’re bored, you’re looking at a screen with pictures while a fun night is passing you by.

More and more kids are using social media and cellphones then ever before. In a survey done in 2012 by ORC International for the National Consumers League or (NCL) which is the nation’s oldest consumer organization. It shows that 10-11 age ranges is a “sweet spot” for pre-teens to receive a cell phone. Six out of 10 pre- teens were aged from 10-11 and then twenty percent of 8-9 year olds and 15% of 12 year olds received a cell phone. These age ranges are the same age of the girls I have camp and the percentages, we can assume jut keep going up each year. They use texting as a “cool thing” to do. They will text each other when they are right across from each other and think its funny. But this can become a potential problem. They use texting and the Internet as an alternative way to talk and they have developed poor communication skills because of it.

Camp allows these youngsters to unplug and reconnect with the nature and the world around them. At camps they don’t have access to cell phones or computers or any other technology really. This makes them talk face to face and realize that connections are the most personal when they are in the present moment. Countless times I remember girls coming in the first day practically crying when they gave their phones away thinking how will they survive? A few days into camp they realize they don’t need a phone to be complete. They have already made friends but just talking and having real time conversations. Camp is really the only place left that can do that.

At camp kids learn in a setting that is safe and nurturing. According to the ACA, parents trust camps because first and foremost they are kid centered places. What a camp does is all for a child. And camps make each camper feel special. While everything that goes on in the world especially with the increased social pressures kids have been burdened with, camp is a place to relieve them of these burdens. They can have a place to just be themselves. So that kid that didn’t have many friends at home because maybe his/her family isn’t as wealthy or maybe they are bullied at home because they are too short, too tall. Camp is a place that those kids can have a chance to grow. Camp can also helps kids succeed in something other than academics. Personally, I was not what people call an “excellent” student growing up, however, none of that mattered when I got to camp. I was passing leveling in archery, learning how to ride horses, and learning how to work well with others in a team. Camp did not judge me based on my school grades or based on anything for that matter. At camp kids can be whomever they want, and most of them choose to just be themselves for a change, and not have to worry about what they might be at home.

Recently, I asked my mom why she sent me to camp when it can cost a great deal to some. She said, “The cost didn’t matter to her. The cost was worth the experiences I got out of it. She knew I was having fun, and I looked forward to it each year. I made friends and each year, I’d come home more mature, and more knowledgeable about others and myself around me. That was something you couldn’t put a price tag on.” Going to summer camp has been a tradition in my family and others as well. I want to be able to send my children to camp in the future so they too can have these amazing opportunities and experiences. My fear though, is if parents do not understand that kids cannot learn everything in school and they need to have these outside encounters and have a chance to grow in a new environment. I hope this has persuaded all of you to understand how vital camp is to a child’s development and see how important that these kids have the chances to learn in new and unfamiliar environments.

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!

Courage to Grow Up by Kyleigh Mercier

Posted on May 11, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

As I sit and listen to the wind bring in the sound of the peepers through the open window, I am reminded of how special this time of year is. It is mother’s day. And the world around me is bustling with life and new energy. Today I saw the red robins moving with intent and determination to build nests, I watched a hawk fly with such grace and glory from tree to tree. I see the red and the gray squirrels moving and collecting bounty. The world has awakened from the quiet hibernation of winter and the white stark horizon is now 30 shades of green. It is spring and it is a celebration of life.

Being a mother is my greatest accomplishment. I reflect on this day that it is not actually a celebration of my work, but that of my children.

It is their momentum and their exploration that feed my soul. Spring is also a time of change, and as with all growth there is change.

Chris and I are embarking with our family on great adventure. Our commitment to join the Runoia family is beyond exciting! We are determined and dedicated to bring our enthusiasm to camp and offer our love, our life, our experience, our connection, our intent, our passion, and our good will to Great Pond. We could not be more thrilled to travel to Maine with our beautiful children and share some of the greatest experiences that we could dream of with your daughters!

We promise to be kind, gentle, honest, and to encourage them to find the best of themselves. We support growth and experience. There is so much that the land and the programs at Runoia will teach us all this summer! And as spring blooms with life and spiritual awakening, I resonate with E.E. Cumming’s words “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”

At Runoia we encourage and support what spring begins in growth all summer

long. My wish is that as you send your daughters from your nest to our woods, that we provide them with the safety and comfort, courage and the wisdom, the strength and the bravery, to expand their physical and emotional skills to their full potential, becoming exceptional young women.

Happy Mother’s Day. Happy Spring.

Find out more about Kyleigh and Chris Mercier here.