Tag: Camp

Play ~ One of the Great Things About Camp

Posted on by camprunoia

I love seeing girls and counselors grow in their confidence, skills, decision making, problem solving, team work, and self-esteem. One of the simple but critical parts of camp that helps all those things happen is play. We play in organized games and relay races, we play in activities and special events, but the really special play time happens during unstructured time. Girls make up silly games in the cabin, explore camp, jump rope, throw a frisbee, do somersaults, build fairy houses, make costumes, watch clouds, etc. etc. They giggle and tell jokes, they share stories, and create memories. It’s joyful and creative, it’s unplugged fun that sometimes can’t even be explained because it happens organically. When girls play they are learning about themselves and each other and they are tapping into parts of their minds, hearts and bodies that don’t always get the exercise they need.

I played organized sports all through school and was active in clubs and student government, and I loved it, but when I think back to my childhood, the memories that are the most vivid are playing. It didn’t matter if it was building forts, poking around in the woods, playing Kick the Can, jumping in leaves, making crazy things out of bits and pieces, or laying in the grass and seriously discussing Halloween costumes, these were the best times. I was fortunate that this simple play was woven into my life year-round and I wish the same was true for all children today. I know it’s not and I know it is also not the case for many of us as adults.

So yeah for camp – the place where playing is just as important as anything else we do and girls and adults alike are not only encouraged to play but expected to play!

Whys is play is valuable – check here and how about for adults? Check here

Camp is Coming to Life and Summer is Almost Here!

Posted on by camprunoia

In just over 5 weeks, Runoia will open its 112th season, and camp is coming to life! Yesterday was a Fine Maine Day in the truest sense of the word; bright sunshine, blue skies, warm temperatures, and a little breeze. It’s crazy to think that just a few short weeks ago, the ground was still snow covered, ice coated the pond, the trees were bare, and the ferns were waiting patiently underground to pop up. Now, camp has emerged from its winter rest; the trees have leafed out, flowers are in bloom, bird songs are heard from early morning till evening, and it’s easy to see that summer is right around the corner. While our trees and plants are growing into their summertime beauty, there are lots of people busy with the long checklist of opening camp. Here’s a sample of what’s happening now and in the next few weeks:

  • Opening and cleaning cabins and buildings
  • Turning on water throughout camp
  • Putting in the docks and moorings
  • Mowing grass and trimming bushes
  • Planting the garden
  • Preparing the barn and riding rings for the horses
  • Spreading mulch
  • Inspecting the ropes course and climb tower
  • Readying the boats
  • Setting up the kitchen and ordering food
  • Unpacking supplies
  • Etc., Etc., Etc.

While the site is being readied, we’re also talking with families, answering questions, finalizing plans for program and staff training, making trip reservations, reviewing camper forms, arranging transportation, and taking care of all the myriad of details that need to be covered before June 29th. Everyday, more counselors will be arriving bringing their enthusiasm and energy and sharing in the fun of getting camp ready for girls.

Sure, there is a lot to do but it’s joyful work, because it means that very soon Opening Day 2018 will be here when we will welcome our campers for the best summer ever!

P.S. Check out our Facebook page for daily photos of camp!

Spring Has Sprung – Or So Says The Calendar!

Posted on by camprunoia

Spring has sprung – or so says the calendar with the Spring Equinox occurring on March 20th. Equinoxes occur twice a year, in March and September, to mark the onset of spring and autumn. During an equinox, which in Latin translates to “equal night,” both day and night are the same in length. Now the days will become longer in our part of the world with earlier sunrises and sunsets. But just because we are officially in spring doesn’t mean that it is spring-like yet. Those of us in the northeast will attest to that as we prepare for the 4th Nor’easter in three weeks! The ground is snow covered with huge piles, lakes have refrozen after earlier thaws, and the trees look as dormant as they do in January. However, changes are happening.

Typically, late winter/early spring sees the preparation for maple sugaring season when the landscape becomes dotted with iconic metal sap buckets hung on trees, as well as the more modern bright rubber tubing and large sap collection vats. This year the collection season in New England had an early start in many areas with a thaw at the end of January and into February. Then winter roared back in, and now maple syrup producers are hoping for a second stretch of classic sugaring weather with days in the low 40s and nights below freezing, and before trees start producing buds and the maple season ends. It’s not too late to check out maple sugar houses and treat yourself to some “sugar on snow”.

Mating and nesting season has already begun for some of our wonderful birds. Last night, as I looked out over our snow-covered forest, I heard a Barred Owl concert of the familiar “Whooo cooks for you” call. Then this morning I was greeted by the mournful, soft cooing of the Mourning Dove. The birds are not alone, many of our common mammals are coming out of their dormant or less active winter state, to start their spring mating as well. The squirrels and chipmunks have been wildly chasing around in the trees, across our roof, and even taking sledding runs on the snowbanks around our driveway. The current snow is a benefit to picking out animal signs like the tracks of porcupine, fox, and fishers as they become more active as the days grow longer. Even with the winter-like weather, the spring awakening of the natural world is happening.

Perhaps one of those signs that reminds me in such a simple way that warm days are coming is when I park my car in a sunny spot. Even if the outside temperature is cold, the stronger, higher angle of sunshine warms up the inside of the car, and now when I get in, instead of mid-winter frigid, it can be downright toasty. Yep, it may not look like it, but spring has arrived.

 

 

Season of Giving or is it?

Posted on by Alex

‘Tis really the Season of chaos….

We still don’t have a tree and now there is 6” of snow on the ground, my closet is a stack of unopened Amazon packages, the ‘Elves on the Shelves’ haven’t moved in 2 days, I need to get a new windshield (thanks to yesterday’s storm) and there are definitely just not enough daylight hours in these very short, Maine winter days.

At this time of year it is so hard to not get sucked into the crazy chaos of the season.  With school concerts, Holiday events, shopping, family gatherings and all the regular day to day life stuff snowballing around us it is hard to find the time to take a moment for yourself,  to breath and be appreciative.  This Holiday season I hope that you can take a second or two and pause, relish those around you, be present not panicked and generally enjoy the moments not count the minutes.

The good news is today I dropped off 3 bags of gifts at a local nonprofit for our sponsor family, I actually have 99% of the Holiday cards ready to go in the mail- what a joy it was to write them and reminisce as many of them are to Camp Runoia friends made over the past 20 years, tonight I get to go to an awesome lecture about empowering girls – Rachel Simmons, the Holiday tunes are on and I just booked a really fun surprise for the kids next week.  I am determined to make memories, build on our traditions and try and embody the true spirit of the season rather than being bombarded by the commercial components or a need to keep up with the Facebook friends!

I am going to win the Holidays and I hope that you do too!

Camp Begins its Long Winter’s Rest

Posted on by camprunoia

Camp is settling in for its long winter’s rest. It’s quite beautiful though different, to walk the land now. The dried grass sparkles with frost in the sunlight. Most of the trees are bare, with the exception of the Oaks who hold their dead leaves until into the winter. All the trees have settled into their resting time. To survive the cold, they have become “dormant”, a significant slowing of their growth and energy consumption. The gift of the leafless trees is seeing so many birds’ nests that were hidden in the canopy all summer. Our beautiful ferns, which are so prolific during the warmer months, have died back showing just their short brown stalks topped by seedpods. There are places on the paths where you can see ice crystals pushing their way above the surface as the annual ground freeze begins. The lake is still open water but it has undergone its “turnover”, when the warmer oxygen-filled surface layer, cools and sinks to the bottom. This begins the vital process of re-oxygenating and bringing nutrients to the deep cold water. Soon the lake will freeze, and everything underneath will rest.

 

Animals are also preparing for the winter. The porcupine that was seen in the Apple Tree field is active in the winter but has fattened up and grown a thicker under-layer of fur. Even the porcupines’ quills help to insulate them from the cold and wind, so you might just see a porcupine at this time of year. You won’t see our woodchucks – they are true hibernators, and you won’t hear our Loons as they have migrated to the open water of the ocean. However, one animal you will see scurrying about through winter, are the squirrels. They’ve had a banner year storing up caches of one their favorite foods – acorns from all of our Oak trees.

 

Soon the snow will cover the land, and then the long winter’s rest will truly begin.

 

 

 

In My Senior Year I Reflect on Seven Summers by Olivia Stein Colby- College 2018

Posted on by Pam Cobb

It’s the fall of my senior year of college and I can’t help but think back on all of the experiences that got me to where I am today. I often find myself thinking of the seven years spent at Camp Runoia in particular. At Runoia I learned the importance of female friendship, having confidence and patience while trying something new, taking time to be goofy and weird, all while discovering my love for Maine and the outdoors.

I had an amazing six summers as a camper, and each school-year was spent counting down the days until I could return to my favorite place surrounded by my summer sisters. I returned as a counselor in training and during that summer our CIT group did a college tour of Colby College in Waterville, ME. It was the first college campus I visited and I remember not being very impressed looking at a bunch of brick buildings on an empty campus. But a couple years later when I was applying to schools I realized how much that visit meant. From the ages of nine to fifteen all of my favorite memories came from camp – the friendships I made, sailing on Great Pond, Junior Maine Guide, Sunday night campfires, peanut butter pie and everything in-between. So, when choosing a college, it just seemed right to pick a school ten minutes from Lucy Weiser Lane where all of my favorite memories took place.

My experiences at Runoia have come to life so often during my past three years at Colby. I make every effort to engage in outdoor activities, to form deep friendships, and to have confidence in my classes the same way I grew confidence solo skippering for the first time. At school, I am a pre-orientation leader for freshman and this year I led a trip to Tumbledown mountain. I couldn’t help but sing a camp favorite “In a little town there is Mount Tumbledown…” over and over until all my freshman could sing along with me. I remembered my experience as a camper so clearly – hiking Tumbledown on a day trip, and feeling so accomplished when we made it to the lake marking how close we were to the summit. Runoia gave me a love of adventure, and taught me to love the rewarding feeling when you summit a mountain even if you’re a little cold, or tired, or it starts to rain.

I’m thankful for Runoia for giving me the confidence to pursue my passions and for instilling the importance of friendship and always supporting and loving those around you. I’ll never forget the countless memories I made at camp surrounded by all the campers, counselors and directors who made it feel like home.

Jen’s Update on the Runoia Horses

Posted on by Pam Cobb

The Runoia horses heard that the chickens and guinea pigs were featured on the blog, and of course, they insisted on being highlighted as well. While most camps rent a herd of unknown horses each summer, at Runoia we own many of our horses, supplemented by a few leases from Dream Acres Equestrian Center, who return year after year.

After camp, most of our horses head back to college! Coco, who celebrated his 10th summer at camp last year, and Verano, who earned his 5 year blanket last summer, were at the University of New Hampshire this winter. Did you know you can take riding as a PE class in college? Coco & Verano, not only work in PE classes, but also show in Intercollegiate (IHSA) competitions with the UNH equestrian team. Additionally, UNH runs a therapeutic riding program for the community and both Coco & Verano are valued assets in that program. They will both participate in the New Hampshire special olympics on June 2nd before they head back to camp. We are proud to have such calm and safe horses in our program and to be able to share them with the kids in the special olympics program.

Johnson & Wales University Equine Center in Rehoboth, MA is the winter home to four of our Runoia horses. At JWU, our horses work in both hunter/jumper lessons with the IHSA team as well as dressage (IDA). Pablo will be back for his 5th summer in 2017. Avatar & Coastal, who were new to Runoia in 2016, will return as well this summer. We are also welcoming a new horse from JWU/Dream Acres, Vale, this summer. Vale is replacing Toby, who is taking it easy this summer. We hear great things about Vale and we are excited to welcome him to our herd.

Ditto and Rory got a reprieve from the New England snow and got to spend their winter in Virginia at the Liberty University Equestrian Center working in the IHSA lesson program. Ditto, back for his 4th summer, and Rory, on summer three, are both gentle giants who take great care with even the tiniest of riders. Dulce, who stables at the Runoia summer barn, has spent the winter in Florida at Fox Lea Farm and won Circuit Champion in the .75 meter Jumpers at the Venice Equestrian Tour.

Prince, who also returns for his 4th summer at Runoia, spent the fall with Jen in Indiana working in a lesson program. He is a favorite in the Interscholastic Equestrian (IEA) circuit known for his great manners and easy going nature. Joining the royal Runoia family is Duke. Natalie (Jen’s daughter) has been busy getting to know her new horse and he will join Jen and Natalie at Runoia this summer.

Flower, who was a wonderful pony in our program last summer, is retiring this spring. But don’t worry, we are leasing two new wonderful ponies, named Cricket & Dazzle. Both of these ponies come to us from Dream Acres and have been in lesson and show programs for years, so we know they will be wonderful ponies.

We hope our returning campers look forward to seeing their favorite horse back at Camp Runoia and we can’t wait to introduce our new campers to our wonderful horses and ponies. Just like you, our horses have been in school all winter long and they are excited for summer. They are well trained, safe, and ready to make 2017 the best summer ever!

Coco, Verano, Pablo, Avatar, Coastal, Vale, Ditto, Rory, Prince, Cricket, Dazzle, Duke and Dulce look forward to seeing you soon!

To the Runoia Gals: An Open from Your Teary-Eyed Counselor

Posted on by Pam Cobb

You Wonderful and Spectacular Ladies,

I never imagined how beautiful a shooting star could be when you’re sitting next to someone who has never seen one. I never knew how wonderfully exhausting a game of Gaga with a group of 8-year-olds could be (or how often they would beat me!). I never realized that it was possible to sing so much and so loudly that it would take eight weeks for my voice to return to normal, or laugh so hard that my stomach would ache for hours. When I packed my bags for my first summer at camp, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

When I came to you for that first summer, I considered myself pretty well cooked. I had it in mind that I, as the adult, was there to provide a life-altering, fun, and unforgettable experience for you. While that was and has always remained my primary goal, I now see that you amazing young ladies, with whom I was lucky enough to spend three unforgettable summers, have had a far greater impact on me than I could ever have imagined.

When you become a camp counselor you hear all about how much your campers will learn from you, for better or for worse. But what you don’t hear as often is how much you will learn from you.

You’ve taught me many things in my three summers at Runoia, more than I could count and definitely more than I could ever share with you. But I would like to try to share some. You taught me about the curative nature of a hug from four children at once. You showed me how important it is to laugh and have fun every time the opportunity presents itself. You taught me how to “whip and nay nay,” wobble, dougie, and do all sorts of things that would make me hip and with it! You helped me realize how rewarding it can be to share my love of the water, which I discovered as a child, with others. You showed me every day that we are all at our most beautiful when we are being ourselves and when we are happy. I saw, first hand, the transformative power of a summer with friends in an environment that encourages growth and fosters an undeniable feeling of complete and utter happiness.

The past three summers have been the most indescribably amazing part of my life. I cannot thank you girls enough for all that you have shared with me, or your parents for helping you become the unbelievable and inspiring young women that you are. Runoia gals, I will carry the lessons you have taught me throughout my entire life, and will remember you always.

Thank you for helping me become who I am today and I hope that somewhere along the way, I may have helped you.

With love,

Your Teary-Eyed Counselor

 

 

Professional Networking and Development

Posted on by Pam Cobb

As camp professionals working with youth and young adults, we take professional development and professional networking seriously. This is the time of year many camp conferences across the country take place providing education, networking, inspirational speakers, and new ideas for everything from staff training, in-service training, camper support and guidance, special programming, and more. Check out the American Camp Association conference in Albuquerque, NM going on right now.

We are fortunate that Marijean “MJ” Parry is at the conference this week, networking and learning to bring back to Runoia. If you haven’t met MJ yet, her introduction is here on our Runoia site.  Our leadership team will be convening  in March at the ACA/NE conference in New Hampshire. We look forward to meeting in person and connecting with others helping Runoia to continue to grow and build lifelong skills of its own!

Our professional development doesn’t end with our camp connections. As I grow in my own field of work, I see youth outreach programs that are extraordinary. I am impressed by my childhood friend from Princeton, Jonathan Diamond, founder and director of the Hilltown Youth and Recovery Theatre helping youth through theatre and performing to recover from addiction and/or anxiety and other mental health challenges.

Jonathan grew up at camp in Maine and his sons attended Chewonki as well. He credits his camp experience to who he is today and the important work he is doing with children. I’m impressed with his work as shown in this short and compelling video.

The images of the work his program provides are vivid and powerful. Hats off to Jonathan and his team. If you are a person who works in counseling or helps youth with anxiety, addiction or other mental health challenges, I encourage you to check out Hilltown Youth and contact Jonathan if you are interested in more information. jonathan@crocker.com

Our connections with youth professionals from foster care to prep schools makes us better camp professionals. We are fortunate to know so many fantastic people doing great things helping us to stretch and grow just like our campers and staff do each summer!

 

 

 

The Gift of Camp Keeps Giving

Posted on by Pam Cobb

When connecting with alumnae we hear them say how camp “changed their lives”, “made them the person they are today”, “was a profound experience in their childhood”, “camp friends are their best friends”. Here’s a little more information from sources that help us truly understand why camp is the gift that keeps on giving!

Research about how camp helps build self esteem through American Camp Association’s study on camp outcomes is compelling: http://www.acacamps.org/press-room/aca-facts-trends provides significant data that camps help build self esteem in children.

The “growing up” experience explained in Michael Thompson Ph.D blog on PBS showing the independence campers feel when they overcome homesickness and learn how to be away from home: http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2011/05/helping-kids-beat-homesickness.html

How the camp experience helps people master transitions – a life skill that is needed as a child, a teen, a young adult, an adult, a senior: http://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/camping-magazine/time-our-lives-how-summer-camp-tames-transition-trouble

These are just a few links to substantiate the case of “why camp” and how camp is a gift that builds lifelong skills. As we mention on our Partnering with Parents page: https://runoia.com/families/partnering-with-parents/

“Camp’s ability to develop 21st century skills from face to face collaboration to team work and group problem solving help children build life skills. Camp is more than just clean air and fun these days – camp is a profound life shaping experience. We are honored to be part of the growth of your children and we take the responsibility very seriously. Not only that, but we love what we do and we are passionate about youth development and being part of helping prepare your daughters for life. Thank you for sharing your daughters with us!”

Camp is more than a summer of fun. Camp is a significant experience. At Camp Runoia, we believe that camp is the gift that keeps on giving!

Happy gifting!

Love,

Aionur