Tag: caring adults

With Gratitude for our Girls and Families

Posted on by camprunoia

Greetings from Camp Runoia!

The month of November is often associated with gratitude. Like so many, we find ourselves thinking about people, places and things we are grateful for, and we are grateful for you ~ our parents, families and girls that make Runoia the special place it is for all of us.  A “summer camp” is really just some land and buildings until you add the special ingredient… people. We know there are so many ways a girl can spend her summer, and we feel fortunate that you value the camp experience enough to choose Runoia for your daughter. We also appreciate that it can be a bit “nervous-making” to entrust your child to others. We are honored that you have chosen us and trust us to care for your daughter while she is with us in the summer.

We take this trust very seriously and strive to hire the type of counselors that will serve as positive adult role models as they teach, mentor, care for, and have fun with your daughter. We will do our best to create an environment where girls can discover themselves, make positive choices, develop life skills, create deep friendships, have joyous fun, and create memories that will last throughout their lives. We are very lucky to do this special work of camp.

We are so excited that so many girls have already re-enrolled for 2018. Perhaps you know a girl that would be a perfect addition to our community? We do still have a few spots available in all of our sessions, so please share your stories of the Runoia experience with your friends. Camp is a wonderful gift to share.

We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and many thanks again for being a part of our Runoia family!

Best wishes,

T

Fall reflections about the summer at camp

Posted on by Alex

As we head into the crisp, clear days of fall it is a great time for reflection and contemplation about the past summer at camp.  Life in Maine takes on a slower pace at this time of year and we are able to take a few minutes to look back on the great moments that happened over the summer season and to figure out if we need to make any improvements for the upcoming year.

Runoia zen

As we connect with parents of returning campers and those potential families that may be joining us next summer, read surveys and talk to staff it is a great opportunity for us to get a variety of feedback.  Summer camp is a fleeting season filled to the brim with experiences, relationship building and a myriad of tasks that fill up our ‘fine Maine days.’

Once the chaos of back to school has settled and we are into our more relaxed off season routines mid-October is a perfect time to chat.  We love conversations with parents about the changes they have seen since their daughter came home from camp, growth she has made or just the stories she had to tell about her camp experiences.  When reach outs about enrollment result in ‘she wouldn’t miss it for the world’ or ‘she would be so mad if I missed out on signing her up’ we are gratified that we produced another great Runoia summer for our girls.

View from the Runoia boathouse

In order to fill those few remaining spaces that are open the fall also allows us time to refine our marketing strategy for the upcoming season .  In a world of photo shop and fake news we try to accurately sell the product that is a Runoia summer.  We market what we can produce and hope that our happy customers will keep coming back for more.  With attention paid to any feedback that helps us to continue striving for excellence, we feel like we can really create an evolving product that stays true to our traditions and camp culture.  As we talk to new families not only about the generic benefits of a sleep away summer camp experience we also ask them to reflect on the type of place that would best suit their child.  We want our campers to feel like Camp Runoia is truly their home away from home and to be able to meet the goals they may have set themselves for the summer.

While we continue to reach out to our community we also invite you to share your thoughts about Runoia and help our reflections gain substance.  We are certain that the summer season of Runoia 2018 will be here before we know it and we are already excited for our 112th season on Great Pond.

 

Minutes and Moments at Camp Runoia

Posted on 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! 6th and 7th 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.”

 

 

 

Camp Runoia summer 2017 is here!

Posted on by Alex

Planes, trains and automobiles – getting to Camp Runoia

It’s almost time for our girls to arrive and we seriously can’t wait to open the gates and start our 111th season of overnight camping on Great Pond.  Our week has been filled with wrapping up staff training, putting the finishing touches to the campus, ordering food and supplies and talking about what makes Runoia special.  We have learned songs, practiced schedules and routines and helped each other learn the intricacies of how our community works.  A new generation of staff has been amazed at our history, are in awe of the amazing women who came before us and are ready to fill those big shoes.

See you in the parking lot!

 

We know that for our girls it has been a week of packing and repacking, finding lost song books, cramming an extra stuffie into trunks and generally preparing to be away from home for a couple of weeks.  Some families have pre camp rituals, a special dinner out or a vacation with everyone before the separation of camp.  For others just wrapping up school, camp is an oasis of calm growing ever closer.

 

 

Getting everyone here on time and safely is quite the task.  Girls will drive up with their family, fly in from faraway places or enjoy fun with friends on the camp bus.  They will be met by new friendly faces wearing Runoia shirts and will quickly settle in to their home away from home in Harmony Land.

We cannot wait until we have everyone safely tucked into their camp beds on the first night.  When the names on a cabin list become real children the work of the entire year becomes reality.

We are ready to welcome in the 2017 summer season at Runoia may it be filled with adventure, guided challenges, new friendships, great food, long summer days and most of all harmony.

What Will You Read This Summer?!

Posted on by Pam Cobb

My childhood friend, who has been living abroad with her family for the past 24 years,  recently returned to live in Atlanta, Georgia. I recently reconnected with her and we visited a classic bookstore in St. Pete together.

Each year we add new books to our library and although we try to read them all before we shelf them, sometimes we rely on the expertise of others to determine if it’s a good book for Camp Runoia. Little did I know, I hit the JACKPOT with Ann.

I discovered she had gotten her masters in Library Science while living in Cairo and when she moved to Phnom Penh, she was a librarian in the American School. So, I picked her brain about suggestions of books with female protagonists for the Runoia library.

My to my delight, after our visit she sent me a catalogue of suggested titles with genre, summary and review by Ann. WOW!

Weeks have gone by since I’ve seen Ann and this past week, she emails me out of the blue to say she was so inspired by our night time reading aloud in cabins at bed time, our lending library and our word of the day at assembly that she has been on a mission to bring us books. She has been perusing yard sales in her neighborhood and has collected almost 100 quality books for the Runoia library! She asked if she could drop them off when she is in NE in June. A resounding YES was the answer.
At Runoia, we celebrate reading. It might sound funny that that’s a thing at camp but between Rest Hour reading, reading out loud at bed time and reading by flashlight, summer reading and reading for joy, campers and counselors read an extraordinary amount of books each summer at Runoia. Our typical count is around 7-800 books a summer. And yes, we do count!

We also have a book club each summer. Our Assistant Director, Barb St. Peter, will be selecting and announcing the book this month. Barb runs the club which meets a few times during the session to discuss the book.

Reading as a pastime, for relaxation, for knowledge, discovery or curiosity is a life skill we value at Runoia. Plus is a lot of fun! What books will you bring to camp or take on vacation this summer? If you’re a camper reading this blog, get ready for a new section in the library from my friend, Ann!

Letter Writing at camp Runoia

Posted on by Alex

The lost art of letter writing is found at Camp Runoia

For many people a letter or card written by hand and sent through the post is a rare treat to receive.  There is incredible value in the sending and receiving of letters to and from Camp.  Although modern alternatives may have crept into our regular everyday lives and mail has now often been replaced by type or text, at camp the options are much more limited and therefore pen and paper is the go to form of communication.

Some letters from camp are short and oh so sweet!

A hand written letter, postcard or note-card shows a commitment and acknowledges that a person has taken the time and resources to show how much you are valued. A paper note can be stored under a pillow, treasured and reread over and over. They don’t require an instant or  speedy response or even any response at all, they can be savored and relished.  Camp Runoia parents often tell us years later that they still have those letters from camp as treasured memories of their daughters developing independence.

Content is often deeper and more profound in a letter than it is in a hurriedly typed email or an even shorter text message.  There is not room for emoticons in a pen and paper note, real feelings are expressed carefully using vocabulary that often never appears in type,

A note can communicate messages that may be difficult to address in person or may be impossible if the distance covered is great.  The recipient sits with the content without an immediate verbal response needed.

At Camp Runoia we value the time old tradition of hand writing notes.  People in our community receive ‘real’ mail long before our campers even arrive to the shores of Great Pond.  We send welcome notes, Birthday postcards and of course penpal letters for new campers all before June.  Parents, family members and friends continue to send postal mail during the summer season and while a one way email service is now available some girls still get stacks of ‘real mail’ every day.  Our campers reciprocate those letters filled with love and news from home.  Rest hour is often spent filling up stationary and notecards with tales of camp adventures, new friends, how the food is and what EP’s have been a blast.

The Belgrade Lakes Post Office manages the Camp Runoia mail

The Belgrade Lakes Post Office is near and dear to our hearts and trips to visit can sometimes even be won as EP prizes. The 04918 zip code is imprinted on our hearts.  We are encouraging Runoia Girls to build real life communication skills.

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!

 

 

 

Camp Runoia chickens in winter

Posted on by Alex

How we keep the Runoia chickens happy in the snow.

You may be wondering what on earth the Camp Runoia chickens are up to during all of this snow in Maine.  It is fun and easy to have the chickens in our Runoia farm program during the summer, the winter takes a bit more planning.

The hens are well cared for and we thought that we would share some of our best tips for keeping the flock safe, warm and laying all winter long.  This latest nor’easter dumped 2 feet of snow on the coop and was certainly a test of our chicken farmer resources.  Typically when the weather is fine the flock free ranges and like to be out and about but once there is snow on the ground they stay in their covered pen attached to the coop.

 

The hens have an insulated coop and are hardy breeds so they don’t mind the cold too much.  They tend to stay inside if it is very cold.  They hate their feet in the snow so we put down lots of straw and shavings to help them keep their toes warm

A heated water bucket is essential they drink a lot even when it is cold and we have to keep it clean and unfrozen.

Grain is kept filled up as they eat much more food in the cold months as there is little available to supplement.  They love tasty, high protein treats which help them to stay warm, dried mealworms look a little gross but they get eaten up quickly.

The girls have surprisingly been laying a lot this winter even though we choose to not put a light in the coop.  Hens typically need around 12 hours of daylight in order to stay in a laying cycle.  That is tough up here in Maine with the short days and usually they stop laying for a couple of months.  Oyster shells keep the eggs coming and stop weak shells forming when there is no dirt to peck at outside.

All in all they don’t seem too bothered by the snow and cold but will be excited to get out free ranging in the Spring.

Need more info about chicken care check out our Pinterest board – ‘Runoia’s backyard chickens’ keeping hens is easier and more fun than you think!

Making memories with traditions at home and camp

Posted on by Alex

Hopefully during this Holiday season you have found the time to be present in the moment and enjoy special family times and traditions with those that you love the most.

friends

Whether you have favorite recipes that you cook together, a gingerbread project that everyone works on or a special place that you visit it is often the routine of tradition that is of most value to our kids.  The fancy wrapped packages have been unwrapped and the anticipation of the moment has now passed but the activities that you do together will cement the great feeling of the season.

Hopefully you can take time to just hang out, play games, go for a walk and just relax together.  We would love to see your  photos of the family fun you have had over break.

At camp our girls love the times when they get to connect with each other, when they do something that they can only do at camp or that only happens once a session.

Maybe over the school break your daughter  can take the time to write a real mail letter to a camp friend.  Make a connection, start a tradition.

dsc_0002

 

As the year ends the official countdown to summer 2017 is on. We still have spaces for our 2017 season sign up here!

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