find a camp in Maine Archives - Page 5 of 5

American Sign Language at Sleepaway Camp

Posted on October 20, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Word of the Day – American Sign Language Style!

Our Word of the Day is an event at camp that has become a tradition. This summer the WOD was brought to us by Izzy Snyder. She included ALS signs to every word and taught them to the whole camp. Izzy is studying to be an interpreter for the deaf and we learned signs in both sessions at Runoia.

At the end of this session, Keira, a 10 year old camper, wrote a story including some of the signs (the underlined words) we learned in second session at Camp Runoia:

Welcome to the Obscure Challenge.

Here your perseverance, laughter and experience will be staunch and most wanted. During this challenge you will trudge through vegetation. If you win you should feel bittersweet because much worse awaits you after winning. IF you lose you do not have to face what will come, so you should feel grateful. In the next part of the challenge, you will face a question that most people are not imaginative enough to figure out. IF you find the answer it means you have a lot of positivity and you will be flabbergasted by the winner. This is a competition (friendly) of the mind. The winner has a strong mind with tons of inner strength.

Keira, thanks for sharing your great story!

Runoia – A Bittersweet Ending

Posted on August 13, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

The end is always bittersweet.

We like to think of the end as a new beginning. Campers and counselors alike take new skills with them to school and work and life. They cherish new friendships, some that will last a lifetime. Canoeing, sailing, swimming under the sun – those skills will last forever. The counselor who did something caring and thoughtful at a time that a camper needed it, a friend who helped another when they need help, that laughter, endless laughter that they can hear ringing in their ears… these glimpses and moments of summer are instants that weave into the tapestry of campers’ and counselors’ lives. Cotillion is our final evening together. A night of tradition starting with processional singing It’s Blue and White, the teams sitting and facing each other in the Lodge, the awards and ribbons, points awarded and special moments of acknowledging accomplishments. The traditional game of #Hucklebucklebeanstalk to find the final scores of the season, the Bobos and cheers and tears, candle lit paths and the cotillion fireside singing.

This night helps put a punctuation mark at the end of the chapter of the summer of 2015. With Runoia’s 110th summer coming up in 2016, a new chapter will be written.Bitter and sweet. Bitter in the ending, sweet in the experience. Bitter in the goodbyes, sweet in the new friendships.

The end is bittersweet.

Camp is…many cultures: Sailing and Hungary!

Posted on March 10, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

A Hungarian Sailor at Camp Runoia

As a 20-years-old Hungarian girl it was quite a big deal for me last year when I decided to apply for a summer camp counselor program at Camp Leaders to work and travel in the U.S.

So on June 17^th 2014 the biggest adventure in my life had started. I was really excited when I said goodbye to my parents at the airport but surprisingly not scared at all. I was facing a 10-hour flight from Budapest to Boston and when I arrived at camp I’d been awake for almost 24 hours. Fortunately a ready-to-sleep bed was waiting for me at camp.

I had expected that I will learn thousands of new things during the summer: food, animals, games, songs, places, language, traditions, rules, different cultures and many new people. And my expectations weren’t false – I had widened my perspective in many ways.

Hungary is a really small country in Europe – only about 36,000 sq miles so as the State of Maine. Now you can imagine how unbelievably huge is the U.S. for me that I only realized first during my one month travels after camp.

I have learned Runoia terms like EP, QP, Mahadin, Lodge, Gaga, green machine, CIT etc. I had the opportunity to join flag raisings, hear loons at night, celebrate 4^th of July, sit on a yellow school bus, eat Gifford’s ice cream and dirt pudding, and sing all the Runoia songs at campfire while eating marshmallows. And of course I was able to teach my favorite activity, sailing for the kids.

I’m really grateful for that summer at Runoia where I’ve met a lot of wonderful people who I am able to see again hopefully in a few months for the summer of 2015.

Laura Meszaros, from Hungary, lived in junior end and taught sailing in 2014.

Laura Meszaros, Runoia Staff

A journey to camp

Posted on February 22, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

Is it a torch or a flashlight?

Perhaps the greatest adventure of my life was my first trip to the US. I had just finished my second year of college and having spent the previous summer living back at home and working retail full time had I was in search of a different opportunity. Luckily my college was a big early proponent of ‘abroad’ experiences and the being a ‘camp counselor at American summer camp’ was a popular choice for sports science majors.

I have vivid memories of the planning, packing and journey. Remember this was back in the dark ages before the internet so I had little clue what the place looked like and had honestly never heard of Maine! My entire knowledge of American culture had been absorbed from the limited US TV shows on British television. It was likely some combination of ‘Fame’ and ‘Starskey and Hutch’! This was also before the time of the super Walmart and I thought I needed to pack every item I could possibly need for the next 3 months in my human sized backpack it never dawned on me I could shop when I got there!

I was giddy with enthusiasm, met a random girl who was working at the same camp at the airport and headed out into the wide blue yonder.

What a trip it has been! While I have traveled to many countries and had many experiences that trip to the US was truly a life changer.

Now over 20 years later summer camp has become my career, the journey has taken many twists and turns and I have met so many amazing and interesting people along the way. I could never have imagined that I would have ended up living and raising my children in Maine.

Having the courage to take the first step of the journey can lead you to places you never imagined. Be daring and go for it.

Big G! Interview with Runoia’s own Gines on Fitness and Nutrition “Holiday Style”

Posted on December 22, 2014October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Runoia News Reporter: How did you get started in fitness and decide to pursue your Personal Trainer certification?

Gines: Playing varsity field hockey for high school and competing internationally in martial arts made me realize how fitness would be a benefit in my strength and endurance. Plus giving back through outdoor education. I like sharing with others.

RNR: When you were a full time Personal Trainer what was your biggest challenge? Do you have any funny stories?

G: Helping people stay committed when they miss sessions. One client, told me he would be fully honest with his food journal and do extra “burpies” to pay back his overeating. After a few weeks he had accumulated 1200 burpies (he stuck to it and we worked it out over a number of sessions together!).
Integrate Burpees into your Routine for Extra Credit!

RNR: Recently you’ve gotten into snow shoeing, how did that come about?

G: Moving to Maine and wanting to run. I saw snowshoeing races and recognized that as a running opportunity. Last winter I entered a race and performed well and now I’m really into it. In February, I’m running a snowshoe race in the Waterville, Maine area!
Winter Activity is Family Fun!

RNR: Your passion for staying active outdoors in NE is backed up by your dedication to Winter Kids and serving on the Winter Kids Board of Directors, what is that about?

G: Having a family plays a big part of being inspired to help others get out and enjoy the outdoors no matter what the winter weather is like. And my basic passion for spreading information to others… helping kids get away from the TV and be healthy and fit.

RNR: Nutrition – what part does nutrition play into your fitness regime?

G: You really can’t out-exercise a really bad diet. Nutrition is so important as part of an overall regime. Think about what you are eating to nourish your body.

RNR: What food or drink do you like to start your day with?

G: I drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. I’m a big coffee drinker (since my early 20s) so, I enjoy a good morning brew J Granola and yogurt is my go-to breakfast food. After I work out, I like to make a green drink. Look for recipes in our next blogs.
Banana Green Drink!

RNR: Do you have any tips for people about nutritious foods/drinks?

G: Change things slowly, introduce new foods a little at a time.

RNR: How ‘bout the holidays? Any hints for people keeping a balance in fitness and nutrition over the holidays and school break?

G: If you reach for second cookie or treat, make yourself have a glass of water first. Often you don’t have the urge for the treat afterwards.
G: Schedule a group activity. For instance, go for a family walk, meet your cousin to go for a run – committing to other people make you accountable and you’re spreading the cheer!

RNR: The past two summers you have brought two special events to Camp Runoia in the form of 5 Million Step Race and Runoia’s first Triathlon? What’s in store for Runoia this summer?!

G: The afternoon “running club” during free time is popular and girls can plan to get fit for school sports when they are at camp. I’d love for girls to discover the joy of trail running – so we’ll be doing quite a bit of that this summer.

RNR: Any final thoughts?

G: Don’t be too hard on yourself – enjoy the holidays!
G: Regarding a New Year’s Resolution here’s three tips: be sure to write down your goal, set a deadline and make it public!

The Center of Camp

Posted on November 29, 2014October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

In the center of camp is a special place. Its hub endures the hustle and bustle of camp’s daily flow. We greet it with the pattering of feet as we fall out from flag raising and it shudders at the end of the day as milk gets spilled upon its floors and crackers crumble into happy mouths. We sing and fill the rafters with graces, bobos and birthday songs.

Celebrating Birthdays - a Tradition! — Celebrating Birthdays – a Tradition!

Where else besides cabins do we spend two and a half hours almost every day with an assorted group of random people? Where else could you find thousands of red and white flowered and plain squares? Like a silent movie, benches and chairs get moved in and out, up on top of tables and down again. It is only furniture but it’s furniture that fills its innards with substance and fortitude.

Probably the person who spent the most time within its screened walls was Johnny. For 54 summers Marion “Johnny” Johnson sat regally reigning from the corner by the flagpole. To date, some of her special sayings are shared in that very same corner. Betty’s Table became, and still is, an icon of good manners, quietly closing doors, trying new foods and cleaning plates. Counselors who return to camp for a couple years adopt their own table and create their own legacies with the campers who share meals around them.

Betty and Diane raised their newborn children under her eaves. Alex, K and other camp parents (and in 2014 Jai and Gines raise their respective little ones) over the summers have done the same. Campers have laughed, cried, screamed, and shrieked with delight amidst the pine paneling. The hum of the water cooler adorned with the magically changing poster provides a watering hole for many. Each corner has its own echo, each it’s own feeling. Late night sardines has been played in all the nooks and crannies. Dances and casino halls, specialty restaurants and rainy day games have transformed her façade at times. Snacks, studying for JMG, package surprises, the mail bag, counselors’ coffee and board games have all been part of its personality. On its walls, some over 100 years old, banners and posters, signs and memorabilia hang to be seen by all. It is the epicenter of our daily sustenance, the Mother Ship of our excursions, the source of many good times and tastes.

The 2006 Log is dedicated to the Dining Hall, to all its bumps and leaks and all its glory.

Bittersweet Endings at Camp Runoia

Posted on August 29, 2014October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Bittersweet Endings

The end of camp is also a beginning.

The end of camp means saying “see you later”.

The end of camp feels like an amazing high quality chocolate bar that you never want to end and savor it to the last nibble. And ultimately, can’t wait until you allow yourself to taste it again!

The summer season in Maine ends with cool nights, bright days and feel of autumn high in the air. The bittersweet vine begins to form its bright berries that make us smile in the darkening days of fall. The golden rod flower stands erect and bright in the mellowing sun. Afternoons end all too quickly and dusk settles in as we yearn for the long summer days.

Ending anything great is hard to part with – like the end of a good novel or a challenging game or a zip on the Runoia Dragonfly.

The good news about the end of camp is you have your memories, your friendships, your totems of the summer experienced. Be they symbols as in an award for accomplishments, an emblem like your art projects, a feeling you hold near and dear, or the growth others notice in you, these parts of summer stay with you like the bittersweet vine continues to grow. The good news about the end of camp is that Runoia will be there for you in 2015 and beyond.

Although camp ending is bittersweet, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem In Memoriam:27, 1850 sums it up so well:

I hold it true, whate’er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
‘Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

And as we sing at Runoia “And when I get back home again, I’m gonna study hard and then, back to canoes and paddles”

Happy Back to School!

International Women’s Day

Posted on March 9, 2013October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

There are people in your life who influence your life, add to your life, perhaps even change the course of your life. I would like to acknowledge three women who were significant in my career. When I became a small business owner of a girls’ summer camp, I was enthusiastic and had a passion for being successful but in both cases it was because of the belief of others in me.

I have a lot to be thankful to my mom, Betty Cobb. There’s the obvious. There’s the whole camp director role model thing. But surprising to most, it was the way she affected people and how they grew from her leadership that inspired me the most. My mom was a tough woman, all about do the right thing and sacrifice and for the better good, etc. She had high morals, was often unyielding and worked very, very hard. She loved her family, her students and her campers and counselors. There was a tiny moment when she loved French cooking, too. I enjoyed seeing her explore that because I didn’t see my mom explore a lot that wasn’t innately part of her. She was an excellent cook and I think French cooking was a reach that gave her a new lease on life. One winter she when I was a girl, she went to France and went to cooking school. I digress. Anyway, my mom inspired me to be a hard working, do it yourself person. I wouldn’t be the camp owner/director I am today without my mom. Here’s a picture of her with my dad when she was a young camp owner and director.

The other two women come in tandem. They were both camp directors. Twenty five years ago they approached me together at a camp conference. Like cheerleaders, they rallied and pepped and told me ecstatically how they were happy I was listening to the calling of my family and becoming a fourth generation Cobb family camp owner and director. At the time, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do it. They made me want to do it. There was such glee and infusion of energy in their combined assault on me in the conference lobby of the Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, that I believed in myself that day. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I can remember the clothes I was wearing, the way the light filled the hall, the sound of the conference dimming out behind them as they chimed in unison and gushed over me in excitement. It was a moment in time that has stood still for me. It’s a framed like a picture in my mind. These two camp women, June Gray (with Pat Smith on left) from Camp Wawenock and Jean McMullan from Alford Lake Camp were catalysts for who I am today.

In honor of International Women’s Day, I’d like to thank these three women in my life for helping me believe in myself and carving out the quarter century of my life that has been the center piece of my adult career. I haven’t even started on the hundreds of young women and children and parents I have met on account of my life in camping. That I’ll have to save for another blog.

Happy International Women’s Day 2013.