Tag: Maine Camp Girls Overnight

Fine Maine Days at Camp Runoia

Posted on by Alex

It is pouring with rain today in Maine.  The kind of drenching, nonstop rain that comes from a dense, grey cloud that lingers low to the ground.  The day is dark and you need the lights on inside and a rain jacket and umbrella if you venture outside.   It is the first significant rain we have had all month and is a big change from the mild and sunny weather we have become accustomed to.

Wet foliage is still beautiful.

Today’s rain and the significant precipitation that we will get over the next couple of days is however being welcomed.  It brings relief to the dry ground, reduces the fire danger and fills up the water table a little before the hard freeze of winter comes.  We have missed the rain and can tolerate it intruding into our crisp fall days as we relish the benefits that it will bring.

For many years now assembly at Runoia has often included the phrase ‘It’s a Fine Maine Day’ it has become a tradition and a tag line of sorts that we have come to expect.  Some days it may have an addendum that reflects the current climatic conditions, ‘the liquid sunshine will be sure to keep our fields and forests green’ or maybe ‘it’s tropical out make sure you have your water bottles.’  Whatever the weather at camp we make the best of it and we embrace it for what it is.  We can control many components of our days and schedules but the weather is not one of them.  Putting a positive spin on the things we cannot change helps us to develop resiliency, flexibility and confidence that we are in charge of our own mood.  We can choose to waste our day grumbling and complaining or get on with having a blast and enjoying every minute of our time at camp.

There are always positives to be found in the variable Maine summer weather.  A rainy morning may result in a ‘sleep in’ with a later bell and the opportunity for a little extra time to snooze.  Rain may come as a relief from a stretch of baking sunny days that can be exhausting.  A fire in the Lodge is cozy and an opportunity to not have to rush and take time to enjoy reading the logs or a good book.  Rainy day program is often a fun, entertaining and creative switch up from our regular scheduling.

Whatever the weather in your location we hope that you can make it an ‘FMD’, make the most of the opportunities that the day presents and imagine the noise of the rain on the metals roofs at camp.

Maine – the way life should be whatever the weather!

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.

 

Camp Runoia session session is rolling!

Posted on by Alex

Second session came in with a barrage of giggles, a few dreary rain clouds and an enthusiasm for camp life that we love to see at this point in the summer.  Our campers were so ready to get here that the opening day line by the gate was long even before lunch was finished.  We love the energy that these girls bring and have quickly helped everyone get settled and engaged with the Runoia routines.

Our new girls already seem like they have been here forever and old and new friendships are strong.  The full season girls have bridged the break nicely and had a fun trip out bowling and to the movies to celebrate their first session accomplishments and to skip orientation!

Full season campers had a blast at bowling!

Horses are being ridden, the ski boat is running nonstop, the first overnight wilderness trips head out today, craft and shop projects have been started and everyone is so busy all day long they fall into bed at night for a great sleep.  The first couple of days of tag up were a little overwhelming for some girls while others knew exactly what they wanted to choose first.  With over 15 choices of classes decision making skills are exercised at every opportunity.

For those of you following our nature updates there has not been a moose sighting in the area for a couple of days now and it seems that the fledgling barred owls finally got their flying feathers.  The great blue heron is typically on the beach at dusk when it is quiet around camp. The loons continue their nightly greetings to us as we slip into dreams of the fun we can have tomorrow.  We are truly living in harmony with nature at every opportunity.

We are so glad to be here in Harmony Land and know that the next few weeks will fly by; we will ‘maximize our opportunities’ and take advantage of these ‘fine Maine days.’

Tag up time at Camp Runoia -independent decision making

Posted on by Alex

It is almost time for Camp Runoia on Great Pond in Belgrade Lakes, Maine to open for its 111th season.

As a camp where girls are encouraged to be themselves and grow as individuals one of the greatest legacies that our Runoia founders left us was that of camper led decision making.  From the time Camp Runoia was founded girls and young women have had choices.  Morning ‘tag up’ after breakfast has become a staple of how girls make decisions and plan their own days at camp.  With around twenty different activity choices for each period there is something that appeals to everyone.  Check out the choices!

In a world where many of our campers are in very academic school programs and spend their after school time running from one pre-scheduled activity to another ‘tagging up’ allows for freedom and individuality of choice.  As parents of toddlers we are coached on giving choices to develop independent behavior but as children get older their decision making autonomy decreases.

There are no parents involved in how girls make choices at Runoia.  The great news is that you don’t have to commit for a semester or a 10 week block and if you like something you can do more of it or if you don’t like it all that much you can choose something different next time.  Youth involved decision making is a building block for developing life skills.

When girls make their own activity choices at camp or chose what they would like to do in their free time they can focus on themselves and their own needs and wants at that given moment.  While some girls come to camp with a master plan for their choices others enjoy a more flexible schedule and choose based on their goals, their mood that day or even the weather.  For some the challenge of choosing may initially be overwhelming, for others the days are too short to fit in everything that they want to try or work on. There is no right or wrong way to ‘tag up’ it’s just your own way!

Every camper has her own individual schedule that changes daily.

However a Camp Runoia girl makes her choices she is supported by caring adults who provide encouragement.  Campers are reminded to set and aim for goals,  try new things, stick with projects that need finishing, be an independent thinker and of course maximize the opportunities that camp provides.

In our over scheduled, busy lives, ‘tag up’ provides structured freedom of decision making in a safe place.

Preparations and anticipation at Camp Runoia

Posted on by Alex

The weeks leading up to the summer camp season are always a little frantic.  May is a month full of preparation and anticipation.  A whole years’ worth of work is rapidly coming to fruition.  The result will be the June arrival of staff and campers to the shores of Great Pond for their amazing summer camp season.  What was once just a concept is rapidly becoming a reality. Preparations for the 2017 summer sleep away camp season are definitely in full swing here at Camp Runoia.

There is the sudden leap into spring here in Maine which generates plenty of outdoor work.  There are sticks that need picking up, grass that needs mowing, flowers that need planting, docks to put in, a beach that requires raking and a myriad of other tasks that need doing right now!  Cleaning up the winter detritus and getting our campus looking beautiful is a high priority.  The longer days allow for more outdoor work and are a great distraction from the office!

I think Camp Runoia probably has it’s own UPS warehouse!

 

The UPS truck is a regular visitor to the Camp Runoia office with daily drops of packages filled with the needed supplies to make the camp program run smoothly.  Soon the food service trucks will be rolling in as we get our kitchen opened up and fully stocked and let’s not forget the oil truck and maybe even the septic guy getting their jobs done before camp opens.

 

At this time of year the names on the shack and staff lists take on more personality as we learn more about our girls and counselors and their hopes and dreams for their summer.  Parents are sharing medical information, travel plans, concerns and excitement for the sleep-away experience.  Staff are making travel plans, getting certifications completed and wrapping up their home lives to free up their summer so that they can be completely present at camp.  Penpal letters will be going out soon so that new campers will feel a stronger connection to their new summer family.

The phone never seems to stop ringing, it’s either the leadership team calling to run something by each other, a parent calling to check on the status of their forms or share a concern or maybe a local young person calling about a kitchen job.  We love talking to people and sharing our excitement for the opening of camp.  New parents read here – the ACA has lot of great articles to help you mentally and physically prepare for your daughters first sleep away camp experience.

We love that our days are filled to the brim and each brings us one step closer to the moment we are looking forward to the most.  When we pass through the Runoia gate and get to be ‘home’ for the summer in the place that we all adore surrounded by a community that supports and sustains each and every member.

Bring it on summer of 2017 we will be ready!

Passing through the Runoia gate into the summer of a lifetime!

 

Perseverance Builds Lifeskills at Camp Runoia

Posted on by Pam Cobb

After watching the final round of the PGA Masters tournament, all I could think of was “that’s serious perseverance”. Sergio Garcia had played in over 70 Major PGA events and finally won his first Major on April 9. He was graced with the iconic green jacket and history was in the books.

You can probably see where I’m going with this but one thing you do not know about me as the owner and director of Camp Runoia… I’m married to a sports fanatic. He put the “fan” in fanatic. That means a lot of conversation comes up about all major sports events daily. There is always a sport in season. And although we don’t watch much TV, you can guarantee there is a sports game on any night you want to watch. Spring is an exciting season in the pro world because as baseball starts, NHL hockey is in the final games and NBA is in the semi finals. #nonstopsports We actually met each other over pro sports so I’m pretty enthusiastic about sports, too. (add horse events and all women’s pro teams!).

But back to Senor Garcia. Ah-maze-ing. Tied at the end of four days of battling for the win, led to a “playoff” at the Masters. Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia, best friends after playing over 20 years together, they tied to finish. The whole story is akin to mythology. Anyway, in the end Sergio persevered. That’s the real story. Seventy three tries at winning a major tournament in the PGA and he finally won one. One. One big one. I can feel the emotion all over again and I can only imagine how he felt.

So, the takeaway is pretty clear. Even when we are pretty good, we are not always the best at something… yet: When we try things, we need to practice and have patience in our own work and play. Whether it is getting more refined in a sport, improving reading comprehension, making meaningful connections with others, learning how to reduce impetuous behavior, developing a friendship, or understanding how the wind affects the sail power of a boat. Let me say it again: we need to practice, have patience, learn from our mistakes and try again. This is what makes pros win major tournaments and this is what makes Runoia campers grow up to be strong women. Perseverance.

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!

 

 

 

Resolution Check-In Time – Make 2017 More Like Camp All Year

Posted on by Pam Cobb

Resolutions to Make 2017 More Like Camp All Year Round – Guest Blog by Carrie Murphey

It’s a simple fact that camp is the very best time of year. It’s basically magic. Except for how it doesn’t last ALL year. That part is not magic. So how do we resolve to make this year more like camp every day?

  1. Be active

You know how Camp Sleep is the very best sleep? Sure, part of it is because you’re all snuggled up in your warm bed, listening to the peaceful sounds of nature, and the Maine chill in the air keeps you cozy all night long. But also you know why you sleep so well at camp? You are SO dang tired at the end of every day! Because you did a million things! You were an archer, and a swimmer, and a basket-weaver, and a wall-climber, and you ran from Junior End to the lodge to be first for tag-up, and you zoomed all over the kickball field during Evening Program, and then you had a spontaneous dance-off in your shack while you brushed your teeth, and then goodnights and lights out and BAM. Out like a log.

Do you move your body half as much in the rest of the year as you do during camp? No, me neither. I could do more and I bet you could too!

  1. Sing lots

From the lodge in the morning to the lake in the afternoon to belting out to the radio during shower time to campfire on Sundays to Taps at night, we are always singing at camp. We don’t always sound greeeeeeeeeat, but we’re usually going at it with gusto.

So turn your music up, or grab your camp songbook, and just SING.

  1. Try new things

Days at camp are filled with new activities and new friendships to make. It seems there’s never enough time to try ALL the things and meet ALL the people. Caught up in the contagious joy of camp, you’re also more inclined to be understanding of all the difference around you and excited by every new experience you have and each new person you encounter.

During the year, you have more time, but if you’re anything like me, probably less enthusiasm for trying new things. You stick with your routine, with your established set of friends, and you may even eat the very same thing for breakfast every day. Try to make your year a little more like camp by stepping outside your comfort zone in small ways. Talk to a new person in your class. Learn more about a different club at your school. Read a book in a genre you’ve never tried. Take a try-it size portion of a food you’re almost positive you don’t like just in case. Not everything will stick like your old stand-bys, but like camp, you just might discover new interests and cool people.

  1. Invest in your friendships

There is an immediacy to making friends at camp. You only have so much time together and you want to make every moment count. You share stories at lightening speed and can’t remember a time when you didn’t know each other. You spend your days doing lots of the same things together and then talking late into the evening about the memories you’ve already made with one another. In a very short amount of time, you crystalize these close friendships and feel bonded for life.

You certainly have close friends outside of camp. But how often are you spending time just sharing stories and talking about each other’s days? Some of those new things you’re trying out, maybe your friends want to try with you. Chances are, they’d like to have a little more camp in their lives too.

  1. Unplug

That first day of camp, when you’re separated from your phone or your computer, oof, it hits like a ton of bricks. Your hand twitches to refresh your SnapChat or take a mindless BuzzFeed quiz. But within hours (if not minutes) of being swept into that sweet unplugged camp life, I doubt you miss either one very much. And because you’re talking to real people in real time, face-to-face, you’re able to make lasting connections and have incredible experiences by hearing with your full ears and seeing with your whole eyes. There is nothing to divide your attention and so you can invest your attention in anything and everything you do.

It’s not always completely realistic to give up a phone or a computer the rest of the year (I, for one, would be fired from my job), but I promise you, the more time we spend away from either, the more we can pay attention to – friends, family, activities – with our undivided selves.

So, let us all resolve to live 2017 a little more like camp. Remembering to bring a few dashes of that magic to our everyday is bound to make the time between camp seasons pass that much more mercifully quick… right?

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.

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

Camp Was My Hogwarts – Guest Blog by Jamie Cluchey

Posted on by Pam Cobb

jamie-and-josieThis afternoon, I was doing some pre-winter organizing and came across my “camp box” in the basement. This box — full of letters from camp friends, letters that my mom saved from my camper days, special crafts, and the best childhood memories any girl could hope for — is literally busting at the seams. Over the course of 4 housing moves in the last 10 years, I’ve tossed old school memorabilia, clothes, and so much of the other “stuff” that accumulates over the course of a childhood. But this box has stayed with me. Each time I’ve packed my things, I’ve stumbled on this box and thought about how much fun it will be for my future children to sort through these memories when they’re about to embark on their own camping experiences. I still remember rainy days spent with my mom, reading through her old Runoia autograph books, singing from her song book, and hearing stories inspired by the pictures and notes that she keeps close to her heart.

My love of camp started young…possibly in utero. I was raised on camp songs and attempts to re-create the perfect congo bar. When I first read Harry Potter, I completely related to how he felt when he found out that he was going to Hogwarts, because that is exactly how I felt when I learned it was time for me to start camp. Camp was my Hogwarts. And, honestly, it still is. I’ve been to many camps during the last 20 years, and have worn many hats. I suppose there must be something in that box from every one of those camp experiences. But 18 months ago, I put on a new camp hat — that of a future camp parent.

I had a daughter. This little girl, full of spunk and sass and an independent spirit, has given me such a new perspective on the importance of camp. I can’t wait for Josie to go to camp (granted, right now going away for a weekend gives me angst, so there’s some growth on both our parts that needs to happen in the next 7 or 8 years). I can’t wait for her to live on her own in a cabin with friends, to learn new activities, to develop her leadership, communication, collaboration, problem solving skills. But most of all? I can’t wait for her to have counselors in her life. These young women, still developing their own beliefs and life paths, are truly what makes the camp world go ‘round. I can tell you first hand that 90% of the people I still, to this day (at 33 and 11/12 years old), want to be like when I grow up are my camp counselors. The exhilarating feeling when a former counselor likes my post about parenting — I feel so (possibly unreasonably) proud to know that they think I’m doing a good job!

A week or two ago, I was on social media and came across a conversation between two veteran Runoia counselors. They were talking about current events, and clearly both felt great passion about the subject. I’m not sure that I can even pinpoint what it was about their discussion — the respectful tones they used, their ability to truly “listen” to each other and respond in a way that honored the observations of the other, or just the fact that these intelligent, strong, thoughtful young women were empowered enough to share their views in a public forum — whatever the reason, this conversation brought tears to my eyes. The thought of my daughter one day developing relationships with role models just like these two incredible women…there is truly nothing greater I could ever wish for my girl.

As her mom, it is my responsibility to prepare Josie as best I can to face all of the good and bad that life throws her way. I cannot think of a better way to arm a young girl to tackle the world than to surround her with the strong, positive, spirited role models that she will find in her counselors at camp. So the box remains in the basement because one day it will be very fun to look through it with my daughter. But the memories? The hundreds of relationships that have endured? I keep them right with me. And I can’t wait for the day that my daughter will be able to go to camp and create her own.

Thanks Alumna, Jamie Cluchey, for being our guest blogger this week! If you would like to share your Runoia experiences, memories or writing, please go to our alumnae page: https://runoia.com/alumnae/about-crao/ and scroll to the bottom and click on the email to contact our editor, Aionur!