sleepaway Archives - Page 7 of 8

The Camp Runoia Dining Hall

Posted on June 3, 2015October 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.

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 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.

Fairies are for Real

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

Imagine yourself eight years old; you are at sleepaway camp, far far far from your family. You are taking in the fun and action that happens day-in day-out at camp.

One day, as you merrily cruise along in your eight year old world, you are invited to go camping to “Fairy Ring”. Wait, it gets better. Not only do you get to camp at Fairy Ring, you get to have magical s’mores (AKA dessert before dinner) and you spend part of your afternoon building fairy houses for the fairies of Fairy Ring.

S'mores for Supper?! — S’mores for Supper?!

Consider your eight year old mind fathoming a camp out where the fairies actually live? When said fairies come to visit before bedtime, you can hardly believe your eyes. Flitting between tall pines and the evening dusk, a movement, a glow, a fairy appears!

The very next morning, when you wake up, the fairies have left you with your very own fairy rock painted in bright colors and glittery-gold.

This tradition at Camp Runoia has been going on since the beginning of time!

Singing

Posted on May 13, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

Perfect Harmony

This week is concert week for the chorus that I am a member of. It means two nights of rehearsal and two performances which equals a lot of singing. I love being part of a group of women that spends time together making music. We are not professional musicians but spend time and effort learning notes, exploring musical nuances and perfecting our performance. For 2 ½ hours a week I become lost in the complexity of music mastery and the production of choral sound.

At camp singing is a large part of our everyday lives. We sing silly songs, rowdy songs, quiet, contemplative melodies and most importantly we sing our Runoia songs. We spend time at Assembly learning songs; some have been sung for generations and others are new to Runoia. Old songs carry our history. Hearing them reminds us of our special place on Great Pond. We find ourselves humming Runoia tunes when we are far from camp and know that many of our alumnae sing them to their own children as lullabies.

Our camp songs have actions, guitar accompaniments, nonsense words, no words, harmonies, different parts or barely a tune. We make songs up to popular tunes, we lip sync, we cry while we sing: sometimes from laughing and sometimes because it is our last time of the season singing together.

At camp it is not the quality or musicality that matters so much although we do channel our inner Diane Smith and try to hit those odd high notes in Tumbledown and It’s Blue and White! It is more that we do something together. We can be heard singing in the Lodge, Dining Hall, around the campfire, in a sail boat or canoe, down the path to the waterfront, out on the hiking trails, for the camp Talent Show and in the vans. Songs are a unique part of our camp culture that we pass along orally and through our song book.

Songs and singing make us happy! Music has the ability to unite us. We may not always sing in perfect harmony but we sing together to celebrate our community, traditions and just because we can! It is part of who we are at Runoia it is our ‘Harmony’.

Listen to a few favorite Runoia songs here!

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.

Camp trunk?

Posted on April 7, 2015October 18, 2016 by Alex

A trunk or not a trunk? that is the question!

I am a first time at sleep away camp for my youngest daughter Mom this year. My oldest did a whole bunch of programs that either just required a duffel bag or a suitcase. She was more the college campus, camp kind of girl! it’s been a while so I am back shopping for camp supplies.

Today’s question for deliberation is what to pack in to? A trunk or duffel bags? and if we do decide on a trunk what type? my head is already swirling just contemplating thinking about it. You would think as the camp director I’d have a clear vision but it seems that there are so many pro’s and con’s for each option. To me the ubiquitous trunk screams sleep away camp and is a connection to the long time tradition of kids packing up for the summer and heading out by train to camp. But wait this is 2015 and no one arrives by train anymore and we won’t be traveling far with her stuff!

The girls that bring trunks to camp love them as they are a great catch all for spare towels and linens dress up clothes and all manner of junk you can just throw in there before cabin inspection. You can sit on them, use them to get up to your top bunk and play a round of cards on top. Trunks these days comes in such an array of styles and colors they can be an identity statement and it’s also pretty cool to bring your parents old camp trunk.

Duffel bags are easy to pack and can be tucked away on the luggage rack collecting dust bunnies until the end of the season. With all of her stuff unpacked she won’t forget about items that may be stored in the trunk and will be able to see everything.

Whichever option we go with I am sure it will work out fine it usually comes out about 50/50 amongst the campers. There are then those international staff who manage to put everything they need for the entire summer into one small backpack maybe that’s what we should do!

My Journey Through Camp – Anna’s Reflections

Posted on March 25, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

At the end of this past August, after seven summers of growth and memories, I was less than happy about the idea of leaving. Settling into the alternate universe of laughter and companionship -not to mention the notable absence of parents – only to be torn away and thrust back into the hectic lifestyle of the school year was not ideal. I had spent most of the summer hoping the day would never come. Unfortunately, the day arrived and all at once I was in the car heading down the street which had once led me to my second home, and was now tearing me away from it. Gazing into the rearview mirror at the entrance reminded me of the first time I’d driven down that very street- heading towards the gate, instead of away from it.

As a nine year old who had inherited the family heirloom of independence, which had been passed down through generations of women in my family, I had chosen Runoia myself. I was excited. My search for independence was temporarily fulfilled with the thrill of being away from home, and each summer, in an environment that encouraged individuality, I found more ways to become myself. During my second summer as a camper, I was horrified to hear that because of its weakened state, campers were no longer allowed to sit on the branches of the apple tree.

As this was an ancient artifact that I had become especially fond of, a friend and I promptly funneled our disappointment into a farewell poem called Ode to Apple Tree, which we read to the entire camp and still remains in the 2009 log.

This incident is only one example of how Runoia transcended its promise of exposing me to new people and skills, and went on to provide me with opportunities to express and improve the parts of me that already existed. Whether or not your child has the same sense of independence I had upon arrival, they will certainly gain more of it throughout their summers away from home.

Camp is a place for growth and while many people remember it as a place of newness -new skills, new friends, new foods- it is important to remember that the camp experience is also about the qualities we already possess.

The deeper benefit of being exposed to camp is that through these new experiences, I was allowed to sharpen and exercise the skills I already had. And so, in August, while I left camp unwillingly, I left empowered.

Runoia CIT program provides Leadership Growth — Anna and her CIT Group (Anna far right)

Anna is a graduate of the Camp Runoia Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program and spent her summers growing up at Camp Runoia.

Camp Runoia and Strong Women

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

Strong Women

This has been a summer of strong women. And strong young ladies, too, growing up and into strong Runoia women to be reckoned with.

Strong Runoia women who can cross an ocean and a language barrier to sing absurd songs that wouldn’t make sense even with ten translators. To make friends with girls whom they may never see again but whose lasting impression are faces made into a camera lens or peculiar slang phrases or dance moves learned that will impress people back home.

Strong Runoia women that can chance a return to their camp home, knowing how much they’ve changed in a year or three years or seven years since being here last and still walk bravely through the Runoia gates, on time for their date with fate.

Strong Runoia women who after seemingly endless days of rain and clouds can be with each other and still manage to cast and reflect enough inner sunshine to light up their whole cabin for the… tenth day straight.

Strong Runoia women that can make magic with the most minimal of props – turning a boa into the base of a winning Miss Tacky Runoia costume, a deck of cards into a full-fledged casino, a small garden gnome into a summer’s worth of amusement.

Strong Runoia women that may complain when the shack pix are always in use and seating on the dining hall benches is snug, but can only truly rest easy when all of their cabin-mates are sleeping in rooms beside them, returned from Fairy Ring, Oak Island, Gulf Hagas and the most strenuous of “out-of-camp trip” locations… The Loft.

Strong Runoia women that can turn any moment into song and re-imagine any song for the perfect moment. Bonus points for performing said song costumed and in front of the entire camp.

Strong Runoia women that can enter the fold and begin to gather Great Pond memories and experiences while sharing their own knowledge of the Great World Outside Runoia (GWOR for short)… Bonus points for making said memories or experiences while costumed and in front of the entire camp.

Strong Runoia women who have seen enough to know all, yet can still accept that a new camp tradition can be begun at any moment because in fact, all of the most special ones we share were once new too.

Strong Runoia women that can carry forth all these very most important traditions while allowing camp to grow and change and flex with the years. Who knew that each strong women that comes through the gates is a new vessel for the continuation of those traditions while also being a catalyst for equally essential change and freshness.

This Log is dedicated to all the strong Runoia women and young women of 2009.. and of course, the men that are strong enough to them here.

Carrie Murphey, one of the new ones

Dedication to the 2009 Camp Runoia Log by Carrie Murphey

Encourage in Four Words

Posted on March 2, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Today’s trending topic on Twitter is #EncourageEveryoneIn4Words or in four words: Encourage in Four Words. With a definition of “Offer up a few words (four to be exact) to give your friends a little extra boost.”

We can think of a lot of ways camp gives people an extra boost but here is one of our favorites:

And a timeless award winning four word bit of happiness:

But when you think about it, if we thought of camp itself in these sound bites, what would be say:

Camp Gives Children Lifeskills

Campers Make Great People (substitute: Workers, Parents, Partners, Co-Workers, Citizens, Businesswomen, Scientists, Thinkers – the list goes on and on).

Encourage everyone in four words is a fun way to start the week. We are big fans that something so small has to do with encouragement. We also know that leads to people being clever and funny and silly and smart and taking it all to another level. We like that, too! Why not?

The bigger question we leave you with is “what four words would you use to encourage?”

Have Fun With It!

Dogs at Camp!

Posted on February 5, 2015October 18, 2016 by Pam Cobb

Dogs Dogs Dogs

This just in! Puppy alert!! Abby B. just brought this little guy into her family:

Mitchell - Enough said! — Gulliver – Enough said!

Here’s a link to Gulliver meeting Jake in the office. Play doggies play!

Loving and playing with dogs is part of many camp directors’ lives. Most camps have a dog at camp. Some hospitals and senior homes have dogs or other pets for healing and calming purposes. Our Runoia pack of dogs do provide therapeutic peace and calm to most people (once you get over the initial doggy enthusiasm).

Campers like to walk a camp dog in their free time. Others just love to hug our very huggable eight year old black lab, Cody. You’ll find a camper sitting with Katahdin on Abby’s Cottage porch or running up to pet Jake on his afternoon walk in camp. Many of our Runoia alumnae grew up with Coco at camp in the 1970s. Years ago, one camper, got over her fear of dogs by slowly warming up to our old pooch, Lily. She eventually was walking Lily on a leash and petting Lily and looking for Lily in her free time. To this day she says her exposure to the Runoia dogs was a big part of her healing her phobia. So dog-therapy sure does happen, albeit inadvertently, at summer camp.

Alex’s family fosters dogs whenever they can. Alex is wise enough not to foster dogs in the summer when she knows she is too busy at camp to give the dog the time the dog deserves.

Kyleigh and Chris’ two dogs will join us this summer, Juno and Ricky. Can you find Ricky in this picture?

Today I read an alumnae connection blog about loving his dog. Read Micheal’s blog here: http://www.woodswalkeronline.com/ As you know, dogs are a huge part of family culture not only in the United States but around the globe.

Adopting or rescuing a dog is a great gift to canine world. Maybe you will consider an adoption or foster care for a dog in the new year? https://www.petfinder.com/animal-shelters-and-rescues/fostering-dogs/best-dog-foster-care/ We encourage you to take the time to figure out if you can fit a dog into your daily/weekly routine, if you can afford the cost of a dog and get your family on board with sharing the responsibility of caring for a dog.

Here’s to enjoying your dog, someone else’s dog, to camp dogs and to helping the dogs around the world have a great start to the new year!

The Center of Camp

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

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

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.