After a lot of thought… discussions… reading every parent blog online … multiple calls to friends who had gone away to sleep-away camp, we finally decided to send Mati to camp. She had never slept away from home at anyone’s house, so it was quite a decision-making process.
Researching and Deciding Was Intense!
Once we made up our mind, all the fun began. Matilde was turning 9 and was leaving for three weeks to Maine. She was so excited! Not once during her 3-week stay, nor any time before, did she ever feel sad. Quite the opposite! Matilde absolutely loved her camp experience and hasn’t stopped talking about it since! She discovered the carefree joy of friendship, crafts, sports, playing, singing, all within the most beautiful setting possible. She also learned responsibility with her daily chores and appreciated the comforts of home (air conditioning).
By far a great gift for any girl :). So much was new; so much was fun!
Today we are happy to be able to send our youngest daughter along this summer as well.
Natalie Dresdow, Camp Runoia CIT and returning for her 10th summer, shares insights and her thinking about the conscious decision of returning to camp:
Natalie as Willie Wonka with Izzy and Sofia in the camp play
As we’re into the holiday season, soon to be the new year, all of us are spending quality time with our family and friends to celebrate. Personally, I’ve been spending time with my new friends, my family, and my horse.
Some of us haven’t stopped thinking about camp since August or maybe just started to think about next summer. CIT’s have applied, and staff and campers are starting to ask themselves “do I want to go back to camp?” And you might think you don’t want to go back. You’ll be thinking to yourself, you have your family and friends at home that you’re gonna miss, and you’ll miss opportunities at home. Perhaps you think about camp and remember those first few days that were tough, a small disagreement with a shackmate, or something that was hard to do the first time, like getting up on the windsurfing board or making a bowl on the pottery wheel.
On Top of the World
But as the time gets closer to camp, you’ll probably change your mind. You’ll remember how the lake feels every day when you get in for swim lessons, your first bullseye in archery, the exhilarating feeling you get when you’re riding for your blue or white team in the horse show. You’ll remember your shack trip, whether you canoed to Oak Island or climbed Mount Katahdin. Most of all, you’ll remember all of your friends at camp. You’ll remember the first day you met them and the last night when you’re sitting together, listening to the staff sing.
2019 will be my 10th summer at camp and I can’t imagine spending it anywhere else. There have certainly been ups and downs each summer. I’ve had bumps and bee stings on trips, missed the target more times than I can count, and experienced hurt feelings when my friends and I disagree. But those are all temporary and far eclipsed by the memories and friendships I’ll have for a lifetime. Camp has taught me perseverance, self-reliance, and that the journey is just as important as the goal.
Whether it’s the fact that it is Halloween, or the fact that the midterms loom before us (fraught with fear and with some, determination and stamina), it seems appropriate to talk about voting and scary times in our nation’s history, including women suffragettes and their organization and strong voices that changed the US constitution and gave women the right to vote in the United States.
US citizens, who were men, regardless of their race, were allowed to vote in 1870 after the 15thamendment to the US constitution. We are thankful for the people who helped make that happen nearly 150 years ago.
Women’s suffrage in the United States came about through a lot of effort of a lot of people with women leading the charge for their right to vote. The 19thamendment to the US constitution was passed by Congress in 1920 and women were finally able to vote. That’s less than 100 years ago in our history. (So, wow!)
What is unbelievable to me is that the two women who founded Camp Runoia in 1907 did not have the right to vote. And that for the first 13 years of summer camp at Runoia on Great Pond, the directors and counselors at camp, who were of voting age, were not able to have a voice in who represented them… and yet they charged on.
They built a camp, they moved a camp (from Loon Cove to our present location in 1914), they designed and built buildings, marketed the experience, rode horses the 12 miles to Augusta to get supplies, hired local drivers and builders, grew food in gardens, built wells and pumped water, took campers on trips around the state from the rock bound coast to the lakes and mountains, ran drill teams, read the classics, wrote and sang songs, ran track and played basketball and canoed all over the state of Maine. They swam in the lake in long wool bathing suits and slept under canoes on wool blankets when on trips. They bought a car and made a summer camp bringing girls from all over the Northeast to live with other girls and women at a camp on a lake in Maine to have a profound outdoor camp experience. How daring!
To their credit, they built a camp before they could even vote to influence the laws that ruled them while they were building a camp. If I were to dress up this Halloween, I would dress as a Runoia Suffragette.
This picture is from the 1920 and Constance Dowd (the very first camper enrolled at Runoia) blowing the bugle outside the Dining Hall. Radical! Thanks to Matti Bradley who contributed the photo from her mother (Joan “Baynie” Williams) camp memorabilia.
My name (way back then) was Anne T, Nelson. I came to Runoia from Chicago with Janey Holler and Janey Rose and had a profound camp experience in two summers of my life. The “Janeys”, as they were called, were three years older than I was. I was in the second cabin my first summer and then in the third cabin. The “Janeys” were in the 4th (the oldest cabin in camp then).
Back in Chicago, the three of us went to Girls’ Latin School. I was living with Janey Holler while my mother was elsewhere. Perhaps she was taking care of her mother who was ill and I was taken in by Janey’s family.
Janey knew of Runoia from living previously in Pennsylvania. The founder of camp, Lucy Hanson Weiser, lived in Pennsylvania and I’m sure that was the connection. Camp was all word of mouth back in the day. Janey had been to Runoia before. I can only suppose that getting me somewhere away from my mother’s situation was the reason. The three of us took the train to New York from Chicago and all the kids from Cincinnati met us there and we all took the night time train to Maine. Coming back we were left at Grand Central Station and were picked up there by family or friends. From then on I was HOOKED on Camp Runoia, the East Coast and New England.
I stopped by camp about 15 years ago. It is quite bigger than when we were there. but much of it seemed very familiar. Thank you for keeping Runoia going!
I received Janey Holler Rotman’s annual holiday card from AZ last year. Our time together at camp have kept us connected all these years. I’m glad I traveled from Chicago to Maine in the summers of 1947 and 1948. My life is better because of the experience.
Is your daughter ready for an extended sleep away experience? Is her age a determining factor?
Trying to figure out when the right age to start camp is can be a real challenge for families. Actual yearly age carries a lot of weight in our society. We celebrate milestone Birthdays with celebrations and sometimes commiserations! My daughter is about to become a teenager and I have been blown away by how much emphasis there is surrounding this event. Mom friends commiserate that I will have a ‘teenager on my hands’ it is apparently just the beginning of the tumultuous years and I am supposed to shower her in adult type recognition and responsibility to help her develop her true self as a young adult. Truth is she will be the same person today at 12 as she will be tomorrow when she turns 13. She has displayed some of the teenager characteristics for a couple of years, others are sure to develop over time or may never appear on our radar. Age does not define us yet it has societal normative behaviors placed up on it.
As a parent I feel like I am often battling the social norms imposed upon my children. It is hard to go up against them when ‘everyone else’ does it, has it or has been there. I love that my sons school uses the ‘wait ’til eight’ theory for cell phone use as it has taken the pressure off getting my 6th grader a phone as it is not the norm in their school culture.
Figuring out when your daughter is the right age for camp can also appear to have social norms and external pressure about when is the right time to send kids off to sleep away camp. We all know that kids develop at their own pace, have varying life experiences and certainly come with an array of different personalities that are more or less conducive to the camp experience. We often get calls from concerned parents wondering if their rising 7th grader is ‘too old’ now for camp? Or if aged 7 is ‘too young’ to start. Will she fit in if she didn’t start in 5th grade when all of her classmates went off to camp? Can we advise them about what truly is the best age to send your child to an overnight camp experience?
Kayaking is a great activity for all ages.
The truth is there is only a perfect age for each individual child, some kids are ready at 7 others at 12 or 13 and some girls just may never have the desire to be away for an extended time period. As we talk to parents starting the camp research process we are always excited to chat about their daughters and to help them figure out if she may be ready to join the Runoia fun.
Great questions to ponder for prospective families are: how does your daughter feel about camp? is she driving the process? does she enjoy being away from home overnight with family or friends? is she age appropriately confident managing her own things and time?
If you are pondering camp for 2019 and are wondering if your daughter is ready give us a call we are happy to help support you in the process – Camp Runoia 207 495 2228.
This past week, a group of Runoia staff attended the American Camp Association New England Conference. It’s an incredible opportunity to learn and network with camp professionals who all share the core belief in the positive power of the camp experience. It can be interesting telling people you are going to a camp conference. I have been asked if the sessions are mostly things like firebuilding, songleading, and crafts. Indeed, they are not. While there are some workshops for counselors focused in hard skills that they use in their day-to-day work at camp, our young leaders can hear from many presenters about behavior management, learning styles, leadership, and communication skills. For directors, topics include risk management, systems thinking, best business practices, youth development, human resources, marketing, and more. So many interesting choices all geared to helping camp professionals do their best work.
I went to many great workshops and one I found particularly compelling and affirming, titled, “Motivating Campers with a growth mindset: What psychology research tells us about inspiration” presented by Andrew Watson. Andrew is a teacher, speaker, and “camp guy” who earned his undergraduate and graduate degree from Harvard. His specialty is connecting brain research to the work that is done in schools and camps and has published a well-regarded book, Learning Begins. In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for success. Andrew spoke about how camp is a perfect place to nurture a growth mindset as it’s an environment that is supportive of children moving out of their comfort zones, trying new things, making mistakes, and being excited about getting better at something. Camp is a place where “The Power of Yet” exists so instead of children taking a “I can’t do this” stance, they can develop the orientation of, “I can’t do this YET”.
Our girls have the opportunity every day to practice growth mindset and we see the power of YET happening whether it is in archery, swimming, riding or whatever experience a girl wants to learn and master. I encourage us all to actively add “yet” to our outlook on the world – just imagine all the things we can learn!
I have been singing in various women’s choirs since I was seven years old and have had the pleasure of working alongside some amazing conductors and competing in international choral competitions to great success. As a member of a choir it is a comfortable easy place for me to be. You literally can lean on those around you to help carry the tune or maintain the sound. I have sung with my current chorus for the past 12 years and it is safely within all aspects of my comfort zone. There is a sense of community and support among the eclectic group of women not unlike that which we have at Camp Runoia.
With my Women In Harmony singing friends.
This fall stepping completely out of my comfort zone and with a little trepidation and a good amount of anxiety I decided to challenge myself and started taking private voice lessons. In most aspects of my life I am generally a very confident person but when it comes to singing alone I often clam up and feel very uncomfortable. Leading camp songs isn’t too much of a problem but more formal performance in front of an unknown audience terrifies me.
I wanted to develop my vocal technique, understand my somewhat irrational fear and be able to overcome some of my lack of confidence in solo singing. Our chorus pianist is one of the most brilliant musicians I have met and is very non-threatening so was a great choice for taking this leap of faith with. She doesn’t even require a financial commitment so I couldn’t even use the ‘you’ve paid for it so you have to go’ as an incentive for showing up. It is interesting as an adult to push outside of your comfort zone by choice and then to stick with is even when it is fairly painful. Not knowing really what to expect I convinced myself that I could at least make it through the first class. I did! and now look forward to those 45 minutes a week when I focus on my own skill development. I don’t think my technique has improved all that much yet but I feel more confident walking in and know that I can do things that I find challenging even if I have to give myself a little mental push.
As you welcome in the New Year and perhaps make resolutions to change or start something new, I hope that you will be confident and courageous, try something unexpected and go outside of your comfort zone. As we often tell our campers ‘it isn’t always easy to try something new.’ It is great for kids to see adults not always be good at something and have to work to get better or to overcome a challenge. Share your journey with those around you and embrace and enjoy the process.
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!
Our Runoia mission is all based in building life long skills and empowering girls to live in harmony with themselves, each other, and nature. We strive to create activities and experiences in all aspects of camp to fulfill this mission. But sometimes our mission just happens organically in really simple ways – for instance by making Friendship Bracelets.
On any given day, you can stroll around Runoia during free time and you will see girls sitting in groups on shack porches, picnic tables or grass. They are focused on several strands of brightly colored embroidery string. This string might be attached to the plastic loop on their water bottle or anchored to their leg with a piece of duct tape. These girls are making Friendship Bracelets. With a quick glance you’ll see their “work” – simple patterns, complex patterns, those that are evenly woven, and those that have a few loose spots here and there. But if you look closely to what is going on beyond the simple act of weaving embroidery string together to create a bracelet, you’ll see life skills being practiced and built. Strange idea but consider this…
Each time a girl makes a Friendship Bracelet she is making decisions – what colors should I use, what pattern am I going to tackle? How about when she makes a mistake – is this a hands-on experience of problem solving and trying again until it comes out right? Or when a girl asks for help or gives coaching to another girl – is this an opportunity for collaborative learning? You bet!
While weaving a bracelet is an individual activity, a very special part of this process at camp is that girls are often talking as they work on their bracelets. Their conversations are far-reaching – sometimes random, sometimes deep – but they are all adding to that special kind of relationship building that happens when you share time together. And of course a Friendship Bracelet is often made for someone else – it is a generous act of giving of your time and effort to say to someone else, “I value you”.
So yes, a whole lot of good is happening when a girl makes a Friendship Bracelet. And of course, it’s really fun to make, give, receive, and wear them!
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.
It is almost time for Camp Runoia on Great Pond in Belgrade Lakes, Maine to open for its 111th season.
