Camp Laurel is ideally located in the Central Lakes Region of Maine, 17 miles west from the state capital of Augusta.
Camp Laurel is a co-ed camp with a strong emphasis on instruction and participation. Most activities are not co-ed. Athletics, for example, are all grouped by gender, and within age groups by ability, so that all sports are most appropriate to each group. In a word, we take the very best elements from a single-sex camp and combine them with the best elements of a co-ed camp. That has been our hallmark for more than 60 years. Our program for girls and boys is very strong and instructionally-based. Both programs place an emphasis on high-quality skill development.
Last year, we welcomed campers from 16 states. Certain geographic areas are represented more heavily than others, since most of our campers hear about Camp Laurel through friendships with current camp families. Our largest group comes from the East Coast: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Baltimore/Washington, South Florida and Boston are well represented. The New York area is the largest of those groups, with campers evenly divided between Manhattan, Westchester, Fairfield County and Northern New Jersey, and a small number from Long Island. Campers from the Baltimore/Washington, South Florida, Boston and Chicago areas form the next largest groups. We also welcome campers from many other states, including Arizona, Colorado and California. Oversees campers also make up a small segment of our population.
Jeremy “Jem” Sollinger started as a camper at Laurel, went on to be a counselor, Campus Leader and now serves as Co-Director. Jem is a graduate of Union College where he was a Varsity soccer player and captain of the Alpine Ski Team. Jem is actively involved with the American Camp Association as a Lead Standards Visitor, is a former member of the Tri-State Camping Conference Steering Committee and is a committee member for SCOPE, an organization that sends disadvantaged children to camp. A native of Westport, CT, Jem now lives in Weston, Connecticut with his wife Debbie and daughters Anabel and Madeline.
Debbie Sollinger works closely with the Head Counselors and with Jem and Keith, Debbie focuses on camper and staff relations. Debbie hails from Baltimore, Maryland, where she attended the Park School and was a member of the varsity lacrosse and field hockey teams. A graduate of the University of Texas, Debbie is a Certified Social Worker and a graduate of Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiller School of Social Work. She is training at the Ackerman Institute in New York City to become a family therapist.
Keith Klein is the Co-Director of Camp Laurel. He grew up in a family with a long tradition in hospitality and resort management and spent all his camper years at a fine Maine camp. Keith previously served as Vice President of the American Camp Association, New York Section, as an ACA standards visitor and as Program Chairman of the nations largest professional camping conference. Keith lives in Bergen County, New Jersey.
A deep and abiding commitment to children and their happiness is shared by all Laurel staff members. Counselors are college students and experienced teachers from throughout the United States drawn to Laurel by recommendation and reputation. Most are over the age of 20 and have had prior camping and teaching experience. They are attracted to Laurel by a program that allows them to be creative and encourages their full participation. They receive training in pre-camp orientation and continued support, evaluation and feedback throughout the summer. With a camper-to-staff ratio of better than 3:1, counselors have the opportunity to provide each camper ample personal attention.
Laurel's program is designed to expose younger campers to a wide variety of new activities and to provide proper instruction in them. Younger campers have certain requirements for their schedules, such as regular swim lessons, tennis lessons, team sports, etc., but are also able to participate in activities of particular interest to them. Careful, professional guidance by Laurel's staff goes into the development of each camper's program.
Each age at Laurel is treated differently. As campers grow older, they enjoy more choice in determining their schedule. All programs for older campers are individualized and each camper follows his or her personal schedule for each of the program days. Because Laurel offers a wide variety of activities, with a great deal of in-depth instruction, it is quite possible for older campers to specialize in one or two areas of interest and to receive excellent instruction in these activities.
Schedules are prepared for each camper and posted in their cabin. This schedule of age-appropriate activities is followed for a three week period in an alternating daily schedule (A day - B day).
In addition to the regular daily schedule, there is a period each day for daily choice activities. During this 6th period, all program areas are open for instruction, plus special events are offered every day. Athletic skills clinics, semi-private tennis lessons, extra play rehearsals, Inter-camp games, etc., also take place during 6th period. The 6th period provides a natural break from the pattern of scheduled activities.
Another break in the schedule is provided by Special (S) days in camp, and by Trip Days. The in-camp "S" days are designed to maximize the various talents of the Laurel staff as well as the interests of the campers. Campers always look forward to the special in-camp days as a chance to sleep in and have a later breakfast and to enjoy creative offerings by the counseling staff. The out-of-camp Trip Days feature one day excursions to areas within one and one-half hours of camp, primarily along the beautiful Maine coast.
We have two seatings for breakfast and dinner. Acadian, Apache, Baxter and Sequoian campers eat at one breakfast seating, and our older campers, Bec & Bago, eat at the other. We have a Buffet Lunch every day, with the entire camp eating at the same time. This lunch time together enhances a feeling of family among all the campers and staff.
Wake-up for Acadian, Apache, Baxter and Sequoian campers is 7:45. Wake-up for Bec and Bago campers is 8:10. Bedtime varies by age as well. Our youngest campers are in bed by 8:30. As campers get older, their time for lights out gets progressively later.
We are very experienced with transportation arrangements to camp. We have children arriving from all over the world and can work with you to arrange all details.
We use Boston and Portland as the central meeting points for most campers, and arrange to meet campers flying into both cities. In addition, we have chaperoned group trips from several cities in the U.S. Campers arriving from overseas and from non-chaperoned cities either fly or drive directly to Boston or Portland and are met by Laurel staff. They are then transported by chartered buses arranged by camp.
We are aware of the importance of proper transportation for our campers and always meet flights as children arrive. We would be glad to discuss your specific situation in detail.
The whole issue of structured/non-structured and competitive/non-competitive is one that is destined for a great deal of misinformation and cross claims by varying directors.
In most ways, Laurel is a very "structured" camp. We have set schedules for our day, children know what they will be doing each day and are expected to follow through with their programs. On the other hand, we could be considered less "structured" than some camps, since our program is scheduled individually for older campers.
Labels are always difficult. We consider ourselves to be a structured camp with a semi-individual program. As a young person reaches the teenage years, they have choice in their program, but with a great deal of guidance and commitment to follow through on their programs.
Laurel is not a "hang out" camp. It is an extremely busy and dynamic program. Our campers are engaged and participate fully in our program.
Competitive or non-competitive? Another issue subject to distortion in the camping community. At Laurel, we "compete" a great deal. We have in-camp leagues and out-of-camp teams in many programs. We compete with other camps in boys' and girls' soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, archery, softball, swimming and sailing, and yet, we are considered by most to be a "moderately competitive" camp.
We enjoy this dichotomy as we have found that we can operate our camp in a manner that will challenge those looking for a great deal of sports competition yet also suit campers who are not "the best athletes" and want to be in an atmosphere where they can achieve success in ways not related to athletics.
We determine what each camper is "great" at and capitalize on that skill. Our artists, our water-skiers, our windsurfers, our actors, are equally as important to the camp community as our soccer, baseball and lacrosse players.
Laurel is divided into six campuses, three for boys and three for girls. The size of each campus allows us to provide a very personal, close-knit atmosphere and a great deal of individual attention. Campuses are further broken into smaller groups, assigned by grade completed in school.
Each camp day is unique, but there is a good deal of regularity to the daily program. Campers select certain electives twice during the summer. Below is a thumbnail portrait of a typical day:
- Following wake-up and breakfast, each camp group joins together for morning "Cove" or a primer for the day ahead.
- After a short cabin "clean up," campers go to three morning activities.
- Following morning activity, there is a buffet lunch and "rest hour" or quiet time to relax, read and spend time with the friends with whom you live.
- Following rest hour, there are two additional activity periods similar to the morning as well as an all-camp 6th period, in which older campers spontaneously choose what programs they wish for one hour. More structure is provided for our younger campers during 6th period and this time is often used for “shower hour” and down-time before dinner.
- After 6th period, there is a brief wash-up, followed by dinner. After dinner and evening Cove, campers are with their group for evening program and until their cabin is in bed. Evening programs range from talent shows to sports leagues "under the lights," to campfires and so on. Camper bedtime is from 8:30 to 11:00, based upon age.
While this represents a brief portrait, there is far too much going on to describe on paper. Weekly trips, hikes, sight-seeing excursions, inter-camp competitions, theatre productions, football and volleyball leagues, etc. make up some of our special activities and events.
There is inter-camp competition with other camps in our area in such activities as tennis, soccer, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, softball, volleyball, sailing, swimming and archery. Laurel's philosophy is to allow any camper who wants to participate, to be "on" the out-of-camp team. Our "win/loss" record is not the determining factor in judging the success of our camp's summer. At Laurel, we play to win, but consider the game a success if we played our best, have been good sports and have had a great time. Win or lose, we have a great "welcome home" for our teams after out-of-camp games.
No. But this does not mean that there is "clothes competition" at our camp. The dress is very casual, without emphasis on who is wearing what or how much it costs. We promote a "down-to-earth" culture without undue emphasis on clothing and “who has what”. We send a suggested clothing and equipment list to help you in your packing. There is a modest amount of required uniform for sports games, trips, special events, etc.
Yes, all cabins have electricity. In addition, a "night-light" is left on throughout the evening in most cabins.
No. Camp Laurel is a non-denominational camp. We have no services but do join together for a non-denominational "council fire" on Friday evenings. A high percentage of our campers come from Jewish homes, but Camp Laurel accepts and welcomes children from all backgrounds, religions and faiths.
Laurel fronts on spring-fed, 3 mile-long Echo Lake. The crystal-clear lake is naturally warm and average temperatures range from 75-80 degrees during the day.
Campers, counselors and guests tell us our food is excellent. We have fruit available four times every day, daily salad and fruit bars at lunch and dinner, and a pasta bar at every evening meal. Our baker takes special pride in his fresh breads, cakes and cookies. Our head chef makes soup daily from scratch.
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