The Official Blog of Camp Laurel
Moosetrack News

Sports, Activities and Trips Galore…

July 8th, 2014

Our overnight camping program is one of the best parts about going to camp in Maine. Yesterday, four groups of campers headed out for camping excursions to Three Rocks, Bradbury, Mt Blue and Camden Hills State Parks. They had a great time hiking, camping out, telling stories and preparing their own food over an open fire.

On the courts and ballfields, more than 100 campers have already participated in Intercamps and Tournaments in Baseball, Basketball, Tennis, Soccer, and Softball at Laurel and also visiting our neighbors in the Central Maine Camps League. Morning Marathon continues to be a great source of exercise, fun and a great place for those who arise before the rest of camp. Watching campers – young and old – jog around our sports fields before breakfast is always a highlight. On the more creative side of camp, the dishes that have been created in ChefCamp…the music that’s being recorded and produced in Rockport…the drawings that are being sketched and painted in Studio Art….the designs that are being molded in Metalsmithing… and the clay that’s being thrown, heated and glazed Ceramics have all been amazing.

Tomorrow is our first Out Of Camp S Day. We take a break from our daily schedule and groups will head to Funtown USA; Aquaboggan; Boothbay Harbor; and the Old Port of Portland for a day of fun and sightseeing along the beautiful Maine coast.

Happy 4th of July!

July 4th, 2014

Our first, great full week of program is coming to an end. Hard to believe we just got here last Saturday. So much has gone on the past week that it feels like one big, giant flurry of activity. We’ve settled into our summer routine and look forward to what’s coming up. Because of a little liquid sunshine today, we moved tonight’s Fireworks Show to Saturday where they’re calling for clear skies. We can’t wait. If you had a giant video camera in Readfield, you’d be amazed. The Athletics and Waterfront instruction is unsurpassed. Our Adventure and Arts areas are alive with creativity and activity. Tennis is better than ever. Chefcamp is, truly, in a class by itself. Rockport is all the rage. Incredible. Ropes, Climbing and Mountain Biking are fantastic. And let’s not forget about our 21 ponies and horses at the Equestrian Center.

We’re looking ahead to Camping Trips starting this week; Beauty and The Beast rehearsals in full swing; The Quest on Sunday and our first In-Camp S Day…yessssss!!

But first – The Counselor Cabaret tonight in the Fieldhouse!

I Never Thought I Would…

July 3rd, 2014

It’s interesting how many times throughout the summer counselors are overheard beginning a sentence with the phrase ‘I never thought I would…’ Working at sleepaway camp is truly a collection of ‘I never thought I would…’ moments. All too often, those are also the remarks that speak for camp itself, because they’re epiphanies from the staff members themselves. Although the “I never thought I would…’ comments are as varied as the counselors, there are a few that consistently come up. From the mouths of the staff members themselves, ‘I never thought I would…’

Make so many new friends

Sure, I came to camp expecting to meet a few new people. But I’ve made dozens of friends this summer from all over the world. I feel closer to some of them than I do to people I’ve known for years. I never imagined that I could grow so close to someone in just a few weeks. I’ve wanted to travel abroad for years, but have been scared of going places where I didn’t know the language or the people. Now I can’t wait to go knowing that my new camp friends are going to be there waiting for me!

Be so enthusiastic about little things

One of the most awesome things about working at summer camp is that even the smallest of details are a big deal. The campers get excited and I can’thelp but feel it too. Going to our favorite activity during the day; getting ready for an evening activity; walking into a meal and seeing that it’s my favorite; telling silly knock-knock jokes in our cabin at night; and, in particular, those moments when I really connect with my campers.

Like working so hard

Camp is hard work! I start early in the morning and end late at night. It’s TOTALLY worth it though! I’ve never had so much fun in my life. Sometimes I forget that this is a job and I’m getting paid. So much happens in one day of camp. At night, I lay in bed and try to remember everything that happened during the day just because I don’t want to forget. I’ve started keeping a journal of my days at camp. This winter, when it’s cold outside and I’m missing camp, I’m going to read it. I’m so glad I decided to work at camp instead of accept an internship. This is SO much better than an office! Now I know I want to spend the rest of my life working with kids.

Talk a camper through something difficult

There are a lot of activities at camp and some of them require courage—especially if you’re a kid. I can’t imagine having the guts to maneuver a ropes course thirty feet in the air when I was ten. I really admire so many of my campers for trying brave and adventurous activities. The best part is being able to give the ones who are a little scared that extra push that they need to take on the adventure. There is nothing more gratifying than a smile and a high-five from a camper who just did something they thought they never could and knowing that I helped them do it.

Live so much in the moment

At camp, it’s simultaneously easy and impossible to forget about how short my time here really is.Every day just flies by, which is also reminder that the end of camp is one day closer. I find myself really wishing that I could slow down time, and I’ve started making an extra effort every day to savor each and every moment of camp. Doing so has made me very conscious of how much time I spend in my everyday life planning and thinking ahead. It’s really nice to keep things in the now. I hope to apply my new focus on living in the moment when I return home at the end of the summer, and stop spending so much time thinking about tomorrow.

Become so attached to my campers

I never imagined that I could become so close to a group of kids. I came to camp to be their leader. But it’s so much more than that. It’s impossible not to be attached after spending so much time with them at activities, at meals, in the cabin and getting to know them one-on-one. It’s blows my mind to think that I’ve become so attuned to their individual personalities in such a short amount of time. The summer isn’t even over, and I already know that I’m going to miss them.

The Shores of Echo Lake are Abuzz

July 1st, 2014

Temperatures are high and spirits are even higher as we’re immersed in our first week or program. Everywhere in camp you can hear the echoes of campers playing, hitting, swinging, kicking, creating, singing, riding, skiing and so much more. Our Department Heads are running fantastic, fun and progressive activities, sports, programs and classes and it shows on the faces of campers – young and old. After just three full days of program, we’re starting to see progress on some many levels. Campers getting up on waterskis for the first time; riding their favorite pony or horse; swinging for the fences at Baseball or swinging from the trees at High Ropes; working on their routines in Gymnastics; learning to better their serve in Tennis and so much more. We had Open Calls for Beauty and The Beast and the Dance Department had open calls for the Baxter and Bec Dance Team. The Bec and Bago Sports Night Draft is tonight and the first all-camp Sports Night of the summer is this Thursday. We’re goin’ 100mph…but we love it!

It’s definitely summer when you know this is about to happen…

June 28th, 2014

School is FINALLY over! The weather is warm. It’s summer. But as a camper, you know that it’s never REALLY summer until you get to camp, There are little signs every year that mark that mark this day to which you’ve been counting down for several LOOOONNNNGGG months. But it’s most definitely summer when you know this happens…

Your parents take you to a meeting place for a bus or plane ride to camp, or maybe they’re driving you to camp themselves. The trip to camp will seem 10X longer than it actually is because you just want to get there.

Your mom most definitely cries when she says goodbye and assures you she’ll see you on Visiting Day. You’re so excited you can hardly stand it, but maybe you cry a little too just so that she doesn’t feel bad.

As soon as you pull into camp, you start looking for your camp friends. Maybe they spot you first. No matter who finds whom, you run and hug. After hugs all around with your friends, you also hug your favorite returning counselors and staff members.

You meet your cabin mates (if you don’t already know them) and your new counselors, who are every bit as excited as you that you’re finally at camp!

You go into your new cabin with your friends and realize that you really ARE at camp. Another summer has begun! Bring on the FUN!

You spend the rest of the day cheering, singing and laughing with your friends. This is just day 1, and the entire summer is ahead of you. But it’s definitely summer because all of this happened, just as you knew it would.

The Excitement is Contagious…

June 27th, 2014

The excitement is so thick you can actually feel and smell it in the air. Our staff chaperones left early this morning for points all over the country and are getting ready to greet you early tomorrow. We can hardly wait!! The cabins are ready, unpacked and look great and your counselors will be greeting you as you step off the bus in Readfield. Hugs, high fives and warm welcomes all the way around to new and old. What can we say? We can say the next seven weeks are going to be filled with amazing friends, unbelievable counselors, sports, activities, programs, and awesome days and nights on the shores of Echo Lake. Bring It On!

Four Days and Counting!

June 24th, 2014

Our Staff Orientation is well underway as we get ready for Camper Arrival this Saturday! We can hardly wait. Camp looks amazing and we’re so excited to see you soon! The new Mastercrafts Pro Stars are set; the Fields are lined; the Courts are ready; the Art Studios are filled with supplies; the Fieldhouse is newly painted; our 21 Ponies and Horses are trained; the Cabins looks amazing; the new Bago Ping Pong pad is done; the Mountain Biking track is in tip-top shape; ChefCamp North and South is chock full of food and we’re primed!! Today is Lets Go To Camp – basically a typical day at Camp Laurel where all the Acadian and Apache Specialists go to activities and participate just like regular campers as our program staff leads them through an awesome dry run. Tomorrow is unpacking day and then Camper Profile Meetings. Take a look at some pictures from this past week on Laurel Today. Four days and counting!!

Camp Family

June 19th, 2014

Over the next several weeks, campers will arrive at summer camps all over the country knowing that although each summer brings new surprises, it also brings the familiarity of a second family and home. For campers, camp is a touchstone of people, activities and events on which they can depend each summer.

For those who have never experienced summer camp, it’s difficult to imagine forming such tight bonds with others in the span of a month or two. Those who have attended or worked at a summer camp understand cmaps are more than a place where campers go to have fun and enjoy the outdoors each summer. They’re a place where friendships and networks are formed that last long beyond the teary goodbyes and hugs that mark the end of each summer.

Although almost ten months pass between summers, with camp family, it inevitably feels like everyone was together just minutes ago. Hugs are plentiful when camp campers reunite with their camp family and conversation comes easily. There’s also an easiness about the pastoral settings of summer camps that facilitates a relaxed atmosphere. Tradition is an easy place marker that helps everyone slip back into the summer routine. And the thrill of the endless combination of opportunities to embark on new adventures is balanced with the everyday act of sitting down to meals with camp “siblings” or coming back to the bunk or cabin at night to share the details of the day.

Summer camp is a naturally inclusive atmosphere, which is perhaps what makes it unique from other social settings and allows for tight familial bonds to form in such a short period of time. There’s also something to be said for the overnight aspect of sleepaway camps. At sleepaway camp, campers are together around the clock as opposed to a school or day camp setting in which the majority of campers return to their homes at the conclusion of the day.

There is an intimacy about sharing living quarters that makes people more open and even accepting of each other. Sleepaway camp friendships, like family relationships, are built upon the knowledge that everyone must co-exist. Campers tend to maintain acquiescent opinions of one another, and disagreements are typically brief. Personality quirks are not only socially acceptable at camp but often an attraction. There is a saying that summer camp is the only place where ‘you’re so weird’ is a compliment.

Family is comprised of people who accept each other for who they are, in spite of any and all flaws, and encourage each other to be themselves. For campers, their camp “family” is no different, which is what makes them so eager to return to their summer homes each summer.

Friendship Bracelets: A Storyboard of Summer

June 12th, 2014

A chuckle-worthy camp confession recently spotted on Pinterest: “My wrists did not see sunlight all summer because of the bracelets.” Anyone who has ever attended or worked at a sleepaway camp is all too familiar with the “bracelet tan.” Of the thousands of camps across America, there is not an Arts & Crafts area that is not well stocked with beads, lanyard, skeins of embroidery floss, paracord, rubber bands and just about anything else that can be turned into a bracelet. Bracelets are BIG at camp. They’re not merely wearable art. They’re a symbol of friendship. Few campers or staff actually keep the bracelets they make for themselves. Instead they exchange them with friends and other special people at camp. Although people have been making friendship bracelets since ancient times, they have become a camp tradition. It’s fun to conjure memories of a special person with a glance at one’s wrist.

The act of making the bracelets is almost as pleasurable as the bracelets themselves. Friendship bracelets are also easy to make, and campers of all ages easily catch onto the various ways of braiding and weaving materials into fashionable designs. Friendship bracelets also appeal equally to both boys and girls. The fact that making bracelets takes very little concentration makes them the perfect social craft. It’s easy to interact with others while making bracelets at camp. Bracelet making is the perfect conversation opportunity and bonding activity.

The row of bracelets is not just camp fashion, it’s a storyboard of the summer that is unique to every individual at camp. It represents who they met during the summer and the special moments that have been committed to memory. One the best things about friendship bracelets is finding them tucked away long after the summer has ended, and having a moment to remember the summer and the people and stories behind each bracelet.

How to Have Fun at Summer Camp

June 5th, 2014

Campers: June is finally here and you’re about to head off to camp for the summer. Whether this is your first summer or your seventh, it’s completely normal to be a whole lot excited and even a little bit nervous. This just HAS to be the best summer EVER…as in epic! But do you ever find yourself a little bit confused about how to make that happen? Here are a few ideas to help you out as you get ready for camp.

Make new friends

Of course your old friends are amazing. That’s why they’re your friends. But new friends are pretty great too. Make it a point to say ‘hello’ to people and introduce yourself to those you don’t know. Talk to other campers to find out what you have in common besides camp. Show support for other campers at activities.

Get involved in camp activities

There are so many awesome things to do at camp. Take advantage of the opportunity to get involved in them. Don’t just rely on favorites for your summer fun. Try some new things too. You’ll find that if you go to each activity—even those you don’t love—with a positive attitude and get involved, camp is even more fun.

Show your camp spirit

Camps rely on their campers to create a fun, energetic environment by showing their camp spirit. There’s a reason you count down the months and days each year until it’s time for camp and why YOUR camp is the BEST camp. Don’t be shy about showing it at camp.

Be your best self

Camp is the most fun for everyone when campers are positive, energetic, open and inclusive. There’s no need to make it like school where only certain types of people hang around together. If someone in your bunk or at your activity is shy, go out of your way to include them and take a leadership role in introducing them to others. If your friends try to say negative things about other people, change the subject or reply with a positive. Encourage others at activities, particularly those who struggle or who fear being made fun of. The more fun that everyone has together, the better camp is!

Keep an open mind

Sometimes, things at summer camp don’t go quite how you expected. Think before you react. Don’t let one bad activity, conversation or even day ruin your whole summer. Remember, it’s just one thing out of thousands that happen over the summer. Rather than dwelling on that one thing, shake it off and move on. If you do, you probably won’t even remember it by the end of the summer.