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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing Article Summaries |
Camp Runoia: Happy One Hundred!
by Esther J. Perne One hundred years of tents, then shacks (cabins) in the woods of friendships that grow into lifetime friends . . . of crafts and sports of trips . . . of "our own cove" . . . One hundred years of girls experiencing the outdoors, the beauty, the peacefulness, the safety and security, and yes, the organization and scheduling that builds strength and character, self—confidence, and happiness. Camp Runoia on Great Pond in Belgrade at one hundred years of age has reached a rare anniversary. Rarer still is that so much of its original physical and recreational structure, and its camper philosophy, remains. Of the fifteen original boys and girls camps in the Belgrades, only two are here today, Pine Island (1902) for boys and Runoia (1907) for girls. The founding of Camp Runoia is a fairly typical story. Two lady schoolteachers from New York, Miss Pond and Miss Weiser, rode the train north until they found the location they were looking for, which was North Belgrade on Great Pond — just a short walk from the train station. Their first summer was 1907 and they had seven campers. Activities included crafts, water sports, and the occasional outing across the lake for a picnic. 
The picnic site was a farm with a nice beach — so nice that the two schoolteachers tried to buy the farm. They succeeded in 1914. That winter they moved the building that is now the dining hall and kitchen across the ice by draft horse and set Camp Runoia up in its present location on the Wentworth Point section of Great Pond. For the next 45 years Camp Runoia continued under the same ownership, the same philosophy, the same standards. The next owners, in 1959, were a couple steeped in the tradition of Maine camps: Betty and Phil Cobb. His camp roots dated to 1890 when his grandparents, Charles and Harriet Cobb, bought Camp Wildwood for girls near Fryeburg. In 1902, the couple moved to Denmark, Maine to open Camp Wyonegonic for girls on Highland Lake, and in 1907 they started Camp Winona for boys on Moose Pond in Bridgton. When the next generation, three sons and a daughter, took over, Phil's father ran Camp Wyonegonic and Phil was raised there. It's also where Phil met camper Betty, who at age eight — after her first summer — had announced to her parents that some day she was going to be a Camp Director. The Cobbs maintained at Camp Runoia a solid continuation of the original spirit, values, and outdoor activities, a great enthusiasm and love for camp life, and a young family that they raised in the tradition. Younger daughter, Pam, was two weeks old their first summer of 1960. In 1991, Pam became Camp Director; in 1996 she bought Camp Runoia. Sharing her camp involvement are husband Mark and daughter Jai. 
"We're all involved with so many things," describes Pam, who teaches tennis, is a qualified lifeguard, can fill in as nurse, and even help in the kitchen if necessary. A camper at heart, she attended Camp Runoia for her first 16 years, was assistant riding instructor at age 18, ran the kitchen at age 21 — cooking for 135 to 140, and has worked in the office throughout. Running Camp Runoia is a year round job for. Pam and a full time staff of three, but Pam doesn't stop there. She is President of the American Camps Association, New England Section — which comprises 330 camps. Today each of the two camp sessions averages over one hundred campers. The staff numbers forty—five. Campers and staff come from all over the United States and all over the world. A lot of Camp Runoia's programs haven't changed in the past century. The waterfront is still the focal point — canoeing, kayaking, sailing and swimming. There is still horseback riding and archery. Marksmanship is gone but a new climbing tower was completed last summer and stained glass has been added to the arts and crafts program. Mostly importantly, Camp Runoia at 100 has retained its special spirit that makes happy memories, friendships, fun. On July 15, in celebration of its 100th season, Camp Runoia welcomed home alumni from around the world.
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