Long Lake Living

A View from HQ

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:52:00 GMT

See below for a "guest blogger" Owatonna Director, Forrest Bless:

“I have loved watching the boys learn and grow this past week. We kicked off the week by sending our Senior Flag Trip out on Sunday and our Junior Flag Trip on Monday. In visiting the Seniors several times, I witnessed moments of brotherly love, disciplined thought, and unstoppable courage. In the final debrief, campers shared gratitude, moments of accomplishments, and how they applied the spiritual ideas that they had been studying before the trip. Looking around the circle, I enjoyed thinking about these guys as younger campers just two or three years ago, and how they have grown into confident, strong, and capable young men.

Additionally, we had a visiting college soccer coach here all last week. He ran both boys and girls through clinics and coached several soccer games throughout the week. Probably one of the biggest highlights from the week was a pirate-themed game that had the boys running all over camp. Afterwards, one boy declared, “That was the best evening activity of the summer!”

We look forward to our final few days of camp where our teams will be competing in various challenges as well as completing team-themed projects for camp. I am so grateful for the spiritual growth and joy that has been expressed this summer and I can hardly believe that it is almost over! Thank you for your undaunted support and love.”

Week 6!

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:53:00 GMT

As you could probably tell from the photos, there have been two main activities at Newfound and Owatonna this week: Flag Trips and soccer clinics. The Principia College head women's soccer coach is here all week to run clinics and coach games at both Newfound and Owatonna. On Monday, Camp Pinecliff came to Newfound to play a U13 soccer game. The girls had had several clinics in preparation for the game, and their hard work paid off with a 2-0 victory. More important than the score, however, was the enthusiasm, good humor, and great joy that was expressed by both the players on the field and their friends who cheered them on. Owatonna is also taking advantage of the extra coaching here this week. The boys are playing a U13 game now at Camp Winona, and tomorrow the U11 boys will take on Winona here at Owatonna. During activity periods without games, soccer clinics are being held for all the boys and girls, and everybody is learning a lot!

You will also see lots of pictures of boys wearing camouflage in the camp woods. Two separate Flag Trips went out at the beginning of this week. All of the junior boys took to the woods between the soccer field and the boat dock and played capture the flag all day on Monday. In addition to running for the flags, each team also had to build a shelter in the woods that would be waterproof. They all had a blast running, planning, and building (and, of course, taking breaks for food, drinks, and rest!). Meanwhile, in other woods on camp property, all the CITs and some of the older boys were on their two-night Flag Trip. The Senior Flag Trip itself is longer, and the older boys also spend time before the trip in preparation. They learn how to lash, set up campsites, cook over a campfire, and work together as a team. The senior flag trip plays capture the flag, but the elements of spiritual preparation and teamwork are more important to the final score than the winning of flags themselves. Both the junior and the senior division boys look forward to the Flag Trips for the whole session!

For the senior division campers who were not on Flag Trip, on Monday they went on a great hike up Bald Face Mountain and ended the day by swimming in Emerald Pool. They had such fun on a beautiful day! Twelve Newfound Rivers and Lakes (the two middle age groups) took a two day canoe trip on the Saco River--paddling, swimming, singing, and s'mores---the perfect camp trip! Flag Trips, hiking trips, canoeing trips, and lots and lots of soccer have kept the campers busy and happy this week!

Week 5!

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:54:00 GMT

It's the end of Week Five here at camp (wow!!), and as I look outside I see grey skies for perhaps the first time this summer! We've had a remarkable string of beautiful weather, and even today's clouds are actually a welcome pause from the sun. It's still warm, and there is no rain; it's just a calm, still day. The camps are both bustling, however!

At Newfound this week, almost all of the Oceans (oldest girls) were out on trips. A group hiked for three days in Franconia Notch, another group kayaked off the Maine coast for three days, and a third group (with some overlap from the first Franconia hikers) day-hiked to local waterfalls. All three trips had fantastic experiences. Last night at Newfound, a new evening activity was established that was a huge success. The girls, with their big or little sister (not "real" sisters but "camp" big-little sisters) played "Clue." All around Newfound counselors were dressed up, and they acted out "clues" for the girts to decode and work toward figuring out "Who Stole the Dessert?" Everybody had a great time!

Owatonna has continued to enjoy its football clinic this week. Once the senior division returned from trips, they joined in the football fun. In addition to playing football, the CITs, Chiefs, and Warriors have been preparing for the annual Flag Trip. You'll see photos of boys learning to "lash" in the woods. "Lashing" is a technique that the Owatonna boys learn in woodsman that is used to build structures using only twine and tree branches and limbs. This skill requires precision, patience, and attention to detail, and helps the boys to make complete campsites in the woods.

You'll be receiving our newsletters, Birchbark and Watahataho, later this weekend with even more news from camp!

Christmas!, football, dance, soccer...

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:57:00 GMT

The hot weather broke this weekend, and it is gorgeous here now! Perfect summer weather--sunny, clear, and mild. The perfect summer weather may have made it seem especially unusual, but Newfound celebrated "Christmas in July" yesterday--complete with a fully decorated tree, green and red pancakes, the singing of Christmas carols all day, and going to breakfast in pajamas! The girls had a blast--check out the smiling faces in the photos! In between caroling, two special clinics are in progress at Newfound this week. A jazz dance clinic and a soccer clinic are both being offered to the girls this week. The soccer clinics will culminate in two games against other camps: a U16 game on Friday and a U11 game next Monday. The girls have shown solid improvement in their soccer already, and they are very excited to play in the games.

At Owatonna, almost all of the senior division (both Warriors and Chiefs) campers are out on trips.for the first part of the week; if you don't see photos of your older camper, he is probably off kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, or canoeing! Back at camp, a current division I football player and former Owatonna camper and CIT is running football clinics for all the boys. Those campers on trips will get to do football with him when they get back, so all campers will get to be a part of this great opportunity.

The campers continue to be happy, harmonious, and enjoying every moment of their time at Newfound and Owatonna!

No where better to be in the heat than at Camp!

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:41:00 GMT

Yes, like much of the rest of the country, it is hot up here at camp, but where better to be in a heat wave than on a lake?! Most of our activities have gone on as usual...swim classes, all the boating activities, arts and crafts, drama, and even trips are still out (many that end at cool mountain pools!). Other activities have slightly altered their lesson plans: team sports played ultimate Frisbee and rugby on the Newfound sandbar and played soccer on the field while a huge sprinkler kept the players cool (and watered the grass at the same time). Individuals offerings (archery, tennis, arts and crafts, dance, drama, rock and ropes) also included rope swinging as a choice this week. And this weekend, Newfound's Great Race and Owatonna's track meet--both originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon--will now be on Sunday afternoon (when temperatures are predicted to be in the 70s instead of the 90s). And Sunday afternoon's beach party will be on Saturday, instead, to keep the campers in and around the water while it continues to be warm. With a little flexibility and creativity, the campers have weathered the weather without any problem!

In other news, many Newfound campers entered the first Annual Bridgton Camper Art Show this past week. They were invited to display their recent art work at a local gallery along with works from other campers from other Maine camps. The drama class at Newfound will be working all session on a production of Anne of Green Gables--20 campers are involved in this play which they'll preform at the end of the session. And, a camp parent visited both camps this week to share her falcon and talk with the campers about her experiences with raising and hunting with birds. We have all been busy--busy learning new things, making new friends, and having a great time!

Second Session in Full Swing!

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:53:00 GMT

Second Session is in full swing, and everybody is having a blast! It is hot and sunny, but there has been a great breeze to both cool the camps down a bit and to make for great sailing and windsurfing conditions. Both Newfound and Owatonna are in regular schedule--campers are waterskiing, windsurfing, sailing, swimming, climbing the rock wall, playing tennis, shooting arrows in archery, creating in the arts and crafts shops, dancing, and doing much, much more! Check out the photos to see the action.

Other activities are going on, too...

Both the Newfound and Owatonna CITs are out on week-long trips. The Owatonna boys are hiking and canoeing, and the Newfound girls are hiking and rafting. Back at camp, we can't wait for them to return so we can hear about all of their great adventures. Eight junior division boys are out now hiking Bald Face Mountain; they'll end up at Emerald Pool--this beautiful mountain pool is the perfect spot to cool off after hiking. And on Wednesday, girls from each division will head to Step Falls for a day trip of hiking followed by sliding in amazing natural slides.

Owatonna has also had some inter-camp games this week. Yesterday, the U11 boys took on Camp O-AT-KA in ga-ga. And this afternoon, U15 boys traveled to O-AT-KA for a basketball match; our boys played a spirited game and came away with an over-time victory.

Last evening, Newfound had an all-camp hymn sing followed by the entire camp going for a sun-set swim at the H-dock. The girls loved both parts of their evening activity and went to bed cool and refreshed! Tonight, up at Owatonna, the boys are playing their favorite evening activity--Capture the Flag! When it was announced, the dining hall burst into a rousing cheer!

The campers are all busy, happy, and growing in so many ways each day.

Sping-Dong Day and Jr. Division Night

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:42:00 GMT

You may have seen some crazy photos on the website from the past couple of days; indeed, strange and silly days have abounded lately! Yesterday, was Sping-Dong Day at Newfound! Sping-Dong day is a tradition of anything goes. The crazier, the better, on Sping-Dong Day! You'll see photos of the campers and counselors dressed in silly outfits, hair done in silly ways, and more. They had a great time--and even greater--the girls can come up with something silly without any preparation or costumes from home--they just need to use their creativity!
More creativity was on display last night at Newfound during their Talent Show. To see some of the many great acts, check out the videos section of our photo page.
At Owatonna last night, it was Junior Division Night. The entire younger half of camp went on a campus-wide "alien hunt." Much fun was had as the campers followed clues to find the invading "aliens" (see the photos to see them for yourself!), and then campers and "aliens" alike enjoyed the huge slip 'n' slide--a perfect way to cool down on a warm evening!

Harrison swim and team competitions

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 02:08:00 GMT

Much has been happening in the past few days at camp! On Friday night, Owatonna hosted a "hoe-down" social. Cowboys, cowgirls, cowhands, and even cows (check out the photos to see for yourselves!) all came to Owatonna to dance. Besides the requisite music and dancing, there was also water balloon tossing, lassoing a "wild steer" (a bench with horns), badminton, hay rides, and other games. Friday night socials are always a favorite evening activity, and this was was as good as they come!
On Saturday, camp clean-up at both camps was followed by team afternoon. At Newfound the girls played Stratego, a team game that combines both speed and strategy. At Owatonna, the junior division competed in ultimate Frisbee while the seniors played basketball. Another Saturday tradition at both camps is CONGO BARS. Newfound sings for theirs by table at dinner, while Owatonna teams compose songs and perform their songs after lunch. The Owatonna kitchen staff "judges" them--the winning team gets to receive their treats first! To listen to some of these songs, check out the "Owatonna videos" section of the photos on our website. You'll be impressed with the creativity of the campers (and counselors, too)!
This morning, a combined 40 campers from Newfound and Owatonna got up at five in the morning and swam from the center of Harrison back to the Newfound canoe beach. They do this so early in the morning so they are swimming when the lake is still--no waves and no boats (except for our fleet of kayaks, canoes, and Whalers to support the swimmers). This two mile-long swim is a great accomplishment for the campers, and they are rewarded for their efforts by huge cinnamon buns when then get out of the water back at Newfound.
Later in the day today, five Newfound campers and five Owatonna campers headed to Camp Takajo for a co-ed climbing competition. Our campers were stellar! The combined Newfound-Owatonna team placed first overall after the day-long competition. Meanwhile, at another nearby camp, ten Owatonna boys played in a U11 street hockey match. Like their climbing counter-parts, the U11 boys came away with a 6-1 victory. Swimming, climbing, and street hockey--sports, yes, but most importantly, these campers felt satisfied with their efforts because they were able to support one another, focus on teamwork, and express humility throughout each of the events.
This final week of first session will be filled with fun, full days. We'll keep you updated through photos, blogs, and maybe even song about the fun we're having.

Fourth of July and More!

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:49:00 GMT

Newfound and Owatonna campers had a GREAT day on the 4th of July! We began the day early with breakfast and putting on running shoes and race numbers for the annual 4 on the Fourth Road Race. Our camps have run in this local race for years, and once again, almost all of our campers and staff members participated in the race. Many of the campers ran (or walked) with flags, face-paint, and lots of spirit! And both Newfound and Owatonna won the "overall camp cups" for the female and male Camp Divisions. Newfound had 6 of the top ten female camper racers and Owatonna had 7 of the top ten male camper racers. You can go to the race website, www.fouronthefourth.com if you want to see more details from the race.
After running, walking, and/or cheering at the race, the campers came back to camp to cool off in the lake, have a snack, and rest up for the Freedom Festival in the afternoon. Our website photos show great shots of the campers celebrating the Fourth by swimming; playing ga-ga; decorating red, white, and blue cookies; getting their faces painted; eating a four foot long flag cake; and much, much more! After a delicious dinner (before eating the cake!), both camps ended the day by lighting sparklers with their cabins, and soon after were all sound asleep after a very full day.
Today was back to regular schedule, with activities in full swing. If you don't see your camper in photos, he or she may be on a trip. Eleven Owatonna Braves and Warriors (grades 5-8 range) are out on a three day canoe trip on the Saco River. On Wednesday, campers of all ages from both Newfound and Owatonna are heading to Arethusa Falls for a day trip, while others are heading to Boston to visit the Mother Church. On Thursday, Newfound CITs will head out on a day hike up Mt. Chocorua and ten Newfound Rivers-Oceans (5th-9th graders) will head on an overnight hike up Mt. Tremont. And then on Friday, still other Newfound campers will do a day of white water canoeing, while some Owatonna campers will be on a rock-climbing day trip. While not every camper goes on a trip, most do sign up for one, and all who do come back with huge smiles and great stories of their adventures.

Weekend at Camp

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:05:00 GMT

A gentle rain is tapping on the metal roofs as cabin nights are underway at both camps. It's the perfect, calm end to an active camp weekend. Leading into the weekend, a group of twelve Newfound campers--ranging in age from eight to fifteen--headed to Step Falls for a day of hiking and playing on the sun-splashed rocks. After about a quarter-mile hike in, the campers were treated to water cascading down rocks into mountain pools. They all hiked up and slid down, laughing and cheering all the way. At Owatonna, a U13 soccer game against Camp Wigwam was played on Friday afternoon; while the boys did not win the game, they played hard, had fun, and worked on the soccer skills they had practiced in their Team Sports major during the week.

Saturdays are Team Days at camp. In the mornings, the CITs lead the four teams at each camp in straightening the Lodges, raking the trails, and collecting stray items for lost and found. By the end of the morning, the diligent work of the campers has paid off with spic and span camps! And, the campers have learned to work together to accomplish their team goals. After lunch, Congo Bars, and rest hour, team day continues. At Newfound the teams worked together in the afternoon to put together team presentations for camp fire at night. All the campers, from the youngest Spring to the oldest CIT, helped both in the creation and the execution of skits on the subject of "how to express poise." At Owatonna, the afternoon team activity was team competitions: the older campers competed in soccer while the younger boys played street hockey. Both camps ended the day with their traditional campfires, and then the campers headed quietly to bed.

At tonight's flagpole, the senior staff asked for any comments from the day. The first camper whose hand went up exclaimed, "Beach Party was awesome!" The next added, "Beach Party was a blast!" Which was followed by, "Beach Party was really fun!" And that easily sums up how the campers felt about their Sunday afternoon activity! Both camps were together at Newfound bumper tubing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, playing tennis, throwing frisbees, and playing ga-ga. Much fun was had by all!

We are looking forward to tomorrow's 4th of July activities and then another fun week of CAMP!

Owatonna CIT Challenge and more

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:30:00 GMT

You may have seen some interesting photos of young men building, swimming, and floating in Long Lake. What were they doing? Just one of the many CIT challenges to help them learn to solve problems, work together, and come up with creative solutions. Yesterday's challenge was to make a raft and transport "valuables" from the Owatonna beach to Hairbrush Island. For those of you who know the geography of camp, that's a decent distance of water. To add to the challenge, the only materials that they had to work with were logs and twine. They rose to the challenge with enthusiasm and good humor. The ten Owatonna CITs lashed together a serviceable raft, came up with a source of locomotion, and kept their "valuables" dry. As evidenced by their smiles and cheers, they were having fun the whole time!
While the Owatonna CITs were in the water, the Newfound CITs were in the woods beginning their summer project. They will work on clearing a trail that hasn't been used in many years. They will clear from Hilltop Lodge to the Newfound soccer field. Once they are finished, they hope that this fun trail will encourage more girls to head to the soccer field to play!
Other Newfound campers also rose to the challenge yesterday on the Rivers hike of Mt. Chocorua. Most of division (5th and 6th graders) summited the 3,500 foot peak in the White Mountains. It was a picture-perfect day for hiking. While it was a challenge for some of the hikers, they all felt deep satisfaction with their great accomplishment as they looked out across the gorgeous view from the top. (They felt deep satisfaction when they were back in the camp vans at the bottom, also!!). Many of the Owatonna Braves (5th and 6th graders) also successfully hiked Chororua yesterday.
Back at camp, the Owatonna Warriors (7th and 8th graders) came together as a division and played dodge ball with a twist--half of each team was blindfolded, so they had to trust their teammates to tell them where to go to collect balls, throw balls, and avoid balls! Much laughter ensued! In the afternoon, these boys took to the high seas of Long Lake in war canoes (extra-large canoes) and enjoyed the sunny afternoon.
Down at the water, some Newfound girls used regular canoes to learn the classic "canoe-over-canoe" rescue--how to right two flipped canoes. As you can see by the photos, they were successful!
Today, Owatonna competed against Camp Wigwam in U13 ultimate frisbee...the boys pulled out a squeaker of a victory, 13-12, in overtime.
Camp continues to be full of fun, joy, and growth!

Sunny Days and Hiking Trips

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:41:00 GMT

The opening few days of camp 2012 have been fabulous! We've had blue skies, sunshine, and gentle breezes--perfect weather for all the camp activities to be in full-swing. As I walked through Newfound today, I saw girls playing basketball and tennis; taking swimming lessons at the H-dock; painting with watercolors on the Point; in dance class in the Lower Lodge; in canoes, sailboats, and windsurfers gliding on the lake. At Owatonna, campers were on the archery range, in the woods on the ropes course, lighting one match fires in Woodsman, wood carving in Arts and Crafts, and learning to waterski for the first time. Tonight, the boys are learning what team they will be on, and the girls are putting on cabin skits for the camp.

Over the next few days, as regular programming continues here at camp, many of the campers will head to the nearby mountains for trips. All the Rivers at Newfound (mostly 5th and 6th graders) signed up for trips this week: two day trips and two overnight trips are heading to Mt. Chocorua, Mt. Tremont, Diana's Bath, and Step Falls. The Owatonna Chiefs (mostly 9th and 10 graders) will hike the beautiful Mahoosuc Notch and canoe on the Androscoggin River. And the Owatonna Braves (5th and 6th graders) will do a day hike up Mt. Chocorua. We are so lucky to be close to the White Mountains so our campers can experience their beauty and majesty.

Enjoy the new photos, and we'll continue to keep you updated about the fun, learning, and growing that's going on here at camp!

Cherry Swim and Team Week

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:14:00 GMT

The final Sunday of the session brought with it spectacular Cabin Nights. The counselors pulled out all the stops with their planning of fun activities for their campers. Cabins from both Newfound and Owatonna slid down the huge slip and slide on the Owatonna hill--there was much cheering and laughing from all the boys and girls! Cabins spent the night on both Hairbrush and Cherry Islands--complete with canoe rides and s'mores. Rope swinging, ninja-acting, and a perpetual favorite, bumper-tubing, were some of the other fun cabin night activities.

Week Seven started off with a bang and started off early, as over 50 swimmers from both Newfound and Owatonna participated in the Harrison Swim on Monday morning. The swimmers began before 6 a.m. from the town center of Harrison, which is two miles from camp. With times ranging from one hour to three and a half hours, the campers and counselors completed their swims with smiles on their faces...and were met with a huge sticky bun (or two) for their efforts!

Week Seven at Owatonna is "Team Week"--the four teams spend time together working on projects for camp, competing in competions ranging from Lego-building to ping pong to archery, and bonding as a team. It is a great opportunity for the campers to spend time with campers of all ages and to spend time doing many different activities. For campers--both young and old--it is a great time to utilize their leadership skills. Newfound continues to have regular program activities for some of the campers wihile others work on rehearsing for their dance and drama shows. Both camps are full of activity and smiles!

Track Meet, Water Carnival, and more

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:53:00 GMT

It was a very full, and fun, camp weekend. Friday's headline event was the Box Office Hits Social, hosted at Newfound by counselors in full Avatar regalia. Campers from both camps dressed creatively as Jaws, Harry Potter, Darth Maul, Forrest Gump, Batman, several directors (we needed several for all the movies!), and others. Super hero "training," wand making, face painting, dancing, and ice cream cones were some of the headline events at the social. It was a great evening!

Saturday morning brought with it the traditional camp clean-ups at both Newfound and Owatonna. After cleaning, the Owatonna boys headed off to a local track for their annual track meet. The campers competed in the high jump, the shot put, sprints, one and two mile races, middle distances, and several relays. Teams cheered their friends on, and everybody was witness to excellent competition and sportsmanship. After each boy crossed the finish line--win or lose--he was met with high fives, hugs, and congratulations. Back at Newfound, the girls had a great afternoon of club activities. This is a favorite day for the Newfound campers--they get to focus on one activity of their choosing for the afternoon. Activities are different every week, and there are always a full range of choices from artistic to athletic to dramatic, and more!

Today, Sunday School highlighted the morning, and a Newfound-Owatonna Water Carnival filled the afternoon. The Newfound waterfront was a-buzz with activity as the boys and girls combined their teams and had fun (no team points!) competitions. Campers of all ages raced in traditional events such as crawl, butterfly, and breast stroke, and in non-traditional even such as swimming with water noodles, while reading Sentinels outloud (elementary backstroke), and while wearing Newfound uniforms. Meanwhile, swimmers raced to Cherry Island (a half mile swim), raced sailboats, crossed waterski wakes, built sand castles, and raced in kayaks. The afternoon ended with much cheering and laughing as first the counselors and then the CITs competed in the "greased watermelon" event: each team tries to get a watermelon covered with Crisco across the water and up onto the dock. Both the swimmers and the spectators always love this event! After the Water Carnival, the Owatonna boys stayed down at Newfound for a huge cook-out. A great end to a fabulous weekend at camp!

Sping-dong Day and More

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:05:00 GMT

Sun, glorious sun, for yet another day! We are awash with gratitude for the beautiful weather that we've had this summer. Yesterday, down at Newfound, was a wild and crazy day! It was "Sping-dong" Day which means that the campers and counselors dress in crazy attire--no uniforms were needed yesterday! To top off "Sping-dong" Day, at dinner, the girls each randomly selected ONE utensil (or spatula, tongs, serving spoon, etc.) with which to eat their entire meal of chicken fettucini alfredo! A full day of laughter, giggling, and silliness! At Owatonna, two more inter-camp games were played today: U11 soccer and U15 lacrosse teams competed against local camps. Down at the lake, several campers got up for the first time on skis in the past few days, and another was working to pass out of the highest level in sailing—becoming an Admiral. These are just a few examples of the fun and progress that happens each and every day here at camp.