News

We are thrilled that that the 2021 season is underway, and we were able to welcome back our full camp family to their summer home! The sailboats are moored, the Super is anchored, the water is warming, and PDFs hang at the ready. The horses are stabled, the targets are posted, the court’s nets are tightened, and wood is stacked at our campfire site. The dances are choreographed, the stage has been set, the clay’s ready to mold, and craft supplies have been stocked to the hilt. The energy at Wawenock has been electrified by the anticipation of staff, and to say we are all eager for camp to come alive with the vibrancy and vitality of the girls is a measureless understatement. Wawenock spirit is burning bright!

Each summer a theme is chosen to help set the intention for camp. This year, the overarching theme is TOGETHER UNMUTED, THE STORY UNWRITTEN. For over a year, the girls have had to navigate environments in which they’ve been told repeatedly to silence their voices. Quite literally, as they’ve joined classmates and teachers in a remote learning environment, they’ve remained in a near constant state of muteness, the chatter and conversations that characterize a spirited learning culture dampened, red microphones disturbing a gallery view of children eager to engage. Well, it’s high time for change. This summer, in our sacred space, voices will fill the air. Songs will be sung. Cheers will be cheered. Dreams will be shared. Laughter will resound. We will gather in this sheltered cove, together unmuted, to tell the unwritten story of the Summer of 2021. It will be a tale of wonder, with a setting defined by our lake and woods and sunsets. It will be rife with dynamic, inspiring characters whose own stories coalesce into an adventurous tale filled with poetry and prose and exciting plot twists. Comedy, drama, and fantasy…it will be a story for the ages, captured as it unfolds by a community of girls and women who have never been gathered as such before, their voices and memories seeping into the earth of our camp grounds as ink seeps into the page. 

During pre-season, as staff sat together, unmuted, on the Images at Vespers, watching the orange cast of sunset illuminate Sebago, we reflected on what a gift it is to be unwritten. What a gift to be here. What a gift to be part of the unfolding narratives of our campers, and the unfolding story of Wawenock for Summer 2021.

At Wawenock, there is an implicit sister component to Effort and Initiative, and that is Persistence and Resilience. These two components work in tandem to elevate campers’ engagement, allowing them to experience successes throughout their summers. At our 2020 Celebration ceremony, each girl was called to stand in front of her friends and counselors, and she was recognized for her myriad accomplishments during the camp season, which, though abbreviated, provided ample opportunity for growth. No success was too small to mention; no feat too trivial to acknowledge. The satisfaction and pride of each camper was magnified a hundredfold by the support and cheer and congratulations of her Wawenock family. It was a sight to behold!

Campers understand persistence and resilience differently. When asked to reflect on these components, Emma said, “Persistence and resilience mean to have a strong and powerful determination to meet a certain goal, no matter how much it challenges you or provides an enormously difficult obstacle to overcome. You don’t let your failures define you; they are the motivation that keeps you going. Camp has taught me so much about the value of persistence because in order to progress in your chosen activities and achieve new awards, you must constantly give your all into what you are doing and push yourself to the best of your abilities. I constantly wanted to see myself progress throughout the summer, and I can take this beyond camp and continue to develop my persistence. If you focus on the “yet factor,” for instance, and say to yourself, “I can’t do this…yet!” surely you will see improvement in yourself and therefore feel rewarded.” Emma received her 14th and 15th awards in Archery, and then proceeded to achieve her 1st through 9th advanced awards, receiving the Arch Deluxe reward for her accomplishments. She also overcame her fear of cantering in riding and swam all the way from the pier to the Rocks without stopping. 

Corinne succeeded in achieving her Bar 4 in Riflery, scoring five times in one day by pushing herself to work hard through Hobby Hour. She defines persistence and resilience as “being able to adapt to and overcome challenges so you can eventually meet your goals.” And in order to achieve her 6th and 7th awards in Archery, Jessie “did not just focus on what I was trying to achieve,” but also on “having fun with faith that the thing I am trying to get might just happen.”

The Wawenock program, with its provision for achievements and awards, encourages girls to stretch towards their fullest potential by recognizing incremental successes throughout the summer. Small moments of triumph are not dismissed, but are rather seen as true victories that advance each girl towards a goal that she determines with the support of her instructors. If Initiative is a catalyst, persistence and resilience are what drive campers forward, and the culminating effect of their efforts is not the awards they receive at Celebration, but the confidence they gain in themselves and their agency. They leave camp having cultivated a growth mindset that allows them to take on challenges with verve and  this is their greatest success of all. 

Even in a typical year campers and counselors have meaningful experiences at Wawenock, the summer season allowing them opportunities to grow in new ways and learn about themselves without external pressures or judgement. This summer in particular took on a different meaning as we arrived at Camp amidst a global pandemic that greatly disrupted our lives and isolated us from one another for months. It wasn’t clear until the end of May whether we would be able to have a camp season at all, but once we had the guidelines for a safe opening, together with our staff, we were determined to harness our creativity to make what seemed impossible a reality. And, we are so grateful we did, because our Wawenock Spirit Sessions proved to create some of the most magical and meaningful moments at Wawenock ever!

What did camp mean for our campers? Kate reflected that Wawenock “loves their campers and wanted to make Camp possible. Staff put so much into making the summer good.” Jay said, “This summer proved to me that when times are hard, when you try hard enough anything can happen. This wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of the Directors and the ACA. We had a ‘mostly normal’ summer; there were Celebrations, dogs swimming off the docks, and Hobby Hours. Even if it was shortened, we got Camp, and we are so grateful for what we have. I love Wawenock as a way to escape the outside world and its drama and complications, and I am leaving this year with the conviction that anything is possible.” Kyra responded, “We came together as a family. Even though the world is not the same, we came together and made Camp happen. I have a new appreciation for how lucky we are to have one another in these complicated times.”

This summer made an impression on the Wawenock staff as well:

Sal, a Lower Middler counselor and resident artist, said, “It’s amazing that we came together. So much was changed, but everything felt ‘normal’ no matter what situation. Yes we had to wear masks, and no we weren’t allowed to enter others’ cabins, but the strength of Camp is enduring. It never fails to feel like home or a loving, free, stress-relieving family. I’ve learned that I have the ability to help people create some normalcy in their lives; the connections I’ve made at Camp work both within and outside of Camp. I know I can support others through hard times.” 

Sophie, one of our Lodge counselors, remarked, “I appreciate all of the little things more…being in the sun with my friends, going on boat rides, etc., because the previous three months I’ve not been doing much. I found myself participating in Camp in a new way. I learned to be flexible and to adapt to new situations, and I feel like I can better deal with life. I am taking away the joy of being in a beautiful place with amazing people. That will carry me through the upcoming months of isolation.”

Lauren, the Senior Household Head, talked about leadership. “I love to be in control and immediately have answers to problems, but this summer challenged those tendencies. I became more comfortable and capable being a leader because there was no rule book; we had to be resourceful and creative and collaborative as we thought about our intended outcomes and determined how we could get there safely and with fun. It became apparent that even in dark and chaotic times, the essence of camp remains intact and alive. Yes, we had to adapt our traditions, but what we love about camp are the connections we have with one another. We came together with the intention of building our relationships in safe and comfortable ways. Prior to this summer, I was unwilling to be uncertain. Now I am prepared to be okay without knowing things, confident that we can create what we want to see instead of depending on a playbook. We are all going through something right now, but we are going through it together.”

What we can all take away from this summer is the confidence that Camp will be there for us. But we can also be confident that campers, staff and alumnae will be there for Camp. We will assemble in ways that allow for the forging of new relationships and the maintenance of old connections and novel, meaningful traditions, and we will actualize the spirit of Wawenock with dogged determination. It is true that we don’t know what the future has in store for us, but we will meet that future together, one family united by shared values and an enduring love for Wawenock. 

Sub-Senior Vespers – August 2, 2020 – Adaptability

Adaptability can mean so many things in different scenarios. I particularly enjoy this theme as it is very applicable to our daily lives now and potentially for many months in the future. Of course I thought of our current situation — how Camp was still able to open and successfully operate during a pandemic — but adaptability is something that everyone has the opportunity to do all the time. Imagine what it would be like if we couldn’t adapt.

I started thinking about my first summers at Camp. I was a scared adolescent who had never left home for more than a week, let alone seven. I came to Camp “late”, according to camp standards, when I was 12. Before that age I was not physically fit and healthy enough to participate in half the activities and walk up the hill ten times a day. Coming to Camp, I was healthier than I had ever been. Even so, I was a child with both a congenital heart condition and a lung condition. I had to make a lot of changes and adjustments to the rigor of camper activities. I worked to participate to my full ability, but not burn out. I was always good at self-regulating and knowing what was too much for my body but I had never had to test it every day, 24/7. On any given day you would find me taking extra water breaks in tennis, sitting on the pier to let my lungs get some air for a second, or sitting down and checking my pulse while all of my other peers didn’t bat an eye at the 5 minute warm up drill. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but what I was regularly implementing in my daily life was adaptability. I was adapting. Even though I had to adapt, the quality of my experience was incredible. 

Camp was the first place I felt 100% comfortable pushing my limits (in a very safe and controlled way) and I always knew my counselors would understand if I needed to adapt the lesson plan to my abilities. The biggest skill I developed from adaptability is creativity. When my body couldn’t handle the extra buoy lap, even though my brain was begging it to, I had to figure out how to explain it to my counselors. I had to learn in my own way how to explain to others my physical limits. To me it was simple, when I was gasping for air, my heart was racing, and I knew I couldn’t continue, it was time for me to stop. But learning how to verbalize what I was feeling, describe to another human that I know my body well enough to self-regulate was a challenge and I had to be confident. In the outside world, before I came to Wawenock, I always had my parents and doctors to back up what I was saying. My parents did most of the talking when I was in the hospital and my doctors signed the forms allowing for adapted gym classes. But not at Camp. I was on my own. 

I had to navigate adapting the activities by myself. Most of the time it was frustrating not being able to keep up with my friends. I remember the cow island trip when I was in Cabin One. I was told beforehand that there was going to be a sea kayaking trip, but they were not sure I was going to be able to participate. I was super bummed because all of my friends were going to go and once again I would not be able to keep up with them. We brainstormed many ideas but the solution was very simple — a two person kayak. I was able to keep up with my friends, and also share a kayak with my counselor Maxie. 

There are three key traits to adaptability. The creativity to try. The patience to wait until the right solution becomes clear. And finally the confidence to advocate for the solution and make it possible. Not only are these qualities necessary for the individual, it is also something we need to foster as the collective. Adaptability is a choice. It’s not a requirement. I could have sat out of the kayaking trip, and it would have been the easier option. I chose to put in the effort to find a solution, and I had an amazing time. We are all here today because Catriona, Andy, Kristy, and Gail were all of these things. They made it possible for all of us to come together, against all odds, and have a summer we will never forget. 

-Anika Stetz (camper ’15-’18, staff ’19-’20)

Middler Vespers, July 19, 2020  – Creativity

While reflecting on some of my most creative moments in life, the first instance that came to mind was June 2010, a couple of weeks prior to my first summer at Camp. I always knew I had to go to camp, I just didn’t really process it until I saw the duffels and camp equipment piling up in my living room. Upon this realization, my nine-year-old self went into panic mode. I was going to be in a far-away place, for seven weeks, surrounded by strangers. Logically, I started by recruiting some of my best friends from school to come to camp with me. And then, of course, we had to come up with a plan to pay for camp. We settled on an art museum. For the next couple of weeks, we made drawings, priced them out, hung them up in my apartment and charged admission to our museum. In spite of my best efforts, my master plan did not come to fruition. I was distraught.

Obviously, that initial feeling of distress did not last long. This summer is my 11th summer on Sebago. And, now, rather than channeling all my creative energy into avoiding Camp, I use Camp as a space to recharge my creative batteries.

Throughout my summers at Wawenock, technology has become pervasive in our everyday lives. Social media and internet trends all too often define the way we interact. Nowadays, too many people hangout for the sole purpose of keeping up appearances. “Quality time” with friends has taken new forms–posing for Instagram pictures, or learning the newest Tik Tok dance. There is nothing wrong with participating in social media trends every once in a while– they can be fun and silly. However, when these trends consume our time together, they drain our creative processes. New trends pop up so quickly, that we hardly have time to learn them before we are already behind on the next. The cyclical and instantaneous nature of the internet rarely gives us time to be creative for ourselves. This is where Camp comes in.

At Camp, we are physically and mentally removed from the rush of technology. We have the time and space to think for ourselves– to move away from the trends set by others and to begin forging our own paths. And let me tell you guys– forging your own path is not going to be easy and it’s going to require a lot of creativity. But, before you start freaking out, remember:  creativity at camp is contagious. Everything we do here is a creative exercise– from the way we play, to the way we learn in our activities, to the way we adapt traditions to each new camp season. Just last week, my household and I created a brand-new game called “Dougus and Angle.” And, I was able to teach 9 tennis classes and 3 riding classes in the middle of a global pandemic. From Wawenock, I have learned how to approach high-stake situations and down-time creatively. Creativity is the key to success– both inside and out of Camp.

Don’t discredit yourself as a creative person just because you aren’t “good at the arts.” Creativity manifests itself in many different ways– it is unique to every individual, as is the creative process. The truth of the matter is: if we are challenging ourselves to think creatively, we are going to mess up. Thinking creatively means going into uncharted territory, going where no one has ever gone before. That said, I challenge each and every one of you to be forgiving to yourselves and others as you embark on your creative journeys. Rather than saying “sorry,” ask yourself how you can do better next time. Thinking creatively should not be punishing– it should be rewarding and fun.

Creativity is being the truest version of yourself because creativity is inextricably linked with originality and individuality.

 – Ana Berman (camper ‘10-‘17, staff ‘18-’20)

Sunday night, on the cusp of a gorgeous sunset seen from the Images, our LTP campers led us in  Vespers with a focus on Hope.  As we sat and listened to their reflections on the topic, as we gazed upon a group of strong and capable camp leaders, it was hard not to feel our own hopes float, knowing as we do that Wawenock plays a central role in raising generations of women who go on to be agents of change in a world that needs healing.

This summer in particular, in the midst of a pandemic that has thrust us into conditions of uncertainty, we are finding a way to stoke the hope in our girls that life can still be fun and inspiring, that the staff around them are committed to ensuring that whatever sense of normalcy can exist, we will find a way to provide for it.

But even in our non-pandemic seasons, hope remains a central theme of camp. We see it as the girls take on new challenges, setting goals for themselves based on the hope that they are capable of achieving them, and we see it nourished when they fall short of those goals and hope that continued efforts will yield positive outcomes, because where there is hope, so too is there resilience and optimism.

Hope and its accompanying perseverance fuel feelings of self-efficacy, the formation of which grounds the skills the girls will develop as they mature; when they aim their arrows at a target, or poise their tennis rackets to hit a ball, or work the clay to build a pinch pot, their hope for a desired result reflects a hope for a future that they are capable of co-creating.

Camp is the playground of hope, where dreams are dreamt and wishes are made. That we can help facilitate its cultivation, in the camp season and beyond, is a privilege we don’t take lightly. We appreciate the support our community has given us as we undertake the challenges and joys of our Wawenock Spirit Weeks; we know we stand together in hope, with hope, that this summer will have a lasting, beautiful impact on all of us.