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Robin Hood Legacy is Alive in The Realm

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What a great few days it has been up here. Yesterday we celebrated Chuck Illig’s 50th summer at Robin Hood. Over 50 ex-campers and staff members came from all over the US to surprise and honor Chuck.  We had a special dinner in the dinning filled with laughter and stories about Chuck.  A dozen or so people dating back from 1951 rose and honored a man who has given his life to the Realm. Chuck has touched over 15,000 lives during his tenure here. He has worked for all 3 owners of RH and is a person who DC and I look to every day for guidance and support.  He truly is Camp Robin Hood- a walking and talking history lesson about all that is right in the Realm.

Two of those people who came back to honor Chuck- one a new mother herself and both of whom worked for DC and me our first few years asked a favor of me. They as Scribes of 2002 buried a time capsule behind their bunk. They wanted to dig it up and go back in time. I asked for permission to join them and to also invite this year’s Scribes….the girls started to cry in the dinning hall when we discussed it this morning.  Thirty minutes later we hit gold. It was amazing to watch our old and new Scribes cry tears of joy together. I asked all the girls to assemble back here in 10 years. Scribes of 2002 will be parents of campers and some lucky few Scribes of 2015 will be visiting Judges for GW. It made my whole summer – seeing my daughter (currently a Scribe) and all of her friends explode with emotion.  Watching these girls lead Girls Camp this summer and knowing that they will be the backbone of the next 6 years at the Realm makes me so proud.

Day four of Color War has begun. Chuck’s 50th year celebration has concluded, Saxon and Scribe speeches are around the corner, Scribes of 2002 accomplished a long standing promise to one another. We all move forward here at the Realm, a special place where 88 years later it is still all about the people….

Woody

Trips, Trips and More Trips!

A case of the Monday’s isn’t so bad when you’re living life in The Realm! As we begin the second half of camp, our groups are gearing up for excursions. This is such an exciting time for our campers! We won’t divulge too much information because campers don’t know when or where they’re going. What we can tell you is that so far, our Foresters and Shires have headed out to Boston for a 4 day excursion and have already seen and done so much! Yesterday they enjoyed Faneuil Hall, a Duck Tour (quack quack!) and dinner at Fire + Ice. Since we became friends with people at the Red Sox Foundation and hosted them during this year’s Robin Hood Gives Back, we were lucky enough to send our Foresters to Fenway Park for a game and a chance to run the bases last night! Our Shires enjoyed a day at the New England Aquarium, dodgeball at SkyZone and an evening at Blue Man Group. Both groups, after spending years of excursions at campsites, are spending their time in hotels in Boston proper. More on their excursion in the days ahead.

Today, we’ll be sending four more groups out on trips. Lancers, Arrows, Bards and Friars will make their way out in the morning and explore different areas of New Hampshire and Massachusetts with lots of adventure along the way!

Junior camp has run of The Realm while our senior campers are away. All of their favorite activities are available to them! Waterski, boating, tennis, riflery, soccer, art, woodshop… you name it, they can do it! We’ll even be offering more choice to our campers with the addition of POWER HOUR in the afternoons.

Time to run… the Bards are the first ones to head out!

And the Second Half Begins!

The morning was a buzz of activity with four-week session campers departing and second session campers arriving. Activities were also in full swing so campers could be seen everywhere in The Realm.

Lunch had a new energy with our Shires and Foresters on Excursion and new faces gracing many of the tables.

Chants for GREEN & WHITE are beginning and the energy is intense. Our groups look forward to Intensives, Color War and cherishing these last few weeks of camp.

Like when infants become toddlers and the family elders say “looks out – things are going to move really fast now” – that is the same analogy we give to the last half of the summer. Days will fly by and every minute will truly need to be treasured. For as our staff shirts read: we live 10 for these 2.

Visiting Day 2015

It truly was a BIG day in The Realm today! Families arrived around 9am to spend the day with their campers. The best part was how involved everyone got with land sports! Gaga, Ultimate Frisbee, Spikeball, Softball, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball… Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, all joined in on the fun for a day of activities!

The weather was perfect… not too hot and not too cold! Campers showed off their swimming, waterskiing and sailing skills on our beautiful Lake Ossipee. Sounds of laughter filled Camp Robin Hood as families were reunited today. Spending time with the people you’ve missed for the past four weeks is so magical and the feeling of family is so strong that those campers who didn’t have visitors never felt alone.

Lunch on visiting day is quite the scene… Nicky (who returns for a PVD special appearance,) Yensi and his crew, run the most incredible dining experience. Beautiful bagged lunches with delicious sandwiches, pickles (the real deal!), homemade red skinned potato salad and fruit allow for a quick and easy pickup before enjoying a relaxed lunch on our quad or beachfront! And the cookies! Oh the cookies… Oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, double chocolate, M&M’s… cookies as big as your head! Usually dessert is reserved for Sundae Sundays, but today was an exception. (Hey – it was Sunday in Australia today!)

The afternoon continued and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye. Some of our campers will be heading home tomorrow and new campers will be arriving. The first half of the summer has gone by so quickly, it’s amazing to see the bonds that have formed among campers, both new and old.

We are so thankful that parents and families were able to join us today and see how happy their campers are! Robin Hood is a special place. As one mom put it “a secret gem.” How right you are… and we’re so thankful that you share your precious jewels with us.