Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe that I have been up here for 2 full weeks now. I am sitting at my desk this morning thinking about what might have been...and my mind keeps jumping to what will be. This would have been our first full day of summer 2020. Instead the Realm sits quietly awaiting the arrival of our staff on Thursday which is a full 16 days before our new start date. Diane has not left her desk since I got here. She has documented everything perfectly as she always does to make sure that every camper and every staff member is ready for this summer. I have never seen anyone do more work at the highest standard of perfection. Our medical team has started to arrive and is preparing for every possible scenario the next 8 weeks will bring us. Our 2 new staff housing units are 3 days away from being finished allowing 8 adults to live in the center of camp in 6 separate units. The lake temperature is still a little cool but clearly getting warmer as each 90 degree day does it's job. Our chefs are here preparing for the summer changing and adapting as needed. Their food rotation will include all the campers favorites.

So maybe the more things change the more they stay the same. For the 93rd straight summer kids will arrive at the front gate on opening day. They will move to their cabins greeting old friends while welcoming new campers to our CRH family. 80% of our staff this summer has been at CRH before and my administration has over 350 Robin Hood summers combined. That as always is our secret sauce. It is the reason we will open in 3 weeks. It's the driving force behind all our efforts the last 13 weeks. I knew that our staff and campers could adapt to anything.

Andy's dream burns in every camper/staff/alumni's love for the REALM.

Thanks as always for your support and guidance...

Happy Father's Day

Warm Regards,
Woody

Dear Camp Robin Hood Parents,

We have received the news this afternoon that our governor of New Hampshire has agreed to allow overnight camps to open and will be releasing their guidelines next week. As I have stated, this is the second of three steps needed to welcome your children back to the Realm. Once we receive the guidelines I will meet with my medical team to evaluate our ability to run Robin Hood within the guidelines mandated by the state of New Hampshire. I will be making a final decision following that meeting and promise to look at every angle and arrive at the safest place for our entire community.

I promise you that no camp team has worked harder to get to this point, and that no camp cares more about the health and welfare of our campers and staff. I will make my final decision based on scientific, reality-based facts, and we will only open if we can do so safely and in accordance with all governing bodies.

I appreciate your patience and look forward to updating you soon.

All the best,
Woody

Dear Robin Hood Families,

This week always feels like the kick off to my summer at the REALM. The piles of clothes on the floor in my office grow each day, waiting to be packed. I usually run a few extra miles each week to get into camp shape.

Enter today's new normal; we are all so worried about our world and waiting for the news that camp can become a reality. As I said last week, we need three things to happen. I am happy to report the first thing went our way yesterday. The NH reopening task force voted unanimously to reopen summer camps. This was a great outcome for us in many ways. Our attention now shifts to the governor's office, as he must decide if he will follow their recommendations. Once he says yes, the next decision will be based on advice from our medical team and the ability to acquire the necessary testing equipment. I do not want to release a plan prematurely before we know what is possible based on the state government's decisions. I do not want to send our families a plan that I am not 100% sure is possible. We have waited this long and had step 1 go in our favor, we just need a little more time to get the Governor's decision.

I hope this quick update brings some hope to everyone. The long road to opening still lays ahead of us, but together, we will figure it all out. My main goal, as always, is a safe and happy summer at the REALM. Although it will be different, the smell of the pine trees and the laughter of our children will resemble the previous 93 summers in every way.

Dear Parents,

In light of recent events, with some camps deciding to close for this summer, I wanted to reach out and give a very clear understanding of where we stand at Robin Hood. In order to open, we must receive permission from the Governor of New Hampshire. We then need to finalize our medical plan and implement all the correct protocols. Our goal is to secure the necessary equipment to meet these standards. As I said before, the longer we can be patient, the clearer the path to opening or closing will be. With hope of a magical summer at the Realm, I am still holding off on making a final decision.

Unfortunately, the dates for Summer 2020 are going to shift and opening day won't happen on June 20th. I currently see three options for this summer:

OPTION 1 - Camp opens in July for an incredible 5 week summer. We will include most every experience the last 93 seasons have provided for our campers and staff. We will make it an unforgettable experience in every way. The friendships and relationships that can only be fostered at CRH will grow even stronger under these conditions.

OPTION 2 - Week long Family Camps - all summer long. We're exploring options with details to follow.

OPTION 3 - It will break my heart, but we may have to cancel this summer.

I wake up every day eager and excited to plan for the 2020 camp season. The hurdles in front of us are a test to our fortitude and ability to think outside the box. My dad used to say that the toughest challenges are given to those who can overcome them best. I know that my father and Andy Friedman are watching out over us and I am confident that we will land in the correct place. With the guidance of many medical experts, and those who have spent their lives at the REALM, I am confident we will make the best decision possible.

I know how hard this is to digest and can't thank everyone enough for their patience and support during these uneasy times. We will get through this together and come out stronger on the other end...

Woody
312-404-1828

Dear Parents,

First, I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. As virtual class work is winding down and summer is around the corner, like all of you, I am anxious to begin making plans. Nothing sounds better right now than sitting at the waterfront listening to camper's laughing and seeing their smiling faces. With that said, the safety of our camp community has and will always be our number one priority, we will only open if we are absolutely sure that it will be safe to do so.

I am in close communication with the NH reopening task force, the American Camp Association and other government agencies to monitor the changing landscape and how it may affect our operations. My goal is to come up with a plan that allows us all to enjoy everything Robin Hood has to offer in the safest way possible. We have mapped out a few different scenarios for how camp might run, and appreciate your patience with us as we wait to see how things play out. The longer we wait, the more our decisions will be based on scientific facts driven by real time data.

I get up each day hoping that the world will have changed, and that the NH governor will have given us the green (and white) light for the summer. If ever we needed The Realm, it's now. Kids need camp more than ever, and I know parents need and deserve a break too.

Please give the process a few more weeks so we can all get the answer everyone is yearning for.

Stay well,

Woody
312-404-1828

Dear Parents,

As a parent myself, weeks into homeschooling and short order cooking, I know our community has a lot of questions. Will camp open this summer? Can it safely open on time? What will that look like?

The safety of our campers and staff remains our number one priority. To achieve this goal, we must be patient and wait as long as possible into the spring to make a final decision regarding the opening of camp. The American Camp Association (ACA) has consultants working directly with the CDC and state health departments to develop protocols and guidelines to keep ALL summer camps safe. Once these have been completed, and we have a clearer understanding of what safety around COVID-19 will look like closer to summer, we will then be ready to share all of the details surrounding our 2020 summer season with you.

In the meantime, we will do our very best to keep an open line of communication with our Robin Hood community. We have come up with three (3) possible scenarios for this summer at this point:

Scenario A: Camp Opens on Saturday, June 20, as Scheduled
We remain hopeful and cautiously optimistic that camp will open on June 20. The safety of our camp community will unquestionably remain our highest priority, but opening as scheduled is our number one goal.

Scenario B: Camp Opens in July - Date To Be Determined
In the event we do not open on June 20, we will be organized and equipped to run an abbreviated summer. If this happens, it will be an amazing season... different, yet grounded in CRH traditions. If we go this route, we will provide families with specific details to prepare for an adjusted season.

Scenario C: Camp is Delayed Until 2021
While still unthinkable, there is the possibility that we will not be able to safely open in 2020. Camp Robin Hood will persevere and be ready for 2021 and future summers. Trust me when I say I can relate to how your children might be feeling right now. I can't imagine a summer without time in The Realm. Your family is my family! With that said, the health and safety of our family members will remain at the heart of our final decision. Another three to five weeks, and as Andy used to say, with "G-d willing," we will have more clarity and a better understanding of what the world looks like.

Regardless of what happens with Summer 2020, please know that we are here and will continue to support all of you in every way possible. Please call me directly with any questions or concerns.

Woody
312-404-1828

Dear Parents,

It's week two - how is everything going at home? Hopefully the weather in your area enables your kids to get plenty of recess time during those virtual classes.

I'd like to extend our gratitude to all of our camp parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and alumni who are working in the medical field, as well as those supporting these professionals on the front lines. We know it's a tough go right now, and wish everyone the very best. Remember what we have taught our campers for the past nine summers during Robin Hood Gives Back Day: THANK everyone for their service and be kind to others!

This is one of those situations that we just don't have many answers just yet. But barring any unforeseen events, camp is ON! Just this week the Brass had an all hands Zoom meeting! Chuck struggled a bit but joined us late by speaker phone. We had several dogs interrupt the chat but it sure put a smile on our faces. Aren't we lucky to have technology that lets us make video calls so we can stay connected with people outside our family units?

It feels as if we could all use camp now more than ever. There is a quote by Albert Camus being shared between camp leaders, "In the midst of winter, I found there was within me an invincible summer..." I'm hoping we are going to be able to help provide our campers with that very type of summer!

Please don't hesitate to write to me at woody@camprobinhood.com or call anytime at (312) 404-1828. I'm at home self-isolating trying to help teach grade school subjects and limit all of our screen time.

Stay safe, healthy and positive that we'll see each other soon!

Woody
312-404-1828

Dear Parents,

I realize this is a challenging and trying time for all of us. How are you and your kids holding up? You're all on my mind as I'm currently at home watching school lessons happen virtually. (Round of applause to all of the teachers out there checking in on their students and giving them at-home lessons!)

As I said in my last email, we are full steam ahead on planning summer 2020. We believe that camp will be the best place to be this summer. It might be a different kind of summer, but I am going to do everything possible to make sure we can all experience the magic in the trees!

I've received many calls from parents and they all keep telling me the same thing - all of the junior campers are saying they will walk to camp if they have to! Anyone else getting those comments from kids? I'd love to hear about them too. Only a few days out of school for some and our campers are already telling their parents they want to be in The Realm. And I'm here to tell you that camp will be there for your kids!

Love that all the kids have The Realm on their minds and they know camp is their safe place. My mom's first experience at summer camp over 70 years ago was similar to this year. It was because of a polio outbreak on the East Coast. To protect young kids, parents sent their children to camps where they could be away from disease while being protected by caring staff and have fun with peers. We have come full circle to today.

I know that the constant stream of news and changing guidelines are making it hard to plan for tomorrow, let alone 100 days from now. I am here for you and your kids always . If kids have questions about summer or get bummed about being stuck at home, send me a note and let's schedule a video call for me to answer any of their questions! (I'd love to see their smiling faces these days too!) If you feel yourself getting anxious or overwhelmed, give me a call and we can chat about your concerns too. As parents we need to stick together. We can lift each other up and be there for each other now more than ever!

We may not be Scouts, but we are always prepared! I am working all day, every day, with our leadership team and I am confident that we will be in The Realm together this summer.

Wishing you and your families all the best,

Woody
312-404-1828

Dear Camp Family,

We know that Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been at the forefront of everyone's mind. We too are closely monitoring the latest updates and developments and will continue to do so. The health and safety of our campers, families, and staff is always our top priority.

We will take into consideration all the information and guidance we receive from the CDC, as well as the American Camp Association. We will continue to partner with our local Health Department before, and throughout the summer on how best to manage this situation.

Robin Hood , as well as the camp industry as a whole, have successfully managed public health crises in the past. Most recently, we navigated the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009. This current challenge is new and evolving, but our past experience will help us respond to and prepare for how this may impact our camp community. It is important to remember that our camp season is more than three months away, which allows us ample time to see how the situation develops.

We will keep you updated in the coming weeks and months with more specific measures we plan to take to ensure camp continues to be a healthy and positive experience for all. At the bottom of this email, we included links that are helpful resources for talking with your children about Coronavirus.

Summer camps were originally designed in the late 1800's to get kids out of crowded cities so they could be safe from diseases. We are confident this summer will be no different and the fresh air will do us all some good! We are counting down the days until the buses pull in and looking forward to yet another fabulous summer in the Realm!!!

All my best,

Woody
312-404-1828

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