Alford Lake Camp

Today we celebrate Earth Day, a day to recognize and appreciate this earth that has given us so much, but at Alford Lake we celebrate Earth Day every day.  After all, we have so much ‘earth’ to appreciate, with over 416 acres of woods, fields, open space, waterfront, tree farm acreage, brooks, encampment areas, situated on a 500 acre glacial lake with a mile and third of waterfront! WOW that was a mouthful!

John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club and leading US environmentalist, stated:  “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to the body and soul.”

We echo John Muir with our appreciation for the nature that gives Alford Lakers a place to play, grow and learn each summer.  We are grateful for our towering pine trees, our crystal clear lake, the rocky Maine coast, and the inspiring mountains and rivers by which we are surrounded!!

The natural world is slipping away from a lot of today’s youth.  Time to connect with the earth is limited, as our suburban and urban lives surround us more and more.  Yet, we know how important it is for the human soul to connect with the natural world, to be a part of open spaces, and to feel a part of earth.  We share our days with nature’s companions: the horses in our stables, loons on the lake and chipmunks scampering around.  Campers spend their days under the sun (and in the rain) and sleep under a canvas of brilliant stars.

We witness the powerful impact of nature when we see the confidence of our campers after they have harnessed the wind for a glorious sail on Alford Lake, have hiked to the summit of a Maine mountain, have returned from an exhilarating trail ride on their favorite horse or have braved a series of rapids on a canoeing trip.  Through each activity, ALC campers learn to respect, enjoy and interact with their environment.

Our pristine environment gives campers an opportunity to slow down, to reflect and to be inspired by the wilderness.  Their days are richer, their souls are lighter and their confidence is stronger by interacting with the world around them.  Alford Lakers crave the simplicity of camp life, they savor the friendships forged under the canopy of pine trees and they are buoyed by the experiences of challenges faced and conquered on wilderness trips.

One of our most favorite camp songs is:

I’m Going Back (words and music by Jane Robinson)

I’m going back where the earth meets the sky
and there’s no yesterday, and there’s no by and by.
With the moon and the stars always watching over me,
I’m as lonesome as a mountain, I’m as wild as the sea.

I come from a place where the pine trees grow tall
and the sound of night is the loon’s ghostly call,
Where there’s time to wait for the dawn to catch the day,
and there’s no beaten path so you cannot lose your way.

There’s beauty all around in the sparkling dancing stream,
and the morning mist leaves me walking in a dream.
But I never knew all the beauty it could hold
till I saw a sunset all crimson, blue and gold.

The wind whispers secrets into the ear of night,
and the waves break gently on sands of dusty white
Where the sounds of peace keep calling out to me
to come back to this land so beautiful and free.

I’m going back where the earth meets the sky
and there’s no yesterday, and there’s no by and by.
With the moon and the stars always watching over me,
I’m as lonesome as a mountain, I’m as wild as the sea.

We hope you will think of Alford Lake Camp on this Earth Day.  Remember what your summers were like when you were a camper or imagine how your child can benefit from our natural surroundings!

Warmly,

Sue McMullan, Director
Betsy Brayley, Assistant Director

Guest Blog by Whitney McMullan

As I sit here and reflect on my younger summers at camp, listening to the ALC CD for inspiration, I remember one thing distinctly. “I can walk ALL over camp in the dark without tripping!” Which was always followed by a hum of “You can? How? Don’t you get lost? Or trip?” I was proud. I knew where every rock and protruding root lay across the uneven ground.

Today I have a new perspective for my night walking talent. As a Bungalow counselor I always took my flashlight on night rounds so that I would not startle the counselors sitting outside the tents on duty. I began to notice that I had become clumsy and tripped over everything. This was odd, I thought, as I had always had a steady step without my flashlight and simply the blanket of stars that covered the Maine sky.

It was then that I realized something. When one walks with a flashlight, they are only able to see inside the bright circle created by the light. Everything outside of the light is too dark to make out. I was only able to see within the constraints of light, the rest was just darkness to me.

I switched my light off for the remainder of my walk. At first I could see nothing, but slowly my eyes adjusted. Not only could I see what the light would have shown, but I could make out everything that was surrounding me. You see, ALC encourages you to see beyond the specks of light; the familiar and safe images of life and allows you to walk outside of the light so as not to miss a single piece of beauty, even if it is a dark image. The point is, you can see it all.

You never know where Alford Lake Camp might pop up!!  We are thrilled that our photo of ALC campers is part of “A Rebecca Mystery:  Secrets at Camp Nokomis.”  Alford Lake Camp shared historical information and photos with the American Girl author Jaqueline Dembar Greene as she researched residential camp experiences for girls in the early 1900s.

The heroine of the story, Rebecca, is a child from New York City attending camp for the first time during the height of the polio crisis.  Reading the book our campers will marvel in how much of camp life seems the same:  travel to camp, sleeping in canvas tents, swims in the lake, reveille in the morning and taps at night!  It is fun to imagine how revolutionary it was for girls to wear “bloomers” and bathing suits and to embark on such an adventure as camp in the early part of the 1900s.

We are pleased that American Girl, through this book, is highlighting the history and traditions of residential camping and chose Alford Lake Camp as a camp to feature.  At 104 years old, Alford Lake Camp is one of the oldest girls’ camps in the world.  We are proud of our traditions, experiences and values that have enriched the lives of thousands of young women and are honored to continue to do so!

We will have copies of “A Rebecca Mystery: Secrets at Camp Nokomis” in our Library this summer.  If you have had a chance to read the book, we would love to hear how you felt about it!!

Warmly,

Sue McMullan, Director
Betsy Brayley, Assistant Director

A nine-year-old camper spending her first summer at Alford Lake chose Challenge for her morning activity.  She arrived with her fellow campers to tackle our 36-foot climbing wall.  Soon it was her time to climb.  Safely harnessed, helmeted and instructed by the Challenge counselor she began her ascent.  Half way up the wall she stopped, frozen, unsure and began to cry.  The counselor called up to the camper:  “You are fine, you are safe and you have three options.  I can climb up and help you down, you can climb down yourself or you can keep going.  It is your choice and I am here to help you.” Her fellow campers sat quietly with sensitivity but watched intensely to see what the camper would do.  A minute or two later, the tears stopped and the camper weakly said, “I think I will try to keep going.”  Slowly, steadily and with lots of concentration the camper proceeded up and over the climbing wall.  Once back on the ground, she smiled, rejoined her group to watch and support the next camper as she began her climb.  Soon it was time for another activity and our camper bounded off with energy to the next part of her camp day.  Off to have fun, to play with her friends, and to be a camper at Alford Lake.

I learned of this camper’s experience from the camper’s mother who said, “this is why camp is so important to my child and these are the skills I want her to have as she journeys through her life”.  Yes, the mother agreed, it is wonderful that her camper decided to continue on the climbing wall, to have learned that she was brave and strong enough to complete what felt like such a daunting task.  But more importantly, the camper was presented with three equally solid options by the counselor.  They were supportive and encouraging and none was portrayed as being a better choice than another.  The counselor’s message was clear: you are safe, you have choices and I am here to help you.  “Life will bring her challenges,” the mother said, “and I want her to always know how to find help, to seek safe options, and to feel personal strength within herself”.

Think of how powerful a metaphor the Climbing Wall is for all of us.  In school, in work, and in life, each of us will encounter a wall standing in our way, a challenge to face, a situation that makes us pause and wonder, “Can I do this?” The answer must come from deep within us through experiences that have taught us the most important life skills: to try hard, to seek help when we need it and to believe that we will find a solid solution.

In the camper’s story, the counselor did not say “You will climb the wall” or “You must climb the wall”.  Too often our children are pushed to succeed, to compete and achieve.  Some places encourage competition and reward winners.  We are a much different community!  Every Sunday evening, counselors from our activities verbally recognize campers who have contributed to their activities.  These appreciations are presented to the entire camp community and are focused on effort, consideration, helpfulness and dedication to an activity.  Campers are applauded for learning, for making honest efforts, and yes, sometimes for achieving.  We are a community that believes in the glory of learning, the thrill of knowing yourself and celebrating that each camper has the emerging skills to face life’s challenges!

I urge you to consider this young camper’s experience.  Imagine how such an opportunity could contribute to the strength of that special young person in your life.  We, as adults should look beyond each summer’s experiences and realize the potential long-lasting value of the camp experience for our daughters. And, if you or she should face a wall to climb, please remember what our counselor said to our camper:  “I am here to help you as you climb”!

Warmly,

Sue McMullan, Director
Betsy Brayley, Assistant Director

Imagine opening a letter and finding out you had a sister you never knew about!  No, this blog is not about long lost relatives… it is about just one of our wonderful camp traditions.  In the weeks leading up to camp, letters will be arriving mail boxes around the United States and across the globe!  These will be letters for our new ALCers with greetings from their ALC Camp Sisters.  The letters of introduction and welcome will be just the beginning of an important relationship our campers share in their summers on the shores of Alford Lake.

Camp Sisters is a mentoring program established by the Directors of Alford Lake Camp to ensure that every new camper knows they already have a friend excited to meet them on the very first day of camp!  These returning campers take an active role in helping our new campers “learn the ropes” of camp life.  A welcoming smile, a helping hand and maybe even a tour of camp on that first, exciting day of a camper’s summer are all roles our Camp Sisters eagerly embrace.  They are friends and mentors to our new campers all summer long.  This special relationship is shared throughout the summer in impromptu moments shared between the girls as well as established events such as camp sister luncheons and activity days.

As Directors, we are proud of this tradition and it is planned part of our commitment to our supportive and nurturing camp community.  We love that the girls and young women who return to Alford Lake Camp are always eager to reconnect with their friends from summers past.  But we carefully make sure that new campers become part of our group from DAY ONE!!  We are a community that embraces everyone.  We do not have camp “teams” or “groups” that compete against each other.  We nurture friendships and do not support groups or acts of exclusion.  Our philosophy allows our campers to enjoy healthy, fun and supportive relationships between all ages within the entire camp community.  These are some of the ALC values that matter and that help empower or campers to thrive!

So, to our new families: keep an eye out for that letter!!  Your camper is about to learn about a special new “sister” and begin to experience the warm embrace of Alford Lake Camp.  To our returning campers:  thank you for being the enthusiastic, friendly and compassionate ambassadors of Alford Lake Camp.

Thank you to all our ALC families for helping us spread the word about the value of the Alford Lake Camp experience.  We know we have the support of thousands and thousands of Alford Lake Camp Sisters (AND camp brothers)!!  We LOVE our ALC family.  

Warmly,
Sue McMullan, Director
Betsy Brayley, Assistant Director