The Off-Season at Runels

There are 280 days until the 2015 staff arrives at Runels. We know that seems like an extraordinarily long time until camp reopens. But there is lots of great things happening at Runels in the meantime. Did you know that our property is open year round? It's also one of the most heavily used sites that GSEM owns! So what happens during the off-season? Lots!

Troop Camping: Troops regularly rent out sites and spend a night or two at Runels. You can rent either of the winterized buildings (Health Lodge and Staff House) year round. Nothing is more fun that snowshoeing at Runels! The seasonal sites are also available in September and October and then again from April to June. So round up your friends and your leaders and show off one of your favorite places to spend time!

Council Programs: GSEM keeps camp hopping! There are lots of weekend programs that offer troops a taste of camp. Spring is super busy at Runels! Daisies, Brownies and Juniors can bring their favorite adult female to camp as a buddy and enjoy a Gal's Night Out this spring! Junior troops can come and try out Junior Camping - the girls get to sign up for different activity blocks with their friends and the leaders get a weekend of great pre-planned program. Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors can sign up to come for Teen Escape - they individually select sessions to attend and there generally is a rocking dance party with a DJ on Saturday night! Maybe you can't wait until spring though or maybe you want to share the fun of camp with your family. Check out Family Camping this fall at Runels - it's jampacked with fun activities everyone will love!

Outdoor Adventure Series: There are also lots of outdoor fun programs that happen at Runels. Archery, canoeing, and kayaking are all part of our Outdoor Adventure Series. Girls who want to get outdoors can sign up for an short program to participate in these activities throughout the fall and spring.

Encampments: Maybe you know someone who mentioned camping at Runels with their whole Service Unit. True story! Lots of Service Units hold Encampments in the spring and fall - it's a time when the plan program for all ages and come together to have fun in the outdoors. Runels does booming business with encampments each year and we love that so many girls get to experience our property.

No worries though - if you're missing camp and might not get to visit us for one of these other great program opportunities, we're happy to remind you that there are only 113 days until the Runels Reunion. All 2014 Runels campers (day and res) are welcome to join us on January 3, 2015 for some summertime fun in the winter. More info will be coming in early December, so stay tuned!



We hope your school year is off to a great start - we miss you all!

Lots of Runels Love,
Crunch & Fluke

Ice Bucket Challenge - Runels Style

By now, we're sure you've seen lots of folks taking the Ice Bucket Challenge online. Like a lot of other camps, our staff got challenged both individually and all together. One of those challengers was our very own Clementine. Clementine is one of our Day Camp Assistants - a high school age camper with leadership training who comes to day camp to work with our younger campers. We counted with an offer of our own - we'd take her challenge if she'd speak with the whole camp first about ALS. After all, we're all about fun education at Girl Scout camp! Check out Clementine's presentation - and the challenge - below.

Clementine did an awesome job with her presentation and we gladly took the challenge on. Camp Runels will be making a donation this week to the ALS on behalf of all our staff. Clementine, thanks for two great weeks of DCA - we're proud to have you as one of our leadership campers!

Fluke & Crunch

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is a time to reflect upon our country’s history and thank those who served the country and protected our freedom. For many families in America, it is also a time to spend with each other to celebrate the start of summer on this long weekend.

This will be my third summer at Camp Runels, and I believe I become more and more excited each year I attend this magical hole in the woods. I have a list of about twenty-five things I need to do before I drive off to camp, and I am crossing those items off as if time itself will move faster the sooner I complete these tasks. I constantly find myself daydreaming about theme dinners, new games I will play, and new bonds and friendships I will create, both on staff and with the campers.

There are few places on Earth that make me feel as strong as Camp Runels does. The campers support me and inspire me, and my fellow staff members believe in me. The forces of camaraderie are strong too – just a week in the woods and these girls feel so connected to each other and confident in everything they do as we all sing Taps at the end of Closing Campfire.

It is this I think about as the trumpet plays at the Memorial Day parade, though I should be thinking of fallen soldiers. Yet I also like to think we here at Camp Runels also help the Girl Scout youth serve their country and that it should be celebrated. We have our flag ceremonies two times a day, we are thankful for our food, and we try to be a sister to every Girl Scout. Memorial Day celebrates those who kept us safe in the past and present, and Camp Runels celebrates the girls of today and tomorrow. Our campers are leaders and planners. They are sisters and daughters. They are rock stars.

- Fishy

Fishy will be returning for her third summer at camp and her second summer as a Trip Specialist. She loves to sing songs, hike and act ridiculous with Jelly.