What a great day here at camp. I can feel the excitement as Parent’s Visiting Day is right around the corner. All of junior camp was out on excursions today enjoying perfect weather.

I had many goals in the off-season preparing for my first summer as sole director. Getting more competition for our girls with other camps was very high on that list. As we close our athletic session with our 13U football tournament tomorrow – I can say with great pride that our girls went undefeated at home this summer. Today we hosted Camp Birchmont here at the Realm in softball and soccer in both 13U and 15U. This after me personally calling the owner of Birchmont who I had to beg to send the 2 teams.  We have had so much trouble getting camps to accept our girl sports invitations. Now we can all see why…….

Robin Hood was an all-boys camp till 1986.  That year John and Joan Klein dreamed of a girl’s sports camp, a place where girls could come to learn sports on our 180 acre home. They wanted a  unique place for girls to get the best of both worlds. This summer that dream has paid off in dividends. We opened our 9th girl group the “Scouts” while continuing John and Joan’s dream.

Watching your daughters win 2 soccer games on penalty kicks while scoring 3 runs in the last inning to win the 13U softball game was amazing. In the 15U softball game, I felt like I was watching was  Michael Jordan win 6 championships.  I have seen them both happen and can’t explain the joy and excitement this morning brought to me.  John loved to watch sports and I remember him standing very quietly by the ball fields. I was not quiet today at all as I got little carried away with the emotions of the day.

Andy, Drew and John were all my camp directors during my 12 years as a camper and staff member. I have taken a little bit from all of their playbooks as I begin my journey as a director.

Yesterday I wrote my first ” Woody Says” at the waterfront – In Loving memory of John and Joan Klein…..I know like Andy they are watching over us with giant smiles and I hope we make them proud every day…

Sweet Dreams from the Realm – see you Friday
Woody

Things are rolling right along in the Realm as we head into the fourth week of the summer. This morning, our five youngest groups (the Scouts, Tumblers, TPJs, Jesters, and Squires) set out on their excursions. The Archers and Bows are not far behind them as they’ll be leaving tomorrow. Meanwhile, the rest of camp is enjoying the wide array of activities that Robin Hood has to offer, particularly the waterfront, which was alive with a Senior Camp beach party this afternoon.

The sport of the day today was volleyball. Forest Acres brought a 15 and under team over to compete against the Shires, who emerged victorious in a best of five matchups. Rest hour after lunch featured a must-see 2 on 2 matchups with Cate and Maggie Shanahan up against Elizabeth Charney and Valentina Scarduelli, our volleyball counselor. The Shanahan sisters ended up winning a tight battle with most of the camp watching intently.

The First Michelle Brockmann 3K Race also took place today before dinner. Archer Colton Stratman defended his previous victory by taking first place. Over 25 campers and staff completed the race in impressive time. Jonas’s Joggers are already looking forward to another 3K race in the future!

Sweet Dreams from The Realm

Every year we appreciate how lucky we are to spend our summers in Freedom, NH at Camp Robin Hood. We wanted to develop a program to remind us of our good fortune by sharing camp with others and learning from their stories. That is why Robin Hood Gives Back Day was created!

To begin our special day for summer 2019, a group of 16 campers and 9 staff members woke up early to travel to a neighboring town to participate in Tunnels to Towers 5k Run. All proceeds go to the Stephen Siller Tunnels to Towers Foundation, a foundation that aids our military and first responders. The race honors Stephen, a firefighter that lost his life as a firefighter on September 11, 2001.

Today was a phenomenal day at camp as we celebrated Giving Back Day 2019 with Pam Landwirth, president and CEO of Give Kids The World (GKTW.)  This amazing 86-acre non-profit resort in Central Florida provides children with life-threatening illnesses and their families with an unforgettable experience together away from hospitals and treatments. GKTW has impacted the lives of more than 175,000 families so far.

Pam began her visit last night by having dinner with the Scribes, where she got to know each camper individually and spoke with them about exploring their passion. This morning, Pam accompanied the Scribes to Story Land, where they had the opportunity to meet and engage with nine families from New Hampshire and Maine who had been served by GKTW.  This was a very impactful experience, as the Scribes had the chance to hear their stories and learn about the impact GKTW had on their lives. The Scribes each partnered with all the children and enjoyed time together on the rides at the park, which is one of 16 parks around the U.S. that are participating in the Coasting For Kids fundraiser for GKTW.

Back at camp, Pam spoke with campers about finding their passion and using their talents to help others. She challenged each of them to identify three things they excel at and think about how they can use those skills to give back and help others.  Afterward, the senior campers made friendship bracelets to give to the families at GKTW, while the junior campers wrote notes to the families. Everyone then joined together for the Color Run as a fundraiser for GKTW.

From start to finish, this year’s Giving Back Day was an extraordinary, very meaningful opportunity for campers and staff to gain perspective on what is important in life, have empathy and compassion for those who are experiencing challenges, and remember how important it is to be kind and help others.  We are grateful to Pam for making the day so memorable, and encourage anyone interested in learning more about GKTW to visit www.gktw.org.

Sweet Dreams from The RealmRobin