Hello from the Realm!

My name is Maren Butler and I am the Shire Group Leader this summer for a group of 22 wild, silly, and camp-loving fifteen-year-olds. It is absolutely unreal to think that just 6 years ago, I was in their exact same position. I can think back to my own Shire summer and picture so many fond memories with my own group.

Now in my fourth summer on staff and tenth summer in the Realm, I have gained a deep appreciation for the steady experience that every camper is lucky to live through each summer at camp. When I was in my own campers’ position back in 2014, I was an older role model for younger campers. I showcased the unbreakable bonds with my camp friends, allowing those younger campers to wish for the day that they would also be a Shire. I looked up to my own counselors, admired their leadership, and dreamed of the opportunity to someday fill their shoes as a Group Leader.

Fast forward six years, and along with the (ridiculously quick) passage of time, suddenly I have filled my counselors’ shoes and have become the Group Leader, the younger children are now Shires, and a whole new set of campers have entered the Realm and are beginning their journey through the magic of camp. I cannot believe how quickly my time has flown by; it feels like yesterday that I was on the stage in the So-You-Think-You-Can-Dance show, in the lake learning how to waterski during intensives, or chatting with my group in a circle with flashlights at night. I am so lucky to currently have the opportunity to give my campers the same experience I had at camp. I’ve realized that this place has shaped me into the person that I am today. It’s the moments through your camper years that give you the most valuable life lessons imaginable.

I hope that one day, my campers this summer will also be Group Leaders, will also realize the power of camp, and may even be able to pass down some of the tools of leadership that they have picked up on at their time at Robin Hood to future generations. Camp’s legacy is unprecedented, and every camper is lucky to have joined the incessant cycle of the powerful Robin Hood experience.

Sweet Dream from The Realm