Kieve-Wavus Blog

Make a Difference

Russ — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:27:23 +0000

Since 1982, the Leadership School has impacted communities across the state of Maine in many ways. Over that time, we have shared important messages like, “I make my life through my choices” with an entire generation. At Leadership School programs now, we meet students whose parents have said fondly “I remember that” and “my time at Kieve was so special.” These stories fuel our passion and remind us that although our programs may be short, the power of our work is great. While our time with students during Leadership School programs is short-lived and temporary, the stories that we hear weeks, months and years later tell us that our impact is deep and lasting.

As Educators, we know that our lasting impact is less about us, or our specific teachings, than it is about the opportunities that we offer students. With our belief in them, we are giving students a gift of belief in themselves. By posing authentic challenges, we offer students confidence to push themselves to both “fail” and “succeed” with courage and grace. When we listen and play, we demonstrate to students that they are valuable and worth our time and attention. By showing our true selves at work and play, we reveal an honest human spirit that is both fallible and completely acceptable . . . and as they “strive in emulation of” any one of the Educators at TLS, they are really striving to live within their own true selves.

As you do your work in the world, notice how you impact those around you and how powerful your connections are. You may be surprised to find how many connections you have made – and how many of them are deep and lasting.

What Feeds Your Fire?

Russ — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:57:31 +0000

It was two degrees this morning. As I filled the wood stove, I thought about how kind the mild winter had been to the woodpile. In early January, we are barely ¼ of the way through the year’s stash of firewood and that gives me a sense of security and safety. There will be something left when we get a “surprise” April Nor’easter. Yet it feels good to load the stove this morning, and to let it burn hot for a while. It takes the chill out of the air but it also increases the pace – of my morning chores, my morning thoughts. The chill and the fierce fire that chases it away take the malaise out of the grey, winter morning and remind me to keep fanning the fires that keep me passionately engaged in my life and my work.

My fire is fed by my family, trying something new, hearing new ideas, being outdoors, working hard with my body and my mind, challenging stasis. It is also fed by helping others recognize the sparks and dim flames in themselves and supporting them as they nurture those flames to slowly grow a fierce, hot fire that motivates and empowers the positive potential within. . . So I ask you, what feeds your fire?

This winter, in the quiet months when veterans Veterans Camp join us for play, reflection, and rejuvenation, and other Kieve Wavus programs prepare for the seasons ahead, we are feeding the fire at Kieve Wavus with big gnarly logs. Winter is the time to take stock, question our assumptions, improve our programs and reach out to the wider world to ask what else it needs from us. We are nurturing our sparks and building a fire that will produce a hot bed of coals to provide a base for the work ahead. We look forward to sharing the warmth of our fire with you in the chilly winter months ahead!

by Lisa Steele-Maley

Photo credit: Island Swim by Charles J. Richardson

To Strive in Emulation of…

Russ — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:28:33 +0000

Since the age of ten I’ve been traveling to Camp Kieve with an overarching goal of completing the final summer’s wilderness adventure. As a 16 year old I would backpack one hundred miles of the Appalachian Trail through the rugged wilderness of northern Maine ending at the summit of Mt. Katahdin. I would stand on top of this mighty, barren mountain, having overcome all sorts of challenges and triumphed in my goal.

Kieve is a Celtic verb meaning to strive in emulation of. With admiration, emulation, and an affinity, I looked up to the dynamic college students, our counselors, who possessed the unique “Kieve identity”. They embodied the core values of the camp-courage, perseverance, and loyalty- and were natural leaders. Along with the counselors, boys who completed their final year at camp, the month-long odyssey of “Maine Trails,” returned not only bearded, beat-up men, but possessed that enigmatic Kieve identity.

I believed that completing the trip would give me this identity and I was motivated to be a leader amongst my group. Year after year I returned to camp. One year I tore up my feet hiking Doubletop; the next I canoed the rivers and lakes surrounding the massive Katahdin. With my cabin mates, I rubbed my shoulders raw “soloing” canoe portages through knee-deep mud and had my tent flooded and my sleeping bag soaked, and yet I always knew there was a demanding challenge still awaiting me.

The summer of ’10 was my last at Kieve. I can say now that it was my best, although not for the reasons I expected. Yes, I did stand on top of Katahdin after a long journey. Yes, I grew close to my cabin mates. I became bearded and beat-up, just as expected. But when I summited Katahdin, I did not feel the overwhelming sense of accomplishment I had expected. Instead, I was overcome with a realization that an epoch in my life had come to a close. Never again would my cabin mates and I have as strong a camaraderie, no longer could I strive in emulation of counselors and older campers, no longer could I look forward to Kieve every summer. As I stood on Katahdin’s rocky, windswept summit, I realized that it was the journey that mattered. Every single moment I spent at Kieve became infinitely more important than the moment in which I reached my goal.

When I returned to camp I had the coveted “Kieve identity”: courage, perseverance, loyalty, and leadership. However, I also knew that I had had it all along. I now see that having goals directs my energies and shapes who I become, but has to be balanced with being fully present and savoring each moment. Year after year I had not fully recognized the unique value of each experience. I realized that appreciating the moment is vastly more important than completely diminishing that moment in pursuit of a goal.

by Noah Rickerich

The Leadership School Rolls On

Russ — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:24:51 +0000

The chill in the air heralds the return of back to school traditions for parents, students and teachers – school bus schedules, lunch boxes, afterschool activities, and homework. For almost 500 Maine students, returning to school this year also meant a trip to the Leadership School.

For years, two Maine school districts have included a Leadership School program as one of their back to school traditions. Sixth graders from Memorial Middle School arrived a week later, working towards building a unified and positive social and academic community. They were followed by 6^th graders from Falmouth Middle School.

Though full of the unique characteristics of their home communities, these schools share a huge commonality. . . in both vision and function, they are committed to cultivating learning communities in which kindness and respect are pervasive. The back-to school lessons from the Leadership School will percolate in these classrooms and fields throughout the year.

Kieve Hosts 10th Anniversary 9/11 Camp

Russ — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:47:35 +0000

Kieve-Wavus hosted the 10^th Annual Family Camp for families affected by the September 11th tragedies. Individuals and families from a number of FDNY firehouses and Cantor Fitzgerald in New York as well as The Pentagon all arrived at Kieve for another fun-filled and relaxing week on the shores of Damariscotta Lake. Kieve-Wavus Executive Director Henry Kennedy said, “these families have endured unimaginable loss and it has been an honor and a pleasure welcoming them each year to relax, heal and share with one another at Kieve”. Pat Friscia whose brother was a fireman with FDNY Ladder Co 3 said after the week, “this is a very special week for my family, our entire family was at Disney earlier this year and all the kids talked about was coming back to Kieve, it is a special place in our hearts”.

New to the camp this year was world renowned fire engine and equipment restorer Andy Swift of Hope, Maine offering rides to kids and adults in his 1927 American LaFrance fire engine. Andy also hosted a tour of his shop the next day for everyone to see the craftsmanship and detail of his fire equipment restorations. Once again, one evening the firemen took over the kitchen and prepared a delicious Italian dinner for everyone. And back for the 10^th time, musician Bruce Marshall and his guest James Montgomery provided great live music and dancing on the last night.

Many of the FDNY families at camp were associated with Ladder Company 3 and Battalion 6 on September 11, 2001 where twelve members were lost while evacuating civilians from the North Tower. On July 20^th Ladder 3’s truck “Big Red” became a permanent part of the 9/11 Memorial Museum. A crane lowered the 60,000-lbs. truck 70 feet into the exhibition area. It was wrapped to protect it and draped with an American and FDNY flag. The front of the truck was shorn off in the collapse of the towers and its main body and ladders were damaged beyond repair and some of the company’s rescue tools are entangled in the vehicle. It has been stored at Hangar 17 at JFK International Airport since its recovery.

According to 9/11 Family Camp Director Russ Williams, “we had another incredible week together with 4 new families joining us for the largest camp since 2002. Once again many volunteers along with local businesses and our staff helped make this another very special week for our friends from Washington DC & New York.”

The events of September 11th, 2001 changed the world and changed our lives forever. Thanks to the financial support of many individuals over the years, Kieve has had a unique opportunity to share facilities, it’s wonderful staff and volunteers with these special families. Williams says, “It is very rewarding for all of our staff and volunteers to be able to help these very dear friends who really appreciate our local community and Maine hospitality”.

Kieve Boys Camp Chapel Talk

Russ — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:01:45 +0000

So many of you already know me, but for those of you who don’t, my name is Nick Stevens and I am a counselor in the JK Courage cabin this session. Unfortunately, I was unable to be at camp for the first part of the summer because I was working and taking classes. However, when Henry e-mailed me in July saying that there was a possible job opening for a JK cabin second session I was ecstatic and jumped at the opportunity. Kieve has always been the most cherished place in my life. Like all of you guys, I have spent countless hours swimming out on the rafts, hanging out in one of the cabins on cabin row, and eating at Pasquaney. This is why I had such a difficult time at the beginning of the summer coming to terms with the fact that I would not be able to come back to camp. However, when the opportunity did arise itself it was especially refreshing and made it that much more exciting to get back up to camp after spending the first half of the summer in a classroom and amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City. My mom always says that I am a happier person when I am up here at Kieve, and I know she is right because as soon as I got to the top of the hill a few weeks ago I was overwhelmed with joy as I re-experienced Sunday night dinner, G-Swim, the Ritz skit, my friends, the smiles, and all of the great fun that you guys were having. This will be my eleventh summer up at Kieve. I spent six summers as a camper and this will be my fifth as a counselor. On the drive up, I realized that I have spent exactly half the summers of my entire life here on this peninsula at the end of West neck road. It also occurred to me that I have spent more time at Kieve than on any sports team that I have played on or any school that I have attended. It is safe to say that Kieve has been the single-most influential part of my life and there is no doubt that my time spent at Kieve has shaped me in ways that I am just now beginning to understand. So what is it about Kieve that enables it to have such a profound impact on boys like you and me? As I was thinking about the different ways Kieve shaped me, I was struck by how many potential possibilities a kid at Kieve has to change, grow up, and learn. I thought about the experience of living away from home for four weeks and learning self-reliance and responsibility. I thought about how each of you guys has to figure out how to live with twelve other boys in a cabin. And not only that, the lessons learned from sitting as complete strangers on the first night of camp and then slowly evolving into a tight-knit group of friends. I thought about portaging a canoe through mud pond and on the Northeast Carry, leaping out to grab the trapeze for the first time on the adventure course, and summiting Mt. Katahdin after 12 days of hiking on Maine Trails. These are all experiences that shape what Tommy likes to call “Kieve Guy.” However, out of all these experiences and potential learning opportunities, there is one that stands out above the rest. For me, the single-most influential part of Kieve has been the people I have met and the things that I have learned from the role models that surround all of us at Kieve. Can any of you define in words what the word role model means? I looked up the exact definition of the word “role model” and it is “a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. You guys should all hear the word “emulate” and immediately think of Kieve, which quite literally means, “to strive in emulation of.” I think everyone can agree that Kieve is a place filled with role models and people who can be emulated. As I think back on my own time at Kieve, as both a camper and a counselor, it seems as though I spent my entire time “looking up to people” or attempting to emulate those who I found to be role models. I remember being in South Bunkerhill and looking up to the older kids in South Harris and learning the best way to get from Harriet house field to Westcott Point during a game of capture the flag or the best outfit to wear during Pasqualios. As a young counselor I looked up to older counselors like James Mckenna, Miles Dickson, Sam Kennedy, and Foster Durkee who showed me ways to pack for a trip and hold a cabin meeting. And, as I am sure it is with most of you, I have always looked up to the directors- Henry, Tommy, and Charlie who are perhaps the best role models of all. They are constantly teaching us how to lead, instruct, and most of all, how to have fun and be a kid. However, as I was thinking about the dictionary definition of a “role model” something didn’t sit right with me because the final clause of the definition suggests that older people are usually the ones who are role models for younger people. This does not make sense at all because you guys are all role models too. You guys are role models to me. You guys are role models for the other counselors. And finally, you guys, each and every one of you, are role models for all of the other kids sitting around you. I watch you guys every day I am here and I am constantly striving to emulate your actions. As I was writing this speech I was thinking about Sebastian in my cabin who showed up from Germany at 2:45 am in the morning to a foreign country, with almost no background in the native language, left to fend for himself as an eight year old in this crazy place of loud noises and bizarre traditions. I certainly was not leaving to go to Germany alone at age eight and this feat takes an unimaginable amount of courage and trust. Sebastian is definitely a role model for me. I thought about my first night back a few weeks ago when I was sitting alone and South Glenayr and Diego and Emilio came over and invited me to play a game of UNO with them. They quickly refreshed me on the rules and then kicked my butt. That night Diego and Emilio showed kindness (a least before the game commenced) and hospitality. Both of those guys are models for me. I thought about my good friend Jack Callahan who was a camper of mine last summer. Jack taught me some useful pick up lines to woo the ladies after he himself got eight numbers from different girls at the beach during our beach day. Jack is definitely a role model for me. And finally, I thought about my JK courage cabin who all completed the aqua zip yesterday without blinking an eye which demonstrated their willingness to try new things and take risks. However, more importantly, they were all cheering words of encouragement as their other cabin-mates careened down the zip line. After experiencing this, I definitely consider all of the boys in my cabin role models. Although these are just a few examples they illustrate the fact that all of you guys are role models. Not only do I learn from you every day, but I will carry with me the lessons that I learn from you guys for the rest of my life. I want to conclude by sharing with you perhaps my most rewarding moment at Kieve. Two summers ago I did the Bank II trip second session. We had a good cabin, but in the beginning of the trip there was a large disconnect between the kids. There was some bullying issues and everyone was really looking out for only themselves. Furthermore, I had to ask the kids to do things over and over again. I remember being extremely frustrated by their inability to get things done and I remember feeling like I was constantly having to be playing the role of the angry teacher. However, as the days past on the trip the kids slowly got better and better. On the final day, we were at the top of Grindstone rapids, some of the largest rapids that Kieve does. It was a cold and rainy day and we were all extremely wet and tired. My boat was the first one to go down the rapids and I was planning on showing the cabin the best line in the rapids to shoot. However, almost immediately my boat took on water and capsized. My canoe partner and I, along with our personal gear, the maps, and the med kit were swept away by the current. I struggled in the white water for what seemed like hours trying to hold on to my paddle and locate my canoe partner. Before I knew it, however, I was being hoisted up into a canoe by two of my campers. As I re-acclimated myself, I saw other kids in my cabin T-rescuing my boat while others worked together to try and rescue the gear and my personal belongings. As the water slowed at the end of the rapid, the boys had managed to rescue both me and my canoe partner, all of our personal belongings, and all of the trip gear. As I sat in the middle of the boat the sun came out and my cabin began to laugh and tell me how frightened I had looked. At that very moment, all of those kids become role models for me because of the way they had overcome adversity and learned how to look out for one another, including me. From that moment on, I have realized how much can be learned from you guys and the role models you can be in my own life. It has taken me a while to fully understand and recognize the great role models that surround all of us at Kieve. As you guys begin to observe your own role models you will then be able to take bits and pieces of them and slowly emulate them in your own life which will in turn shape and influence you as a person. However, all of you, as role models have a responsibility to be conscious of you actions and act in a way so that when someone takes a bit or a piece of you to emulate it will shape them in a good way.

Educational Co-Ed Leadership School for Teens:

Russ — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:33:48 +0000

The Leadership School at Camp Kieve in Maine sees it every day: student leadership starts here. As a visiting teacher from northern Maine reflected, “I’ve learned more about my students in our four days at the Leadership School at Kieve than I have in the first four weeks of school.”

Play hard and safe at the Leadership School

Not your average school for middle school and high school students, leadership development training challenges students, teachers and parents to take positive risks, set meaningful goals, make healthy decisions and become Maine’s next generation of strong leaders. Now serving approximately 7,000 middle school and high school students annually, The Leadership School at Kieve combines group work, individual reflection, and fun to address many of the issues students face daily, both in and out of school.

The Leadership School at Camp Kieve has welcomed schools from Presque Isle to Philadelphia, PA, and meets the needs of diverse student populations, from inner city Portland to the offshore islands of Maine. A unique and creative program, the Leadership School at Camp Kieve fosters youth development and quality leadership in the private and public schools.

The co-ed Leadership School at Kieve is grounded in three principles:
1. Social connections and skills are critical to the success of students.
2. Active learning techniques engage students of all abilities and backgrounds. Active techniques that are fun and encourage metaphorical thinking facilitate maximum growth because it meets students where they are.
3. Solvable challenges of increasing difficulty enable students to accomplish more than they ever thought possible.

As a result, the Leadership School at Kieve is a school that builds confidence and effective relationship skills. “I always thought she was so shy,” another teacher remarks on a student. “But at Leadership School, she’s really bold and articulate.” At this school, visiting parents notice powerful changes as well. “It’s been wonderful to see him interacting so easily in social settings at Kieve’s Leadership School; I don’t see that at middle school,” noted a Falmouth parent.

Through uniquely designed programs at the Leadership School at Camp Kieve, students and their teachers leave energized and equipped to meet the challenges of school together. To see the Leadership School at Kieve in action, launch our new Leadership School video. To talk to Camp Kieve about our Leadership School program and your school, call 207-563-6212 today.

Leadership School Builds Leaders

Russ — Thu, 05 May 2011 18:23:38 +0000

This spring, it is especially apparent that while the Leadership School program very directly and profoundly contributes to the lives of the students who we serve, it also reaches far into their communities to create lasting positive impacts whose impact can multiply exponentially. From March – June, we will serve over 3000 students in Residential programs at both Kieve and Wavus and also at schools throughout Maine and Massachusetts during Outreach programs.

Newburyport Middle School attends Leadership School

With each program, we are work closely with the visiting teachers to process their observations and share tips and tools that they can carry back to enliven and enrich their schools and classrooms. Additionally, parents from schools participating in 5-day programs are invited to join us on the school’s departure day for a workshop, participation in closing ceremonies and lunch. They not only witness firsthand the magic of their student’s experience here, they get to share in that experience and help create a bridge between the Leadership School and home.

After a week that intermittently drizzled, down poured and blew, students, teachers and parents from Rupert A. Nock Middle School in Newburyport, MA celebrated the students’ Leadership School accomplishments under sunny skies.

Rupert Nock students playing "The Game"

The Friday celebration for students included a Graduation ceremony and “the Game”, a playful opportunity to practice the communication and problem solving skills they have been developing all week. Over 90 parents drove up on Friday morning to share in the Kieve experience with their children. Parents attended a parent workshop that introduced them to the language and techniques of the Leadership School experience and then joined their children for a slideshow highlighting events of the week and lunch.

How Wavus Camp for Girls Changed One Camper’s Outlook

Russ — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:28:26 +0000

The following post was written by one of our campers (age 15) from the Wavus Camp for Girls.

This I believe

When I think about a belief, I think about something that happened to me that changed my outlook on life. This could be anything.

Something new happens everyday; some things are common, and some are rare. I looked at something that changed my life and helped shape the person I am today. I believe in camp, because for me camp is all about freedom and the power to be a girl.

wavus camper on trail

I believe in camp because at the Wavus Camp for Girls you are free to be whoever you want to be. At camp you don’t have to worry about the test on Friday or the exams that are slowly approaching or the applications that you have to finish. You can just be free and be a kid, without the distractions of school and of the outside world.

During the past five years at camp, I have experienced many challenges and also many joys. Most of those challenges have been when I have been out on wilderness trips. These trips are a huge part of Wavus and are my favorite part of a Wavus summer. Some of the trips I have accomplished are, canoeing on

Kayaking on the Damariscotta River

the Damariscotta River when I was eleven, climbing Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine, when I was twelve, canoeing the St.Croix River at thirteen, and my greatest challenge to date, backpacking and sea-kayaking for twelve days last summer. These trips have also given me great joy because my cabinmates and I work together to accomplish our goals. Before Camp last summer I was anxious to find out what trip I was assigned. When I found out that I would be doing the backpacking and sea-kayaking trip, I was excited, and a little nervous, because I knew that it would be the hardest thing that I would face to date. The day that we were going to leave I was anxious to see what would lie ahead and what challenges we were going to face. Anybody who has experienced the van driving away, and leaving you in the middle of nowhere, knows the feeling of being on your own and the challenge of getting from point A to point B, using something other than a car. I had to hike 27 1/2 miles, while carrying a forty-pound pack that had the clothes that I would need and group gear we would all depend on during our hike. The first two days we were mainly meandering through the woods, but once we got to the first summit I felt accomplished, and as we kept going and continued to summit three more peaks I felt like I was on top of the world. One day when we were being goofy girls and celebrating our accomplishments, many through hikers on the AT were surprised to see ten screaming, hyper, excited fourteen year old girls, because it is not something you see everyday on a 4,000 foot mountain. They asked where we were from and what we were doing. We told them that we were from Wavus Camp for Girls and that we were on a twelve-day wilderness trip. They were shocked that girls were doing that.

on Bigelow Mountain, Maine

Experiencing many of these wilderness trips has taught me how to be a strong girl. I have also learned that girls can survive in the woods without showers and bathrooms. On the last night of hiking we went around and everyone said what their favorite part of the trip was, and my friends and I all agreed that the best part was meeting this challenge at such a young age. Camp has given me the power to be a girl and be myself. This I believe.

Written by a Wavus Camper

Seeing Signs of Summer Camp Season at Wavus Overnight Camp for Girls

kwave — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:48:36 +0000

Spring snow in Maine can’t stop our summer camp spirit.

Despite the late March snow falling on Wavus girls camp, the calendar claims Spring has officially arrived. Around the Wavus girl’s camp campus, I see signs of changing seasons in the songs of the returning birds, the crocuses that are popping up here and there along the road, and of course, in the ubiquitous Maine mud. Right now, Wavus Camp for Girls can best be described as in “maintenance season,” but with each repair made, each girls camp cabin re-opened, and each bench arranged in “the Jewel”, a sense of excitement grows with the realization that finally, Wavus 2011 is on its way!!!

With much to do to prepare for summer, my able assistant, Deb, and I have been very busy over the past winter months answering questions, interviewing and assembling a high-energy, camper-focused staff, organizing applications and paperwork, and introducing ourselves to the Kieve-Wavus camp family through phone calls and emails and slide show gatherings. In May we will happily welcome Sara Taylor back from her home in New Zealand for her fifth summer at Wavus girls camp to help put the finishing touches on wilderness adventure details.

Already I feel a sense of celebration for Wavus 2011: For the first time ever we will be sending our oldest campers out for a hiking and canoeing adventure on the Maine Trails trip. For the first time ever we have former campers old enough to return as counselors. Counselors are already generating the best ideas for evening camp activities. The entire camp staff is committed to being a girls camp of kindness and respect. I truly believe that Wavus girls camp is the place to be in 2011, and I cannot wait to greet you all under the sunscape and spend our sessions laughing, sharing, learning, and growing together.

I wonder what new things you will try this summer? I wonder what challenges you will overcome and what you will discover about yourselves? I can’t wait to find out, so pack your bags and hurry up and get here!

Nancy Kennedy, Director
Wavus Camp for Girls