Camp Kawanhee Overview

Staff

 

Camp Kawanhee is fortunate to have an enthusiastic, experienced, and capable staff with a repeat factor of  80 - 90%, most of whom are teachers and coaches to head our activities.  Many of our counselors started out as campers and progressed through the Counselor-in-Training Program to become Senior Counselors, some of whom are second and third generation.  A basic working knowledge of Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid is required of staff members.

 

The continuity of our dedicated returning staff enhances the spirit and quality of Camp Kawanhee.

 

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Program

The first two days of camp, boys must attend safety lectures in every activity.   Also, the swimming capability of each camper is carefully evaluated.  The lodge counselors discuss rules and regulations, and the summer goals are established for each lodge and for each individual camper.

 

Every boy must attend all activities for the first two to three weeks of camp. This system enables the campers to identify those activities which he especially likes and in which he wishes to develop further skills. Then, for the remainder of the camp season, a camper can sign out from his assigned activity, and sign into one of his choice. Through encouragement to progress in various activities, each boy grows in self-reliance, initiative, and perseverance.

 

The daily activity periods are scheduled Monday through Friday, two hours in the morning and another two hours in the afternoon.  On Saturday mornings, regular activities are scheduled; and on Saturday afternoons, there are special events such as water meets, war canoe races, athletic meets, Capture-The-Flag, or counselor hunts.  Evenings and Sunday afternoons at Kawanhee include athletic games, fishing, swimming , use of boats, special events and short out-of-camp trips - everything carefully supervised.

 

At weekly Saturday night campfires, songs are sung and stories are told.  Each camp receives recognition for what he has accomplished in each activity during the previous week. Every boy is assigned to be a member of either the Maroon or Grey team, and the weekly team scores are announced at each campfire.

 

On Sundays, campers and staff gather at the beautiful outdoor chapel near Council Point to sing and listen to a motivating message.

 

Boys age 15 and over with previous camp experience may qualify for Kawanhee's C.I.T. (Counselor-in-Training) Program.  These campers learn leadership and communication skills under the guidance of mature leaders.

 

When a camper has had several summers of experience as a camper, and then as a C.I.T., he may qualify to become a J.C. (Junior Counselor).  These young men, under the direction of an experienced counselor trainer, have a two-fold responsibility for the summer.  First, they live in a lodge group under the supervision of the Senior Counselor to help lead and direct a group of 8 to 10 campers.  Secondly, the J.C.'s are assigned to assist senior staff members in one of the 15 or so activities in the camp program.

 

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A Day at Kawanhee

Physical Facilities

 

Camp Kawanhee has sixteen log-constructed lodges which sleep 8 to 10 boys plus one or two senior counselors and a junior counselor.  Each cabin is situated on the lake shore among the pine trees.  Each camper has a bed space for a trunk and shelves to store his personal belongings.

 

The bathroom facility, affectionately known as "the fort", is located within a short distance of each cabin.  "The fort" is divided into two sections, the Junior Side and the Senior Side.  Each side is equipped with showers and restrooms.

 

The camp laundry is adjacent to the bathrooms and showers.  Each camper's laundry is done once a week and returned to his cabin on the same day.

 

Near the cabins are: the dining hall, recreation building, campcraft building, nature building, camp office, library, wrestling building, a wood shop, and the athletic fields.

 

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Camp Infirmary

 

The camp has its own infirmary staffed with two full time registered nurses.  The Franklin Memorial Hospital is a 20-minute drive from camp.  A medical doctor, a dentist, and an orthodontist are available, if the need arises.

 

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Dining Hall

 

The dining hall is centrally located and offers spectacular views of the lake and the mountains.  Each cabin has its own table and benches with the food being served family style at each meal.  Campers and staff enjoy a wonderful cookout together each Sunday evening on the dining hall deck.

 

The kitchen is staffed by a full time chef, baker, and various assistants.  The Kawanhee kitchen philosophy is to plan well balanced menus which are both appetizing and nourishing for healthy and hungry campers.

 

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• Camp Kawanhee For Boys
• 58 Kawanhee Lane
• Weld, Maine 04285
• [phone: (207) 585 - 2210] [fax: (207) 585 - 2620]
• Off-season contact click here
• email: kawanhee@kawanhee.com

For additional information or comments about this site,
please e-mail to Mark Gibson, Webmaster at:gibby@kawanhee.com

Wigwam and information pages designed by Jim Estabrook