It’s the day we’ve been waiting for… June 23, 2018! As the greatest guys in the world poured off buses and out of cars, there was a round of hugs, high-fives and handshakes for all.  New friends became old in no time, with the help of superstar counselors who trained for the entire last week....
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If anyone thought that sleeping-in was a remote possibility on the first morning of camp, they haven’t been to Skylemar.  When the softest bird tweets, our guys pop out of bed, brush their teeth (hopefully) and out they go.  The shouts and laughter carry all over camp, waking even the deepest teenage sleepers of Sky...
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  Even our neighbors with homes across Trickey Pond say that they live by the Skylemar clock.  There’s a bugle that blows when it’s time to get up, which plays precisely at 8.  The “snooze alarm” bugle comes ten minutes later, as if it was saying “we mean it this time”. Sweatpants and hoodies are...
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Some call it Leadership Development, Sensitivity Training or Life Coaching.  At Skylemar, we call it Porchtime. Did you ever notice that a good teacher begins with a question that you can’t get wrong?   When the boys assemble on the Light House porch they know Shep will start with “around the horn”.  Today’s warmup questions:  "What...
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48 parties, one a night.  That’s what Skylemar guys count on, and we aim to deliver! A good number of Skylemar’s Evening Activities are steeped in tradition.  Everyone knows that the second night of camp is the "Scavenger Hunt," because that’s our first opportunity to connect older and younger kids.  For example, Bunk 1 (7-year-olds)...
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Slosh, gush, gurgle.  It was a soaked-to-the-bones day here.  The rain came in the early morning hours and didn’t quit the entire day. Activities were all inside, between the Lodge, Gym and Rec Hall.  The Lodge is filled with table games like pool, foosball and ping pong.  “Cory Games” (like Sprout Ball, Sharks & Minnows...
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It was in between the lacrosse, baseball, soccer and swimming… sometime outside of the swimming, skiing and sailing… after tennis, football and golf... some powerful moments which we hope translate into making the world a better place. Fast forward to this evening’s Spirit Night.  That’s when we gather as one big family, in an evening of...
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    We were hot! So hot that…. ….we won the STB Tourney! ...we won 15U hockey! … lots of guys got up waterskiing for the very first time! … the talent in our Talent Show was truly outstanding! Temps in the 90’s meant perfect conditions for Skylemar’s U10 Steal the Bacon (STB) Tourney.   Several...
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Lots to get done today, despite the hot, windless temperature.  Sheets were changed, and beds remade.  Laundry bags were stuffed full of clothes to be washed. GACU was on the schedule for all.  That stands for Great American Clean Up.  Within one period you take a power shower, head to the infirmary for a health...
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Rise and shine and swim across the lake!  These are the Skylemar Polar Bears! 60+ campers (about 30 per day), along with the entire waterfront staff, made their way down to Trickey Pond before breakfast.  With counselors swimming and boating next to each camper, the brave swimmers took the half-mile challenge. It’s a very different...
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  Rumble Ponies, look out! The Portland Seadogs have a whole lot of fans coming from Camp Skylemar tonight. With each camper paired up with a specific staff member, they poured out of buses and swarmed into Hadlock Field.  It’s a terrific minor league ballpark and home to the Seadogs, a Double-A affiliate to the...
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Who needs an air conditioner, when you have Trickey Pond?  Yes, it’s been extraordinarily hot.  It’s been so humid that a damp towel never dries.  Lucky for us, we have a cool, clean spring-fed lake to jump into. Out of over 6,000 lakes in Maine, Trickey Pond is on the list of top-ten cleanest.  In...
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A little bit big sister, a dash of fairy godmother and a lotta Mary Poppins.   That’s a Skylemar Bunkster. Sure, she’s sugar and spice, and everything nice.  More importantly, she’s smart and strong, compassionate and dedicated.  She buys into the idea that here at Skylemar we can make the world a better place, one boy...
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Never underestimate the power of food.  It keeps us going, helps us celebrate and adds a dose of happy to whatever comes our way. Feeding a crowd of 350 boys and men is an intimidating undertaking, especially when we’re talking three meals per day.  As soon as our talented kitchen staff finishes cracking and cooking...
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Today’s the kind of day that makes you want to move to Maine.  Good-mood weather, with sunny skies and no humidity.  A little breeze, but plenty warm enough for Trickey Pond. We welcomed several prospective Skylemar families, touring in preparation for 2019.  What makes us extra proud when outsiders visit is how warm and friendly...
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Seventeen unique Pine Cone Auction parties, paid in full.  This year each went for quite a bit of pcc (pine cone cash).  There was a Wimbledon Tennis Party on the courts, with strawberries and cream...and a Chocolate Factory Party where you made your own.  The Science Party had owl pellets to dissect and pizza to...
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They say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. They say you need to see a marketing message seven times before taking action. That’s why we keep talking about kindness and acceptance, over and over and over again. Do the boys get it?  Most do.  But for some it takes longer.  Some are less...
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Have no fear, the best nurses are here! It’s round-the-clock care at Skylemar, thanks to our “dream team”:  Julie, Jess, Kayla, Jackie and Jan.  With this amazing lineup, we feel safe, strong and well cared-for. There are a hundred and one things that come up in a day, and there’s never a dull moment.  The...
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Attention all CEO’s! Looking to hire the very best?  A leader with strong negotiating and management skills (see it “live” at Clean Up), who’s willing to work incredibly long hours (perhaps sunrise to midnight)?  In search of a problem solver creative-type with excellent communication skills (think about Rest Hour with little guys who never rest)?...
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Time flies rocket speed around here.  “Busy” is an understatement. Five intercamp tournaments (tennis, baseball, lax, and 2 hoops) happened in a span of a few hours. Lots of wins, good sportsmanship and camaraderie.  We were especially proud of our 10U Lacrosse champions, who became tournament winners after Alexander B (#9) scored a goal in...
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  Here's a routinely asked question.  Has Skylemar changed over the past 70 years?  Sure, there are more buildings, courts and fields.  The waterfront’s filled with inflatable toys and motor boats.  The number of cabins has more than doubled. Forever the same are the Skylemar traditions; the emphasis on sports with sportsmanship; a culture based...
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Kaboom!   Love explodes at Camp Skylemar! The waves spread from the parking lot to Trickey Pond.  So much love in the air that even the rain couldn’t break through. It’s the feeling that everyone deserves some time or another.  It’s when you haven’t seen a loved one for a very long time, you’re finally reunited,...
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The 2018 edition of Intercollegiate Day was well represented by six schools located from coast to coast. Duke, Bucknell and USC joined the Universities of Wisconsin, Maine, and Colorado to compete in individual tests of speed, skill and accuracy at several venues around camp during the day.  The night activity, Songs and Cheers, would ultimately...
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The sun always shines when sisters visit Skylemar.  Not only is it a pleasure to have some additional beauty in The Garden, but it’s also a joy to see how proud the boys are.  Skylemar guys truly adore their sisters…at least for two hours. Brother/Sister Day is a difficult event to schedule.  You know how...
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Parent Tour Question #11:  What do you do when it rains? We step it up and turn it ON! Thanks to Cory, Barney, Suzie, Lucas and the talented Senior Staff the show does go on! Morning activities took place at Sky II in the Gym and Lodge.  In the gym the little guys had an...
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It was a beautiful day to jump right into the second half of Skylemar 2018.  Blue skies, comfortable temps and a steady breeze. Lots of activities, with GACU in the mix.  You remember…it’s the Great American Clean Up, when you go to the infirmary for a health check, and then to the “spa” for your...
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In any one day at camp there are a thousand things that go right, as well as a handful that don’t go to plan.  As expected, when living together in one room there are arguments and feelings hurt.  There are times when our fuse is short or we forget to think about the outcome of...
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Lots of exciting visitors today, including a tarantula, scorpion, iguana, boa constrictor and Gila monster. Keeping the attention of 50 boys in an outdoor classroom setting is no easy task, but animal expert “Mr. Drew” had them mesmerized.  Not only did he bring unique creatures to watch or touch, but he also enthralled young and...
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  “Three squirts extra virgin olive oil and one squirt balsamic vinegar," said Ethan F.  “And a squirt of Dijon mustard," said Theo.  “It can actually be three squirts oil to any one acid," clarifies Ben K. That’s the recipe for the perfect home-made salad dressing, drizzled on top of freshly picked garden greens.  Delicious!...
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Combine a crossword puzzle, a 200 acre site plan, a personality matrix and a Rubic’s cube, and maybe you’ll come close to the Skylemar daily schedule.   Only a “living computer” is wired for this challenge, which takes into account teaching styles and camper opinion.     We call our “main frame” Mitch Cernek. Athletic and Program Director...
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They are the heart and soul of Skylemar…the leaders who our young boys wish to one day become.  They set the tone and maintain vibe.  They collectively carry on the Skylemar legacy, and make us proud. They are the men of Sky II. It’s a rite of passage to become a Sky II guy.  At...
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It’s all in a name.  Mikey is never Michael.  But Alexander can’t be Alex.  No one notices that Hod is actually a Timothy…or that Shep is really a Patrick Joseph. Same thing goes for Yellowhorn.  Not sure where the name originally came from, but it’s certainly cooler than outdoor science.  It’s a really exciting activity,...
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It’s Big Trip Week!  Five different trips, each representing a different year of camp.  For example, first year campers go on the Cannon Mountain trip, second year campers go on Boothbay, third year on Winny, fourth on Mt. Washington, fifth on Quebec and so forth.  It’s a Skylemar tradition that goes back 70 years. Much...
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It’s only water.  But when it comes down in buckets or is accompanied by rumbles, it does change our plans.  Within a half hour of bringing wet kids into the Rec Hall for “Despicable Me” (which even included a real live Minion), the rain cleared leaving the air muggy.  Then when we went ahead with...
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All trips are back, happy and tired.  It was rainy in New Hampshire, but hot and muggy in Canada.  Here at camp it was somewhere in between. The brave men of Mt. Washington hiked for a good five hours, before it started to pour.  By 5pm they were down the mountain and hunkered in at...
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Self-confidence.  Listening skills.  Trust.  Patience.  Resiliency.  Concentration.  Safe risk taking. These are just some of the many life-skills a boy learns at the Skylemar Ski Dock.   Thanks to an amazing staff of water ski counselors, the experience of getting up behind a boat is positively transformational. NShep, BShep, Chad, Cocoa, Cory, Erik, Gibby, Tomas, Boxer...
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Hard to believe that it was the last Clinic Signup of 2018!  It’s an extra difficult decision this time around. Are you interested in fishing, canoeing, campfire cooking, scavenger hunt and a hike?  Then try The Best of SkyPines.  Last Chance Ropes Course offers anything you want on the high elements.   A-Move-A-Day Soccer features fun...
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It’s just about all they’re talking about.  The biggest night of the year followed by the greatest competition of all time.  They chant in the Rec Hall, “TWO MORE DAYS! TWO MORE DAYS!” Until then, there’s a lot to get done.  We have only a couple more chances for private tennis lessons, beaching at Sebago,...
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Hidden deep into the forest and by the water’s edge, is a magical place called Sky Pines. Although it’s just a 20-minute paddle or a 10-minute walk, when you’re there it feels like you’re a world away. It’s a special cabin overnight, that you remember the rest of your life.  It’s hard to explain how...
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Rain has no effect on voter turnout at Camp Skylemar.  After all, it was the Election we’ve been waiting for all summer. It’s the logical way an election should be.  Twenty-two candidates, each one qualified, capable and of the highest integrity.   No advertising, no campaign contributions and no robo-calls.  Every constituent votes for two, which...
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If you’re a “ballot parent”, last night’s blog may have been a difficult read.   Although two young men were chosen, twenty were not. As parents, we feel their pain, the disappointment, the heartbreak.  We know how much he was counting on this and worry about how he’ll cope.  Will he be ok? Yup.  Absolutely.  That’s...
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The anticipation had ended…the wait was finally over! Late last night, in a clandestine session with Shep, our newly elected Captains Jack (Red) and Daniel (Gray) selected their teams.  The excited participants awoke this morning to find a Red or Gray ribbon pinned to their pillows, and most poured out of their cabins to share...
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There’s a reason we do it this way.  The kids know best. First, the kids vote for the Captains.  It’s democracy in the purest form, because every Senior has an equal chance. Second, the Captains secretly pick the teams with a single purpose in mind - winning.  It’s a draft, one age group at a...
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If you ask a Skylemar camper to describe Color War, he’ll use one word:  intense.  The devotion to one’s team, the desire to be the best and the drive to win is over-the-top.  They put every ounce of themselves into the game, performing above and beyond what would be expected.  Of course mistakes are made,...
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On the PGA Golf tour, they call the day before the final day, “moving day” – that’s when someone hopefully makes a big move for the lead to position themselves perfectly for the final push to victory.  Both teams were hoping to make Day 4 their ‘moving day,” setting themselves up for tomorrow afternoon’s final...
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The time had come… Color War 2018 had reached the final day.  Four days of  divisional head-to-head competition had brought us here, with Red slightly ahead.  Last night’s Songs and Cheers win by Gray had turned the momentum, and they seemed focused to piggyback that success with a morning run of their own. Red made...
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“We will always remember to remember that you have entrusted us with your most precious possession.”  These important instructions were passed down to us from Lee and Herb, and so it goes from us to the Skylemar staff. Thank you for the gift of your son this summer.  He truly is the greatest guy in...
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