I have vivid childhood memories of coming home after my summers at Camp Takajo. The hugs and kisses from my parents were incredible, and the outpouring of affection showed me how much they missed me. But it was also a celebration of what I had accomplished while I was away from the nest. Like many of you, my parents could have kept me home to participate in local programs, but they understood the importance of providing me with the opportunity to branch out, make new friends, and collect experiences without their daily oversight. On the way home from the airport, we would always go to our loca ..read more

Gloomy skies and light rain gave our boys an excuse for a well-deserved slow start to the day. As they trudged to the dining hall, the weather matched their mood as they sensed the transition from wearing face paint and bandanas during the Olympic Whacked-Up-Relay yesterday to seeing duffels appear today. As they have done every day this summer, our Okees sat together, eating French toast, in no rush to leave the dining hall. No talk of Olympics, no gloating about who won. That was yesterday’s focus. Today is about soaking up these last remaining moments together. I have never viewed the Takaj ..read more

I know we are in the home stretch, and it saddens me to think the summer is coming to an end. The Olympics reached its peak today with every field and court in use throughout the day. All age groups are competing fiercely for every point. Regardless of the outcome of the games, the boys always come together for a handshake and hug acknowledging the winner and the effort. The Warriors had an all-camp track meet this afternoon and in the one-lap relay race, the first runner for the Green team lost his shoe around the first turn. Without breaking stride, this little guy stayed on the heels of his ..read more

The weather kept us on our toes all day today as hard rain before reveille took our hard courts out of play in the morning. Group Heads Neil Minsky, David Levy, and Harrison Manchel made the necessary adjustments to keep the Olympic action at a fevered pitch. Our Group Heads were so creative that they even tied in our end-of-the-season lice checks into Olympic competition. Unfortunately, each team lost a point! We moved basketball and dodgeball indoors to our two sports complexes and played beach volleyball, gaga, and flag football outdoors. The Juniors had an awesome water polo match that cam ..read more

Takajo Olympics is in full swing as our Junior and Senior divisions broke this morning after breakfast. Junior Group Leader David Levy reached into his bag of tricks and produced the creative idea of a massive scavenger hunt. Campers were running all around the camp, coming up with clues about where they would find which team they were on. As each camper found his envelope, he would open it with a sense of urgency and curiosity to see his bandana color, green or grey, determining whether he was a Hurricane or Tornado. Senior Group Leader Neil Minsky has the challenge of surprising our oldest b ..read more

It is that time of the season when our Okees are nearing the end of their camp careers, have returned home from a magical week away in Canada, and find themselves a little mischievous. Collectively these master minds devised a plan to launch their Okee prank, something they see as a tradition, a rite of passage. Our big boys set their alarms for 2:00 AM and quietly snuck out of their bunks. A few boys made their way to the archery range, picking up our targets and stands and moving them over to the Warrior basketball court. Another group of guys picked up our soccer goals and moved them onto t ..read more

Our boys were awakened by bright sunshine that peeked through their bunk windows this morning before the sound of Reville. For the first time in weeks, our guys grabbed sweatshirts and needed that extra layer before making their way down for their favorite Dunkin’ Donuts breakfast. The slow start to the morning was necessary as our boys’ showed signs of being a little tired from the fast-paced action that takes place in camp every day. We had our final get-together with family members at Tripp Lake Camp, and sisters from Camp Robindel popped in for lunch, making this day extra special for thos ..read more

It was a bright, sunny start to the day, and our boys enjoyed a full morning of regulars. But as predicted, the wind shifted, and the skies opened after lunch. We took an extended rest hour and allowed our nurses the time they needed to do head-to-toe checks for every camper in camp. I am so proud of our medical staff and their dedication to all our boys. While they have the medical skills required to care for our community, what is equally essential is they have the warmth, patience, and empathy to care for our family. Every week, each child spends time privately with a nurse, and we do a hea ..read more

What a gorgeous day we had at Camp Takajo. The sun shone brightly, and the humidity made for a perfect day of waterfront activities. Our Intermediates returned from a glorious trip to Boston. They could not wait to return to the program, including an afternoon at the waterfront and a competitive water polo game. The wind kicked up, and all our sailboats were in use. Skiers, wakeboarders, and wake surfers took advantage of the warm temperature and ripped many turns behind our Ski Nautiques. Our Warriors were riding high after their incredible soccer outing yesterday, and our ten-and-unders had ..read more

The first leg of our Sub-Senior trips is coming to an end. In anticipation of some inclement weather up north, we reached out to our Saint Croix River group by satellite phone – there are some virtues to technology – and told them to paddle faster and go passed the final checkpoint all the way to the takeout spot at Kelly Landing. We had our bus there, waiting to take them to Bangor for a shower and a shave, and a good dinner after living in the woods all week. Our golfers played a round at Kebo Valley Golf Club, and tomorrow they’ll finish a run of spectacular Maine courses at Belgrade Lakes ..read more