SEBAGO WOHELO
12-16 Years Old
Reed Rathgeber, Director
Mark and Quincy Van Winkle, Directors
Life at Sebago Wohelo is made up of privileges, not requirements. Campers absorb the spirit of the outdoors to develop sponteneity, courage, and endurance. Girls live in cabins that are built into the rocky shore and each features a beautiful view of the lake.
Our Campers enjoy a banquet of activities from which to choose- swimming, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, water skiing, wake surfing, tennis, dance, dramatics, nature and campcraft, and a full plate of crafts: silversmithing, weaving, pottery, painting, and glass beading. Campers create their own schedule with the guidance of staff, focusing on activities they want to try for the first time or improving the ones they most enjoy. Most campers also choose to challenge themselves by striving for honors in the activity areas that interest them.
Activities at Sebago Wohelo
Swimming & Diving
This is a view of a small portion of the lap lanes at Sebago Wohelo. Three laps are a quarter-mile. Some swimmers come down for a “quick” mile and zip off to canoeing or some other activity, others might spend an hour doing a quarter-mile – chatting in the lap lanes with a friend and a flutterboard.
Sailing & Racing
Sebago Wohelo has over a dozen 420’s and tech dinghies that are excellent for learning to sail as well as advancing sailing skills. In addition, we also have an 16 ft. RS Catamaran, 26 ft. flat-bottomed Scow, Laser 2, Drascombe Longboat, 2, Hobie Wave Catamarans, and a collection of windsurfers and canoe sailboats in our fleet. We launch directly from a protected deep water cove. Girls at Sebago Wohelo may choose to work for awards such as their their Crew, Ordinary, or Able Seaman Award as well as participate in the racing program. There is also plenty of opportunity for free sailing to have fun with friends and try out different boats.
Canoeing, Kayaking, and Paddleboarding
Morning crew practice before breakfast all summer leads to great performances at Watersports Day at the end of camp.
Sebago Wohelo has a couple of canoe trips up the lake and to our Crooked River campsite.
Our ever-growing fleets of Red kayaks are popular at both camps for learning and just cruising around.
Our recent addition of paddleboards has become very popular for campers and counselors interested in exploring Wohelo waters.”
Waterskiing, Wake Surfing, and Tubing
Sebago Wohelo campers have the opportunity to sign up for waterskiing every day the weather permits. Cabin groups have the option to sign up for cabin time tubing in the evenings as a cabin bonding opportunity.
Tubing is also offered during sign up activity time.
Tennis
Tennis classes of various levels are offered throughout the day and we encourage campers to sign up for their appropriate level and continue with those lessons throughout the summer. Many girls choose only to play free tennis with their friends or during an Camp tournament (such as the Wo-Open).
Competitive players also have 2 weekly opportunities to play with nearby camps and several 4 camp tournaments during the summer.
Music
We encourage campers at both camps to bring their own instruments (we have pianos!) and play for us in the evenings.
Chorus is an optional activity offered for girls who would like to sing at our Sunday morning gatherings.
Dance
Dance usually meets for two hours every morning. Often the first hour is a warm-up, aerobic type workout and the second hour concentrates on dance skills and preparing for one of the summer performances. Campers are encouraged to be creative and help in choreography for the performances.
Drama
Drama meets for an hour an a half each activity day. Usually in the afternoon. The first half of the summer often starts with improv, acting drill and writing skits for the half session show. The second half of the summer concentrates on the final performance.
Crafts at Sebago Wohelo
Crafts
Crafts are a big part of the Sebago Wohelo curriculum and we are proud of our staff and facilities. Anne Hutchinson – a 4th generation Gulick family member – has taken over overseeing the craft hill. We are lucky to have her.
Instead of structured craft projects and schedules craft time, Wo girls are encouraged to design their own project that they will be proud of, and work on them in a timeframe that fits into their schedule. All crafts are free choice and generally open all day. Some of these include pottery, silversmith, weaving, paddle painting (painting on wood pieces), and glass beading.
Nature/Campcraft
Our nature house (the Beehive) is open all day to help Wo girls learn how to respect the environment and take care of themselves in the outdoors. There are multiple nature awards that girls can work towards during the summer; the highest honor being the Queen Bee which includes learning how to make fire without the aid of matches or a lighter! Nature walks are common around camp, with girls learning a plethora of bird, tree, and plant species that are found on our grounds.
