SEBAGO WOHELO
12-15 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
At almost any point in the day, you will find campers and counselors enjoying the lake. We have three swimming, canoeing, and diving awards – the Bug, Baby, and Witch awards. Campers can also work for their Diving Queen. We have swim lessons and free swim every day where campers can enjoy hanging on the water mat, jumping off the tower, or playing games with friends. Another popular activity down at Lewa Dock is swimming for miles in our lap lanes. Three round trips equal a quarter of a mile. Campers and counselors keep track of their miles on cards and earn recognition at our weekly Council Fire. These miles accumulate over the years.
Sailing & Racing
Sebago Wohelo has over a dozen 420s and tech dinghies that are excellent for learning to sail as well as advancing sailing skills. In addition, we also have a 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 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. Every afternoon we have racing from 4:30-6:00. All ages and skill levels are welcome to join the racing team. Campers are chosen for regattas at other boys’ and girls’ camps in the area.
Canoeing, Kayaking, and Paddleboarding
Summer Camp is the perfect place to learn to canoe. Campers begin by mastering the basics of maneuvering a canoe, how to safely get to shore after a capsize, and then advance to learning how to pick up speed in a straight line and quickly maneuver a canoe turning and stopping by practicing landings against a dock. The most advanced canoers learn to master these skills solo. There are canoeing trips and adventures during the summer. Morning crew practice before breakfast all summer leads to great performances at Watersports Day at the end of camp.
Campers can also sign out our stand-up paddle boards at sailing. Counselors will often lead SUP adventures on Sundays or during cabin time.
Waterskiing, Wake Surfing, and Tubing
Sebago Wohelo campers have the opportunity to sign up for waterskiing every day the weather permits. Campers who are new to it can start on two skies or the wakeboard and advance right through to slalom skiing and more advanced wakeboarding. While one assistant has eyes on the skier from the boat the other is driving the boat. Once each camper gets a turn, there’s sometimes an opportunity for the assistants to take a try. Cabin groups have the option to sign up for cabin-time wake surfing in the evenings as a cabin bonding opportunity. Tubing is also offered during sign-up activity time.
Tennis
Wohelo is proud to offer three clay tennis courts for lessons as well as free-time play. 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. Campers learn parts of the racket and court while they improve their skills. They practice their strokes and rally with campers and counselors or play skill-driven games like Queen of the Court and Jail. Many girls choose only to play free tennis with their friends or during a Camp tournament (such as the Wo-Open). Tennis also has a team that regularly competes with nearby camps including at a 4-camp tournament twice a summer.
Music
We encourage campers and counselors to bring their own instruments (we have pianos!) to share their talent with us in the evenings and/or during our Sunday morning SIVAD gathering. Chorus practice meets twice a week before our Sunday SIVAD gathering. Chorus is an optional activity for campers and counselors who would like to sing together at Sunday SIVAD.
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 with choreography for the performances.
Drama
Drama meets for an hour and a half in the afternoon each activity day. The first half of the summer often starts with improv, activating drills, and writing skits for the half-session show. The second half of the summer concentrates on the final performance, usually a musical.
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 scheduled craft time, Wo girls are encouraged to design their projects 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.
