Why Friends Camp?

Because we will work hard to learn not only your child’s name, but also about their unique hopes, dreams, and interests. Guided by the Quaker value of seeing the Light of Goodness in every person, we will look for the goodness in your child and help them grow at camp.

A Few Reasons Why Parents & Campers Choose Friends Camp:

  1. Quaker Values and Spirituality

  2. Friendships with other campers

  3. Recommendations from campers and parents

  4. Happy and excited returning campers

  5. Affordable camp fee

  6. Tolerance of differences among campers

  7. A non-competitive camp

  8. Interesting programs

  9. Community

  10. Campers love Friends Camp

Director and Staff

Anna Hopkins Buller, the Director of Friends Camp, is a staff member of the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends. Each spring, she carefully selects well-qualified and skilled counselors. Our counselors and staff are carefully screened with in-depth interviews, references, background checks, and ongoing supervision during the summer. Many of our counselors come with special qualifications in life-guarding, sailing, arts and crafts, photography, music, ceramics, drama, nature, and sports. Campers receive ample attention and supervision during all program activities with our camper-to-counselor ratio of one to four.

Facilities

Friends Camp is located on sixty beautiful acres of woodland in South China, Maine. Our waterfront is on China Lake, which is a short walk across the road and down a wooded path. We have fifteen rustic cabins that house 7 to 10 campers, and two bathhouses. Our property includes three sports fields and a basketball court. We also have access to a small island in the middle of China Lake for day trips and overnight adventures. Most of our indoor activities take place in Aviary Hall, Big Bird Dining Hall, Cardinal Hall, and the two hundred year old Pond Meeting House that serves as our arts and crafts building.

Admissions Values

Friends Camp is a co-ed camp that welcomes youth from all races, religious affiliations, national origins, genders, and sexual orientations. Our ability to accommodate youth with physical or mental health issues is limited, but each session we welcome a few young people with many talents and strengths who sometimes find it hard to be accepted and/or supported in other youth programs or in academic settings. We are a tolerant community that looks for the light of goodness in each person, and we are very proud of our campers’ ability to love and care for each other. Please call our Director if you have any questions about how your child would fit into life at Friends Camp.

Food

Friends Camp has an excellent reputation for healthy meals cooked from scratch. We provide a full salad bar with lunch and dinner, and we offer a buffet of wonderful vegetarian and non-vegetarian options at each meal. We are committed to buying from several local farmers to increase the amount of local food we offer to our campers. Friends Camp is licensed by the State of Maine, and we follow all of the current health and safety requirements. Please contact us if your child has special dietary requirements.

A Typical Day at Friends Camp

7:15, 7:30, and 7:45 Morning Bells to help you wake up.

8:00 Breakfast and morning clean-up

8:45 Free play time

9:30 Meeting for Worship and Business (Worship is a youth-oriented time for silent reflection and sharing. Meeting for Business allows campers and staff to participate in discussions about how to shape our camp to best meet their needs.) There is a snack option after this morning meeting.

10:00 Morning Activity Period– you choose your weekly program the first morning at camp, and programs are different every session! There’s about ten choices every week, and they always include artistic, outdoorsy, athletic, and totally wacky options.

12:15 Lunch and Rest Hour

2:00 Waterfront time. Each afternoon, campers have an opportunity to swim, canoe, sail, and relax at the camp’s waterfront on China Lake. There is a snack served after waterfront.

4:00 Elective activities, different every day! All campers have time to shower during this afternoon period, and older campers can opt to have more free time.

5:30 Dinner and evening clean-up

7:00 Evening Games: non-competitive group games as a whole camp.

7:30 (or at sunset!) Vespers. Campers gather to watch the sun set over China Lake.

Bedtime: While younger campers head to bed after the sunset, teenage campers do an evening program, which might include drama activities, open-mic night, a dance, and more.

One of the many things that makes Friends Camp interesting and fun is that the program activities change from session to session, and are different each summer. 

Is your child ready to spend a week or two at Friends Camp? Are you ready?

As we all know, young people mature in different ways and at different times. Some children may be ready to attend overnight camp when they are seven years old, and others may not be ready until they are thirteen. To help give you a better idea of when is the right time to send your child to Friends Camp, please sit down with your child and take these two short quizzes.

Mark one point for every “YES!”

Future Camper Quiz

Do you enjoy staying overnight at a friend’s house?

YES – NO

Can you make your own bed and keep track of your own things?

YES – NO

Could you walk to a nearby building to brush your teeth and go to the bathroom?

YES – NO

Do you enjoy playing outdoor games, sports, and taking part in group activities?

YES – NO

Are you willing to help with camp jobs, like sweeping, setting tables and washing dishes?

YES – NO

Future Camper Score: _____

Parent Quiz

Are you prepared to not see your child for a week or two?

YES – NO

Are you OK communicating with your child only by mail or e-mail?

YES – NO

Are you confident in your child’s ability to take care of themselves and their belongings?

YES – NO

Do you believe that Friends Camp will help to increase your child’s independence?

YES – NO

Are you willing to entrust the mature counselors at Friends Camp with the care of your child?

YES – NO

Parent Score: _____

If you and your child are able to answer YES to three or more of these questions, then you are definitely ready to sign up for Friends Camp. If your child is ready to attend an overnight camp and you still have some reservations, please call the Camp Director and chat about your concerns.

If you wish to learn why it is helpful and important to have your child attend sleep away camp, please read Michael Thompson’s book Homesick and Happy – How time away from parents can help a child grow.

Our special thanks to the Girl Scouts of Maine for the idea for this camper/parent quiz.