Activities at Camp
Pine Island offers an array of daily activities for campers when they are
not on camping trips. A camper is allowed to select his activities each
day. All activities offer a series of ranks that a camper can achieve
through perseverance and with the guidance of the staff. This motivates
boys without competition and allows them to chart their own progress
throughout the season. The lack of competition has proven over time to
be a critical component in boys gaining self-confidence and a sense of
accomplishment.
On the waterfront ...
SWIMMING
An
island is a natural place to learn water sports and skills. Pine Island
makes the most of its environment and exposes boys to the basic
keystones of competency and safety on the water as soon as they arrive
at camp. Every boy is encouraged to strengthen his swimming skills at
Pine Island. The swimming program follows Red Cross standards and
ranges from beginning courses to life-saving and basic rescue. Special
attention is given to non-swimmers. In addition to instructional
periods, every boy is required to achieve the rank of beginner at a
minimum. There are two general swim periods every day, during which
three lifeguards are on duty.
ROWING
Handling
a rowboat becomes second nature to almost every Pine Islander. Sound
rowing technique is the first step to good seamanship, and rowing is a
source of pleasure and exercise unknown to the youth who lives with an
outboard at his back. Our rowing fleet includes nine wooden boats
custom designed and built for PIC, and a single scull. As with all
boating activities, life jackets are required at all times.
KAYAKING AND CANOEING
Kayaking
and canoeing instruction prepares campers for safe trips on lakes and
rivers throughout Maine. Kayaks are excellent craft for younger boys;
they are responsive, easy to handle, and lots of fun. Canoe trips can
last up to 7 days, though we offer many shorter trips of varying
difficulty over the summer. At camp, boys learn the basics of canoe
safety and rescue.
SAILING
Hundreds
of boys have learned to sail at Pine Island. Great Pond is a large
lake, 32 miles around, with islands and bays that invite sailing
excursions. The sailing program is designed to accommodate absolute
novices, who increase in rank with the staff's guidance. Advanced
sailors at Pine Island will know the rules of racing, how to repair
both wood and fiberglass boats, and how to splice, read charts and tide
tables, and navigate. PIC owns a fleet of two JY-15's and two
custom-made Sloan 12 1/2 wooden catboats.
FLY FISHING
Great
Pond is one of Maine's premier smallmouth bass fishing lakes, a perfect
place for boys to learn to fish both with spinning gear and with fly
rods. Fly fishing is offered as a full-fledged activity at Pine
Island with a counselor dedicated to it. The camp owns a number
of fly rods and reels and all the gear necessary for tying flies.
During a typical fly fishing activity boys can learn the basics of fly
casting or fly tying. Many boys have caught big bass on
flies they have tied themselves.
Beyond the waterfront ...
In
addition to our waterfront program, Pine Island also offers an array of
land-based activities. As with our other activities, the objective in
our non-waterfront activities is to encourage personal responsibility
and fulfillment through a sustained, disciplined method.
SHOP
The
Shop epitomizes this deliberate approach towards mastery of a skill.
PIC's workshop is equipped with a collection of hand tools for working
with wood. The object is for boys to become familiar with all the basic
hand tools through completing projects that they chose from a list
provided. These projects range from a simple toolbox or coat rack, to a
model sailboat that can take a whole season to complete.
RIFLERY AND ARCHERY
In
riflery and archery, the standards of marksmanship, safety, and
instruction are the highest. As in other activities, both programs
offer the opportunity to earn rankings and insignia, but the emphasis
is on each boy's improvement of his own record rather than constant
competition with others.
TENNIS
We
have two professionally maintained clay tennis courts on the mainland.
Individual instruction gives confidence to the beginner, while coaching
and a tennis ladder whet the skills of advanced players.
WOODCRAFT
Pine
Island's woodcraft program teaches boys the basic camping skills
they'll need on our many trips. Boys can learn basic axemanship, fire
building, first aid, emergency shelter construction, leave-no-trace
techniques and much more. Achievement in woodcraft at Pine Island
culminates in the Maine Woodsman and Junior Maine Woodsman
certification program, which includes in-camp instruction, followed by
a supervised 3-day trip where campers construct their own sleeping
shelters, cook all the food themselves, and pass numerous examinations
in essential camping skills.
