| INFORMATION
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About Matoaka
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Camp Philosophy
The choice of a camp for your daughter is important because camp is more than an extension of your daughter's home life--camp is a vehicle to enrich your daughter's emotional, spiritual and physical life beyond the limits of her school and home environment. Camp Matoaka explores your daughter's potential under the selective guidance of a fine, mature staff of teachers and college students. Matoaka's program is tailored to fit the individual, allowing each camper to progress at her own skill level. The ultimate goal is preparing each camper for a richer and fuller adult life through the use of leisure sports and creative talents. Our structured daily program includes activities and special events taught under professional supervision by counselors from around the world. All instructional activities are open to every camper, six days per week, five periods per day. No camper will ever find herself closed out of an activity. In addition, our state-of-the-art facilities include a fully equipped indoor gymnasium, a modern Recreation Hall/Dining Room, newly constructed Health Center as well as recently renovated bathrooms in every cabin. The Matoaka Arts Center houses arts and crafts, photography, sewing, jewelry making, needlecraft and ceramics. 
In activities of a competitive nature, a spirit of friendly competition is emphasized rather than winning, so campers of all abilities can participate freely. In every team or individual sport and in every activity, we stress effort, improvement, and achievement through staff encouragement, expert instruction and weekly rewards for accomplishment. Along with our individually scheduled five instructional periods per day, each camper has two elective periods daily, during which time she may participate in the activity where her special interests lie and receive semi- private instruction. back to top Typical Day
A typical day at Camp Matoaka begins at 7:30am with Reveille. An announcement is made over the P.A. system: "Wakey, Wakey Camp Matoaka. It's a beautiful day. Everybody up! Flag raising is at 7:50am, and breakfast is in one half-hour. Rise and shine." Suzy Camper jumps out of bed to dress and wash for breakfast. Half awake, she slides on her flip flops and starts on her way to the flagpole for sticks (a college league competition and quick way to take attendance) and flag raising. Then Suzy eats breakfast at her assigned table, along with nine other girls of different ages and two counselors. After breakfast, Suzy returns to her cabin for cleanup where she must make her bed and do her job on the cleanup wheel. At 9:20am, the bugle blows, signaling the start of her first instructional period. Suzy checks her individualized schedule and is happy to learn that she first has Arts and Crafts (see her Monday schedule below) and then Drama for second period. When the 1st General Rec bugle blows at 11:10, Suzy picks an activity of her choice. 
After Lunch, Suzy has Rest hour where she can hang out with her bunkmates, write letters, play quiet games, or read (Harry Potter's her favorite!). Suddenly, the bugle rings for third period, and Suzy studies her schedule. What a fun afternoon: fishing, basketball instruction, and then water-ski. Of course, when the bugle rings at 5pm, Suzy knows that she can choose any activity for her Second General Rec. After sticks, flag lowering, and dinner, it's time for an evening activity. Nights include College League games, socials with boys' camps for girls in bunks 10-15, professional performers, dance or talent shows, Friday Night Service, or campfires. Suzy knows that she must return to her cabin by her "In-bunk time" and that the "Lights out time" is soon to follow. After a busy day, Suzy takes a well deserved rest, and she's ready to do it all again tomorrow. 
7:30 AM - Reveille Suzy Camper
Scheduling Demo (video)Bunks
Camp Matoaka is a community of campers and counselors, a place where the oldest campers are friendly with the youngest campers and where counselors know you by name. It's not only the camp program structure that helps create this atmosphere, but the physical layout of the camp. The campers sleep in 19 charming pink bunks with natural wood interiors and old-fashioned front porches. Situated along two "roads," these bungalows have the character of a neighborhood, allowing each girl to be a neighbor to the other campers. Each bunk has electricity and full bathroom facilities including showers. The smallest bunk accommodates 10 campers and the largest sleeps 20. back to top Click here for a virtual tour of a camper cabinAge Groups
Food ServiceNot only do Matoaka campers keep coming back year after year, but so do our chefs. Kitchen Manager Charlene Williams has been returning to Matoaka every year since 1989. We currently have a kitchen staff of three cooks, twelve wait staff, and six dishwashers. Charlene is a Certified Chef in the state of Maine, and keeps our kitchen sanitary and safe. Our staff is knowledgeable about food allergies and sensitive to picky eaters. Our regularly scheduled meals vary daily and weekly. Each day for breakfast we have a regularly scheduled meal along with bagels, chocolate chip and blueberry muffins, toast, English muffins, and an assortment of fruit. For lunch we have the scheduled meal along with a full salad bar, sandwich bar, and an assortment of fruit. Dinner is served in the same manner. We always have fruit, salad, and sandwich bars available for the girls who do not want to eat the scheduled meal. back to top Click here for a virtual tour of the dining roomHealth
Nestled in a private wooded area is the newly constructed health center. Staffed with four live-in registered nurses, the air-conditioned health center is a comfortable place where campers receive professional medical care and treatment and can take a respite from normal camp life when deemed necessary. There are two spacious exam rooms, isolation rooms, semi-private rooms, and a group room all furnished with phones and VCRs. The modern office features a fax machine, three incoming phone lines, and a small kitchenette. Additionally, a board certified Pediatrician makes on-site visits on a daily or on-call basis. We are proud of the way our nursing staff helps all sick campers feel at home and the way our facility represents our commitment to the health and safety of the entire Matoaka family. When it is necessary to seek care off campus, the Mid Maine Medical Hospital is located just nine miles from camp and we are covered on the 911 system. back to top Click here for a virtual tour of the Health CenterSpecial Events
Although Camp Matoaka runs on a regular schedule, we always find time to hold special events. Special events can last one hour or a full day, and they involve a wide variety of activities. Some of our special events include:Camper Birthdays, Friday night services, Sunday night campfires, Buddy Day, Pink Splash, Pink Plate Special, Backwards Day, Carnival Day, Night at the Races, Bunk Plaque Night, Headquarters, Gold Rush, and Dutch Auction. back to top BirthdaysWe try to make a camper feel special on her birthday because we understand how difficult it is to be away from home on this day. To start, bunkmates and counselors make cards and decorate the birthday girl's bed. Our kitchen staff sets her table with fun place mats and balloons; and at the end of dinner, the camper's bunk presents her with a cake while the entire camp sings "Happy Birthday". Finally, an exception is made to our phone call policy. Normally a camper is only allowed one phone call per week; but on her birthday, she is allowed to talk to family who call. Camp is a great place to celebrate a birthday! back to top College League
College League lasts throughout the entire season. The campers are divided into four teams that compete in Tuesday and Thursday night games and Sunday afternoon events. Each team has a captain who is a returning, full-season, bunk 15 camper. College League teaches girls the importance of teamwork and the joy of friendly competition. Although campers are dedicated to their teams, and put forth great efforts to achieve their goals, all rivalry is limited to the college league events. Campers are rewarded for good sportsmanship and learn to win, and lose, graciously. back to top Big/Little Sister
Our Big and Little Sister program brings the oldest and youngest campers together in friendship. All of the girls in Bunks 8, 9, and 10 are assigned a Big Sister from Bunk 14 or 15 over the winter. The Big Sisters contact their Little Sisters before camp begins by writing a letter or calling to say hello. Past experience shows that younger campers benefit greatly from this early contact; they are comforted by the fact that someone is at camp waiting to meet them. Big Sisters often spend both scheduled and leisure time with their little sisters. The girls share pool parties, make arts and crafts projects for each other and attend campfires together. This relationship encourages older campers to act as role models and helps the younger campers adjust to camp life. back to top |
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