New “Ye Old” Robin Hood Banners Available!

In honor of Robin Hood’s 90^th Anniversary we are bringing back an old tradition of felt Robin Hood banners from 50+ years ago. These authentic reproductions will be given to Robin Hood Ambassadors whose loyalty and efforts have been responsible for recommending and bringing 10+ new families to become Robin Hood campers.

Current campers can also win these banners in our soon-to-be-announced Spring Refer A Friend promotion. More to come! Robin Hood has remained viable and strong for 90 seasons only due to the loyal efforts of alumni and current families who have recommended us to their friends, classmates, and family members.

Alumni and current families may also purchase banners for $25 each from our Outfitters starting in April.

We will be formally recognizing our loyal Robin Hood Ambassadors publicly this spring by writing articles about each one of them in blog articles. The legacy of Robin Hood has been established and maintained by activist families, and the Littlefield family is profoundly grateful for those who have devoted their time and energy to help keep Robin Hood alive for 90 years.

I often get asked about our popular, charismatic, dynamic, and incredibly talented Waterski guru from the early 1980’s Jon Carder and am happy to report that John is still as dynamic, vibrant, athletic, and competitive as ever in the world of waterskiing, as well as a successful Pediatric Emergency Care Doctor in Knoxville, TN.

While having breakfast in Carmel, CA on a rainy November morning a voice called out with the unmistakable Southern accent “Is that Rick Littlefield?” Sitting next to me was my good friend Dr. Jon Carder, and his lovely wife Dr. Lee Jung. Jon deserves full credit for being the Founding Father of the Robin Hood waterskiing program. Back in the 1980s when Jon first arrived RH had one ski boat, a 17’ Boston Whaler Montauk with a 70 HP Mercury outboard motor. He convinced me to purchase two used Ski Supreme competition ski boats as an incentive for him to return the next year. Next thing I know he had built a slalom course, was teaching barefooting, slalom, trick skiis, and eventually convinced me (reluctantly) to build a jump ramp, and offer intensive Ski Academy during pre-camp.

During his years with us, John had a cult following of admirers much like our Muay Thai Champion Nghia Tran has today. Admiring campers all wanted to sit at his Water Ski table and ski with him as much as possible. Funny, mischievous, very bright, and with relentless energy John became a superstar. He trained and inspired Brazilian camper Renato Abucham to greatness as Brazil’s Jr. and Men’s Champion. He taught me to barefoot, conquer the slalom course, and even jump in middle age.

Few people at Robin Hood have been more fun to be around than John. There was always an exciting adventure happening and much laughing. I call John the most likable show off I have ever met. If he saw a group of girls sunbathing across the lake or in a passing boat he would signal me to drive close to them and he would perform some ridiculous attention to get their admiration like a forward flip on a waterski, or kick up the biggest slalom wake imaginable. He could be hysterically funny and nobody was ever bored in his company.

Thank you John for your large contribution to Robin Hood. You inspired me to pursue as many unusually talented counselors and people as I could find. Without John’s inspiration we may not have evolved into what we have become in 2016. Thank you John.  –Rick Littlefield

2017 Skating Party

Perhaps our best skating party reunion ever! Twenty-five enthusiastic campers, four staffers, and many parents braved cold weather, and tricky travel conditions to skate and network at Trump Arena in Central Park Sunday morning. Many true loyalists appeared wearing RH uniform clothing. Once again Alistair won the “Best Dressed Award” wearing a complete uniform of RH sweat pants, T-shirt, and white hoodie. Anna Hoernig won the “Long Distance Award” for traveling from Washington DC and I was impressed by how many drove or trained in from Connecticut and New Jersey. Both Alistair and Anna earned a lobster or steak dinner this summer! Great to see: Sebastian Wood, James Danzinger, Gunnar Overstrom, Malachy Guzman, Anna, Alistair, and Arthur Schnieders, Lyla and Ella Miller, Marcus and Benjamin Matitia, Ley and Zachary Ziemba, William Leon, Lucia and Santiago Simonian, Alexandra and Sofia McGoey, Alice, Sophie and Thea von Seidel, William Riley, and Anna Hoernig. Alex and Veronica Moreno dropped by at the end to say hello. Congrats Veronica on getting into Boston College and Alex on getting into the University of Miami. Thank you very much to 15 year RHers Chris and Jon Pelz for your much-appreciated help in running the event. Welcome back from the University of Edinburgh! Sorry if I missed any other camper’s names. Next Reunion up will be the Bowling Party Reunion in London February 25.

Bundled up for skating!

Congratulations to the following camper families. They are just some of the families who have enrolled under the December/January tuition discounts. Each family has received TWO of our new RH magnetic bumper stickers, and each camper received two adhesive RH stickers!

Sarah Mojica Arango

Philippa von Selchow

Sadie Wilson

Camilla, Caprina & Lola Fiorenza

Marcelo Barrera

Alexander & Daisy Sheikh

Christian & Eleanor Graziano

Nicole Rausch

Alya Ben Youssef

LilaMaria Martinez

Elizabeth & Wesley Tarbell

Charlotte Loechner

Toby Goldston

Lucas, Alice & Felipe Zelmanovits

Brooke Henkel

Anis Basini

Eric Bartunek

Enroll today and earn prizes for your family!

Remember… Our December/January Enrollment Incentive Plan is happening now through January 31– the last tuition discounts of the year! Enroll by January 31 and receive a discount up to $600 if both the registration fee and tuition are paid in full.  All funds paid in advance are 100% refundable until April 1, 2017, if you withdraw for any reason. See our Dates and Rates page for details.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our office at robinhood@robinhoodcamp.om with any questions! We can’t wait to see you in Maine this summer!

Bernice Cote passed away recently after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 81. For close to 30 years Bernice was the heart and soul of Robin Hood. She was our Enrollment Director, the loyal right hand person and confidante to my father and myself, the calming voice of reassurance to thousands of anxious parents and campers, camp humorist, and a second mother to me.

Eulogies risk lapsing into the realm of embellished virtues, but not this one. I have not encountered a warmer, more loving soul than Mrs. Cote. Unselfish to a fault, non-judgmental, loyal, kind, thoughtful, uncomplaining, and full of unconditional love for her children, family, and those she cared about. Bernice was a positive role model and a bedrock of stability. She inspired me to want to be a better man and to become the best camp Director I can be. There was a playful joyfulness to Mrs. Cote that somehow found humor in most everything. If you wanted to feel better about life, just hang around Bernice for a while. She laughed easily and often and enjoyed her own company and sense of humor as much as we all did.

When driving to and from Maine frequently while living in the Boston area I would often drop by to say hello briefly, and more often than not, found myself sitting at Bernice’s kitchen table in N. Reading eating homemade pie or an improvised meal thanks to her perpetual hospitality. During the many summers Bernice lived at Top Notch, Robin or I would conveniently leave a container of fresh blueberries or a bowl of apples on the kitchen counter knowing that within a matter of hours a warm blueberry or apple pie would magically appear thanks to Bernice.

When our daughters Tanya, Jasmin, Camille, and Annalee were little and it was bath or bed time at Top Notch, Robin and I would more often than not hear giggles and laughter coming from Bernice’s room downstairs and we would find them lying comfortably on Bernice’s bed watching the Red Sox on television or being read to. We knew where to find the girls and it was difficult to tear them away from “Aunt Bernicey”.

Bernice loved Maine and Robin Hood, and Robin Hood and I loved Bernice. We invite you to attend a memorial service for Mrs. Cote at the outdoor Robin Hood Chapel in Maine, most likely Saturday July 29 at 1:30 pm. It was her wish to have a brief service at camp with a few campers in attendance. Our most recent girls cabin was named “Bernice” in her honor 4 years ago and a camper scholarship will be given annually in her name. We miss you Bernice but you will not be forgotten.

With Much Love,
Rick Littlefield

Construction is underway on a new girls’ cabin to be completed by the end of the year with luck. Nella will be our roomiest and best girls’ cabin ever built at Robin Hood. It will be two feet wider than any other girls’ cabin so it should be, and feel, more spacious and also have more floor space down the center aisle. The bathroom will be completely tiled and have sinks and power outlets both inside and outside the bathroom. The windows will be slightly bigger, and the exterior walls will have log cabin siding installed.

We will accept the same number of girl campers as last summer so the new cabin will help to alleviate overcrowding during peak weeks.

We promise to send you progress photos as construction continues. As you will see from the drone aerial photograph the cabin location is just above Inpost and across from Thames.

2016 New York Bowling Reunion

Congratulations to Pablo Navarro, Anna Schnieders, and Teddy Nelson for winning lobster or steak dinners this summer for their bowling scores at the New York Camper Bowling Reunion Sunday November 6! Alistair Schnieders also earned a loyalty award of a lobster or steak dinner by appearing in full RH uniform complete with shorts (impressive in November), t-shirt and hoodie. Thanks also go to Arthur Schnieders, Malachy Guzman, and Xander Ferguson who showed up proudly wearing their RH hoodies; Teddy Nelson, who wore six green and red RH wrist bands; alumnus Robyn Assile Ziemba (one of the very first girls to attend RH as a camper), who arrived with daughter Leyla and son Zachary, and husband John; and future camper Christian Anderson, who earned the long distance award for taking the train in from Princeton, NJ. Also great to see squash star Toby Goldston. The NYC Marathon suppressed our Upper East side and CT camper attendance due to major street closings but those who came made up for this with their enthusiasm. Thanks for coming!

Allistair Schnieders in full RH uniform

Malachy Guzman, Xander Ferguson and Teddy Nelson

Arthur, Anna and Alistair Schnieders

Sending warm wishes to the following returning campers with September, October and November birthdays!

September

October

November

In 2016 we will offer an expanded Environmental Science program which will include a strong Marine Biology component. Our local Maine region and ocean waters are rich for Environmental and Marine Biology study.

Next summer, campers may sign up for whale watching excursions and explore the more than 100 local islands in Penobscot Bay for Marine Biology aboard Robin Hood’s 24’ Boston Whaler powerboat. A marine biologist will teach campers about ocean life, our marine eco-system, and the dramatic effects of climate change on our local ocean waters. Swim with seals on nearby ledges, search for pods of porpoises learn about lobsters and seals and why their population is growing while the local fish population is decreasing rapidly. Become aware and informed!

Contact the Robin Hood office at 831-659-9143 or robinhood@robinhoodcamp.com to learn more about our exciting, new Marine Biology program!

Robin Hood remains strong through its tradition of family-family referrals. We encourage you to be part of this network and share your good experience with others!  We offer the following special thank you gifts for simply introducing us to other families and rewards for those campers who enroll. 

If you recommend Robin Hood to a friend, classmate or family member and they schedule an interview with Rick Littlefield (in person or Skype) by December 31, 2015, you will receive a thank you gift–the gift of sleep!  Check Rick’s travel calendar (see our blog article) to see when he is coming to your town. Send us your friend’s name in the Refer a Friend link under the Enrolled Families tab on our website or Email us at robinhood@robinhoodcamp.com. If an in-person meeting cannot be arranged, we can set up a Skype interview. 

For each referral who interviews, you will get

One Late Sleep In For Your Cabin until 9 am!

…and we will add a Personalized RH Pillowcase!

Don’t forget: if you are enrolled for 2016, you also receive a:

$150 Reward!

Earn $150 reward for every camper you recruit and who comes to camp! We hope to hear from you!