Timanous

Camp Timanous is a historic boys' summer camp in the United States. It offers a traditional program of land and water activities, aimed at developing athletically, spiritually, and philosophically balanced campers. Timanous is both a progenitor of the Maine sleepaway camping tradition and industry and is one of the oldest continually operating summer camps in America. Across Maine in a typical summer, some 40,000 children participate in youth summer programs, mostly at the 200 licensed summer camps, such as Timanous.
History
Timanous was founded in 1887 in Connecticut by American physical fitness educator Luther Halsey Gulick (1865-1918), who also founded the Camp Fire Girls in 1910. The name "Timanous" derives from the Indian name Gulick was known by, meaning "Guiding Spirit." In 1907, Gulick founded a sister camp, Wohelo, which Timanous interacts with through dances, swim-meets and various races. In 1920, Gulick moved the boys' camp to the current Raymond site.
John (Johnny) and Martha (Marti) Suitor purchased the camp from the Gulick family and began operating it in 1942. In the early 1980s, the Suitors' two sons, Jack and David, became directors. Camp Timanous is currently owned and operated by David and Linda Suitor, who became active directors in 1983.
Staff, campers, and counselors have a very high return rate. In 2006, 93% of the 50 counseling staff were former campers, averaging over 10 years at camp (12 were teachers).
Bunkline
Campers live in either one of the 10 wooden cabins (otherwise known as bunks), a large tent or a waterside structure called "The Nest." There is no electricity or running water in any of the cabins; standard plumbing equipped outhouses are spread along the bunkline. Campers are grouped by age. These groups, by increasing age, are: Mallards, Eagles, Hawks, Crogles (a mixture of Crows and Eagles), Herons, Falcons, Loons, Ravens, Cardinals, and Crows. Each age group (other than the Crows) inhabits one of the aforementioned log cabins. The Crogles' and Herons' cabins are the largest, with both having two stories respectively. The Crows share three separate structures: a main cabin, a large tent, and the Crows Nest (a stilted bunk off the ground). One wall in the nest is partially open to allow direct access to a water slide, and the underside of the nest contains a hammock and seating space.
Buildings
Aside from the cabins, additional buildings include: the Barn, the camp's mess hall; Timanous Hall, a wooden-cabin facility built in 1954 that serves as a bad weather movie retreat and camp-wide gathering location; a number of residential cabins for the camp's owners, administrative staff, and directors; and the Office, which is responsible for much of the camp's day-to-day operations and routine administration (aside from the owners' and program directors' responsibilities).
Program
Sports and Activities
In a typical day, campers have participate in both instructional and recreational activity; options include baseball, tennis, soccer, running, sailing, canoeing and boating, water skiing, handicrafts, woodshop, riflery, climbing wall and archery.
Camping trips and Camp Events
Camp Timanous offers a variety of camping trips throughout Maine and New Hampshire. Every cabin goes on one cabin camping trip per summer, ranging from one to three days, and optional sign-up trips are available to the eldest five cabins. These trips usually consist of hiking or canoeing, but occasionally include rafting, biking, backpacking and kayaking.
Several times during the summer, the regular schedule is suspended for popular camp-wide games of capture-the-flag, part of a . Campers and counselors are divided into two teams, green and grey. Each camper's association with a team color is permanent, and each new arrival to Timanous with alumni relatives is automatically assigned to the relatives' former team.
On the 4th of July, the entire camp builds a bonfire. It is part of the annual, camp-wide celebration of the American Independence Day, and is often attended by Timanous alumni.
Timanous and Wohelo have a long history of interacting all summer long. The camps hold dances and swim meets, as well as organize a "brother-sister day," during which Wohelo and Timanous campers with siblings at the opposite camp will spend a couple of hours together.
Council Fire
Council Fire follows every Sunday dinner. The entire camp congregates at specific site to recognize the achievements of the past week, including awards earned and good deeds done. This tradition dates back to the earliest summers at Timanous.
Chapel
Six times a summer, on Sunday mornings, the entire camp gathers for chapel, a brief service of reflection and consideration that offers time for quiet thought punctuated by both traditional and contemporary songs.
Annually during the summer, all Timanous campers and staff visit Wohelo for an inter-camp gathering and service in remembrance, recognition and appreciation of the lives of their mutual founders, Luther Halsey and his wife, Charlotte Vetter Gulick. This event often serves as an informal alumni reunion for past Timanous and Wohelo campers and counselors.
Watersports
On the morning of the final day of the summer, the camp is again split into the two green and gray teams and the campers participate in Watersports Day. sports writer and ESPN personality
*Porter J. Goss, scholar and proponent of American legal realism
*Samuel Pickering, author and professor

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