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July 19, 2017June 10, 2020 • News • rbc

A Marvelous Culmination

Sometimes it’s fun to show off your skills in a competition. Ordinarily around here, we don’t hold contests to determine who is the best at something, since we’d rather pay attention to the fun of what we’re doing than to keeping score. But we’re still building our skills along the way, improving our shot in archery and riflery, our rock climbing ability, and our weaving technique for example.

Tuesday, we got a little more serious because we invited the boys from Camp Carolina over for three friendly matches pitting our girls against their boys in tennis, archery and riflery. In recent years, our girls have traveled to Camp Carolina for these tournaments, so we were especially excited to host. To show it, the girls were ready with painted banners decorating the courts and shooting ranges, along with matching team outfits— custom t-shirts, all black for the riflery girls, white with big yellow tennis balls for the tennis team, and grey for the archers. The final tally gave the boys a slim margin of victory in both archery and riflery, while the girls ended up winning in tennis. If your daughter participated, I’m sure she’ll be proud of the outcome either way.

After weeks of planning and preparation, Tuesday night the CAs (9th graders) unveiled their surprise banquet theme to the rest of the camp. Entitled “Another Night at the Museum,” the theme transformed the dining hall into an amazing collection of Art, Culture and Natural History museum displays. The CAs dressed as elements of these displays: Roman and Egyptian figures, a dinosaur, living paintings (e.g., A Girl with Pearl Earring), Albert Einstein, tourists who visit a museum, and the counselors as security guards. The campers arrived dressed in their red Rockbrook t-shirt and were thrilled to see all the painted posters lining every inch of wall space in the dining hall, and then amazed as the CAs performed a series of skits and dances where the Museum characters came to life and interacted with everyone. There was music and dancing, candy to enjoy, and a real celebratory feeling. It was an incredible fun evening for everyone.

This afternoon the whole camp (and a few invited parents and guests) gathered in the gym to watch a performance of this session’s musical, “James and the Giant Peach.” Adapted from the children’s novel by Roald Dahl, this play tells the story of an orphan boy, James, who befriends several magical insects, and despite his cruel aunts, Spiker and Sponge, embarks on a journey to New York City inside a giant peach. Fantastic and offbeat, it was fun to see how much the girls enjoyed acting the parts and singing the songs of the show. During a brief intermission, the dance classes presented their end-of-session choreographed shows. The whole afternoon was really entertaining— a marvelous culmination and artistic celebration of the session. These girls have talent!

Closing our session tonight was the ceremonial campfire we call “Spirit Fire.” This is another of the long traditions at Rockbrook. The campers and staff dress in their uniforms and gather around a great campfire set on the large rock (“Vesper Rock”) overlooking the camp lake for a program of traditional songs and personal reflections offered by counselors and campers from every age group. Tonight the fire looked gorgeous glowing orange amid the crowd of red and white uniforms, huddle closely. As the sun set and the woods around us grew bluer, then more grey before turning black, we could hear the waterfall splashing into the lake and the crickets chirping all around. In this beautiful setting we heard speeches recalling how Rockbrook has become important to these girls, the friendships formed, and the many ways we’ve all grown over these last few weeks. Sarah talked about the importance of finding moments during our busy lives to slow down and reconnect to those around us, like we do here at camp. She encouraged the girls to keep a journal throughout the year to record important experiences and to provide a quiet moment now and then for reflection.

We hope time at Rockbrook has a lasting positive effect on the girls who attend and settle into the culture of this place. The feeling that comes from joining this kind of caring community can make a powerful difference in these girls’ lives, enlivening and recharging their deepest humanity, strengthening who they are long after camp. It’s been a pleasure this session to witness so many wonderful examples of this transformation. Thank you everyone for helping to make it possible.

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July 17, 2017June 5, 2020 • Counselors • rbc

We Love You Counselors…

At Rockbrook, we talk a lot about the friendships that campers develop as the days and years go by. Many campers, reflecting on what makes Rockbrook a special place to them, talk about the people that they meet here — people that will color their memories of camp for years to come. Often, the people that come to mind when thinking of camp friends are peers — the people who are in your cabin, that you take activities with, that you go on adventure trips with. Tonight in the dining hall, while listening to campers belt out an appreciation song dedicated to “counselors,” I realized that maybe thinking this way might be putting a limit on our experiences. There are many others involved in creating the camp experience special for campers, but the people with the biggest influence are counselors.

We are always so proud of the staff that we hire to be counselors at Rockbrook. Every year, Sofie works hard to hire a group of women who are confident, strong, and empathetic, as well as fun and silly! These women are the role models and beloved leaders for our campers. They do so much for everyone here, and at the end of the session, campers get to show their gratitude in classic Rockbrook style…with a skit!

The Monday before camp closes (today!), the theme for Evening Program skits is “Counselor Impersonations.” In these very special skits, cabins get to reflect on their favorite memories with their counselors. Campers work together to recreate moments when their counselors made them laugh, comforted them, or any other special memories they share. Because of this, these skits are always incredibly unique and unbelievably touching. I got to watch some of these skits tonight, and from the silly moments that juniors chose to share to the sweet moments that seniors chose, I loved getting to see the relationships that campers and counselors have formed over their time at camp. As the song goes, WE LOVE YOU COUNSELORS!

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July 15, 2017March 27, 2023 • News • rbc

This Place is Bustling

During breakfast we announced another special activity for the girls today: a visit to George Peterson’s woodworking studio for a tour and project workshop. George has offered different workshops like this to our Rockbrook girls for three years now. His wife Margaret is an Alumna, and his two daughters attend camp every summer. George is widely known for his art, his creative carving, etching, burning and painting of different species of wood, old wooden skateboards, and skis. He’s displayed his work in galleries in New York, Tokyo, San Francisco, and Atlanta, and continues to work as a professional artist out of his studio, The Circle Factory.

When the girls arrived, George first toured them around the studio pointing out several of his specialty tools, like drills, saws, torches, and the giant lathe he uses to turn logs into huge bowls. The girls were fascinated by the stacks of raw materials they saw too: slabs of wood, old skateboards, leather cords, paints and inks. There were finished pieces and works in progress displayed almost everywhere. Each girl was then able to make their own project, a leather and wood bracelet. With help from George and Margaret, the girls used a drill press, a carving tool, sandpaper and a metal “RBC” brand to shape a small chip of multicolored skateboard that they then sewed to a leather strap. There were multiple steps to the project, but the girls each had a cool, one-of-a-kind bracelet to wear proudly when they were done.

For all of us who stayed in camp, our morning was filled with a whole range of activities. Girls were climbing high above camp on Castle Rock, trying to “slay the dragon” (which is lingo for climbing to the top of our route called “Dragon Tail”). Others were whooping as they flew through the trees on our zip line course. A few Senior girls took on the challenge of climbing the Alpine tower blindfolded, while at the lake, Sarah and Stephanie, our kayaking instructors, were teaching a roll clinic. Archers and riflemen (girls actually!) were gleefully shooting holes in their targets. Equestriennes were gliding their horses around the arena, outdoor ring, and jump course. Girls played tennis; they shot basketball, and swam laps in the lake. Of course, there was non-stop arts and crafts too, from weaving on the loom to stringing beads and glazing pottery, making candles and blended dot painting. It’s difficult for our photographers to capture all this activity— though they do pretty well! — but you can tell, this place is bustling!

Just as lunch ended today and the girls were heading back to their cabins for rest hour, the sky began to darken and suddenly our lightning warning system sounded its alarm. A few stragglers took off running, and about 3 minutes later we all jumped when a loud crack of a lightning struck nearby, not so close that we could tell where it hit exactly, but close enough to be frightening. Fortunately, everyone was safely inside, but then as the storm built overhead, the wind picked up, the temperature dropped 15 degrees, and a hard rain began to fall. A moment later, it was hailing pea-sized hail! For about 5 minutes, that storm passed by and put on quite a show. Several girls told me later that this was the first time they had ever seen hail.

The main event of the evening was something many of the girls, particularly the Senior campers, anticipate and look forward to every summer: a dance with Camp Carolina. This was a chance to get cleaned up a bit (find that hairbrush), pull out a special outfit, costume, or glittery makeup, but mostly to enjoy jumping around with friends to favorite pop songs.

With both camps involved, there are too many children to hold a single dance for everyone, so we held two again: one dance at Rockbrook for the younger boys and girls, and another at Camp Carolina for the older ones. For about and hour and a half, both dances kept everyone moving, pausing now and then for a photo or a water break. Everyone was hot and sweaty by the end of it all, but the girls had a great time dancing together and singing along to the songs. Oh, and there were boys there too, though that didn’t seem to matter much. It was a fun, classic way to spend an evening at camp.

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July 14, 2017May 5, 2020 • Summer Camp • rbc

Nick at Night

Who remembers watching Nickelodeon growing up? For many of us, thinking of the TV shows we watched when we were younger brings up nostalgia. This year, we decided to combine those nostalgic feelings with the pure fun and silliness that is Nickelodeon into a crazy surprise event! After lunch, we switched up our normal announcements routine and headed out to the hill to watch our lineheads get slimed! Everyone loved watching these special counselors get covered in Nickelodeon-style green slime, but that was only the beginning…

The dining hall was decorated for dinner with streamers and panels showcasing Nickelodeon’s greatest hits throughout the years. During the meal, we played a game of counselor musical chairs — while the music played, counselors roamed the dining hall, showing off their best costumes. When the music stopped, they sat at the nearest table and got to spend time getting to know campers from different cabins and age groups. I loved getting to see all the counselors interact with new campers!

After dinner, we all headed to the gym for an evening program inspired by Nickelodeon’s Double Dare Challenges. We watched as campers and counselors participated in fun and messy challenges like “In Your Egg Hat” – a twist on a classic egg toss, but with a bucket attached to a helmet to catch each egg. However, many people’s favorite part of the evening was the final event. At dinner, each counselor’s chair had a number attached. Our game of musical chairs mixed up the numbers, and to end the night, we randomly selected a few counselor numbers to get slimed! All the campers cheered as counselors got covered in sticky green slime. After experiencing it myself, I can say that waiting for the slime to come was a little nerve-wracking, but the happiness on all the camper’s faces afterwards made it worth it. It was the perfect camp night, full of high energy and a little (lots of) messiness.

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July 9, 2017June 10, 2020 • News • rbc

Happily Leaping

The first sign is the red and white balloons floating at the entrance, and the second is the smiling Hi-Up campers greeting you partway up the driveway. Then at the top the hill, when you see the mob of cheering counselors dressed in their staff uniforms, it’s clear something special is happening, something VERY exciting. It’s the opening day of camp! …in this case, for the mini session campers arriving to join the full session girls who have been at Rockbrook for two weeks now. For everyone— new and returning campers, and all of us already at camp —this is an exciting day. It means camp can finally begin for these girls arriving, reuniting with camp friends from last summer, and equally, it means we all have a renewed chance to make new friends in this active outdoor environment.

It was particularly cool and foggy first thing this morning, with the Dew Point (62 degrees) almost equal to the temperature (62.5), and, according to our camp weather station, with 99% humidity, the fog was really thick. It was the perfect morning to wear long sleeves, or, as one camper decided, to wrap yourself in a blanket at breakfast. When the sun popped over the hill, miraculously burning off the fog, we were treated to a perfectly warm, bright summer day ideal for exploring the camp, meeting all these new people, and then enjoying sample activities like a hike through the woods to Rockbrook Falls, jewelry making in the shade of the hillside lodge porch, archery, and gaga ball.

We held a quick assembly on the hill right before lunch to introduce everyone arriving to the directors and program staff, to recognize the cabins with the best inspection scores (awarding them the mop trophies), to learn about our lightning protocol (in response to our Thorguardian system) and the boundaries of the camp, and just to enjoy singing a few songs together, charging up our camp spirit.

An orientation to our waterfront area was also an important part of the day. We want to make sure everyone at camp understands our tag system and feels comfortable swimming in the lake. The new girls zipped right through their “swim demos,” happily leaping in the water to earn their blue, green or yellow swim necklaces (Notice them being worn by the four girls below). These soft elastic necklaces indicate to the waterfront staff a camper’s swimming ability and thereby where she can safely swim in the lake, in the deep areas, or perhaps restricted to the shallow section, for example. We make it possible for everyone at camp to enjoy the lake in some capacity, and the lifeguards are always willing to help a girl improve her swimming skills if she’s interested.

We always plan something big for Sunday afternoons, some kind of all-camp event that integrates many of the components that make a great party—music and dancing, costumes that revolve around a theme, snacks, activities, games and challenges with prizes to win. What better way to launch our new camp session too? So with the help of the full-session Senior campers and counselors, we held a Star Wars themed carnival, or more precisely, a “Jedi Knight Training Academy” down on our landsports field today. There were a dozen different activity stations, each related to Star Wars: “Jedi Agility Training” that included a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader, a “Death Star Destruction” shooting game that used Nerf pistols, and an archery game where the girls had to hit a Sith solder with a paint-dipped arrow, for example. The girls made their own lightsabers using a foam pool noodle and different types of tape. They solved a matching game puzzle, and got their faces painted (“The Face is with You”), one girl turning her whole face into Yoda’s! We had girls dressed as the character Rey, several Jedi Knights, Yoda, and of course many with the hairstyle of Princess Leia.

One highlight of the event were two huge inflatable games: a 25-foot tall, dual water slide, and a challenging obstacle course called “Leaps and Bounds.” The girls lined up for multiple slides and leaps on each. Meanwhile, our snow cone machine ground ice for snow cones all afternoon, helping keep us cool in the sun. Group dances to favorite songs, racing about with water pistols, activity in all directions, we had an excellent camp party going on!

We’ll be ready for our first full day of camp activities tomorrow, the girls scattering and eager to give everything a try. Stay tuned; it’s going to be great!

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July 7, 2017May 11, 2020 • Hiking • rbc

Backpacking Reflections

Every week at Rockbrook, we offer adventure trips out of camp where the girls can hike, swim, paddle or climb in the nearby National or State forests. These trips are always optional; like all the activity offerings here, the girls themselves select whichever they like. Often how they select involves considering who among their friends will also be signing up, what they’ll be missing when out of camp, and sometimes a consideration of what seems new and interesting.

Today a group of girls returned from a backpacking trip through a high elevation area in the Pisgah Forest. Clyde and Jane led the trip that included visiting a waterfall on the Flat Laurel Creek and a morning hike to the summit of Sam Knob (elev. 6050 ft). The girls took some time during the trip to reflect and write about their experience, so I thought it would be nice to publish some of their thoughts. When you read what they wrote, it’s clear they really got a lot out of the experience.

“Though it doesn’t even come close to the excitement and wackiness of Jayne and Clyde’s Everglades adventures that Jayne recalled as we sat around the fire, here is a little recap of our overnight hike. Started with a 45-minute bus ride where I talked with Sarah Jane and Mae about our favorite Netflix movies, our dogs, and our favorite thing about our houses.Then a simple but gorgeous (and mostly flat!) hike to the campsite. Collapsed onto the ground with our packs still buckled. Pitched tents with no help and relaxed in Mae’s Eno hammock. While the burritos warmed on the fire Clyde made, we played the World Map game where we shared memories from our childhood home and where we want to be at age 25. I stood on my tiptoes on a small piece of moss to show how tiny Rhode Island is. That was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip because I learned a lot about people such as: Mia lives in London and used to live in Germany. Jayne told stories around the campfire. Then s’mores (we polished off a 64 marshmallow bag… Ooops). Peed in the wilderness. Bonded with tent mates as we successfully removed two mating daddy longlegs and a moth, then talked about life. Clocked out at 11ish. Then up and at ‘em at 5:15am for sunrise hike! HA HA just kidding. Mother Nature decided to rain on our parade so back to bed until 8:30. Woke up (part 2) to oatmeal and packing then stunning waterfall, then top of Sam Knob then back to the bus. I’d say first overnight hike = GREAT SUCCESS!!” — Ellery

“I’ll preface by saying that I am not someone who considers herself athletic. Not in the slightest. However, if you were to tell me that Rockbrook was offering a position on the same overnight hike that I just returned from, I’d accept that offer in a blink of an eye. This trip pushed me in so many ways and although the saying goes “nothing changes overnight” I certainly returned to base camp with a new notch on my belt that will (and already has) help me grow as a person. On this hike I learned that pitching a tent easily and very quickly reveals one’s inner character. Some think rationally and set up the tent within a matter of minutes. Others take their time cracking jokes and making fools of themselves. Some others offer their help without being asked. Some might lay low in the helping department (and in the hammock at the campsite) and provide entertainment. These characters discovered early on in the trip, continue to blossom and to take new forms. The trailblazer, the campfire storyteller, the pack mule who is more than willing to lessen another’s load, and the photographer, observing the action and capturing it as they relax on a sturdy rock. Each character is integral and a crucial part of the hiking experience. With each of these characters by my side, it suddenly became much easier to hike. It was the difference between exercise being a burden and an adventure.” — Sarah Jane

“Well, it sure was a trip, but I enjoyed every bit of it. Being out in nature with friends is truly one of the most enjoyable experiences. Even when wet, dirty, and overall just disgusting, we can look past the inconveniences and still keep a good attitude. I know that this trip will definitely be held in my memory for many years. I made new friends, and got to know past friends even better. I learned new tricks, both for camping and for knot tying. It was a great first-time backpacking experience. I always felt strong and powerful, like I was ready to take on the world, one muddy trail at a time. Of course, I wouldn’t go it alone. I would travel far and wide, but I would never have to look for a friend because I would always have many with me. Even when clean clothes, games and food were short, we could spend time together to feel fresh, entertained and fulfilled. I think that’s why I was never hungry on the trip. Even though we hiked a lot, sweat a lot, and burned tons of calories, I survived on one burrito, some oatmeal, and trail mix. Truly fascinating. I guess being hot, sweaty, tired, and hungry is no match for the good feeling you get from being outside with friends. I could tell that I had a good time even when I wasn’t doing anything in particular. I would walk down the trail, red-faced and sticky, and I would be beaming, even when there wasn’t anything to smile at. It’s something I could get used to.” — Mae

“Over the whole trip we hiked 5 miles, saw many pretty views, and got to sleep in tents. Even though we were different ages we all bonded so much. We all learned something new about each person. It was beautiful. I have never seen anything like it. It was so magical and an experience I will never forget. When we woke up, we went on a hike to a waterfall. It was super special because we got to look behind us to see the top of the waterfall, and in front of us to see a view of some beautiful mountains. Then we went to the top of Sam Knob, and the view was breathtaking. I would not trade the experience for the world. Then we hiked back and we were all exhausted, but knew it was all worth it. Back to the first day, we hiked 2 miles in just under an hour. It did not feel long at all. It was not that steep. It felt pretty flat. When we got to our campsite someone was already there, so we went back to a vacant spot for us to sleep. We learned all about what to look for as a sign of a good campsite. We also learned how to leave no trace by packing it out. We had to figure out how to put up a tent with no help. After we got our sleeping situation all figured out, we sat around the campfire and learned a lot about where we all live and what we want to be doing when we’re 25. We ate our burritos and s’mores as we talked. Then played a few riddle games including black magic and the elephant game. Overall it was super fun, and an experience I will never forget.” — Mia

“On this trip I experienced amazing new things that I never would have before. First, we hiked two miles of a straight path with a few muddy spots. It took us a little while to find the perfect camp spot but when we did it felt so nice to take our bags off. We set up camp and then made a campfire. Then we learned things about each other by playing world map while our burritos got warm by the fire. Even though some of the burritos were burnt, they were still delicious. Afterwards, we told stories and had s’mores. We played black magic, which I did not understand for a long time. Then we went to our tents because we were all exhausted. Even though we were really tired it took us a while to go to sleep. When we woke up at 5:15am we were even more tired. It started raining so we all decided to go back to sleep instead of seeing the sunrise. The second time we woke up it wasn’t raining and we went for a hike to a waterfall. It was gorgeous! By the end of the waterfall, my shoes and socks and feet were soaking wet, but at least it was so fun. Then we hiked to the top of Sam Knob. It was tiring, wet, and muddy, but all of that made the hike better. And when we finally got to the top it was one of the prettiest views I have ever seen. From beginning to end, this hike was and always will be an amazing memory I will never forget.” — Emma

“From the minute I hopped off the bus and felt the weight of the pack on my back, I knew I was in for something special. I have to say, knowing that I have never done a trip like this before I probably would have never learned as much as I did if I didn’t have Jayne and Clyde and Rebecca. They really just made the trip with the games and the hikes and their leave no trace knowledge. I feel so enlightened. I also learned a lot from the campers like how to set up a tent. Ha Ha. I don’t think I would have had the bravery to hike down that waterfall if I didn’t have them with me either. The waterfall ended up being the most exciting part of the hike. When I stood on that rock and looked at the view ahead I just felt everything in me break free. All the tension and tightness in my back from the pack just released off me. Those are the kind of feelings I live for. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to venture out of the city and feel the breath of life and see mountains of trees and never ending skies. I also love the huge space of just grass and flowers, the meadow where we dropped our backpacks off. It’s another whole feeling being in the mountains and this trip is one I will never forget.” — Karma

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July 6, 2017May 5, 2020 • News • rbc

Better Than You Can Imagine

As we said goodbye to our July Mini I campers today (we miss you already!), many of us took the chance to look back on the last two weeks at camp and celebrate all the memories we made together. The night before campers leave is a perfect time to reminisce on the session — the whole camp comes together for one of our oldest traditions, Spirit Fire. We gather at the campfire circle at Vesper Rock, which overlooks our beautiful lake. As the sun sets, we sing classic Rockbrook songs and listen to fellow campers and counselors speak about what their time at camp has meant to them. Once it’s completely dark, the directors begin lighting candles!

We circle the lake, lit by candlelight, and enjoy our last moments together. Spirit Fire is one of my favorite traditions at Rockbrook. My favorite part is listening to what each speaker has to offer. Campers from each line speak — a perfect mix of new and returning girls. Some are funny, some are sweet, some are wise, and all are perfect in their own ways. As we said goodbye to our mini-session campers last night, one counselor perfectly captured the feel of Rockbrook, no matter whether it is your first year or you’ve been coming to camp for as long as you can remember.

“It can be hard to take it all in. That’s why my favorite thing to do at Rockbrook is close my eyes. The first time I remember doing this was a spirit fire. I shut my eyes, soft singing still in my ears, and when I opened them I could see all the candles reflected in the lake and all the faces that looked like they were glowing from within. There are moments like that here, that feel so bright it’s overwhelming. It helps if you close your eyes and try to absorb as much as possible…Then, when it’s winter and I’m home, I can close my eyes and picture it all again, knowing that when I’m really there, it’s better than I can imagine.” – Miriam Ellis

We can’t wait to see all our July Mini I campers again next year, but for now, close your eyes and picture all your favorite moments again. And for our Mini II campers coming on Sunday, we can’t wait to see you! Whether you’ve been to Rockbrook before or not, I can promise that no matter what, it’ll be better than you can imagine.

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July 2, 2017May 5, 2020 • News • rbc

Our Full Sunday

We all look forward to Sundays at Rockbrook, and for several reasons. First, Sundays are a day when we get to sleep in; the rising bell rings and we wake up at 9 instead of 8am. After our active week, a little extra rest this morning was a good and well-appreciated thing. The treat continues when the girls can come to breakfast in their pajamas, essentially roll out of bed, put on a sweatshirt or robe if it’s feeling chilly, and shuffle to the dining hall through the fog (both literally and figuratively!). This morning, in addition to the eggs, bagels and cream cheese, fruit, granola and yogurt, we enjoyed sweet Krispy Kreme donuts, another Sunday tradition at camp. Rick even had a tray of special gluten-free donuts for the girls who required or preferred that.

About an hour after breakfast, at 11am, the Hi-Up campers (10th graders) presented their flag raising ceremony out on the hill. Raising the flag ceremonially, including reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing America the Beautiful has been a long tradition at camp also. The whole camp dresses in their uniform and then creates a u-shaped formation around our flagpole. Today the sun was bright making our red and white uniforms look great on the green grassy hill.

Immediately afterwards, everyone walks silently in a single file line to the outdoor amphitheater for our weekly “chapel” assembly. For us, this is a moment of calm in our week to reflect a bit about core principles, values and ideas, rather than a religious ceremony of some kind. The campers themselves select a theme and then design a program that usually includes songs, poems and stories that illustrate the theme, with some time reserved for Sarah to add her thoughts. Today, our theme was “Special Places” and the girls talked about what makes certain places more special than others identifying the importance of friends, feeling at ease, and fond memories. They said special places don’t have to be fancy or far away; they can be your back yard or a special tree. Sarah read the book Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel which beautifully describes that exact idea! I’m sure the girls enjoyed thinking about where their special place or places might be.

Our Sunday lunch, which is always something special, was another impressive presentation by Rick, the Rockbrook chef and kitchen manager. Beginning early in the morning, he made pan after pan of homemade lasagna, baking the layers of pasta, marinara sauce, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. With heaping bowls of salad and bread to complement, there was nothing but rave reviews about our midday meal.

An all-camp event for the afternoon is another typical Sunday activity at Rockbrook, and today we held an exciting tournament of games and relays, the “Red Bird Olympics.” First we divided all the campers into three teams, being careful to distribute the age groups, and then gave each team a bottle of washable paint to identify/decorate themselves— one red, white, and blue (The 4th of July is just two days away after all!). Take a look at the photo gallery to see how that turned out— everyone had their team’s color painted on them somewhere, maybe just a stripe on an arm or across a cheek, but in some cases much more!

Every camper participated in at least one of the relay events. Two were about careful tossing and catching: one with raw eggs and the other with water balloons. Girls on the same team would toss, and if successfully catch, they would step back to toss again from a greater distance. This continued until only one pair remained successful. Another challenge had the girls searching for a piece of gum hidden in a pie pan full of flour. We had a crazy sponge relay where members of each team raced back and forth carrying a soaked sponge, transferring water from one tub to a smaller bucket.

One station was the lake where we held 3 different relays. One was an exciting greased watermelon race that required the girls to propel a greasy watermelon through the water without using their arms or hands. The second involved transferring a t-shirt from person to person after swimming a distance, and the last involved girls covering themselves with shaving cream and then sliding down the water slide. All three were definitely silly, but also crazy exciting to watch.

In fact, that’s a good part of the fun— cheering on your teammates as they tackle the challenges of the games. The girls made up cheers for their teams, jumping and screaming in support. The cheering was absolutely wild during the “human knot” event.

In the end, we weren’t sure which team actually “won” the Olympics because we didn’t keep score. I suppose we could have, but how would that matter? Like so much at Rockbrook, for these games too, the fun was in the doing not in the measuring of what’s done.

After dinner and spending some time signing up for a new set of activities that will start in the morning, all the girls grabbed their crazy creek chairs or sleeping bags and pillows to head down to the gym for a movie. We first danced to a few pop songs while everyone was arriving, watched a fun animated short film called Presto, and then enjoyed the Pixar feature film Inside Out. Gathered together and relaxing this way was a nice close to our very full day at camp.

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June 30, 2017March 18, 2024 • News • rbc

A Pervasive Spirit of Creativity

Why are there so many craft activities at Rockbrook and why are they so popular? It seems like everywhere you turn there are girls creating something complex and colorful, combining unexpected materials, contrasting and coordinating with beautiful results. One answer is that there are intriguing techniques to learn and inspiring instructors excited to share what they know. In pottery, for example, the girls have become fascinated by the wheel and have been eagerly giving them a spin. It’s fascinating to watch a carefully centered ball of clay turn, and then muddy yet steady hands, gradually shape and pull the clay into a bowl or cup. Just seeing it makes you want to try it. Likewise, there’s a fascination to tie dying, the careful folding, twisting and tying of the white t-shirts. When the richly colored dyes soak into the shirts after being selectively applied from plastic squirt bottles, it’s like a flower blooming in slow motion. It literally brings out “ooohs and aaahs.” Watching the fibers on a loom or sliding through knitting needles in Needlecraft are almost like magic!

I also think there is a pervasive spirit of creativity here at Rockbrook, and while that spirit also drives our enthusiasm for costumes, writing and singing songs together, and performing skits for each other, it finds daily expression through the many craft activities available. Weaving potholders or larger fabrics on the floor looms, layering colors of paint on paper, tying intricate knots in cotton thread and stringing beads for a bracelet, the girls can be imaginative and inventive in ways that we are quick to celebrate. That kind of encouragement to be boldly creative feels really good and is lots of fun.

Finally, I’d say our craft activities are popular with the girls because here at camp— and this is true for almost everything we do —we do them together. We share the experience with each other, with people we care about and know so well. In other words, the camp community enhances the process of making art, of being creative, and developing artistic skills. With a group of girls knitting on the back porch of Curosty, the group will be laughing and chatting. Being social, reacting to each other’s excitement, or perhaps being quick to lend a hand with a challenging bit, adds to the joy of weaving a basket with your feet in the creek… “Doesn’t the sun feel really good next to this cold water?” Whether it’s paddling a canoe down the French Broad River, shooting archery, or decorating a memory box, having good friends around to do it with makes the activity more meaningful. Being a little slower paced, our camp craft activities are particularly good examples of this, but doing so much around here together, as a community, is another reason camp life is so great.

And none of these reasons craft activities are popular at camp (the inherent opportunities to learn, create and socialize) rely on the quality of the final products the girls make— the paintings, pottery sculptures, weavings, and so forth. The real rewards come from the process rather than the end result. The process of making crafts together is way more important than having the crafts they make. Sure, the girls are also proud of what they make, and they’ll probably present something they’ve made to you as a gift on closing day, but while they’re here, the fun is in the making. It’s in dressing up, and not so much in the nature of your costume. The fun is the hiking, and not the destination (Turn that goal into a stroll!). I think that focus is another ingredient in the secret sauce that is camp.

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June 29, 2017May 6, 2020 • News • rbc

The Magic of Moments

Many of our campers return to Rockbrook year after year, as if this special place in the heart of the wooded mountain calls them back. Some campers even go on to be counselors, and help create the magic that they experienced as campers for a new generation of Rockbrook girls. Before they become counselors, however, a few campers get the chance to experience parts of being a counselor while still being a camper. These are our Hi-Up campers, who have just finished tenth grade. Hi-Ups have lots of special responsibilities at camp. They help set up for each meal in the dining hall and clean up afterwards, teach Rockbrook songs, and ring bells, just to name a few. They also get a chance to develop their leadership skills through Girls With Ideas sessions. Hi-Ups stay busy, but they also get to have a lot of fun! Hi-Up cabin day is always on Thursday mornings, where they get to take a break from their responsibilities at camp and enjoy being together.

Today, I was lucky enough to be able to drive them up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and join in as they hiked and climbed along a two-mile loop at Graveyard Fields. It was amazing to see the strong relationships these girls have formed over their years together as campers. We stopped for a snack break at one of the oldest trees in that part of the forest and all were in awe at the beauty of the moment. Rockbrook brought these girls together years ago, and it is the simple magic of the place that keeps them coming back year after year. Soon, these girls will be counselors, but for now, they have the chance to simply enjoy the time they have together. Standing there beside a tree at least as old as the camp we all share, a Hi-Up named Jackie put it perfectly when she said, “I miss this moment! I haven’t left it yet, but I miss it!” Camp is incredible in that way— every moment can be special, just because of who you share it with.

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