Author Archives: rbc

When it’s the 4th of July at camp, we can’t have an ordinary day. There’s always a bit of celebration going on at camp since we’re gathering together and enjoying ourselves just by being here, but when there’s a clear holiday happening too, we’re all in!

We started the day with horses riding up and down the cabin lines, a long July 4th tradition at Rockbrook. All eleven of our equestrian staff rode a horse, and while they rode, they woke up the campers by yelling, “The British are coming! Wake up! Wake up!” Unlike Paul Revere, our horses were highly decorated with red, white and blue ribbons, bows, paint, leg wraps, blankets, and even jaunty hat. You can imagine the surprise of the campers to hear hoofbeats outside their cabin along with the warnings to wake up.

The girls next came out on the hill for the Hi-Ups to raise the American flag along with our white Rockbrook flag underneath. We all recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang “America the Beautiful,” as the sun began to clear off the morning fog.

The Middlers presented a chapel program on the theme of “Courage,” focusing on different examples during camp when a little bravery can make a big difference… helping remove a spider from a cabin by catching it in a cup, taking your first ride down the 50-ft water slide at the lake, even trying a new food like stuffed grape leaves or falafel. Sarah read a book by Bernard Waber entitled Courage. Like all the chapel programs at camp, this was a brief time to think about an idea that can guide us all as we face the challenges of being at camp, not religious per se, but still something that recognizes a fundamental quality of being human.

Grilled Chicken caesar salads, potato chips and fresh blackberries made our excellent lunch. During rest hour the girls prepared for our all-camp afternoon event by dressing up in their best red, white and blue— shirts and shorts with American flags, headbands, sunglasses, and hats. These girls were ready to go all out! A few counselors pulled out tempura paint to add colors to their arms, legs and faces too!

We divided the camp into 4 large groups, and created a rotation where each group would travel to a different part of camp to play a series of games. With music playing at several of the locations, we were at the lake, on the hill, the archery field, and by the creek.

A lot of the games involved water. The girls tossed water balloons back and forth trying not to pop them. Toss, step back and toss again, farther and farther until someone got wet.

They used sponges soaked in water to fill an empty bucket, but they had to pass the dripping sponge hand-to-hand to every cabin mate. And the sponge had to be passed over their heads and through their legs.

A similar race involved filling a bucket with water from a leaking cup, also passed overhead from person to person.

One game had girls racing to find marbles in a pool of water, only using their feet! Picking up a marble with your toes is surprisingly difficult!

At the lake, the girls swam with greased watermelons trying to be the first cabin to move the melon across a distance a few times. They did tricks off the diving board and gathered pingpong balls from another section of the lake.

One of the funniest challenges combined shaving cream and cheese balls (?)! One team member squirted shaving cream on her head (shower cap optional) and the other stood at a distance tossing cheese balls hoping to stick them in the shaving cream. The team with the most balls stuck “won.” I think the record was 13. Silly but loads of fun.

Dinner was a classic Independence Day picnic: barbecue sliders (with a tempeh option), corn on the cob, homemade vinegar coleslaw, tater tots and watermelon, with cans of Cheerwine chilling in the creek. For dessert, the bakers impressed us all again by serving a brownie cheesecake bar with red, white and blue icing. Like all the desserts at camp, this homemade treat was a huge hit.

After dinner, a few brave counselors entertained everyone by demonstrating their ability to eat a pie (“pie eating demos”?). Without using their hands, and as fast as possible, each person bent over a full-size pie, digging in face-first. The entire camp cheered them on, the loudest being the girls from those counselors’ cabins. In the end, Cary noshed here apple pie most completely and “won” the contest.

The highlight of the evening was the fireworks show we launched from the lake. With fun dance music pumping across the hill, and the girls dancing about with flashlights and glow sticks, colorful explosions filled the night sky. It was quite an elaborate show lasting about 30 minutes, turning the hill into an amazing nighttime dance party of “oohs” and “ahhs.”

What an action-packed celebration! A community of friends playing, swimming and singing… cheese balls and pingpong balls… leaking cups and dripping sponges… pies and pyrotechnics. Good food and good feelings. All part of a great day at camp.

Don’t be surprised if your household acquires a piece of handwoven fabric once camp is over. The girls here at camp are busily using different techniques to weave all sorts of cord and thread into complex, colorful patterns.

You may be thinking of weaving on a loom, and there is a lot of that happening in the Curosty activity cabin. That’s one of the historic log cabins at Rockbrook that predate the founding of the camp. The wide, peddle-operated floor looms, and the smaller tabletop versions, are in constant motion, the shuttle gliding back and forth between the warp threads. A great example of hand weaving is also catching on this summer: macramé. This is another ancient technique for making a textile by tying knots. Using different cords and string, square knots and hitches combine to make complex decorative patterns. Macramé was a popular hobby in the 1970s, and now here at camp girls are bringing it back, making wall hangings and smaller keychains. Similar to making a friendship bracelet, these macramé projects are fun for the girls as each knot they add reveals a unique growing pattern.

The Alpine Tower is our challenge climbing structure located in the woods behind the gym. It’s a system of logs, cables and ropes that allows multiple girls to climb at the same time. It’s triangular shape offer three sides of different climbing elements: swinging logs, a cargo net, an overhanging wall, for example. Climbing holds are bolted to the poles and girls use the ropes, cables and holds to climb 50 feet up to the platform at the top.

Climbing the tower takes not only strength, flexibility and a sense of balance; it takes nerve. With each step up, standing on small holds or narrow poles, the feeling of being high in air increases, and so does your worry about possibly slipping and falling. Even though you know there is a really strong rope that will hold you up, it’s still pretty scary to be that high up in the air. It takes determination and some confidence to push through the fear, and focus on the challenge of finding the next hold higher up. The girls today did great, most making it all the way to the top, and everyone feeling good about overcoming the challenges of the activity.

Our evening program tonight got everyone dressed up and dancing because it was an all-girls dance party with a “prom” theme. Actually it was three dance parties, since each line (age group) held its own version in a different location. The costumes ranged from simple dresses to tie-dye t-shirts, and included a few hats, necklaces of beads, and tutus. The juniors were excited to try out a few line dances in the dining hall, while the middlers took over the hillside lodge. Since the seniors are the largest group they jumped and danced in the gym. No boys in sight, these girls know how to have a good time being silly, singing and twirling with each other. Of course, they were more than happy to pause for a quick “prom photo.” Be sure to check the photo gallery to see how everyone was dressed.

These dances proved once again that it doesn’t take much for your girls to enjoy themselves at camp. Music, costumes, a few decorations and some snacks are the outward ingredients, but I think the most important component is the complete feeling of ease the girls feel toward each other. They’re not afraid to cast off their “social armor” because kindness is the deepest root of their friendships at camp. They’re not holding back, worried about what someone might think or say that might hurt their feelings. They know that being awkward is totally OK, even cool around here. It doesn’t matter how well you can sing or dance, because at camp being fully into the moment is clearly most important. There it is again— that magical power of camp to make things more fun by building upon the great relationships we have with everyone in the community. More fun, more rewarding, more meaningful, more lasting and important… but don’t get me started!

When the 9th graders arrived at camp, they knew their task would be challenging, but they didn’t really know the details of how COVID-19 precautions would affect their Banquet. “Banquet” refers to the all-camp party we hold at the end of the three main sessions. It’s a long tradition at Rockbrook for the “CAs” (9th grade girls) to plan and present this party for the rest of the camp, but also to select a secret theme for the decorations, costumes, skits, dance numbers, music and food. The girls pick their theme and work throughout their session painting decorations, gathering costume materials, and practicing skits and choreography. For the whole camp, anticipation and excitement builds for the banquet.

So what was the banquet theme this session? It was titled, “It’s Da Rewind” (with the ‘D’ stylized like the first letter of the Disney logo) and was a multi-location presentation of Disney characters and stories loosely grouped into “classic” Disney, “modern” Disney, and “Disney Channel” topics. Having three topics came about because we wanted to keep the different age groups in camp (the Junior, Middler and Senior lines) separate, yet still give them each a banquet experience. The CAs devised a plan to have the lines rotate from one location to the next with each location having a “mini-theme.” And what a great plan it was! A banquet first!

One location was the Hillside Lodge where the campers met some modern Disney characters like Flynn Ryder from Tangled, Ana from Frozen, and Maleficent. This stop had the campers playing games: Disney trivia, corn hole, and a ball toss game. With music from the movies playing, the costumed characters helped each cabin take turns playing the games.

The other new location for the banquet was the gym, where Disney TV characters Troy Bolton, Sharpay Evans, and Hannah Montana were waiting to perform. The girls know and love the songs from these popular TV shows, so this fun dance show quickly turned into a sing along dance party. Dancing to favorite songs is always a big part of Banquet, so the campers were ready to party, making this great fun.

The third location was the dining hall where we met classic Disney characters Snow White, Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast. There was a short skit and a choreographed dance for all the characters. The food was served here too: “Troy Bolton’s Fav Mozzarella sticks,” “Peter’s Pan Pizza,” “Timon and Pumbaa’s Fruit grub,” “Ariel’s Kelp salad,” and “Poison Apple tarts” for dessert. Plus, like all banquets the tables were decorated with stickers, confetti, and of course candy. Painted paper panels, streamers, balloons and fairy lights helped make the whole setting festive and more fun.

After all the groups had rotated through all three locations, everyone came together outside on the hill for more dance songs and celebrating. This is also where the CA campers sang a song to their counselors, and afterwards the counselors to their campers. Similarly the Hi-Ups and their counselors sang their songs. This is another banquet tradition where these now tight groups express their gratitude and affection for each other. It was a sweet moment for all of us to witness, as the girls laughed and cried at different points in the songs, jumping up at the end to share hugs.

Overall the banquet proved that these girls can be creative under any conditions, adapt to new circumstances, and have a great time working with each other. Their dedication, pep and energy created a memorable celebration for everyone at camp. The first session banquet was a huge success!

This year is the 100-year anniversary of the founding of Rockbrook Camp, and so throughout the summer we are celebrating this milestone with special events, all culminating in a reunion for our alumnae in August. It’s been fun to think back over all those decades of girls coming to this haven in the wilderness and joining the very special community of camp. With this long history, there are now 4th generation campers coming from families whose mother, grandmother, and great grandmother also attended.

This afternoon the whole camp celebrated our centennial with games, activities, and special events. Dressed in their best Rockbrook gear, with as much red and white (our camp colors) as possible, the girls traveled together as cabin groups to different stations throughout the camp.

The first was called the “100 club.” It challenged the girls to complete several tasks 100 times: 100 bounces of a tennis ball on a racquet, 100 egg tosses between cabin members, 100 steps balancing a board on your head, 100 rotations of a hula hoop, and creating 100 braids collectively in the group. It turns out doing anything 100 times in a row without stopping can be tough. Let’s just say, we did break a few eggs in the process today, but with a couple of tries, every cabin hit the 100 mark on each challenge.

The second station was more creative. It asked each group to decorate a plaque to commemorate Rockbrook’s 100th year. Girls also wrote “thank you” letters to camp. Using paint, pens and markers, the campers wrote about their favorite things about Rockbrook. We will collect these and publish many of them in our annual “Carrier Pigeon” yearbook.

The third station had the girls making candles by hand, dipping lengths of wick into melted wax. While they took turns dipping, counselors offers small face painting designs… cardinals were a popular design. Also in that station, other groups made “bag ice cream.”

Meanwhile, down at the lake, the fourth station divided the groups for an exciting relay race using our floating “corcles.” These little round boats are big enough for one person. The girls used kick boards to paddle them across the lake and back, racing as fast as they could. Also at the lake, we tossed in 100 yellow rubber ducks and challenged the girls (a few from each cabin) to find a specific duck with the number “100” written on the bottom…. not a needle in a haystack, but close!

The last station rotated the groups down to the Carrier house where Sarah gave everyone a quick lesson on the history of Rockbrook. She showed them several artifacts that belonged to our founder Nancy Carrier (who grew up in that house), old scrap books, the original green uniforms girls wore while at camp, and several framed vintage photos. Sarah and other camp alumnae have just written a book about the history of Rockbrook, so she is currently our resident expert! There was also watermelon and yard games to play on the front lawn of the house.

For dinner Rick and his crew chose a traditional menu: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. The baker made delicious centennial cupcakes with a buttercream frosting for dessert. Those went fast!

The highlight of the day was the cool fireworks show we enjoyed after dark. Ordinarily we shoot fireworks once a summer on the 4th of July, but we thought we should celebrate Rockbrook’s birthday with just as much enthusiasm. We had fun pop music playing, and as the girls danced and sang along to the music, they cheered as each colorful explosion lit up the sky above the lake. It’d been a while since most of us had seen a fireworks show making it even more enjoyable. Happy Birthday Rockbrook!

It’s been great to see all the action at camp this week. It’s not too surprising since there’s always a lot of activity at Rockbrook— 28 different groups of kids all doing something different, simultaneously. Scattered all around the camp, there are sports for playing, experiences of adventure that await, and opportunities for creativity for the girls at camp. Our absolutely gorgeous, perfect weather of the last few days, though, has somehow made this buzz of happily busy girls seem even more lively than usual.

Down at the Rockbrook Riding Center, dozens of girls have been taking their mounted riding lessons. There are 32 horses in the barns this summer, some smaller, gentle ponies, and others larger and more schooled for our advanced riders hoping to improve their jumping skills. Our covered riding arena is large enough to be divided into two sections, comfortably allowing two separate lessons at the same time. Outdoors the round ring is the perfect place for beginners to simply walk their mounts, and down in the large lower ring, you’ll find the faster rides and jump courses being set up. This means there can be times during the day when four different lessons are happening, each with 4 or 5 horses and riders. The equestrian staff have a big job keeping all of this organized, the horses well cared for, and the eager campers involved.

A new activity this summer (one that was planned for last summer, but as you know did not happen) is woodworking. Using hand tools, the girls are learning basic woodworking skills like measuring, cutting and joining. They are making picture frames, candlestick holders, and tic-tac-toe boards. In addition to staining the final projects, they are using wood burning tools to decorate. The newly renovated wood shop area is turning out to be a nice place to work on these projects.

After a minor delay resurfacing our clay tennis courts at the start of this session, we are back to hitting and playing this classic racquet sport. The girls love playing on these courts. They are shaded much of the day, and the clay surface helps keep them cool. The tennis instructors plan drills and fun tennis exercises, always trying to keep things lighthearted. While the girls are learning important tennis skills— racquet grips, strokes, serving —our first goal is to have fun. We’re not competing; we’re playing. It’s not a tennis match; it’s a tennis game.

Ziplining is something that almost every camper does at some point during her session. All the age groups can do it. Zipping is certainly optional, but when you see how much fun the girls are having as they fly by high above the office, it’s hard to resist. The whole course takes about an hour to complete. It includes a zip that crosses in front of a waterfall, another that lands on a gentle slope in the forest, and a third, the fastest, that flies 450 feet down from a rock cliff. The course also has three bridges: a burma bridge, a suspension plank bridge, and a fun “missing plank” bridge.

It’s worth repeating that our days at camp are filled with action. Unlike much of our time during the school year, we’re not inside, sitting down, staring at a screen trying to focus. We’re not bored at camp, even without electronic entertainment. We’re not lonely, even without updates from our social media “friends” or “followers.” At camp, there’s always plenty do, and plenty of great people to do it with. It can be as simple as soaking your feet in the creek or as exciting as paddling through a whitewater rapid in a kayak, but the life we lead at camp is lively and real.

Just another reason why, “we love camp!”

Welcome to camp! “We welcome you to Rockbrook Camp, we’re mighty glad you’re here!” …as the camp song goes. Today the girls attending our June Mini session arrived to begin their long awaited time at camp. Driving through our new check-in procedure, we saw plenty of excited girls eager to hop out of their cars and get started. There may have been an occasional dose of nervous butterflies, both for some campers and their parents— which is completely normal even for seasoned campers —but all the smiling faces and enthusiastic people to meet helped smooth things along nicely. Thanks to everyone for helping make this opening so smooth. Arriving on time, having your forms completed, and organizing medications and other medical needs, benefitted everyone.

When they arrived, every camper received a personalized name tag made from a slice of mountain laurel strung on a length of lanyard. We’ve made tags like these at Rockbrook for generations. The girls decorate them further over the course of their session, and over the years build quite a collection. I’ve even seen alumnae return to camp years later wearing the name tag they personalized as a child.

While our maintenance crew moved luggage to the cabins, the counselors played get-to-know you games with the girls who had already arrived. The name tags help with that! The rest of the morning was spent setting up the cabins, each group of girls and their counselors making beds, arranging trunks, and hanging decorations. Our cabins, most of which are original to the camp, are simple and rustic— all wood, screened windows, and a couple of lights. No air conditioning! No electrical outlets! But they are cozy! Once the girls settle in, comforters go on beds, books on shelves, and towels hung in the “dog trot” area, the cabins are quite comfortable. Something tells me that despite starting out clean and organized, they won’t stay that way for long!

With getting to know their cabin mates underway, we also spent some time getting to know the camp environment. Groups toured about learning the major landmarks like the dining hall, activity locations, and the office. While the entire camp property covers 220 acres, most of that is forest with the core part of camp being tucked into a valley easily navigated by foot. When the camp bell is rung to change activity periods or to call everyone to a meal, it can be heard everywhere.

After lunch, these new campers were introduced to the lake area too. Each cabin group took turns coming down to learn the lake protocols and to take the “swim test,” which we soften a bit by calling it the “swim demonstration” or “swim demo.” Showing the lifeguards that you can be comfortable in the water, swim confidently, and tread water without struggling is the goal. But no matter what a girl’s swimming ability, if she wants to enjoy the lake, we have a way for her to do it safely, perhaps by avoiding the deep sections of the lake or by wearing a PFD while in the water. As temperatures heat up during the day, the free swim times at the lake become very popular with the girls. Most days right before lunch, the lake is the place to be!

Walking around, seeing campers happily engaged with each other, laughing and smiling at the simplest things, I can already tell this is going to be a great session. There’s such a sense of freedom. And what a relief that is after the COVID restrictions of last year, not to mention the regular academic and social pressures of ordinary school life. It’s a joy for all of us at Rockbrook to have kids being kids here at camp, singing and playing, challenging themselves with new activities, and connecting with loads of good friendly people. There are stories to be shared, natural wonders to discover, and so many avenues of growth to explore. There’ll be a surprise everyday, perhaps an entirely unplanned encounter, but there’ll be something marvelous that will make your girl smile.

Life at camp will bring all this and more. Stay tuned!