Hello Mini Session Campers!

“We welcome you to Rockbrook Camp; we’re mighty glad you’re here…” was the lyric of the day as we welcomed all of the August mini session girls to camp this morning. For these girls the wait was finally over; after weeks and often months of getting ready, time is about to speed up dramatically because they are joining the non-stop action of camp. There are a couple of hundred really great people to meet, songs and hand motions to learn, and lots of new things to try. For some, the opening day is a gradual introduction to camp life—meeting your counselor, setting up your bunk, spending a few minutes with cabin mates making your first friendship bracelet. Others, though, jump in feet first and are running off with other girls already enjoying the enthusiasm and freedom of camp. Sometimes, parents have to hunt down their daughter just to say goodbye! Either way, it doesn’t take long for the girls to begin making Rockbrook their camp.

Before we gathered for lunch, the whole camp assembled on the grassy hill in the shade of the big walnut tree so everyone could sing the line (age group) songs, hear about the different camp activities, and meet a few head counselors and the directors. It provides the first taste of what happens when you bring together this many excited girls. You see it in the energy of the staff, the enthusiasm of the directors leading the songs and the sheer volume of the singing. The effervescence of it all can first be a little shocking, but it quickly pulls you along and the next thing you know, you’re clapping and shouting too!

That was certainly true for the afternoon’s big event also: a camp-wide, Outer Space Carnival. Think aliens, astronauts and other “space beings,” but then add pink feathers, beads and colorful face paint, and you can imagine the costumes we saw. A crew of the counselors organized this event and came up with several different games and activities for the girls: a hula-hoop relay, a ring toss game, a “Cream the Alien” (“pie” in the face) challenge, a ribbon dancing project, face painting, and a giant bubble “machine.” We rented a 40-ft inflatable obstacle course and a 20-ft tall Velcro wall. To keep things lively, we also had the music pumping and served cotton candy and popcorn during the whole event. Teamed up in groups, the girls went from station to station trying what looked fun to them. They might put on the Velcro suit for a quick jump onto the wall, then make a ribbon dancing wand, or just dance around, cotton candy in hand… lots of fun choices for a Sunday afternoon.

After the Carnival and before dinner, the mini session Middlers and Seniors changed into their bathing suits so they could demonstrate their swimming ability down at the lake. We want to make sure everyone at camp can swim and tread water confidently before allowing them to enter the lake, zip down the water slide, or take a kayaking, canoeing or rafting trip. Girls who “pass” the swim demo receive a special colored buddy tag and a green bracelet that then alert the lifeguards that they can swim in the deep area of the lake. For those uncomfortable in the water, or for those who can’t complete the “demonstration,” they will have to wear a life jacket and stay in the shallow end of the lake. We always offer swim lessons during the swimming activity periods, so we encourage (though don’t require) girls to work on their strokes while at camp.  The chill of our mountain-stream-fed lake can be a little shocking for girls used to warm water, but it also feels really good on a hot summer day.

One quick reminder: be sure to send those letters and emails to your girls (check the RBC parents manual for the addresses). It’s such a treat for campers to find something in their mailbox after lunch, and to have something to read on the way to rest hour. Plus, it’s the best way to inspire them to right a letter home as well!

Space Carnival Welcome

Today was an exciting day as we welcomed our second group of July mini session campers to Rockbrook. The majority of these campers are returning to Rockbrook from last summer (about 80% of them), but even the new girls seemed wide-eyed with anticipation and excitement. Part of the fun of opening day is seeing camp friends reunite. As a car drives up the hill and Mandy announces over the PA the name of the camper arriving, the squeals from the other girls on the hill can be deafening, and the subsequent bear-hugging tackles between two friends even a little scary. Still, it’s a great moment to see the emotion of that kind of friendship.

As everyone finished arriving and checking in with the nurses, the morning clouds cleared to blue skies and the whole camp assembled on the hill. This was the first event where everyone is together, mini- and full-session girls alike. Each cabin sitting with their counselors, crazy creek chairs deployed, the Hi-Ups led us in the line songs and a couple of RBC favorites (“Rockbrook Camp Forever”). Several of the activity counselors performed skits and songs about their activities to help everyone, especially the new campers, know what they were planning— the games, the craft projects, the challenges —that will make this week special. We also took our state pictures, a quick photo of the campers and counselors sorted into groups by the home state. FL, NC, GA and SC are the big ones this session, but check the online photo gallery to see some surprising other states being represented.

After a double helping of Rick’s homemade mac-n-cheese and some cool watermelon, the mini session campers were off on camp tours, having cabin meetings and rotating down to the lake for their swimming demonstrations. Every year we check everyone’s (campers’ and counselors’) swimming ability and issue them a buddy tag. This year they also receive a bright green armband that indicates they swim well enough to go down the new water slide. Today most of the campers did great. Plenty of bright warm sunshine nicely balanced the chilly water of the lake making the tests quick and easy.

Around 3 o’clock, we rang bell for everyone to come down to the gym for a “space carnival.” A group of 16 counselors, with some help from the Hi-Ups (our 10th graders) put on the event with different games both inside the gym and outside on the archery field. They had “Cosmic Bowling,” “Cream the Alien,” “Shuttle Races,” as well as face painting, cotton candy and ribbon dancing. There was also two giant inflated attractions: a 2-person obstacle course and a velcro anti-gravity bouncy wall. For the wall, you first put on a red, yellow and blue velcro suit, which was pretty funny because they were so hugely over-sized.  Then each person took a turn bouncing a couple of times and flinging herself against the wall.  With arms stretched out, you would stick there dangling by the velcro.  Sometimes, the campers would stick so well, they would need help getting down!  It was pretty funny to watch.

Overall, it was a great first day of the mini session—excellent weather, and plenty of fun all around.  Be sure to check the photo gallery each day.  We’re adding photos all the time.  And thanks for reading the blog.  Did you know you can follow these posts on facebook too?  Head on over and “like” that page!

Welcoming New Campers

Today we welcomed our new mini session campers to Rockbrook. These girls arrive a week after the first session campers, joining them for the remainder of the session. Since our mini sessions are a great way to sample camp life, many of these campers are either new to Rockbrook or are younger girls (or both). As they grow older and return a number of years, it’s most common to attend one the full sessions that last longer (though we certainly don’t require that).

After everyone arrived, checked in with the nurses and office folks, and got settled into the cabins, the entire camp assembled on the grassy hill in the heart of camp. We learned songs, got to meet all the directors (Sarah and Jeff, Charlotte, Mandy, Sofie and Catherine), and took several group photos. We tried to get a shot of every state’s and country’s campers, as well as a whole camp photo. Check out the RBC Photo Gallery to see those.

Lunch was another of Rick’s comfort food meals. He had a “breakfast for lunch” spread for us, with his homemade biscuits (the mound of cut butter he used to make them was amazing), scrambled eggs, bacon, veggie sausage, fresh fruit and yogurt… a good, familiar first meal for our mini session campers.

After lunch, the new campers launched right into their “swimming demonstrations” at the lake. All the lifeguards evaluated everyone’s swimming ability and assigned them a buddy tag. This process also gets the girls familiar with the lake rules and gives them a closer look at the water slide. Tours of the camp and cabin meetings took up the remainder of the rest hour.

The late afternoon event was a surprise carnival at the gym. Several of the counselors decorated with posters, streamers and balloons in a theme they called “Outer Space.” There were planets, aliens, stars and strange looking creatures all about. We also had an inflatable obstacle course and a zero-gravity velcro wall to bounce around on. Face painting, games (like the “Saturn’s Rings Toss”), music, dancing and cotton candy (space dust) added to the fun. Another brief shower got things a little muddy outside, but that just added to the thrill of it all.  This was a great event with lots of action to keep the girls busy, and a fun way to introduce our new campers to the zany side of Rockbrook.  Tomorrow all of the camp activities will be back in full swing.

Camp Carnival Fun & Games

Welcome August Mini Session Campers!! Welcome to Rockbrook! Today a big group of new and a few returning campers arrived for this, our last mini session of the summer. Like our other mini sessions, these are shorter sessions perfect for younger and first-time campers, so for the majority of these girls, this was their first day at Rockbrook. After waiting most of the school year and now until August, their anticipation made for high pitched, and maybe a little nervous, excitement. It doesn’t take long though to settle down after meeting the staff members and other girls, and realize how friendly and welcoming everyone is. Parents are sometimes surprised how quickly and easily their daughter is ready to say goodbye, and to run off with her new cabin mates.

While the new mini session campers were checking in and getting settled, the full session girls followed our regular Sunday schedule— sleeping in a little, enjoying a breakfast with fresh Krispy Kreme donuts, dressing in their white uniforms and red ties, performing the flag raising ceremony, and attending the wooded chapel service. Chapel today was put on by the Senior campers and the theme was “Growing.” Right before lunch the whole camp gathered under the big walnut tree on the hill with the gorgeous mountain view in the background, for our Sunday assembly. This a chance to introduce key staff members (e.g. Mandy, Jessi and the Line Heads), see skits about the various activities available at camp, present the “Mop Awards” to the cleanest cabins, learn and sing a couple of new camp songs, and afterwords, take state photos. Biggest state this session? North Carolina, by far.

Right after lunch the new campers and their counselors zipped down to the lake for their “swim demonstrations.” Sarah, several lifeguards, and Elizabeth, our head of the waterfront, ran through the exercise designed to test everyone’s ability to swim and tread water. When a girl “passes” the swim demo, she receives a special colored buddy tag alerting the lifeguards of her swimming skills. If someone’s uncomfortable in the water, or if they can’t complete the “demonstration,” she will have to wear a life jacket and stay in the shallow end of the lake, but is certainly welcome (though not required) to come down for swimming lessons during her swimming activity or during one of the free swim periods.

The afternoon’s activity was a crazy water carnival we held down on our sports field. It was crazy because there was so much action, so many girls having fun in different ways at the same time. We had a giant inflatable water slide where after climbing up, would shower you as you flew down into a pool of water at the bottom. There was a tent where several counselors were painting faces (and arms, and backs and stomachs!). We had a coconut bowling game going on, and a “cake walk” game where the girls danced in a circle, landed on numbers, and if lucky won a tasty cupcake prize. The snow cone machine was making icy treats non-stop, and everywhere there was someone working out a hula hoop.

The slip-n-slide was probably the biggest hit. What could be a better use for a long sheet of plastic? Stretch it down a gentle hill, add a little baby soap and water, and launch yourself down for a wet slippery ride! Add some upbeat music and you’ve got an awesome time. The big surprise though, was a shaving cream fight at the end of the Carnival. We passed out a couple of cases (yikes!) of shaving cream, and the girls took off trying to spray each other, splatter it in each others’ hair, and ultimately cover their entire bodies in white slippery foam. All kinds of creative hairstyles soon appear, with laughter and smiles all around. Be sure to check out the photo gallery to see more of that. We rinsed off a bit under the hose, and headed back up for a quick shower before dinner. Whew! What a fun afternoon, and a great way to open the August Mini session.

Welcome New Campers

Today we welcomed a new set of campers to Rockbrook as we opened the 2nd July mini session. Most of these campers are returning from last summer and a few are new to RBC, but regardless, you could feel the excited anticipation everywhere. The 4-week campers were also thrilled to see their old friends returning to camp and to meet the newest Rockbrook girls. It sometimes surprises people when they arrive at camp an see how friendly everyone is. We get the comment all the time, “Everyone is so nice here!” It’s true; Rockbrook is a down-to-earth, friendly place, quick to welcome new smiling faces. It takes about 5 minutes for a new camper to find a friend and head off to explore the camp. It may seem odd, but it’s a good feeling for parents, when their daughter tells them, “OK, bye mom,” effectively saying everything is fine and she’s ready to begin enjoying camp. Fostering a sense of independence is a big part of being at camp, and with friendly people all around to provide encouragement, this is a lot easier to accomplish.

RIght before lunch, the entire camp assembled on the hill. This is a chance to sing camp songs, learn about the camp activities through a series of skits, and today, enjoy the warm sunshine and mountain view. The Hi-Up girls lead most of the songs taking time to teach everyone several of the most important ones. The Line Heads also present their “Mop Awards” to the cabins that have done exceptionally good work keeping their cabin clean. This year, and different from last year, the three Line Heads decorated their mops (really brooms) as the three ships from the Christopher Columbus expedition: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Why? Well, just for fun of course!

Lunch really hit the spot. We had homemade macaroni and cheese casserole, fresh local steamed green beans, and bowls of blackberries. The salad bars and peanut butter and jelly station saw a little action, but that Mac and Cheese was popular. Good stuff.

For the afternoon, a group of counselors organized a fun Hawaiian Carnival down on the landsports field. They set up several activity stations all around the field: slip-n-slide, snow cones, pace painting, hula hoops, and coconut bowling. We also had a huge inflatable water slide and another inflatable obstacle course set up. With grass skirts and colorful leis for everyone, and music pumping it was an excellent summer afternoon party. To top it off, we just had to have a shaving cream fight too. When you’re already wet, and maybe a little messy from running around, it’s so good to “clean off” with shaving cream… crazy designs on your friend’s back, outrageous hair styles. It’s all great fun, and hilarious for the girls. A quick rinse under the hose, dip in the lake, and shower before dinner, and the girls were feeling good. Be sure to scroll through the photo gallery to see more.

A great first day in the “Heart of a Wooded Mountain.”