Excitement Bubbling Up
Today we opened our third session of camp, and it started out with excitement bubbling up all over. You could see it on the hill when each camper arrived and the counselors let out a cheer. You could see it on campers faces as they literally jiggled in the back seat of the car ready (so ready!) to hop out and get started. These girls have been waiting all summer long for camp, so they were ready to explode with excitement. It was there in the big bear hugs between two friends finally reunited. And we certainly saw this excitement during lunch, the first meal, when it took about 3 minutes for the whole camp to launch into the “Bubble Gum” song.
It’s always a real moment of pride for us to open a new session of camp because it lets “the outside world,” our parents and campers, and their family and friends accompanying them, see all the good things we enjoy at Rockbrook everyday. They can marvel at the sheer beauty of the place, the big trees, stone lodges, and traditional, rustic cabins tucked in the forest. They can enjoy the truly cool mountain air and gaze off the hill at the mountains beyond. Most importantly, they can personally meet some of the wonderful people here. Our cabin counselors are fantastic young ladies. It’s clear when you talk with them that they are marvelous, caring, confident, and energetic women, and will be great role models for the girls at camp. Likewise for our camp Directors, Sarah and Charlotte, Mandy, Sofie and Catherine— these are highly experienced and dedicated Rockbrook people, super organized and responsive. I’m sure you’ll get to know several of these folks, and I’m equally sure you’ll be impressed.
After lunch, which included Rick’s comforting, homemade macaroni and cheese, we all assembled on the grassy hill of camp to meet the Line Heads (the counselors who lead each age group) and Directors, and to sing a few songs. The Hi-Ups, our oldest campers, took a turn teaching a song, and the Directors all joined in to perform a funny “Shower Song” that reminded the campers to bathe while at camp. “Jumping in the lake is not the same…!” Down in the gym, the counselors next took turns presenting short skits to introduce themselves and their activities to the campers. It’s helpful for everyone to learn what activities are offered this year and who will be teaching them. Here too, the campers see that being a little silly is part of the fun here at Rockbrook and that everyone, counselors, directors and campers alike, enjoy it. At some point or another, we’re all dressing up, dancing around, singing and laughing our heads off.
Later, each age group came down to the lake for their “swim demonstrations.” With all of our lifeguards assembled, plus all the Directors, every camper and counselor took a turn demonstrating her swimming ability by jumping off the dock, swimming out 60ft, back another 60ft, and then treading water for 30 seconds. Doing this successfully, confidently, earns you a buddy tag and a cool green bracelet that signals a swimming ability strong enough to tackle our new water slide. If a camper’s swimming skills are weak, she receives a special colored buddy tag (alerting the lifeguards) and must wear a life jacket in the shallow end of the lake. She can also redo her swim demo during any free swim, and the lifeguards are always happy to help work on her strokes.
One quick last reminder… we are posting photos every day online and you can see them after logging into your Campminder account. Checking these is a great fun and you can easily share them by email or on Facebook. Enjoy!
Dance the 80s
What do you do when you need a camp dance idea, something to mix things up a bit and get the girls excited? This past summer, one of our favorite dance nights was when we all flashed back to the 1980s. Through music, costumes, dance steps, even pop phrases, we went back in time and held our favorite retro decade dance party. Looking the part is half the fun, with baggy t-shirts hung from one shoulder, jazzercise tights and sweat bands, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and lots, and lots of really big hair. It was so fun to see the girls really get into it. Plus, for some reason, this girls knew a lot of 80s songs— 867-5309 Jenny, Mickey, I Want Candy, Lucky Star, etc. (Hmmm, now that I think about it, maybe they’ve been watching the TV show Glee…?). They also could bust out a bunch of dance moves from the 80s, like the Thriller dance for example. By the end of the night everyone was hot and sweaty, but also really enjoying themselves.
Oh, I forgot to mention that there weren’t any boys at the dance. This was an all Rockbrook, all girls dance, and probably even more fun because of it!
Thanks for a Great Session!
It’s really difficult to express the strange combination of gratitude and sadness we all feel at the close of a camp session. After these weeks of common experience filled with moments that deepen our relationships with each other, saying goodbye is really hard, and yes, definitely sad. We know there’s nothing quite like camp, and that it’ll be impossible to explain to all of our friends and family back home. We know we’ve done really cool things (rafting, riding horses, learning to weave!!), met people from all over, and found out a lot about who we are and how to enjoy life together. So we’re thankful for all of that and all that it may represent down the road.
It’s a true privilege for all of us at Rockbrook to spend a few weeks each summer with your camper. Thank you for sharing such great girls! We will miss them, but look forward to next summer and another great visit to Rockbrook.
