Super Hero Day!!!

It was super hero day today at Rockbrook. We all came up with our own versions of super-heroism and dressed the part! Talk about creativity… it was amazing. There were lots of “Super Girls” and other “Incredibles,” but here’s a great shot of Whitney as “Feather Girl.” Her arch nemisis was another Hi-Up (Becky) dressed as “Backpack Girl.” You never know what Rockbrook campers will come up with, especially when we have a chance to dress up!

Countdown To Banquet: A Hike!

This is usually the most stressful time of the summer for my 15-year-old campers, because as banquet planners a day before the big night, there are usually a million more things to do and a million more reasons to stay up 24 hours straight. Thankfully, we were given a break from all of the intense preparation today. Around 11:00 AM, Jerry approached the CA’s with an idea for a hike, and shortly after, we all loaded on to the buses and headed into Pisgah National Forest. After a vigorous drive over narrow, winding dirt roads, we stopped at a pull-off and commenced our hike. Once we made it to a clearing that had a perfect view of Looking Glass, we had a long talk about what the girls were going through, how they were handling CA responsibilities, and we were able to spend some quality time together and relax away from camp. Furthermore, not only did we go for a hike, but we stopped at a swimming hole on the way out of the forest. The drive home was quiet, but I haven’t heard the end of how much fun the girls had today; I can definitely agree when they claim, “this was one of the best days all summer.” Now that they have started moving posters to the dining hall in the stealth of night and actually setting up, all of their careful organization and creativity is falling into place. At this point, all of the CA’s are too excited to sleep, and frankly, so am I!

Jump On The Springboard – Swim !!

Something pretty great happened to me today, down at the lake in the mid-morning hours: I joined the 440 Club. In order to join this prestigious Rockbrook organization, you have to swim 100 laps across a certain distance in the lake, and once you complete those 100 laps (440 meters), you get to go to Dolly’s as a reward. Honestly, who wouldn’t attempt the 440 for a chance to go to Dolly’s? Which is why I was accompanied by about 7 other campers and 2 other counselors desperately trying to complete the 440 before the deadline tomorrow afternoon. Not only is it another one of those Rockbrook traditions that campers come back to each year, but it’s something to work hard for, something to accomplish, and it’s hard to understand how satisfying it feels to see those stars filled in on your personal 440 card unless you are actually completing the distance yourself. I spent some quality time with the lake today, which I haven’t done in awhile, and I now understand why tons of campers race down at the beginning of every free swim. Despite the cold water (which is very easy to get over) swimming down at the lake was probably the most fun I’ve had during free time since I came to camp. Wait a second, a trip to Dolly’s because I had so much fun in the lake today? I know what flavor of ice cream I’ll be ordering!

Birthday Fun at Rockbrook

Many girls are lucky enough to celebrate their birthday at Rockbrook, but last night, everyone got to be the birthday girl! On Birthday Night, campers and counselors sit at the same table as those who share their month of birth. For every month there is a deliciously decorated cake to feast upon, complete with candy and sprinkles. So much cake, yum!

Tonight is the dance with the boys from Camp Carolina. Nothing quite compares to the reaction from the campers when the much-anticipated dance is announced at dinner. All week long my campers have been trying to figure out when it will be, so I know they will have a blast tonight!

Pirates Rafting and Hiking !!

Hello, faithful readers! My name is Emily, and I am a middler counselor reporting to you the latest happenings at Rockbrook for the week. This past weekend included such festivities as Pirate Day, Carnival, and a four hour hike to Kilroy’s Cabin. Today was the final day for all of our mini-session campers. Last night we celebrated by having a mini-banquet (which I believe was Luau-themed), followed by the traditional Spirit Fire. We will miss our mini-session campers dearly, but eagerly await the arrival of the campers for second mini-session!

There are two rafting trips going on today, a day trip and an overnight, both on the Nantahala River. Mandy and Nurse Jenny braved the white water rapids with the overnight group, complete with campfire and s’mores. Tomorrow they shall return – with a lot of interesting stories, I’m sure. Tomorrow, Lindsay Firestone and I will lead a different group of girls down the river for another day trip. I can’t wait!

All in all, today was a pretty quiet day at Rockbrook, due to the absence of mini-session campers and the two groups of rafters. However, I know later in the week things are sure to get extremely busy around Rockbrook!

Activity Games Spotlight: GOTR

Rockbrook offers a wide variety of sports and activities for all ages and skill levels. One in particular, Girls on the Run, is back this year and going full speed. Girls on the Run is an international program that promotes self-respect and an active lifestyle through running. Our campers run in a group on a path called Charlotte’s Loop that winds though Rockbrook. Togther, they develop healthy physical and mental skills like motivation and endurance. To learn more about GOTR, go to www.girlsontherun.com.

Also, some Middlers and Seniors went on the first rafting trip of the session to the Nantahala today. We can’t wait till they come back and tell us all about it!

Will you dance with me??

It was lunch time when the girls got the announcement. The dining hall was filled with excited screams and a little bit of laughter. Tonight was the dance. All the girls wanted to shower and get freshened up for those Camp Carolina boys, but unfortunately, due to the massive amount of rain and mud that afternoon… cleaning up was a little harder than most would’ve liked.

The boys arrived soon after dinner, and the dance was on its way. The thing I love about the dance is it’s not even about dancing with the boys, it’s about dancing with your campers. I know it was a great bonding experience for me and my girls. I mean, what bonds you better than dancing crazy to some Backstreet Boys and totally being silly!? I was dancing with one of my campers and later that night she told me that dance had been her favorite because I was the one dancing with her!

Summer Camps for Girls Only

Another great quote from a Rockbrook alumna:

My favorite thing is returning year after year and spotting a friend from the previous year and knowing that even though you didn’t see each other since last summer… you instantly had a best friend for the next couple of weeks.

Yep, making these kinds of friends is probably the coolest part of coming to camp.