Camp Philosophy

The other day someone asked about our camp philosophy. We’ve written about it on the “Our Philosophy” page of Rockbrook’s main website, and that page does a good job, but what else should we say? Well, another way to put it is to recall how camp is such a fun and nurturing environment, how by trying new things girls become so much more confident, how by making their own decisions they become that much more independent too. We can remember how easy it is to make friends when you’re not competing with anyone, how living this close to nature is so wonderful, and how refreshing it is to be in the mountains. Camp is one of those rare places where you can just relax and be yourself. Yep, all of this is the basis of our camp philosophy.

Summer Sleepaway Camp Memories

“I have too many fond memories of camp to pick just one! It depends on my mood. Sometimes it is the memory of the candles reflecting in the lake at Spirit Fire. Sometimes it is all the singing we used to do (& the many, many songs I still know by heart). Sometimes it is the zany pranks and fun, kooky things that let us express ourselves so comfortably, like Kangaroo Court. And sometimes it is just the remembered pleasure of sorting mail in Goodwill on a rainy, misty day while everyone else was at lunch — and how the sound of singing would carry over from the Dining Hall. And the sound of the bells in the morning . . . Oh, just everything, then. (Except the spiders in the rafters!)”
— an Alumnae from the 1980s

P.S. This is the cover photo for the 1961 camp catalog!

North Carolina Stone Hotel, c. 1840

It’s always fun to bump into a surprising historical connection to camp. Here’s a great example we spotted recently— a photo of what was called the “Stone Hotel.” It’s on display in the Transylvania County Courthouse (that’s the North Carolina county where Rockbrook is located) with the caption “Built circa 1840.” But do you recognize the big rock up above and behind it? It’s our very own Dunn’s Rock! The junction of Island Ford Road and US276 (Greenville Highway) was once a bustling little town with houses, this hotel, and a general store called “Powell’s Store,” which is still standing and is currently the Mud Dabber’s Pottery. An 1870 census of the Dunn’s Rock Township, as it was called, recorded 80 men, women and children living there. You have to wonder if the hotel was still open when Rockbrook was founded in 1921, and if any Rockbrook Camp families ever stayed there. Pretty cool.

It's Archery!

A classic thing to do at sleep away camps— learn archery —and for girls at Rockbrook, it’s very popular. Whether you’re 6, 16 or somewhere in between, using a bow and arrow, and getting good at it, is really fun. A big part of it is learning all of the equipment (e.g., the bows, parts of the arrow like the “fletching,” the protective gear like the “bracer” or “arm guard” and the “tab” or “finger guard”) and then the important shooting techniques and form (like how to aim for example!). But of course, with practice, hitting the bullseye of the target, that inner yellow circle, is the ultimate challenge. Getting a bullseye is also great because then your name is announced in the dining hall, and everyone cheers for you. You’re part of the RBC Bullseye Club! Awesome!

Traditional Summer Camp

Here’s a great old traditional photo of camp back in 1928. It’s hard to say exactly what’s going on, but it looks like a canoeing performance of some sort. Four girls to a canoe, synchronized paddle movements, it brings to mind dancing. You can see the stone Lake View Lodge in the background, and to the right, Vesper Rock. It’s so great seeing these old traditional summer camp photos!

Girl Summer Camps

We thought you’d enjoy seeing how girl summer camps like Rockbrook can be just as beautiful in the fall as in the summer. When the weather turns colder here in the mountains, the lush green of the camp forest comes alive with color, as the leaves change, fall, and decorate the camp in spectacular ways. For example, we took this photo of “Curosty,” one of the camp’s craft activity cabins the other day. Isn’t it amazing!? All those big, old Maples, Oaks and Poplars really serve up something special.

New Orleans Summer Camp Girls

We had a great time down in New Orleans earlier this month. It was another fantastic Rockbrook Camp party complete with slides from last summer and the all-new video. Seeing current RBC campers and meeting so many new girls interested in attending camp next summer was such fun! Attending these events is the one of the best ways to rekindle that Rockbrook spirit and to learn a bit about what makes Rockbrook unique. It’s a chance to ask questions and to imagine yourself being a part of camp. A big thanks to Shelby (there she is with McKain!) and her family for hosting the party.

"Drumroll, please…"

“Evening program tonight is going to be counselor impersonations!!!” And the crowd goes wild. Since the second day of camp, my campers have been slyly saying two words, “counselor impersonation”, every time they caught me doing something out of the ordinary or weird or funny; I wasn’t sure if I should take it as a threat or as just a simple reminder that they would remember that moment when they really needed it in a few weeks. That moment was tonight, and there is definitely a reason why counselor impersonations is everyone’s favorite evening program skit to perform and watch. By the end of the night, I had tears in my eyes because I was laughing so hard, and I know I was not alone. Although some of the counselors were nervous at the beginning, we have all spent so much time together now that we can all laugh at ourselves as the campers imitate different phrases and accents we use, individual techniques we have for waking campers up in the morning, and all of those moments that you hope everyone forgot about but really, they were saving it just for tonight. It’s incredibly easy to relate to every person in the room when they are all laughing as hard as you are…at yourself.