OK! You may have been waiting for it, and we’re thrilled to share it… it’s the latest highlights video from Robbie Francis of FrancisFilmworks. You might remember his videos from past years, going all the way back to 2015!
Robbie has returned this summer, once again working his filming and editing magic to capture the sweet interactions, vast activity, and overall feeling of life at camp.
It can sometimes be hard to grasp all that goes on at Rockbrook. But now’s your chance! Take two minutes to watch this video, and you’ll get a pretty good idea.
At any given moment during the day, the main hill at camp is alive with motion. It begins up by the Junior Lodge, a wide grassy slope stretching past the big walnut tree in the center, the occasional boulder, and the maple tree at the bottom near the ‘Curosty’ fiber arts cabin. It’s a space that’s neither loud nor rushed, but there’s a constant current of movement. Like a busy train station, campers come and go. Some are off to activities with water bottles in hand. Others pass by in bathing suits and towels, heading down to the lake or back from a refreshing dip.
The nearby tetherball court is always in motion. A small circle of campers wait nearby, keeping an eye on whose turn is next, while the ball swings wildly in one fast-paced game after another. Just up the hill, the sound of ukulele music drifts down from the porch of the Junior Lodge, where a counselor and a few new players work on their chords. And in the middle of it all, someone is likely calling, “Walk, please!” to remind overly eager campers not to sprint down toward the water!
In between the action, there are campers sprawled out in patches of shade, making friendship bracelets or flipping through books. A few are stretched on beach towels, journaling or sketching while friends chat nearby. Clumps of Juniors are eagerly hunting for Lawrence, the elusive camp gnome. Others are making mudpies at the stream and opening a “restaurant” for business.
The beauty of it all is in the freedom of choice. Campers decide how to spend their free periods and who to spend it with. They move at their own pace. Some come to the hill to sit alone for a moment. Others arrive looking for a group to join or an adventure to start.
Without phones or crowded schedules pressing in, the hill becomes a space of possibility. A camper might be headed somewhere, or she might stop halfway and decide to hang out with new friends. Whatever she chooses, it’s hers. The hill just keeps moving, reflecting the independence and joy that define life at Rockbrook.
Rockbrook is always a place of celebration, but the 4th of July gives us an extra special reason to kick things up a notch! And the festivities start first thing, even before the rising bell.
The riding staff members, dressed in their finest red, white and blue, ride decorated horses up into camp! This morning, they spread out and rode down each cabin line shouting, “The British are coming! Wake up! Wake up!” (a playful nod to Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride). We’ve done this for years at Rockbrook, but it’s still a fun surprise for the girls to wake up hearing hoofbeats outside their cabins. A little sleepy-eyed, the girls stumble out onto the hill and gather around the flagpole where the Hi-Ups lead a flag raising ceremony.
Down at the lake, the counselors we have from the UK performed a short skit that ended up with all of them jumping in the water, proving again that the British are already here.
All this patriotic spirit and celebration, continued throughout the day. Red, white and blue decorations transformed the dining hall with streamers, posters, and ribbons hung in every direction. We set tables with patriotic headbands, stickers, glitter, and temporary tattoos that quickly became the most popular accessories of the day, giving our regular camp activities an extra dose of stars-and-stripes sparkle.
Rick and his fantastic kitchen crew prepared a special lunch for everyone, something that he serves only occasionally because it takes multiple people three days to make. Using traditional ingredients, they made us 4 different varieties of tamales. Masa corn flour, stock, and different fillings like cheese, chicken, peppers and onions, plus two different sauces (a red and a green) are all wrapped in a corn husk and then steamed for two hours. Altogether they made about 1,200 tamales! Giant pots of steaming tamales filled the kitchen. Unwrapping warm, freshly steamed tamales for lunch. What a treat!
We served dinner on the hill, a classic meal of burgers, french fries, and watermelon or pineapple. The girls were surprised to find they could have a can of Cheerwine soda kept cold in the creek.
The evening activity began with a classic counselor hunt. Ten counselors hid around the camp and each cabin roamed together looking for them. Only one cabin managed to find all ten, completing their map and earning a prize trip with Casey next week. We also held a pie-eating contest. We’ve found over the years that it works best to have counselors eat the pie and the campers cheer them on. It’s actually quite difficult to eat a whole pie, but Blaire was able to beat six others in the contest.
As it grew dark, we topped the day with our own fireworks show. Casey gave out glow sticks to all the girls, and as they gathered on the hill in their crazy creek chairs, we blasted fun music. For the next 30 minutes or so, we enjoyed a dance party while the boom and sparkle of fireworks lit up the sky. As the girls twirled their glow sticks and sang along to the music, they cheered with every colorful burst.
From early galloping horses to the nighttime fireworks spectacular, the 4th of July today at Rockbrook was a day-long celebration of camp fun, red-white-and-blue flair, and good times with friends. Happy 4th of July!
Yesterday we took two groups of girls whitewater rafting on the Nantahala river, a group of Seniors in the morning and Middlers in the afternoon. Cool morning fog turned into absolutely perfect rafting weather with bright sunshine and warm temperatures, an ideal combination to buffer the 50-degree water. Both trips were equally lucky by avoiding the spotty thunderstorms that were forecast for the day.
Weather like this adds to fun, the playful, silly, often hilarious ride along the river. These rafting trips are a complete blast! The 2-hour trip, from put-in to take-out, alternates between calm floating sections and heart-pounding splashy rapids that send the girls screaming and laughing with delight. Along the way, each boat poses for the camera, waving, making a “high five” with their paddles, or “playing dead,” for example. Of course, falling out of the boat is part of the experience, sometimes accidentally when the boat hits a rock unexpectedly, and sometimes intentionally as a chance to cool off. Either way, those left in the boat work together to pull the swimmer back aboard, all while roaring with laughter. This kind of camaraderie can’t be beat.
The final rapid, a thrilling Class-III double-drop called the “Nantahala Falls,” is an awesome finale. It never fails to deliver high intensity, wide-eyed screams as the boats drop in and are briefly engulfed in whitewater. At the bottom, the girls look at each other in disbelief. “Yeah! We made it!” Like all great adventures, there’s a sense of celebration, a true feeling of success, afterwards. It’s just one type of fun we enjoy at camp.
You probably haven’t heard, but we rebuilt the Rockbrook Health Hut this year. What was once a staff cabin called “2×4” had been converted into the camp infirmary back in the 1990s. It was a small building that served us well, but recently as our team of nurses has grown (now 5 per session) to meet the increasing health care needs of our campers and staff, we decided more space would be helpful.
We worked with a local architect, and now have a wonderful, perfectly suited building. Most significantly, we now have a dozen air-conditioned overnight beds, quarantine rooms, efficient medication storage, additional bathrooms, treatment rooms, nurses’ office and accommodations. My favorite part is the covered porch on the front, with its stone approach, outdoor lighting and seating. We love how the building turned out and are really happy that the entire Rockbrook community can now enjoy the upgrade. Be sure to stop by and see it the next time you’re at camp!
As we launched into our first full day of activities at camp, it’s marvelous already. Literally, there are marvels everywhere. Girls are dancing and laughing, already singing as loud as they can, cheering with abandon. They’re stomping and skipping all over these Rockbrook hills making their way between shooting archery and rolling slabs of clay. They’re down at the barn tacking up horses and over at the Alpine tower climbing on belay. They’re swimming in the lake and playing in the sun. Looms are clicking and ukulele strings are being strummed. It’s astonishing how over there tennis balls zoom over the net, while over here girls zoom through the trees on the zipline.
With so many activities all happening simultaneously, it’s not surprising a typical day at Rockbrook is busy in this way. Everybody is involved. Everyone is switching gears between sports and the arts, between adventure and a surprise encounter with a friend. You might find it surprising, however, just how effortlessly your girls are taking to all this camp action.
It’s only the first day of camp, and they’re showing a natural openness to the challenges of new activities. It might be aiming her target rifle, or steering her tandem canoe, or cutting a piece of wood accurately. It might be mustering the nerve to join a square dancing line, or to “wet exit” after flipping upside down in a kayak. They’re not shrinking away from any of this, not giving in to perhaps little doubts or worries. No, instead they’re feeling the pull of supportive, caring friends, and giving everything a go. Along with simply being away from home, these girls are proving they’re strong.
I think that’s one of the best lessons kids learn while at camp. Around here success follows challenges, realizing “I did it!” follows “I’m not sure I can.” Let’s put it this way… Camp proves for kids, “You’re stronger than you think.” The result of realizing this strength is greater confidence and courage, both qualities we all hope kids can embody as they grow. Another way to say it is “camp is empowering.” It’s the perfect recipe for a young person, nowadays more than ever as uncertainties and worries seem all too common.
I’m sure you can tell from the photo gallery, but let me reassure you. Your girls are doing great. Truly marvelous.
Today we welcomed to camp a new group of girls, opening both our 4-week session and our first mini session of the summer. As each car arrived, pulling through our drive-thru check-in process, we could see that these girls had been waiting too long, unfairly long, for camp. Most were smiling and eager, feeling that perfect mix of nervous energy and excited anticipation. These girls were ready to get their camp time started!
There’s something quietly magical about opening up a trunk on the first day of camp. After the excited hellos while arriving, the songs on the hill at our first assembly, and the first glimpses of the lake or the horses or the dining hall, campers return to their cabins, choose their bunks, and begin to unpack. This first means making beds, organizing clothes, and shoes, and arranging trunks.
Every camper sets up their bunk a little differently. Some start with books and stuffed animals, lining them up on side shelves. Others carefully place their toiletries in caddies, hang up towels on cabin hooks, or string battery-powered fairy lights. Zippered pouches full of markers, card games, friendship bracelets in progress… these small treasures appear, one by one, and find their places. All the while, counselors are guiding the process and answering questions.
Photos from home get pinned up. Favorite blankets are arranged just so. There’s pride in getting it “just right,” but also freedom, because there’s no perfect way to set up a bunk at camp. Each one reflects the personality of the camper who calls it hers.
As each girl arranges her space, the cabin itself begins to come alive. There’s a buzz of conversation: “You brought that book too?” “Can I borrow your nail polish?” A sense of belonging starts to settle in alongside the duffels and trunks. New friends and old become bunkmates. Cabins become cozy homes.
By the time the lunch bell rings, rustic cabins that were empty that morning are now full of life, laughter, and a little bit of chaos. The session is only just beginning, but already the rhythm of camp has started to take hold. Unpacking may seem simple, just about the “stuff,” but it’s also the first moment of connection: camper to bunk, camper to cabin, camper to Rockbrook.
We closed our first session as all Rockbrook Camp sessions have over the years: with a campfire we call our “Spirit Fire.” With the whole camp gathered around a blazing campfire, everyone dressed in their red and white uniforms, we paused to recognize our time together and consider what this means to us. This was a chance to sit shoulder to shoulder, even arm in arm, sing a few traditional songs and listen to campers and staff members alike speak about their camp experience this session. The warm glow of the campfire, the sounds of spring peepers and crickets all around, and the emotions of the moment combined to make a beautiful setting.
As campers and staff members stood to speak, we heard about camp being a “place like home.” One small Junior said it was so easy to make friends at camp, even with older girls. A new staff member said she’d never felt so loved by so many people at once. Every speaker provided a beautiful reminder of what we all cherish about Rockbrook.
This is camp with our very best friends, genuine support from a caring community, joyful silliness, singing and dancing, and more Nature than you can name. Just being here, together with each other, is what makes it special.
In a world that’s too often divided, racked by forces that isolate us from each other, this kind of community really is precious. Where else can we relax and be our true selves, fully knowing that we still belong no matter what? Where else can we celebrate each day, laugh with abandon, and feel this kind of positivity so deeply? Where else is there a carefree enthusiasm for just about everything? It’s true; camp is magical, and these campers have proven it.
Thank you everyone for being a part of this special place. Thank you parents for trusting us with your daughters, and for understanding the value of camp. Fortunately, even though we’re sad this session has come to an end, we’ll carry with us the Spirit of Rockbrook. Until we gather again next summer, may that spirit continue to warm us all.
Ask any Rockbrook camper to name something they look forward to at camp, and they’ll likely tell you about their session’s Banquet. Many will even tell you it’s their favorite event at camp, and therefore is something exciting just from the anticipation that builds throughout the session. The Banquet is held on the second to last night, so it’s a celebration of everything that’s grown while we’re here: the creativity, the enthusiasm, the joy, and of course the deep friendships that tie this community together. It’s a party unlike any other because it happens here at camp with all of these great people.
The CA campers (our 9th graders) take on the task of creating the magic of this event. From the very first day of their session when they select a secret theme for the Banquet, they are planning and preparing. They make all the decisions about the program, their costumes, the music, the decorations and the food to be served.
They take this planning quite seriously too, with every detail receiving attention. Using painted banners, carefully arranged lighting, streamers, table decorations, and various props, the CAs completely reimagine the dining hall, transforming it into a colorful new world.
They transform themselves too, becoming elaborately dressed characters. This is a big part of the fun for the CAs. They love taking on new personalities and dressing their parts, all adding to the theme of the night. These characters perform as well, both in short skits that can unfold a plot, and in choreographed dance numbers. With carefully chosen music, again based on the theme, the whole camp enjoys seeing all of this come together.
On banquet day, the CAs cover the dining hall windows with sheets while they hang their decorations, rearrange the dining hall and get ready in costume. Everyone knows they’re setting up for the big event, but anticipation builds as the theme is still a secret. Cheers go up when it’s finally time to enter and discover the theme. Let the party begin!
This session’s banquet theme featured music, decorations, costumes and dancing from different historical decades as the CAs went back in time for a “Blast from the Past.” They told a story of a few travelers who go back in time to retrieve the Spirit of Rockbrook, going way back to find cavemen (all the counselors), flappers from the ’20s (when Rockbrook was founded), bobby soxers from the 50s, disco dancers from the 70s, jazzercise neon from the 80s, and skaters from the 90s. Groups of CAs represented each decade and performed dance medleys for us.
Between dance performances everyone was encouraged to get up and dance, turning the whole event into a massive dance party. Eat something (chicken tenders, tater tots, salad), dance and sing, pause for photos, take in the extravagance (so much glittery confetti!) —that’s how it went.
The banquet ended, as it has for decades at camp, singing the song “Rockbrook Camp Forever.” The girls stood, arm-in-arm, singing “friends true and faithful” over and over again. Hugging each other tightly, you could sense the real meaning of the banquet. It’s about friends celebrating each other, knowing deep down that they are loved. For all of us, Rockbrook is a home like that.
Thank you CA girls for a wonderful banquet. We all loved it.
Robbie Francis of FrancisFilmworks spent another day this week filming at Rockbrook, and now has edited this wonderful highlights video for us. Once again it’s a window into the upbeat action that fills our days at camp. The video does a great job of depicting the mood of camp, the friendship, the laughter, and the huge variety of fun.
