Summer Camp

It happened again today. A counselor told me she was surprised how easy it was to make friends at Rockbrook. She said it took “one day” for her to feel real friendship from people she never knew before. This was astounding to her, and a little puzzling as to how it was possible, because ordinarily, making good friends was more difficult and definitely took a lot longer. I’ve heard it many times before; camp is where we make our best “forever” friends, and for some reason it’s easier to make friends at camp than anywhere else.

Talking about it further, and thinking about what is different about camp, we hit upon an idea. We thought, “True friendship requires authenticity. When we are most authentically our true selves, we are most capable of making friends.” This works at Rockbrook because our camp culture, with all its practiced ideals, makes it easier for girls to trust themselves and forget the worries that accompany ordinary personal interactions. This place is free of social judgment, and beautifully empowering for girls to strip away the assumptions they may have about themselves and to reveal who they really are. At camp, they discover a freedom to be “the real me,” and realize that the people in this community still value and care about them. They realize that it’s OK to be quirky (we all are in some way or another!), and OK to not be perfect.

Why Camp Friendships Are So Strong

I think camp friendships are so strong because each is formed between people being genuine like this. With no superficial posing, nervous performing, or strategic posturing, we can really get to know each other. With no competition or social jockeying, we can be more caring and truly interested in each other. That combination leads quickly to friendship… not superficial friends formed between socially constructed identities we think will be attractive, but a mutual affection born from a deep understanding of each other. Please pardon me for repeating myself, but it’s this special camp community that makes all of this possible. The lesson to be learned, we concluded, was that being a “friendly person” means being brave enough to be your true self and to be kind and caring toward others. We practice this lesson everyday at camp, inspiring us to become more and more friendly.

The Bullseye Club

Shooting a bullseye in archery, and especially in riflery, is not easy. Just aiming, shooting, and getting lucky isn’t enough to hit the center of a target 50 feet away. It takes careful, patient techniques, a certain amount of strength to remain still as you aim, and a great deal of practice to become more accurate and precise. Even hitting the target within the scoring rings is an accomplishment, and a good first step. So when a girl hits the center of her target, it is exciting. It’s achieving a long sought-after goal. At Rockbrook, we celebrate this success in a couple of ways. If a camper hits a single bullseye in riflery or three bullseyes in archery, they join what’s called the “bullseye club,” which earns her name being announced in the dining hall during a meal. Everyone cheers when the names are read. Hitting ten bullseyes in archery earns the “golden arrow” award, and achieving one hundred bullseyes is recognized with the “golden bow” award. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but a handful of girls in the past have reached the golden bow award level by the end of their session. That’s dedication, and great skill!

Readers Around Camp

There seems to be a lot of readers at camp this session. During points of free time throughout the day, there are several spots around camp where you can find girls tucked in with a book. Being left to decide for themselves how they’d like to spend their free time, these girls are choosing to read. But they’re also selecting some really cool outdoor spots to kick back in their crazy creek chairs. Reading on the hill under the huge walnut tree is a popular spot because it has one of the best long range mountain views in camp. It’s common as well to see girls relaxing and reading in the many red rocking chairs situated on the lodge and dining hall porches. There’s always reading happening near the lake too. Like being on vacation, there’s something nice about reading near a body of water, especially with a friend or two sitting right nearby.

New Outdoor Dining Porches

It’s been really fun to see the girls enjoy our new outdoor dining areas at camp. As places to eat, they’re a big hit. Knowing that we needed to keep our cabin group cohorts separated at meals, and that having better air flow was preferable to reduce the chance of spreading anything between cabin groups, we decided to add on to the dining hall porch and the hillside lodge porch this spring. Both porches are elevated off the ground and, like most of the buildings at Rockbrook, are surrounded by trees. This creates a gorgeous forest view from the porches. The hillside lodge porch has gained the nickname “Treetops” as a result. The porches are cool and breezy, perfect places for a pleasant al fresco dining experience, like tonight when we ate Rick’s homemade lasagna, salad, bread and fresh watermelon. Lemon bars topped with powdered sugar were for dessert. People say they love the food at camp. Perhaps eating in these new outdoor spaces is part of the reason. It certainly doesn’t hurt!

Don’t be surprised if your household acquires a piece of handwoven fabric once camp is over. The girls here at camp are busily using different techniques to weave all sorts of cord and thread into complex, colorful patterns.

You may be thinking of weaving on a loom, and there is a lot of that happening in the Curosty activity cabin. That’s one of the historic log cabins at Rockbrook that predate the founding of the camp. The wide, peddle-operated floor looms, and the smaller tabletop versions, are in constant motion, the shuttle gliding back and forth between the warp threads. A great example of hand weaving is also catching on this summer: macramé. This is another ancient technique for making a textile by tying knots. Using different cords and string, square knots and hitches combine to make complex decorative patterns. Macramé was a popular hobby in the 1970s, and now here at camp girls are bringing it back, making wall hangings and smaller keychains. Similar to making a friendship bracelet, these macramé projects are fun for the girls as each knot they add reveals a unique growing pattern.

Climbing the Alpine Tower

The Alpine Tower is our challenge climbing structure located in the woods behind the gym. It’s a system of logs, cables and ropes that allows multiple girls to climb at the same time. It’s triangular shape offer three sides of different climbing elements: swinging logs, a cargo net, an overhanging wall, for example. Climbing holds are bolted to the poles and girls use the ropes, cables and holds to climb 50 feet up to the platform at the top.

Climbing the tower takes not only strength, flexibility and a sense of balance; it takes nerve. With each step up, standing on small holds or narrow poles, the feeling of being high in air increases, and so does your worry about possibly slipping and falling. Even though you know there is a really strong rope that will hold you up, it’s still pretty scary to be that high up in the air. It takes determination and some confidence to push through the fear, and focus on the challenge of finding the next hold higher up. The girls today did great, most making it all the way to the top, and everyone feeling good about overcoming the challenges of the activity.

Prom Night Dance Party

Our evening program tonight got everyone dressed up and dancing because it was an all-girls dance party with a “prom” theme. Actually it was three dance parties, since each line (age group) held its own version in a different location. The costumes ranged from simple dresses to tie-dye t-shirts, and included a few hats, necklaces of beads, and tutus. The juniors were excited to try out a few line dances in the dining hall, while the middlers took over the hillside lodge. Since the seniors are the largest group they jumped and danced in the gym. No boys in sight, these girls know how to have a good time being silly, singing and twirling with each other. Of course, they were more than happy to pause for a quick “prom photo.” Be sure to check the photo gallery to see how everyone was dressed.

Kindness as the Deepest Root

These dances proved once again that it doesn’t take much for your girls to enjoy themselves at camp. Music, costumes, a few decorations and some snacks are the outward ingredients, but I think the most important component is the complete feeling of ease the girls feel toward each other. They’re not afraid to cast off their “social armor” because kindness is the deepest root of their friendships at camp. They’re not holding back, worried about what someone might think or say that might hurt their feelings. They know that being awkward is totally OK, even cool around here. It doesn’t matter how well you can sing or dance, because at camp being fully into the moment is clearly most important. There it is again— that magical power of camp to make things more fun by building upon the great relationships we have with everyone in the community. More fun, more rewarding, more meaningful, more lasting and important… but don’t get me started!

I had a conversation with a few counselors today that revealed another important part of the culture at Rockbrook, something that helps define the tone of our days here. We were standing around talking after breakfast and another staff member came up to ask me a quick question, but before launching immediately into what was on her mind, she paused and first said hello, asking how I was this morning. With genuine interest, she thoughtfully reconnected with me before dealing with her own concerns. It really struck me and when she left I made a point to tell the other staff members about how impressed I was with the encounter. “Did you see that? She was so genuinely caring, even when needing something!” It was a wonderful example of being kind and caring to others, recognizing the other people around you, and being sensitive to their feelings and experience. It was a simple expression of compassion.

That’s the vibe around here. We try to remember; the people come first. We discuss this idea and practice it at length during our staff training week, and of course keep a look out for those qualities when hiring staff members in the first place. It’s the idea that foremost at camp we are creating relationships. We are exercising those personal qualities that draw us closer to others: kindness, generosity, caring, compassion, paying attention to others’ needs. You might call it simply being “nice,” but recognizing how these qualities are outwardly focused is key. That’s what makes a great Rockbrook staff member, someone who can model these personal qualities and help encourage positive relationships at camp. When you meet a Rockbrook camper or staff member, and see that she’s so friendly, this is why.

Caring Comes First

But this staff member demonstrated the more important part of this idea— that caring should come first, not just included when it’s convenient, but first. This can often be difficult to do especially when you’re feeling rushed, when your own concerns feel urgent, or when your principled agenda seems completely clear to you. That counselor really needed her question answered, but she put me and our relationship first before asking it. Another example, and certainly a more difficult one, is when you have to reprimand someone or give a person critical feedback, like when a counselor needs to correct a camper’s negative behavior. Even when that camper’s behavior is frustrating or annoying, we try to begin by remembering the positive qualities of our relationship, the sense of mutual care and support we all share at camp. That kindness, the gentle compassion of it, makes a big difference. In a community this close, it’s crucial, and at Rockbrook, it’s something that defines who we are. Sure, we don’t always live up to this ideal, but we recognize it as a value we strive to realize.

Needlecraft on the Porch

Everyday on the back porch of the Curosty cabin, you can find girls carefully threading needles with colorful string and yarn for cross-stitch, crochet and knitting projects. That’s where the “Needlecraft” activity meets. It’s a wonderful shady spot looking out into the woods and within earshot of Rockbrook Creek babbling through the center of camp. Like all the porches around camp (There are 8 different ones, not counting the smaller porches on some of the cabins), this is a welcoming place to hang out and enjoy the company of other campers. Cool and breezy, these porches are really comfortable in the summer, great places to work on an arts and crafts project like drawing, making jewelry or cross-stitch. And as you might expect, they are likewise the scene of many hilarious conversations.

It’s been fun to poke my head into the pottery studio this week. This is one of the activities that’s immediately accessible, with simple techniques that take very little time to demonstrate and learn. Coils, slabs, pinching and shaping! No matter what age the camper, she will have an idea of what to do with that clay. It’s almost an instinct. I also noticed several girls working on the more advance skill of using the potters’s wheel. Several were really getting the hang of it too. Starting carefully, they were drawing the centered clay slowly upward forming the wall of their cup or bowl. Later, after their pieces dry, they’ll paint on difference glazes that will turn bright and colorful after being fired in the kilns. There really are some amazing works of art being produced!

Feel free to reach out to us at anytime if we can answer a question or help somehow. Thanks for your support and encouragement. Your girls are having a great time in “The Heart of a Wooded Mountain.”