Each year, we challenge our staff to spread the camp spirit around their community well beyond the summer. The holidays are a great time to utilize the lessons you learned while working at camp. See if you can complete all ten of these holiday tasks by the new year!
1. Try something new. It can be anything- a new food, signing up to volunteer – whatever you want!
Try Something New
2. Slow things down and spend some quality time with your friends.
Spend Time With Friends
3. Reminisce about the passing year. Think about all the fun you had in 2012. Be prepared for all the good times you’ll create in 2013.
Reminisce About the Passing Year
4. Be silly! Have a dance party, sing in the shower, put on a costume!
Be Silly
5. Lead the charge. Be the one to start something. Organize a food drive in your neighborhood – start a jump rope contest – make and deliver wreaths to all of your neighbors.
Be a Leader
6. Get Crafty! You don’t need to spend a fortune to give great gifts this holiday season. Just a little creativity and inspiration and va-la! You’ve created a gift from the heart.
Get Crafty
7. Lend a helping hand. Wherever you see the need, help out.
Help Out
8. Laugh until your stomach hurts!
Laugh
9. Kick your shoes off. It’s so easy to rush, rush, rush during the holiday season. Remind yourself to relax.
Relax
10. Let the comfort and joy you experienced at Rockbrook show loud and proud in your community.
Charlotte and I recently returned from a Rockbrook Roadtrip, and I wanted to share some of our highlights with you. We traveled far and wide looking for RBC girls. In just seven days we landed in five different cities, spent time with six awesome host families, met eight new canine friends, filled the gas tank close to ten times, saw nearly 150 slices of pizza be devoured, and laughed with countless Rockbrook campers, alumnae, and new pals. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
On day one, we headed south from Brevard and made it to Atlanta where we had a Rockbrook party at camper Kate’s house. Kate hosted the party with her mom, Betsy, a RBC alumna. We had so much fun! We weren’t ready to leave Georgia after we had such a great time in Atlanta, so we made stops in Columbus and Macon. In Columbus, we laughed all night with Emma, our host camper, and her brother Cam. We fell in love with their new puppy, Tank, but Emma wouldn’t let us take him home.
Tank resting in his basket!
Tank wasn’t the only furry friend that we wanted to take home with us. We had a party at Anna Kate’s house in Macon where I was introduced to her sweet dog, Ollie. I had heard rumors that Ollie was one of the best dogs I would ever meet. Let me assure you, THE RUMORS ARE TRUE. We saw lots of Rockbrook campers at the party in Macon, and Anna Kate’s mom Kathleen, a former camper herself, built a fire so we could all make s’mores. Yum- talk about a crowd pleaser!
Anna Kate and Ollie roast a s’more
We visited Charlotte’s mom’s house in Georgia before heading North for our last two shows. It’s only necessary that I mention this because I was able to snap a picture of LITTLE CHARLOTTE that I feel I must share with you. Enjoy.
After three fabulous shows in Georgia we made the eight hour drive to Charlottesville to catch up with camper Hannah Margaret and her parents, Wendy and Ed. We loved seeing so many Rockbrook girls in Virginia, and a couple of loyal counselors, Lyndsey and Greer, made appearances also. However, it was Hannah Margaret and her dog, Freckles, who stole the show in Charlottesville. Freckles, a show dog in his own right, has won ribbons in a couple of local dog shows with Hannah Margaret as his trainer. Go Freckles, Go!!!
We were sad to leave Charlottesville, but excited to make it to DC where campers Tia, Wiley and Sarah were waiting for us! The DC party, hosted by Alison and Jill, was such a blast! The energy was amazing, and everyone was so excited to hear about camp. We gave all the girls some RBC shades, and they rocked them To wrap our trip up, we had dinner with some of our favorite Rockbrook counselors in DC. Elizabeth, Katie, Christine, Jane, Kendal, Charlotte and I laughed all night long. It was great to catch up! We had such a great time out on the open road, and we loved seeing so many Rockbrook faces- new and old! Thanks for coming out, y’all! We hope to see you all again soon!
We’ve written before about how to make a s’more, and even discussed the history of s’mores, but now the folks over at REI have put together a cool infographic explaining what s’mores are, a few tips about making them, and some great ideas about variations you can try (adding peanut butter, for example). Take a look!
Rockbrook girls know how to have a good time. Thanksgiving is the perfect day to show off your camp skills. Read on for a few ideas about how to put your Rockbrook knowledge to use this Turkey Day, Gobble Gobble:
-Rockbrook girls love to help out! Offer a helping hand to anyone who is working to prepare the holiday meal.
-Rockbrook girls love to get creative! Prepare a skit or talent show for your family. While the turkey’s in the oven you can wow the crew with your talents!
-Rockbrook girls love to get dirty! If there is any dish that requires you to mash, peel, or mix with your hands-go for it. Who needs a mixing spoon when you have the opportunity to make a little mess?
-Rockbrook girls love to share! If you and your sister both love pumpkin pie and there’s only one piece left, why don’t you split the piece in two? Vwah-la!
-Rocbrook girls love to get a little silly! Tell a story or two from camp at the table. The sillier the better. (You’ll get extra points if you can make your family laugh so hard they snort!)
-Rockbrook girls love to sing! Teach your family a campfire song to sing after the meal. They’ll be thankful you did.
-Rockbrook girls love to try new things! Go for it! Today’s the day- you’ve never tried Brussels sprouts? gravy? cranberry sauce? Be a little adventurous and give them a whirl!
However you use your Rockbrook style this Thanksgiving, just do your thing!
Your personality. You take it with you everywhere you go in life. Just like your trunk and your linens, it certainly comes with you to camp. Dr. Ethan D. Schafer describes different aspects of our personalities in his article How Understanding Your Personality Will Make You a Better Counselor. He shows us how understanding these components and their interplay with one another can transform our success as counselors.
Dr. Schafer outlines “the big five model”. This is a set of five major traits by which we can all be measured- thus, our personalities. Each of the five traits exists in a continuum rather then a category. If you categorize your personality your claim, then, is that you’re either, for example, an extravert or you’re not. You may not be surprised that researchers claim that your personality is much more complicated than that. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle of these two claims.
The “big five” personality traits Schafer suggests that counselors explore in their own personalities are extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness. As previously mentioned, considering each trait as a continuum, counselors determine where their personalities fall by aligning with a “very low” or “very high” amount of each trait on the five scales. It is important to keep in mind, Schafer warns, that personality traits are neither “good” nor “bad- they are what they are. The importance in understanding our own tendencies lies in how we use our personalities to effectively interact with the world.
Extraversion:
Extraversion refers to how strongly someone is programmed to seek positive emotions. In general, high scorers on this scale are sociable and enthusiastic. At camp, these counselors will embrace all the new opportunities presented to them, but may struggle to “follow through” on certain tasks. Low scorers are sometimes called “introverted.” They tend to be more careful and measured in how they relate to others or how they try new things. These counselors may prefer small group settings and will need to schedule more down time to refresh themselves.
Neuroticism:
Neuroticism refers to how someone is wired to experience negative emotions like anxiety or sadness. High scorers tend to be “sensitive”, they feel emotions intensely. This can work well at camp because these people tend to be more prepared for stress as they have had more practice dealing with it. They are more likely to be on guard for dangers; a very useful tool in risk management. These counselors really need to monitor their emotions while at camp. Low scorers on this scale tend to stay calmer in a crisis situation, but are less likely to take the emotional distress of others seriously because they struggle to connect with it. These counselors need training in risk management.
Conscientiousness:
Conscientiousness refers to self-control. High scorers tend to be disciplined and organized. These counselors do well at camp with autonomy and a set of responsibilities. They may have trouble when a situation calls for flexibility. Low scorers are a bit more spontaneous and impulsive. They do well with situations that are fluid and constantly changing. These counselors must work on skills such as planning and promptness.
Agreeableness:
Agreeableness refers to caring about others. High scorers are empathic. Counselors with high agreeableness will be very patient and understanding. They will, however, need to work on listening to constructive criticism without taking it too personally. Low scorers put less weight on emotional factors and interpersonal issues when making choices about how to behave. These counselors tend to do well with making difficult decisions without taking matters personally. Low scorers need to make deliberate efforts to understand the emotions of other staff members and campers.
Openness to Experience:
High scorers in this category tend to be unconventional and creative. At camp, this leads to innovated thinking and leadership styles. These counselors may need direction, however, to value the traditions and the structure of camp. Low scorers are more literal and concrete. These counselors love to work on concrete tasks. They need to work to remember not to allow their disinterest in more free-flowing ideas to influence their camper’s decisions.
Schafer concludes by stating that learning what works best for our personalities is a lifelong process. Camp is the perfect place to begin.
Did you know that Rockbrook was founded only 2 years after women earned the right to vote? The 19th Amendment was passed on June 4, 1919 and Rockbrook officially opened on July 6, 1921. Nancy Carrier, founder of Rockbrook, was certainly ahead of her time in creating a space for young women to come to gain independence, learn skills, make friendships and take part in adventures. It is hard to imagine the excitement a camper must have felt to pack up and ride the train to Brevard and stay at camp for 8 weeks! Here are some wonderful historical excerpts from an early camp catalog that describe the adventures.
“For 25 years camping parties have gone out from Rockbrook, thus they know by experience how far the first hike may go, where is the best spot for a moon-light supper and in what sheltered coves tents may be pitched for a stay of several days. They know where the coldest springs lie hid; when the huckle-berries are ripe on the top of the ridges’ and on whose property a canoeing party may camp.”
“Hiking. Here at Rockbrook, it means a well regulated walk amid scenes of unsurpassed beauty with a party of congenial comrades. The over-night hikes, taken after the girls have learned to climb up and down, to make camp and to care for themselves and others, are among our most popular sports.”
“The Pisgah National Game Preserve is within reach of both riding and hiking parties from Rockbrook. The forest regulations are complied with so that campers may enjoy the camping and fishing if they wish to do so.”Thanks to strong, empowered women like Nancy Carrier, we think Rockbrook Girls have always been ahead of their time! Here’s to many more years of fun, friendship and adventure in the heart of a wooded mountain.
During a staff meeting this past summer, we divided our counselors into groups of four. Each group was given a set of famous quotations that they were asked to relate to their job at a summer camp. After five minutes the groups traded quotations and the pattern continued until each counselor had analyzed about 25 different quotes.
Some of the responses from counselors were funny, some sweet and tender, and many were thought-provoking. Take a look at a sampling of the words that inspired our job performance last summer.
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the sky.” -Jack Kerouac, On the Road
“Do the things you talked about doing but never did. Know when to let go and when to hold on tight. Stop rushing. Don’t be intimidated to say it like it is. Stop apologizing all the time. Learn to say no, so your yes has some oomph. Spend time with friends who lift you up, and cut loose the ones who bring you down. Stop giving your power away. Be more concerned with being interested than being interesting. Be old enough to appreciate your freedom, and young enough to enjoy it. Finally, know who you are.” -Kristin Armstrong
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” -Neale Donald Walsh
“Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there.” -Josh Billings
“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.” -Unknown
