Camp Intensity

Sometimes the word that best describes life at camp is “intense.” Sure there are moments for quiet relaxation (yea, rest hour!) and easy-going meandering, but throughout our days, there is intensity to what we’re doing at camp. When an activity is exciting, it’s intensely exciting. When an experience is thrilling, it’s powerfully thrilling. There are so many examples of this camp intensity! —Singing in the dining hall, the cold water plunge of the lake, the adventure of zooming through the trees on the zipline, all-day socializing with friends, riding a horse, climbing 50 feet in the air on the Alpine Tower, concentrating on a weaving pattern in Curosty, pulling back your bow ready to shoot an arrow, adding one more element to complete a wacky costume, walking down the line at night with just a flashlight, afternoon thunderstorms, and finding a “spricket” in the shower, all come to mind.

Camp life is intense for several reasons. Living this close to nature is one. It’s simply intense to encounter directly the forces of nature like weather events, insects and other creatures, especially when back home you rarely do so. Another reason is that many of the activities we offer at camp are inherently challenging. They push the campers past what’s comfortable for them. Many camp activities take practice to develop new skills, or require physical strength to overcome obstacles. All of our adventure activities would be examples of this.

Perhaps the biggest reason camp life is intense relates to the emotions we experience here. Yes, camp is emotional, intensely emotional. This is a natural response to life here being so social. Spending this much time with a group of people, being kind to them and receiving genuine kindness, brings us closer together forming deep connections. These relationships amplify everything we’re feeling at camp— even more excited, more joyful, and more enthusiastic. The people around us add spirit to whatever we’re doing. Doing things together like this makes us feel those experiences more wholeheartedly. Being happy at camp means being intensely happy, and the girls love it.

summer camp ukelele players

This week, several of our Middler and Senior campers have been treated to some ukulele time.  Maddy, one of the instructors from the Mountain School of Strings here in Brevard, has come out a couple of mornings to share her love of ukuleles.  She gathered with the girls on the Junior Lodge porch to teach them several basic chords and then to play familiar songs, like a Rockbrook version of “Country Roads” by John Denver and “The Coconut Song,” another camp favorite.  The ukuleles are also available to campers to borrow and play together during their free times.  It’s wonderful to see campers trying something new and stretching themselves.  Even after these short lessons, they’re already sounding pretty good! We look forward to hearing more music around camp.

The whitewater rafting trips we took today on the Nantahala River were certainly intense as well. Perfect sunny weather set the tone for a wonderful fun day on the water for all 75 Middlers and Seniors who chose to go. With 6 or 7 girls in each raft, they laughed and splashed, bumped and paddled their way down the river, enjoying the thrill of the rapids. The girls added a good dose of silliness to the trips, posing for photos, making high-fives with their paddles, and riding the bull until they fell back into the boat or forward into the river. One girl said with a smile, “I fell in 4 times!” Be sure to check out the online photo gallery for many more photos of those trips.

rockbrook summer camp girls

Bubbling with Anticipation

new summer camp friends

Today marked the arrival of the campers attending the second of our July Mini sessions. It was an exciting morning for everyone. Of course the arriving campers were bubbling with anticipation for their camp session to start. After waiting for months, or even a whole year, it was finally the day. The parents too seemed excited, excited for the opportunities awaiting their girls, but also thrilled with the process of meeting everyone in the check-in process. One parent commented on how enthusiastic everyone seemed this morning. That was certainly true as families made their way around the lake and to the top of the driveway where the counselors were jumping and cheering for each arriving camper. I’d say this excitement carried the full session campers too because these arriving mini session girls would be new friends to enjoy camp with. It was a cheerful morning all around!

new summer camp mates

Arriving at camp can bring with it feelings of nervousness too. As expected— it’s totally normal —there were several girls who looked like there were some butterflies fluttering inside as well. Excited yes, but also a little nervous, even for the returning campers. Sarah and I tried to reassure everyone that once we get started at camp, begin actually doing things, these feelings fade fast. Meeting cabin mates and counselors helps, but it’s also a great relief to realize that what’s cool at Rockbrook is being your true silly self, singing really loud, and being nice to everyone. It doesn’t take long to see how it’s going to be easy to fit in, and have a lot of fun with all these friendly people.

The full-session girls continued with their regular Sunday morning routine, raising the flag and gathering for Chapel. “Togetherness” was the theme presented by the Senior campers. Just before lunch we held a quick assembly in the shade of the huge walnut tree on the hill. It was an opportunity for Sarah to welcome everyone, make a few introductions, and each line to lead everyone singing a couple of camp songs. Felix, the camp dog, also made an appearance.

carnival kid at summer camp

The highlight of the day awaited us after rest hour. We had a Candy Land Carnival on our grassy landsports field, complete with two large inflatables, games, music, and special food.

The food was a unique sweet treat. We had Jenny’s Mini Donuts, a local food truck specializing in donut-making, at the ready to serve up their treats. Throughout the event, we called each cabin group of girls to visit the pink truck and chose between cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar toppings for their donuts. Each camper received a tray of mini donuts to enjoy as they wandered around the carnival. The donuts were a big hit!

Meanwhile carnival games and inflatables kept everyone moving. Both inflatables involved water elements, and since we had bright sunny summer skies, the afternoon heat made the splashes even more refreshing. One inflatable featured a steep slide into a one-foot-deep pool, while the other offered a side-by-side obstacle course where two people raced to reach the pool at the end. The challenge of the course added an extra layer of excitement, and participating with a partner made it even more enjoyable, both for the participants and the spectators. A crowd of girls gathered around each inflatable, cheering on the participants as they splashed into the pools below.

Among the candy-themed games was a life-sized Candy Land game spread across the grass. Teams of girls took turns “rolling” a giant inflatable die and advancing along a colorful trail made of rubber mats. Similar to the board game, certain squares had special effects when a team landed on them. For instance, landing on Gramma Nutt’s square meant going back five squares, whereas landing on Missy Lolly’s square rewarded everyone with a lollipop. The first team to reach the end of the trail also won a small candy treat.

group of joyful children

Another game challenged the girls to toss inflated donuts onto a cone, which turned out to be trickier than it initially seemed. Fortunately, the girls could try as many times as they wanted until they successfully landed a toss. Similarly, one game involved tossing beanbags at a target, aiming to get the beanbag through a small hole. Another game involved a crazy challenge of unwrapping a wad of plastic wrap that had layers of small candies embedded in it. The challenge came from having to use your feet instead of your hands to unwrap it!

Throughout the event, the girls sang and danced along to lively pop music, including a few candy-related songs. Hits like “I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow and “Lollipop” by the Chordettes made appearances, creating a joyful and energetic atmosphere.

With superb summer weather, dozens of new friends, lively music, tasty treats, and active games to play, it was a fantastic way to spend the afternoon and an even better welcome for the new session girls.

summer camp kids and counselor staff

Second Session Video Snapshot – Part Two

Robbie Francis of FrancisFilmworks visited camp again and has produced another short video for us. He spent another day filming, worked his editing magic, and now we have this new wonderful snapshot of camp life. The video does a beautiful job of depicting the mood at camp this session… so much action and so many happy girls!

Click below to watch the video…. and let us know what you think.

Camp is Easy

It struck me again today about how special it feels at camp right now. Today is the first day between our two July mini sessions, that time of the summer when only the 4-week second session girls are here. It feels special for a number of reasons. First, because the July Mini 1 session girls have left, it’s smaller; we have only 140 campers instead of 220. This makes activity classes more intimate, trip logistics easier with fewer campers going, and generally everything slows down a notch or two. A bigger difference though is that these full session girls have by now relaxed and fully embraced camp life. For most of them, this is not their first year at Rockbrook, so they also have a deep understanding of what it is. They know its rhythms, the freedom and opportunities, the familiar patterns to their days. They instinctively know what to do and where to go. Camp is easy for them. And this makes it even more meaningful because it feels like it’s their camp, their special place where they can play, be goofy, dig deeper into their interests, and feel even stronger waves of confidence everyday.

the deep friendship of summer cmap

Even more significant, however, is the warmth of friendship glowing among these girls. Spending this much time together has brought them closer. They’re talking together more casually, laughing together more frequently, and helping each other more spontaneously. They’re being sweet to each other, easily kind and positive about the people around them. Everywhere you look there are pairs, threes or groups of girls enjoying each other’s company.

It’s wonderful to see girls hugging more, walking arm and arm, sharing chairs just so they can sit close together. These girls love each other, and also this camp (yes, in that order, I’d say), in surprising and marvelous ways. That’s what’s extra special about camp right now— it’s a palpable expression of what camp is all about.

All of the regular camp activities are still happening too. The zipline course for example, saw groups flying through the trees all day. This is a unique course built among the huge rocks up behind the main part of camp. It includes three zip lines and three challenging bridges to traverse, making it both challenging and thrilling at the same time. The first zip sends the girls right in front of Stick Biscuit Falls, the waterfall you can see from the back of the camp office building. The final zip is the longest and fastest ride of the course. It launches from a large rock face and goes almost 450 feet back into camp giving everyone on the hill a clear view of the fun.

The pottery studios at camp— there are two: upper and lower —are always fun places to visit. Pottery is a popular activity option, so they are ordinarily filled with girls busily shaping clay, some rolling it into coils or flattening it into slabs, maybe extruding it through a press, or carving designs into a more finished piece. Off to one side, there’ll be girls sitting at the potter’s wheels, like today when all the wheels where spinning. It takes some practice to get the hang of throwing on the wheel, but everyone can learn to center their clay, and pull up a bowl or pot of some kind. It’s very satisfying to finally get it. With some drying and glazing and then some time in the kiln, they’ll have beautiful works to show.

Finally, this was a special day for all of the Taylor Swift fans out there, and here at camp, that means just about everyone. Today she released the re-recording of her 2010 Speak Now album. In response to a dispute with her original record label, Taylor Swift is re-recording her early albums, and this is the 3rd in that series. It includes new “Taylor’s Versions” of the original songs plus previously unreleased songs written when she was working on the album originally, songs “From the Vault.” To celebrate, we held a Taylor Swift dance party in the gym during the evening twilight time. We played all the songs form the Vault on the new Speak Now, plus a few of our favorite original cuts. This lasted only about 45 minutes, but it was a fun way to keep our “Swifties” satisfied.

Camp life is a good life these days. You might even call it a great life!

summer camp kayaking crew

Greater Humanity

One of my favorite things to do at camp is to wander around and find groups of girls happily busy with something, and then stop to hang out with them a while. It’s enjoyable because they are always keen to explain what they’re doing, to answer my questions, and generally to chat about whatever is on their minds. This can happen anytime of the day at one of the tetherball courts, for example. There’ll always be a group huddled around taking turns challenging the winner of the last game. The same is true at the Gagaball arena, at the lake when it’s open for free swim periods before lunch and dinner, at the creek passing by the Curosty cabin, on the grassy camp hill, or one of the many porches around camp.

teen girl at camp without her phone

This happened the other afternoon when I sat down for a few minutes on the dining hall porch where three 10th graders (who at RBC we call “Hi-Ups”) were hanging out in the red rocking chairs. We chatted a bit about camp, but things got more interesting when I asked them how they were handling being away from their smartphones.

Since these were seasoned camp girls who have been coming to Rockbrook for 4, 7 and 10 years, I had a hunch how they would answer. Unanimously, they said they loved being at camp without their phones. They were completely sure camp would be ruined if they had access to their phone. “But, why is that?” I asked.

They explained that they generally have a “love-hate” relationship with their phones. At home, they need a phone to communicate with their friends, but sometimes found its demands on their attention to be “exhausting.” Too often at school, they find themselves in a group where everyone is staring down at their phone and not really engaging very much with each other. Too often, scrolling through Instagram is the way they spend every free minute. One brought up the documentary film, The Social Dilemma, and its argument that social media use is unhealthy for individuals (especially young people) and society. They knew their phones were in many ways “bad for them,” and they didn’t like it, but they still “had to” use them.

Being away at camp, they explained, gave them permission to ignore that glowing screen and that insistent ping they live with at home. Camp allows them to avoid those pressures and instead slow down to connect more genuinely with the people and world around them. Here at Rockbrook, they spend their time actually doing things in the real world, finding real people to talk with, discovering chance encounters, and taking control of their days. “It just feels so good to be here, and being away from my phone is a part of that,” one girl wisely realized.

Smartphone use is antithetical to camp, literally at odds with our camp philosophy and mission. Far more than the allure of curated electronic content, camp is about rich experiences, face-to-face friendships, and the sense of belonging inspired by living in a true community. Through caring and kindness, we are building deep connections at camp, unquestionably more meaningful than the narrow, algorithmically idealized version of things served up by any flickering electronic companion. Smartphones isolate you and are correlated with feelings of loneliness, while camp pulls you into a friendly community.

Instead of marketing polish, camp is a place where we can be messy and explore. Instead of limiting what we experience, camp life has a power to unlock deeper layers of our personality, our sense of humor, creativity, curiosity and awareness of beauty in the tiniest detail. You see, all of this— what we might call a “greater humanity” —blossoms camp, but is undermined by internet technology and social media.

summer camp community

These 16-year-old girls, despite being perhaps the least likely to agree with all of this, in fact model it exactly. They have a personal sense that being away from their phone, and the negative consequences it can cause, plays a major role in why they love camp so much.

Toward the end of our conversation, the girls admitted that when they return home, they’ll likely be pulled right back into using their phones “all the time.” Away from camp, they simply need their smartphones as an important tool. Still, my hope for them is that they’ll recall their time at Rockbrook and realize the tech-free world we enjoy here is not entirely impossible to replicate at home. It won’t be easy, unfortunately, because the outside world provides very little incentive for limiting one’s smartphone use. In fact, it’s just the opposite; there are constant pressures to expand our use of these devices.

At least these Rockbrook campers now understand the benefits of taking a break from the internet. They now know that true companionship doesn’t come through their smartphones. Thanks to their time at Rockbrook, they have experienced firsthand how shallow and ultimately unsatisfying a life lived on one’s phone actually is. They know the good news that there’s much, much more to living than what their phones can provide. Let’s hope camp will motivate them in the future to push past what pops up on their screen.

I’ll say it again. Thank goodness for camp, a special place where children enjoy themselves, experience the profound delight of true connection, learn and grow beautifully.

summer camp friends and counselor

Second Session Video Snapshot

If you ask most people about what it’s like to be a kid at summer camp, even if they’ve been themselves, they’ll struggle to describe life at camp. There’s just so much more to it than any single account can provide. Photos are better, but they too don’t really do it justice. Photos miss the emotion, the action, the laughter, and chatter of a vibrant group of kids.

Fortunately, we have some video as well. We’re happy to say Robbie Francis of FrancisFilmworks is again working with us this summer to produce short videos each session.  He came to camp recently and now has his first video snapshot of this session ready for you to see.

Take a look! We love how it captures some of the feeling of camp this session.

P.S. Be sure to have the volume turned up. Hearing camp is amazing!

As Rich as It Comes

It’s hard to overestimate the amount of activity that occurs in a single day at Rockbrook. It’s even a little mind boggling when you take a detailed look into how the activities, trips, special events, and ordinary moments around camp weave together. Perhaps this multi-layered complexity isn’t surprising when you consider the number of people involved— about 220 campers (almost a record!), 65 cabin counselors (a few more than normal), plus directors, adventure staff members, activity specialist instructors (horseback riding, ceramics, weaving, gymnastics, gardening, woodworking), and all of the support staff in the kitchen, health center, photography, housekeeping and maintenance crews. Every one of these people are engaged everyday, contributing to the community feel of camp, helping and being helped in countless ways.

Go anywhere in camp on any day and you’ll be amazed by the sustained action there. Naturally, the kitchen is buzzing all day long, from 6am when the baker arrives to begin work on the day’s surprise muffin flavor, until about 7:30pm when the evening crew finishes cleaning up and getting things ready for the next day. Likewise for the housekeeping and maintenance crews: they start early and go all day. It’s really true for most everyone at camp. Of course the campers are zipping from one thing to the next, and the staff are teaching and guiding throughout the day. We’re all busy almost all day, from waking up to laying down at night. Life at camp is full!

This life is not low-calorie; it’s as rich as it comes.

Recognizing this richness explains why our daily rest hour is so popular. You might expect some degree of resistance from campers who are asked to climb into their bunks for an hour each day, and when they first arrive at camp, there is a bit of that, but once we match the rhythms of camp, everyone yearns for that mid-day rest. Going up and down the hills of Rockbrook, back and forth to the cabin to change clothes (out of riding pants and into your swimsuit, for example), plus the physical aspects of many activities themselves— flipping in gymnastics, climbing the Alpine tower, paddling a canoe, whacking a tennis ball, or shooting a basketball, and so on —all add up to an active morning. After lunch, everyone needs a nap! Counselors and campers alike.

Today was something we call “Cabin Day.” This is when we take the afternoon and allow each cabin group to do something together. Ordinarily, each camper selects and individual schedule, scattering cabin makes across the many activity options. So cabin day is an opportunity for cabin group bonding, enjoying an afternoon together.

The variety of cabin day activities today was impressive. Groups took short hikes on the camp property to Rockbrook Falls for playing in the water, and Castle Rock for soaking in the long view of the French Broad valley. Some had played a series of relay games at the landsports field. Others devised complex protections for an egg drop game. There was a gagaball tournament, an archery clinic, and a diving board trick show. Other groups worked jewelry making into their time together.

summer camp tennis kids

A few Junior cabins took trips to a local farm to pick flowers and get up close to the resident bunnies and chickens. They also were happy to learn they would be stopping at Dolly’s Dairy bar on the way home, completing the outing.

All of the Mini session Middlers and Seniors spent their evening enjoying a classic mountain thrill: a trip to Sliding Rock. Almost 100 of us arrived ready to slide. With our lifeguards in place at the far end of the pool, the girls were thrilled to slide two-by-two down the 60-foot natural water slide. The water is 55 degrees, and with the sun setting behind the mountain, sliding was as exciting as it was chilly. These girls too made a visit to Dolly’s. There’s something about a rich ice cream treat that makes it the perfect way to end a night out of camp. Rich upon rich! We all love it.

Sliding rock grils screaming

The Fun Themselves

On a regular day, the girls wake up around 8am at camp. They get dressed and tackle their cabin chores before making their way to the dining hall for breakfast at 8:30. Today it was a cool 60 degrees when we woke up, so a cozy long-sleeve fleece or sweatshirt felt great. That’s pretty typical of the June weather at Rockbrook.

Some days, however, groups of girls will get up early because they are heading out of camp for an adventure. Today, a group of 36 campers, plus their counselors, met in the dining hall at 7am for a quick breakfast of bagels, fruit, cereal and yogurt. They were a little groggy, but also excited, because they were going whitewater rafting on the Nantahala river. This is by far the most popular trip we offer. It’s open to Middlers and Seniors (5th grade and older) and almost every one of them goes at some point during their session.

goofy teenage rafters
big whotewater rafting

We ran two groups down the river today, one before lunch and one after, 84 people all together. Both trips hit the water with clear perfect weather and with boats full of high spirited friends for 2-hours of whitewater excitement. The rapids of the Nantahala all have unique characteristics that make them interesting and fun. There’s Patton’s Run, Delbar’s Rock, The Whirlpool, and the big finale, the Nantahala Falls. It’s a complete blast for girls to come this close to the power and intensity of fast-moving whitewater, to be bounced in (and sometimes out of!) the rafts while being splashed by the cold, cold water of the river. I always say, though, that the biggest reason rafting is so much fun is that you’re doing it with your friends. It’s the social aspect of rafting, the hilarity of being splashed together, the screaming with delight when your boat hits a wave— this creates the kind of fun that’s uniquely thrilling and memorable.

As I watched these trips unfold, taking photos along the way, I was struck again by just how unique this experience is for your girls. It’s not the rafting per se, the specific river we’re on, the RBC guides, or the weather. What’s unique is the fun created by the girls being together. Their friendships, relaxed way of interacting, and their silly enthusiasm amplifies the experience. Rafts from other rafting companies float by silently, while the Rockbrook rafts scream, and wave, and sing, and pose for the camera. There’s almost constant laughter, conversation, and wide-eyed exuberance. The adventure of the rafting itself initiates the experience, but it’s really just the context for the girls and their relationship with each other to flourish. It’s a joy to see it in action.

all camp dance evening

Something similar took place after dinner when another all-camp Evening Program brought us to the gym. It was time for our “Monster Mash” dance. Our theme for the day was “Not Scary Halloween,” which means “Let your costume imagination run wild!” There was a carton of milk, a hippie, Annie (from the musical), a taco, a pickle, a leopard, a kiwi, several princesses and fairies, and so many things in between. Our local DJ, DJ Marcus, was here with his lights and sound system, and our Rockbrook girls showed up ready to groove. Here too, they created the fun themselves. Together they jumped and sang. They literally let loose— hair, arms and legs flying around in all directions. They encouraged each other, modeled different dance moves, and joined line dances like “Cotton-eyed Joe.” The culture of camp makes being together like this generate energy, fanning the flames of excitement in ways that are impossible to duplicate elsewhere. Camp makes it possible because it encourages everyone here to relax and be themselves, be kids without academic or social pressures. It’s welcoming and relentlessly encouraging. It inclines everyone toward connecting with others, with nature, and with real-world activity. There’s simply a unique power when you combine all of this. And yes, it’s this power that makes anything we do at camp fun. Magic!

north carolina summer camp girls

Already Loving It

You may have heard of the special event at Rockbrook called the “Banquet.” This is an all-camp party held at the end of each main session. Our 9th grade campers— the “CAs” —plan and present the banquet, and since it is their project, they also decide what will be the event’s central theme. This is crucial because it is the focus of every part of the Banquet: the food, decorations, costumed performers, choreographed dances, and treats for the campers. Also, the theme is kept secret until the unveiling of the event. It’s just more fun to be surprised!

very silly camp kids

Today, this session’s CAs picked the theme for their Banquet. As you might guess, 23 girls can think of a lot of different themes, and that selecting one could be a challenge. To narrow down their list, we leave camp— for privacy —and then take a hike, discussing all their ideas, weighing what sounds best for the group. Today we began with about 50 different possible themes, but after an hour of walking and talking, one idea was the clear favorite. It was almost a unanimous decision with everyone pitching in ways to make the theme even better, and getting excited about how they’ll be involved in the preparations. What did they pick? You’ll find out in a few weeks!

Today was also the first full day of camp activities, with the girls fanning out across the camp to tack up horses, snap on a climbing helmet, take careful aim at an archery or riflery target, grip their tennis racket, shape hunks of clay, dip a paintbrush, twist a crochet hook, and so much more. We had the littlest Juniors flying through the trees on the zip line course. All 32 horse down at the barn had at least one rider today. Every craft area unleashed waves of creativity. The girls laughed and learned. They ate their first warm muffin (mint chocolate chip was today’s flavor.). They checked their mail after lunch and relaxed in their bunks during rest hour. This day was moving!

Tonight’s dinner was a picnic on the hill. Rick prepared a hotdog meal for us, including both beef and veggie dogs, buns, homemade coleslaw, pickles, baked beans, and all the condiments. For dessert, the kitchen baked delicious lemon bars. So good! The weather was perfect on the hill with bright sunshine, low humidity and a light breeze. Once the girls had their plates, they spread out to different areas of hill to sit and eat with groups of friends. It was a happy and relaxed scene.

summer camp campfire song

A little later, the Evening Program was a fun all-camp campfire. Here too, we announced a theme and invited everyone to come dressed in a costume. At camp, everyone knows that costumes make anything more fun. Tonight it was a Appalachian Mountain theme, something we call a “Jug Band.” Sarah came dressed as her alter ego “Sayree,” the fiddling, granny with a pet (rubber) rattlesnake named “Fish.” With a guitar, Ukelele, and fiddle playing along, the Hi-Ups helped lead everyone in a program of songs and skits. The campfire crackled and bathed us in wood smoke, while we laughed, clapped and sang into the evening under the big white oak trees nearby.

This was a wonderful way to finish up our first full day together at Rockbrook. I can already tell this group of girls loves camp. There’s kindness and enthusiasm coloring everything. There’s a beautiful mix of familiarity and excitement for what might be new. There’s already a sense of community that, no doubt, will only grow stronger over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned; this is going to be good!

summer camp silly costumes