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This author profile represents a collective of people contributing to articles and blog posts on the Rockbrook Summer Camp Site. These authors include camp directors, counselors, adventure staff members, camp moms, and other volunteers, each providing their unique perspective and thoughts on life at camp.
Girls Painting Camp
• Arts • rbc

Girls Painting at Camp

Girls Painting Camp

There seems to always be some kind of painting going on at Rockbrook Camp— paint, brushes, paper, cardboard. Everyday in the painting and drawing activity, of course, girls are painting, working on composition, color, texture, perspective, etc.

In the drama activity, girls will be painting scenery for the end of session play. During one of the special afternoon events— like a carnival, for example —there’ll be face painting, of like in this picture, body painting to show your team spirit. In the “Hodge Podge” craft activity, chance are you’ll see girls painting fabric pillow cases, backpacks, or bandannas. The ninth grader CAs do tons of painting as they prepare decorations for the big surprise banquet at the end of each session. It’s really quite amazing how much painting we do at camp.  There’s no need to bring a brush (we’ll have those too!), but come ready to add color to almost everything you do!

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Child Kayaker
• Adventure • rbc

Kayaking for Kids

Kid Kayaker

Whitewater kayaking is really catching on with the kids at Rockbook, and not just with our Seniors. Our Middlers, kids in the 5th or 6th grade, are also excited about kayaking.

You might think that is a little young to start such a technical sport, but the camp girls are usually quick to catch on to what’s involved. They learn about the equipment and basic techniques in the Rockbrook lake, and when ready, then move to one of the local rivers.

Even on the Rockbrook Camp property, there is a short section of the French Broad river that provides a great teaching rapid. It’s a nice cove of the river perfect for learning to ferry, peel out, and catch an eddy— three important kayaking maneuvers. Next stop? The Green, the Tuckaseegee, and the Nantahala rivers!

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Horse summer camp two girls
• Horseback Riding • rbc

A Camp of Horses

horses riding summer camp

Let’s talk horses! Every summer at camp we have a herd of easy-going ponies as well as excellent, schooled horses for our riding program. Some of these are owned by Rockbrook and others by St. Andrews University Equine Program, but all of them work year-round staying in shape for their 12 weeks of summer riding in the mountains of North Carolina. Rockbrook is definitely a camp of horses!

So without further ado, here are some of the horses returning to Rockbrook this summer. Most of them were at camp last summer too. Do you recognize any of them?

Annie — black mare, 13.2
Danny — bay gelding, 14
Buddy — grey gelding, 14
Lacy — strawberry roan mare, 13.1
Moe — chestnut gelding, 16.2
Oliver — chestnut gelding, 16.2
Woody — bay gelding, 16
Special — chestnut gelding, 15
Louie — brown gelding, 15.3
Robbie — brown gelding, 15.3
Bruce Leigh — bay gelding, 15
Fritz — bay gelding, 16.2
Deacon — brown gelding, 15.2
Emma — bay mare, 14.3
Watson — chestnut gelding, 15.2
Bailey — bay gelding, 15.3
Quincey — chestnut gelding, 15.2
Gilmore — bay gelding, 16
Nikita — bay mare, 16
Gordon — grey gelding, 16.2
Profound — chestnut gelding, 16
Katie — grey mare, 15.3
Naxos — bay gelding, 16.1
Pepi — bay gelding, 14.2
Reagan — chestnut gelding, 15.2

Isn’t that exciting!!? So, which horse do you want to ride?

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Camp Girls Rifle Targets
• Riflery • rbc

Riflery Camp for Girls

Camp Girls Rifle Targets

Hey what’s your score? How’d you shoot? When girls select riflery as one of their camp activities, they first learn the basics of shooting. After some practice, camp girls develop their marksmanship skills and begin to shoot more evenly. When they can consistently hit higher scores, they can pass through a series of NRA ratings and earn special “Light Rifle Qualification” awards.

On these official targets, a bullseye earns a score of 10. That means the ordinary round of five bullets can total 50 in all. One “course” is 20 shots (4 rounds of 5 bullets) for a total possible score of 200. So if, from the prone, or lying down, position, you can shoot two courses that score 100, that earns you the “Pro-Marksman” rating. If you improve and can shoot two courses of 125, you earn the “Marksman” rating. And it goes up from there: 3 courses of 150 earns “Marksman First Class,” 4 courses of 165 earns “Sharpshooter,” and 6 courses of 180 earns the “Expert” rating. Wow!  That sure would take a lot of practice!

Learn more about these ratings over at the NRA website.

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Camp Girl Friends sunset
• Summer Camp • rbc

RBC in the Press

Summer Camp Girl Friends

We bumped into an article the other day by Anne O’Connor entitled, Is Summer Camp Good for Her?  It’s a great discussion of why traditional overnight summer camps offer so much, and how many “specialty” camps (e.g., computer camp, soccer camp, etc.) often lose track of important social benefits.  The article quotes Dr. Chris Thurber. He says camps are not about “the equipment or specific attractions— it’s the friends.” He claims, “it’s much more valuable to have social skills and a friendship base than to be an expert soccer player.”

What caught our eye was the quote in the article from a Rockbrook dad describing the value of the camp friendships his daughter made over the years. He also describes the skills she developed as well. “When they have to be independent, when they have the responsibility for planning their days, their self-esteem goes through the roof,” he said.

Camps— so good in so many ways! 🙂

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Equestrian Camp Rider
• Horseback Riding • rbc

An Overnight Equestrian Camp

Equestrian Camp Rider

For horse crazy girls, overnight equestrian camps really are the best way to enjoy riding with friends and to quickly improve their riding skills. If you take riding lessons at home, coming to camp for a few weeks lets you learn from new instructors. This can be really helpful because you’ll receive different coaching and probably learn something you’ve never even heard before. Also, the horses at equestrian camps are excellent. Rockbrook’s horses are schooled throughout the year, and have many years experience working with camp kids. And because Rockbrook is an overnight camp, its equestrian camps give you even more opportunity to be with the horses. There’s always extra time to help with feeding and other barn chores. If you’re a complete beginner or an advanced rider, you’ll love the fun of Rockbrook’s equestrian program, but also be surprised how much you learn as well.

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Adventure Summer Camps Kayaking
• Adventure • rbc

Adventure for Girls

Girls Climbing Camp Adventure

Girls of all ages get at least a taste of adventure while at camp. Even the youngest girls (who, having finished kindergarten, can be as young as 5 years old!) are able to gear up and climb our 50ft Alpine Tower. Even before leaving the ground it’s an adventure— fitting the helmet, tightening the harness, clipping the rope to everything, and learning the belay commands. This kind of outdoor adventure camp activity introduces girls to a few technical details of climbing while at the same time providing a nice balance of physical and personal challenges. It’s balancing up little holds and remaining calm and focused despite a fear of heights.  All good things!

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Crazy Painted Camp Kids
• Games • rbc

Crazy Games and Fun!

Crazy Painted Camp Kids

Whoa, what’s going on here!?

Is it a craft project gone horribly wrong? The results of a crazy painting game?  A strange spa treatment of some sort?  A super intense outdoor food fight?

Nope.  It’s actually a glimpse into one of our all-camp afternoon games we played last summer.  This one was a camp Olympics.  We divided all the girls into four countries (teams) and gave each a different color: red, green, glue and yellow.  As you can see, red was China.  All the teams then competed in all sorts of field games and races.  We had the crab walk, an obstacle course, an egg toss, a 3-legged race, a hopping race, and so many more.  Lots of running!  Cheering! Excitement!  Crazy Camp Fun!

These three girls showed a little too much enthusiasm, it seems, with their team colors.  Everyone painted themselves a little bit, but this might be a little over the top! 😉

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Swimming Adventure Water Slide
• Swimming • rbc

A Rock for Sliding and Swimming

Swimming Adventure Water Slide

How many times have you gone down sliding rock? In the Pisgah National Forest, not too far from Rockbrook’s kids camp, there’s a famous natural water slide formed by Looking Glass Creek as it slides down about 60 feet into a pool at the bottom. The US Forest service has improved the area and now provides lifeguards during the busy summer season.

Most sessions at camp, we’ll take our Middlers and Seniors over in the afternoon for some cool mountain fun. It’s swimming. It’s adventure. It’s thrills, and because it’s also a clear mountain creek, it’s chills too. The girls just love it!  On one trip last summer, some of the kids raced backed to the top and slid down 9 times!  Have you tried it?

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