Who wouldn’t want to come back for another summer in the heart of a wooded mountain as a Rockbrook Counselor? It’s the place to be. Here is the next installment of familiar staff faces for summer 2011. Stay tuned for even more staff information in the coming weeks!
Amalia Engelberger-The University of the South: Sewanee
Jackie Hancock-University of South Florida
Ashley Lankford-Appalachian State University
Eliza Chamberlain-Florida State University
Coco Street-The Lovett School
Gabby Esposito-Georgia Tech
Eva Jorgensen-Graham-Elon University (alumna)
Margaret Morgan-Charlotte Country Day School
Grayson Randall-Appalachian State University
Jane Pierce-The Corcoran College of Art and Design
Grace Wallace-University of Michigan
Sarah Seaton-Todd-Mentor High School
Paige Salsman-Appalachian State University
Jane Pierce, Christine Alexander, Michelle Postma and Gabby Esposito heading up Granny BINGO!
One of the most common memories shared with us from our former campers is their recollections of Polar bear swim in the chilly lake at camp. Campers would get up at the rising bell, and with their counselors would run down to the lake for a quick dip. What a refreshing way to start the day!!
We found a great write up about Polar Bear in our Rockbrook Memories Book. Jerkey, a much beloved Rockbrook director would lead the girls in their morning plunge.
“Much of the fun at camp that summer stemmed from Jerkey’s leadership. I can see her now as she led us during those wee hours of the early morning in a series of setting up exercises before we jumped into that icy cold pool. Somehow, even in my shivering state, she made it seem glorious thing to do.”
You will be glad to know that the Polar Bear tradition continues today and that the camp lake is as chilly as ever!! As the camp song states: “Polar, polar, polar bear, you can be a part of it all, if you dare!”
There’s a fun article in the March 28th issue of the New Yorker Magazine that lists the “features” of “going outside.” It’s by Ellis Weiner and is entitled “Just in Time for Spring” (here’s a summary) In the tradition of a radio commercial for a new product, the article suggests that “going outside” is an “astounding multipurpose activity platform that will revolutionize the way you spend your time.” Of course the humor here is that going outside is not new at all; though, it has been too often forgotten as we spend more of our day interacting with electronic media and filtering our experience through technology.
So what does going outside promise? Here are a few highlights.
1. real-time experience through a seamless mind-body interface.
2. authentic 3-D, real-motion visuals.
3. true surround sound.
4. complete interactivity with inanimate objects, animals and Nature.
5. the opportunity to experience actual weather.
Rockbrook is the kind of outdoor camp where all of this is so easily true. Kids love being outside at camp. They love all the chances to actually do things, to use all their senses, and to experience the wonders of Nature. Of course, we’ve mentioned before just how good this is for kids as well. If you think about it, it’s good for all of us!
Staff Director Sofie has been working around the clock to bring our campers an amazing team of counselors this summer! She has been doing interview after interview to pick out the most fun, talented and spirited gals around. Here is a sneak peek at a few of our returning counselors.
Christine Alexander-George Washington University
Hunter Futch-Millsaps College
Michelle Postma-University of Georgia
Meg Ammons-James Madison University
Michelle Batlle-Stanford University
Haley Hudler-Denison University
Chelsea Bighorn-University of Arizona
Stephanie Brown-University of South Carolina
Maggie Cameron-Wake Forest University
Elizabeth Fowlkes-Auburn University
MacKenzie Collins-College of Charleston
Blaisdell Shaw-Santa Monica College
Chase Nelson-Univeristy of Tennessee
Camp Counselors Hunter and Maggie enjoying carnival!
Just who will you meet at Rockbrook in 2011? More to come later!
Forehand! Backhand! Lob! Volley! Groundstroke! Cross-court! Serve! It’s all tennis.
And at camp there’s plenty of chances to play tennis. Campers can sign up for tennis as one of their scheduled activities, which gives them about an hour on the courts. They can grab a friend and hit a few balls around during their free time before lunch or dinner. They can even get in a quick game after dinner during the “Twilight” time before evening program. And finally, girls can look forward to the end-of-session tennis tournament with Camp Carolina, a long tradition at Rockbrook.
With all this tennis going on at camp, Rockbrook girls can really learn a lot. They can build their tennis skills and become much better players if they want. But at Rockbrook, no matter what we do, the most important part is to have fun doing it! That’s why tennis can be pretty silly. It can turn into some kind of relay game, a trick shot contest, or even a new dance move. No pressure. No intense competition. No worries about whose the “best.” It’s a girls tennis camp dedicated to having fun, even when that means mostly playing around. Yes it’s all tennis, and it’s all fun.
Elizabeth O’Neill Verner by Marie Danforth Page, 1937
There are many fascinating and inspirational women who have been a part of Rockbrook and it’s history. None more so than the artist Elizabeth O’Neill Verner of Charleston, South Carolina. Mrs. Verner was a long time neighbor of Rockbrook, her seasonal home Hanty Branch Hill is located next door.  Her daughter Elizabeth Verner Hamilton was the first camper at Rockbrook in 1921. Mrs. Verner and Mrs. Carrier were good friends and Mrs. Verner was often recruited to come teach the campers the art of sketching and pastels. We can imagine her walking over from her home, ready to teach the enthusiastic campers. She is mentioned in the journals and scrapbooks of several campers from the mid 1920’s. It must have been a great occasion when Mrs. Verner was in attendance.
While at Rockbrook she also created an etching of the waterwheel that ran the power for the camp. We will be sure to share that image with you in a later blog posting.
Rockbrook campers sketching with Elizabeth O’Neill Verner
As an artist, Mrs. Verner is recognized as the “matriarch of the Charleston Renaissance” and is considered the “best known twentieth century woman artist of Charleston. “She is famous for her etchings and pastels of life in Charleston. Her studio The Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Gallery is still in operation in Charleston and is the oldest fine arts gallery in the city. She is such a well respected and important artist that the state of SC has named their highest honor in the arts after her. The Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Awards recognize outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts in South Carolina. According to their website: “These awards honor South Carolina arts organizations, patrons, artists, members of the business community, and government entities who maximize their roles as innovators, supporters and advocates of the arts. In 1980, the Verner Awards took on a special significance with their designation as the official “Governor’s Awards for the Arts.”
Mrs. Verner’s great great grandchildren are current campers at Rockbrook. What a treasure that they can share in their families wonderful legacy at RBC!
Do you know about the North Carolina Children and Nature Coalition? It’s based in Asheboro, NC and is a non-profit organization dedicated to reconnecting children with nature. In response to the growing evidence documenting the benefits children gain from playing outside, benefits we have discussed here and here, this group strives to keep people informed through its web site, publications, conferences, and public policy initiatives.
Of course, Rockbrook fully supports this mission. Camp life is immersed in the natural world, offering a daily celebration of its wonders and hidden beauty. Every minute, as children newly experience nature at camp, they are inspired to grow more confident, cooperative, and compassionate.
The NC Children and Nature Coalition and other state-wide environmental education organizations have launched a campaign to establish a “Children’s Bill of Rights,” a formal recognition that children need and deserve outdoor experience. They put it like this.
Every North Carolina child should have the opportunity to discover, explore and connect with natural spaces and wild places close to home, in neighborhoods and cities in North Carolina, from the mountains to the sea by:
Playing in a safe place outdoors,
Camping under the stars, learning to swim, riding a bike,
Using their senses to experience the natural world,
Visiting a farm, seeing how food is grown, growing something,
Exploring a stream, splashing in a wave, catching a fish, stomping in a puddle, playing in the mud,
Hiking in a natural area and following a trail,
Rolling in the grass, playing in the sand, climbing a tree or searching under a log,
Sharing nature with a parent, guardian, mentor, teacher or environmental educator, and visiting a zoo, aquarium or environmental education center.
We are currently gearing up for another fun-filled summer at Rockbrook led by so many wonderful people! Some folks think that our staff is simply comprised of our cabin counselors and activity instructors. However, the Rockbrook ship needs a variety of crew members to keep it afloat and continue its fun summer traditions. Here is a glimpse of the wonderful non-cabin positions we hire for every summer.
Kitchen Staff: These folks work closely with our Kitchen Manager Rick Hastings to prepare all of our meals and snacks each day from scratch. From sprinkle muffins in the morning to cookout food on the hill, the kitchen staff keeps us energized and happy!
Liz baking some yummy treats!
Nurses: Our nurses are usually moms of campers who keep us healthy. They live in our health hut, pass out routine medications, evaluate any injuries, coordinate doctor appointments, and keep track of our campers during their time at camp.
Adventure Staff: This group is comprised of some experts in their respective fields who typically live off camp and come in most days to lead a variety of trips. They are specially trained to lead backpacking day and overnight trips, whitewater kayaking trips, rock climbing trips, and a few others. Most are trained to drive buses and get our campers to and from camp safely.
Lexie helps our campers climb safely
Maintenance Staff: Led by our year-round caretakers Mr. Richie and Mrs. Connie, our extra maintenance staff who join us during the summer keep our facilities in tip top shape. They routinely clean the bathrooms and dining hall. In addition, they help us move the heavy stuff around camp, paint and any other miscellaneous tasks to keep camp beautiful!
Office Staff: In addition to our camp directors, we bring in a fantastic office team for the summer so that our directors can move about camp and work with our campers more easily. They handle camper forms, luggage, the camper photos that go up daily, parent communication, and really anything that arises.
We sure appreciate all of these folks and what they do to keep us going!
What is a gimp? Originating in France and popular even today at summer camps worldwide, it’s what we call a lanyard. Did you know that “Scoubidou” (pronounced in your best french accent) is its original name? They’re called “Scoubies” for short, and can refer to either the colorful plastic strands used or the final project of repeated knots. Sometimes, when the material is braided, it is called a “Boondoggle,” a name that appears to have come from the boy scouts and their tradition of braiding a ring of leather straps to hold a neckerchief.
At camp, this traditional arts activity is insanely popular. You can see it everywhere.
This lanyard material is also referred to as “Gimp,” following the name for twisted treads (usually silk, cotton or wool) used as decorative trimming on dresses. Our familiar lanyards have quite a history!
The world record for the longest Scoubidou (Boondoggle, Gimp, Lanyard) is held by Manuela Dos Santos of Brancourt, France. On November 11, 2008, she finished her Scoubi— 1,673 feet and 2 inches! An amazing project. It makes us wonder if the strands she used were single long pieces or sections tied together.
Mrs. Carrier and Peggy on The Rockbrook House lawn
Many campers and staff from the early days of Rockbrook often mention Mrs. Carrier’s dog and sidekick, Peggy. We were thrilled to find a photograph of Mrs. Carrier and Peggy together so we could “meet” the girls favorite mascot during those early years. Here is a great excerpt about Peggy, written by a former camper:
“All the campers knew and loved the Great Dane, “Peggy”, who followed Mrs. Carrier wherever she went. She seemed in her canine way to be part director, for she watched the girls as though responsible for their safety. She was a harlequin, the bright patches of white over-lapping the black spots, and though her bark was frightening, she had the gentlest of natures. Seeing her bounce up the hill at the side of Senior Lodge, one knew that Mrs. Carrier could not be far behind and that as long as her mistress stayed in the camp area Peggy would be nearby.”
If you have any Peggy stories you would like to share we would love to hear from you!
