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March 5, 2013December 11, 2022 • History • Charlotte Page

The Amazing “Jerky”

In the stories and history of Rockbrook, perhaps no one is more legendary than former counselor and director Ellen Hume Jervey. Fondly known as “Jerky”, she was an institution at Rockbrook for over 40 years. Jerky grew up in Charleston, SC (just an interesting side note, Jerky lived next door to The Verner Gallery, the art gallery of Elizabeth O’Neill Verner, another memorable Rockbrooker). She began her Rockbrook career as a counselor in the 1920’s. After college, Jerky was the Physical Education Director at Hood College, but she continued to work at Rockbrook for the summer. In the 1940’s Jerky became a Director at Rockbrook and continued working at camp through the 1960’s. She lived in Charleston, SC during the school year where she taught at Ashley Hall, a private girls school. She is referred to by many of our alumna as one of the most influential people in their lives.

One of the most shared stories about Jerky is that during WWII she was commissioned as an officer with the US Naval Reserves! Rockbrook closed for the summers during the war and many women became involved in the war effort. None more so than Jerky! We have searched high and low for more information about it and were thrilled to find the following article from a Charleston, SC Newspaper.

The WAVEs (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) division of the Naval Reserve consisted entirely of women. From the very beginning, the WAVES was an official part of the Navy, and its members held the same rank and ratings as male personnel. The first commissioned female officer in the Navy was the commander of the WAVES, and she was commissioned in August, 1942. You can see from the article that Jerky was not far behind, being commissioned in December. We are not sure how long Jerky served, but will continue our research to find out more about her time in the Navy. You can see just one of the reasons why she was an amazing role model and mentor to so many Rockbrook women.

Stay tuned for more Jerky stories! If you have any you would like to share we would love to hear from you!

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March 1, 2013May 26, 2020 • Counselors • Sofie Ehlinger

Freaky Friday: The Great Switcheroo

Most of us have seen the movie Freaky Friday (starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan). Through some mysterious circumstances, mom and daughter suddenly switch places! Mom lives in her daughter’s body and finds herself navigating through the social and academic world of high school. Meanwhile, daughter finds herself juggling a career, kids, and everything that comes along with “the real world.” Needless to say, this mix up brings mom and daughter closer together than ever!

At Rockbrook, we thought it might be fun if we switch your day as a college student with your day as a camp counselor. This change up comes with some very kooky surprises!

Mornings as a college student:
-Alarms
-Hair dryers
-Quiet conversations over croissants and coffee
-Wearing your fancy jewelry

Morning as a camp counselor:
-Rising bells
-Pony tails
-Singing at the top of your lungs over eggs and bacon
-Wearing your friendship bracelets and name tag

Afternoons as a college student:
-Naps
-Study groups
-Thesis writing
-English, political science, math, history…

Afternoons as a camp counselor:
-Naps (well, that one is the same)
-Swims in the lake
-Writing letters home
-Kayaking, crafts, hiking, drama, dance…

Evenings as college student:
– Studying
– Logging onto Facebook with your roommate
– Telling your friend “Happy Birthday” over email
– Trying to stay awake so you can study

Evenings as a camp counselor:
– French braiding
– Exploring logs for bugs and creepy crawleys with a group of 6-year-ols
– Celebrating everyone’s birthday with cake, costumes, and presents at Birthday Night
– Trying to stop laughing so you can finish your dessert

Nights as a college student:
– Requesting that your roommate to turn down the music so you can read
– Pop Tarts before bed
– Falling asleep to the sounds of your roommate snoring

Nights as a camp counselor:
– Requesting that your co-counselor to turn up the music for the dance party!
– Milk and cookies before bed
– Falling asleep to the sound of a crickets, streams, a gentle rain on the roof

We hope you make the great switcheroo with us this summer!

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February 26, 2013December 11, 2022 • History • Charlotte Page

The History of the Parlez-Vous Song

Singing is a huge part of camp life and one of the funniest song traditions at Rockbrook is the Parlez-Vous Song. A Parlez-Vous is a song made up by a cabin or group of campers and then performed spontaneously in the dining hall. After asking several Alumna if they remember singing Parlez- Vous at camp, it seems that they have been part of the Rockbrook lore since the 1930’s. Here is an example of a Rockbrook Parlez- Vous:

We had so much fun at the camp out last night, parlez- vous

We had so much fun at the camp out last night, parlez-vous

We had so much fun at the camp out last night

The S’mores and stories were out of sight

Inky Dinky parlez- vous

These spontaneous songs are often very humorous and creative and always bring a laugh and a smile to everyone as we enjoy our meals together.

So, what in the world is the history of the Parlez- Vous and how did it come to be part of Rockbrook’s history?

After a little digging it appears that the origins of the Parlez- Vous come from a World War I song called Mademoiselle from Armentières. This song was adapted from a British Indian Army song called Skiboo. It was a rhyming song, whose lyrics changed quite regularly. During World War I it was often referred to as the Hinky Dinky Parlez Vous Song and would be adapted and sung by soldiers. Some versions were a bit risque but we were able to find a great version. Listen below and be sure to wait for the chorus!

Isn’t it fascinating how songs at camp are passed along from generation to generation? If you remember any funny Parlez-Vous from your days at camp, please send them in! We would love to hear them.

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February 18, 2013May 25, 2020 • News • Charlotte Page

Winter Walkabout

We enjoyed a beautiful walk around camp last week and wanted to share some of the scenes we captured as we wandered around. Camp is quiet in the winter but the beauty of the quiet cold season is remarkable. It is hard to believe that there will be flowers blooming, frogs chirping and kids laughing at camp in just a few short months! Enjoy these winter shots. Can you tell where they were taken?

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February 7, 2013May 27, 2020 • North Carolina • Charlotte Page

The Heart of a Wooded Mountain

Camp lake 1932 from hill — Rockbrook Camp, 1932

Check out this great old photograph we found in a camp scrapbook that was recently donated to Rockbrook. The Lakeview Lodge and Vesper Rock are the stars of the show! They are central to camp life and seem to always show up in photographs of the girls doing evening program.

If you have not been to camp recently you will be relieved to know that it still looks very much the same as in this wonderful old photograph. The trees are a bit taller but the feel of camp is just like this picture! If you look really hard you may even see Mrs. Carrier in the front left of the image, walking down the road wearing white.

We love the unique perspective of this photo of our North Carolina home as it was taken from the hill where the gym currently stands. Be sure to click on the photo to see a larger version of the image.

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February 1, 2013August 10, 2024 • Campers • rbc

Long Friends

What is it about Rockbrook that makes it so special? That’s a pretty loaded question- certainly one that has no right or wrong answer. Some of us may say that it’s the beautiful mountain scenery, others may agree it’s the fabulous counselors, and many may decide that muffin break separates Rockbrook from the rest. However, we think that the friendships made at Rockbrook are a good place to start when discussing what makes camp so wonderful. Though we may only spend a few weeks each year with our camp pals, none of us would hesitate to call them some of our best friends. Sarah and Evie, two Rockbrook girls who met last summer, are a perfect example of ‘true friendship born to last’.

Just last month, Sarah flew from Florida to Maryland to visit Evie and to celebrate her birthday with her. According to her mom, who wrote to tell us about the trip, Sarah’s winter break was “full of firsts that wouldn’t have happened if she had not attended camp this past summer.” Sarah and Evie spent a week together and had lots of fun along the way. The girls saw Les Miserables, played in the snow, went skiing, and counted down to 2013. What a fun trip! Check out some pictures of Sarah and Evie during their trip below, and be sure to let us know about any adventures you have with camp friends during the year- you might just make the blog!

Evie and Sarah skiing — Evie and Sarah hit the slopes!!!

Ready for the show — They don’t look Les Miserables to us!

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January 18, 2013July 24, 2020 • Counselors • Sofie Ehlinger

Poetry Slam

Poetry does just not appear out of thin air. It begins with a spark of inspiration. Because our campers and staff inspire us to “play more and sit less,” we thought it fitting to write a poem for all our Rockbrook girls. Whether you’re a camper in kindergarten, a staff member at a university, or an alumna crossing your “t”s and dotting your “i”s out in the “real world”, this one goes out to you….

An Ode to a Rockbrook Girl

A Rockbrook Girl.

She’s as sweet as a marshmallow (and fiery enough to melt one).

Her sneakers are muddy and her smile is bright.

It’s hard to slow her down!

She’s zippy, peppy, and over-the-moon.

girl rock climbing — Can’t Slow Her Down

camp kids dressed alike — Born To Stand Out

She’s loyal, courageous, and true.

She always stands out in a crowd.

Rain or shine, count her in!

She splishes and splashes and sploshes and takes the world by storm.

sliding rock at night — Rainy day? A Chance To Play!

shaving cream in hair — Happy As A Clam!

shooting arrow — Leaving Her Mark on the World

A Rockbrook girl is a mover and a shaker. She slam dunks, flips and flops.

She’s a friend and a joy. She’s happy as a clam!

She’s a sweet treat. She plays outside.

She explores the world up-side-down, right-side-up, and side-to-side.

A Rockbrook Girl leaves no stone unturned.

The world is just a little bit better because she’s a part of it.

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January 16, 2013March 24, 2023 • History • Charlotte Page

The Rockbrook Songbook

singing songs at night — Singing along at Spirit Fire, 2012

Singing is a HUGE part of life at Rockbrook and is something that every camp generation can share. We hear fabulous stories from our alumnae of camp songs being sung at weddings, college events, in the middle of a restaurant, or even when you run into a friend at the grocery store. The songs are in a way a history of camp. What is it about those fun camp songs that sticks with you forever?

Because singing is such a big part of camp life at Rockbrook, we are in the process of updating our famous camp songbook. Over the years some songs drifted out of popularity, while new ones “came into fashion”. Songs like “Liberty” and “When the Moon Plays Peek A Boo” were very popular in the 60’s while songs like “The Coconut Song” and “Yogi Bear” are a few current hits. With our new songbook we hope to include ALL of the camp songs from the Rockbrook repertoire. That is where you come in! We do not have a songbook from the 20’s-40’s. If anyone has an old songbook or can send us any information about the songs from the early years of Rockbrook we would SO appreciate your help.

Now that camp songs are running through your mind, go an listen to our archive of Rockbrook Camp songs!

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January 15, 2013June 16, 2024 • Summer Camp • rbc

Ditch the playground- come to camp!

An interesting article written on the Tennessee Today webpage sheds light on the importance of playing outside. A University of Tennessee research team recently conducted a study to determine whether children who play on traditional playgrounds or children who play in natural settings are more active and/or more creative. It turns out that children who play in a natural setting are both more active and use their imagination more than they do while playing on traditional playground equipment. In fact, the children who participated in the study played nearly twice as much in the ‘natural playscape’ than they did on the regular playground. This came as no surprise to us at Rockbrook. We love playing in nature!

playing at camp outside — Run girls, run!

So what is it about nature that inspires us to play more than we would on a playground set? Maybe it’s the freedom that we have to use our imagination and get creative. Maybe it’s being able to decide what to do on our own. Maybe it’s the excitement of the unknown. Whatever it may be, we believe that the landscape that surrounds us fosters Rockbrook’s mission to allow girls to explore the beauty of nature and to try new things.

playing in the creek — We love to play in the stream!

Playgrounds are great and all, but who is ready to ditch the swing set and monkey bars and head into a fairyland of beauty? We can’t wait to play outside with you all this summer! To read the full article about the mentioned study, click here.

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