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Camp High Rocks
is accredited by the American Camp Association and the Association
for Experiential Education |
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Summer Program InformationLet's
Become Acquainted |
Our Setting |
A Typical Day at Camp |
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High Rocks is a place for fun and learning, for challenge and adventure, and for living in an environment that is geared to a camper's needs and interests. Aided by a well-trained staff we seek to teach and to inspire lasting skills and values. We offer ongoing opportunities for success, a freedom from inhibiting competitive pressure, and daily instruction in activities which promote rapid development of skills, an increased self-esteem, and a sense of community. |
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Our SettingHigh Rocks is in the midst of a thousand acres of camp-owned mountain woodland, with an eleven-acre lake, at an elevation of three thousand feet. Our summer climate is moderate, with warm days and cool nights.We enjoy complete privacy and seclusion, and yet are just eight miles from our nearest town, Brevard, and thirty five miles from Asheville, North Carolina. Click here to see our facility |
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A Typical Day at CampFixed points of the day are rising time and bedtime, meals, and rest hour after lunch. A day's schedule:
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The CabinFive or six campers and a counselor live in each cabin. This group is an essential element in a happy camp experience, and much effort is directed toward developing it into an effective unit, its members capable of offering each other support and understanding. The cabin group assumes responsibility for cabin cleanliness and enjoys outings and overnight camping trips. Click here to see a cabin |
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The Age GroupCamp is divided into age-group units within which many activities and special programs take place. For each age-group there is a Head Counselor whose responsibilities include planning programs appropriate for that particular age. He also supervises the activities of each child, both in and apart from the age-group, to insure that the level of activity is within the capacity of the child. |
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Activity choices are made by the camper, with enough structure and counselor guidance to offer security and yet enough freedom to allow for creativity and self-direction. A camper may choose as many activities as can be fitted into the schedule; a minimum of five are required and are attended regularly unless a trip or extended activity occurs, such as a three-day hike, a canoe trip, or a morning spent rock climbing. We consider skills important as contributors to competence and enjoyment as well as to self-direction and teamwork, and shared responsibility. The child learns to make a choice, then a commitment and finally experiences the fulfillment of achievement. Although competitive fun is a part of High Rocks in such activities as tennis and soccer, competition is not used as a motivator and is not emphasized in the learning process. The test of a camp is its success with individual children, and here success is available as a result of individual effort, not as a result of being better than someone else. We give no ribbons or medals for such titles as "best camper" or "best rider." Instead, we reward an individual's effort and skill progression with more challenging and exciting experiences within the activity. |
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StaffThe selection of the counselor staff is the most important choice that we as directors make. No camp, regardless of its facilities and equipment, can be stronger than its staff. Our counselors must have completed at least one year of college, be competent in their teaching field, and have an understanding and interest in children. Their most important role is that of cabin counselor. They are chosen for their maturity, experience, enthusiasm, personal values, and ability to have fun. The staff-camper ratio is approximately one to three, the average counselor age mid-twenties. As a result of our counselor training program, our counselor group includes many former campers. There is a high percentage of returning staff each year.To assure that we grow as leaders we conduct pre-camp training and continuing education during the sessions. This training makes an effective team capable of providing guidance to children. A counselor who listens and responds can build a highly effective relationship with a child and can have a strong influence on that child. We therefore place great emphasis upon the counselor's personal habits and values. |
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SundaysSundays are a relaxing chance to catch up from a busy week of activities and trips. Each Sunday morning there is a short, non-denominational service. Campers are encouraged to respect their own religious traditions and those of others. Catholics may attend Mass each Sunday in nearby Brevard.Afternoons include water games, tennis, field sports, or an age-group hike and cookout. Campfire programs are a regular part of Sunday evenings. |
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General InformationThe camp fee is all-inclusive. There are no extra charges for such things as crafts and riflery supplies, riding, trips, laundry, or transportation to and from airports at the beginning and end of camp. The camp store sells essentials - stamps, stationery, toothpaste, etc. - but no food or beverages. A camper typically spends less than fifty dollars at the store during the camp session.High standards of health and safety are set and maintained. A resident Registered Nurse is on duty at the camp infirmary. Our doctors are in nearby Brevard (eight miles), with a well-equipped clinic and hospital. Dental and medical specialists are also available to us in nearby Asheville, North Carolina. Each year the camp has earned a Grade "A" rating by the North Carolina Board of Health. Food is good, nourishing - and plentiful. The kitchen is supervised by a dietitian skilled in appealing to children's tastes. For those with birthdays during camp, a party is arranged with a home-baked cake and ice cream for cabin-mates and friends. We welcome an opportunity to supply additional information and to answer questions. We live here year 'round and would be delighted to show you the camp at any time. With movies of camp in session, we present our program to many people in the course of our fall and winter travels. We would be glad to arrange a time for you and your children to see the film. References and the names of our representatives in various cities are available upon request. The FoundersJane and Sumner Williams built High Rocks and directed camp for thirty years. The Williams family owns the entire thousand acre facility. |
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Mark, Hank, Benjamin & Townsend Birdsong |
The DirectorsHank and Townsend Birdsong have directed Camp High Rocks since the summer of 1988. Hank has had more than 30 years of experience working with young people in summer camps and related outdoor activity programs, including two Outward Bound Schools and Discovery, Inc. He graduated with a BA degree in Recreation Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.Townsend Birdsong, the daughter of camp founders Jane and Sumner Williams, grew up at High Rocks. She has been a camp counselor teaching horseback riding, tennis, and canoeing. Townsend graduated with a BA degree in Nursing from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and has four years of hospital Intensive Care nursing experience. The Birdsongs live at High Rocks throughout the year. |
Accreditation In
November of '94, Camp High Rocks became the first program nationwide
to become accredited by the Association
of Experiential Education (AEE). The accreditation process
spanned two years and involved twelve outside reviewers. A "Peer
Review Team" came to camp in 1993 and went out on climbing, hiking,
mountain biking, and canoeing trips; they also analyzed our in-camp
programs. The review team gave us feedback on all of our programs,
paying particular attention to conducting the activity, safety
and risk management, staff training, and equipment. We were particularly
pleased by the way the AEE folks analyzed how each activity meshed
with our stated philosophy and goals for each camper's personal
growth. In July of '94 an accreditation team visited camp and
recommended that Camp High Rocks be among the first adventure
programs in the United States to be accredited by the AEE. We
chose to seek accreditation through the AEE due to their expertise
and emphasis on adventure programming.
During the summers of 1997, 2002, and 2007 we were again visited by accreditation teams that did a very thorough job. Representatives from the AEE national office, North Carolina Outward Bound School, Nantahala Outdoor Center, and Camp Merrie-Woode conducted the reviews. We continue to be very pleased by the positive results of the accreditation process.
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Read All About It!High Rocks was twice chosen to be included in "Choosing the Right Camp," A guide for how to pick a summer camp. The book's author has chosen 50 out of 4000 residential camps nationwide to highlight and recommend. We are proud to have been selected once again. The book is published by Random House Publishing and can be purchased in bookstores or can be ordered by calling 1-800-733-3000 (if it is no longer in print it can be found in many libraries). The code for the book is ISBN # 81292490-8. |
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The Access Fund is national, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the climbing environment for rock climbing, mountain climbing and bouldering. Camp High Rocks is a proud supporter of the Access Fund. |