Happenings Around Camp

January 27, 2020 by Darby Dame

Buildings are closed, boats are out of the water, and the sounds of children learning and playing have given way to the quiet of winter. YET, camp is still as active as ever just a bit more office focused.

In the winter, activities are planned with improvements; supplies gathered; programs evaluated and changed and researched. (Hint: Rockets) Here are a few updates on what each member of our full-time team is working on inside the office and around camp this January.

Don is currently working on TAXES! When we hire over 100 summer staff members, that is a lot of W-2s. We are feeding him chocolate and coffee to keep going through the tax season. Along with taxes, Don is working on getting our form portal up and running for March 3rd. It might seem like a long way away, but as you probably know, winter goes by faster than you think!

Zoob and Woody are working hard HIRING STAFF! When the new year rolls around, they focus all their energy on hiring the best staff for Summer 2020. Keep up with our Facebook and Instagram to see what staff are coming back this summer! Woody is on point for finding international staff while Zoob heads up contracts. Next week we will be at staffing fairs hiring at Clemson, UNC-Asheville, App State, and Brevard College. Do you know someone looking for an impactful and downright fun job? We are hiring for these positions.

With ropes course renovations, (more to come on that later), Will is working on updated safety standards and instructor roles for Summer 2020. Along with ropes course updates, Will is in charge of our American Camp Association Re-Accreditation. The ACA Accreditation process is a commitment by Camp High Rocks to the highest standards of health, safety, and program quality. It takes a lot of prep-work and documentation!

Shirts, Hats, and Socks – oh my! I (Darby) am on working on creating new swag for the camp store! To name just a few, we are creating new camp stickers (get those water bottles ready), a new hat, and at least four new shirts! The camp store should be up online for pre-orders by early March. If you need something now, we still have summer items left! Shop here. Along with camp swag, I am updating our 2020 Parent Guide and crafting our 1st Year Family Email Series, and gathering together everything needed for camper forms. I love the fresh burst of energy that comes with January and the new year!

Townsend and Benjamin are our Camp Registrar gurus. From entering new camper applications to answering questions about Father-Son Weekends, these two do it all while sharing an office! Along with their office work, both work hard keeping our horses happy and well-cared for. Most camp horses head to a new home for the off-season and come back to us in the summer! They get to be well cared for a loved by other families and barns. We currently have five horses on camp property that Townsend and Benjamin look after every day. They are a playful bunch and love mealtime like all good High Rocks community members.

Our maintenance team has been working endlessly to improve camp buildings and grounds for the summer. From cutting back overgrown branches on our main camp road to re-working drainpipes, this crew does it all. We have a few BIG construction projects going on. (You might have seen a sneak peek on our Instagram or Facebook.) Check back soon for a blog post all about the new projects and our maintenance team’s hard work. Thank you to Danny, Charley, and Nate for all your hard work.

The BEST camp dogs around, Barley and Tsali, are sleeping the days away waiting for campers and staff to get here. Each day is filled with naps, the postman, and catching treats for the gram.

Camp is 132 days away! We are constantly working to create a space for our campers to become responsible, independent young men with a focus on adventure and growth. All off-season, we work with this in mind. You are a big part of our camp community as we hope we are a big part of yours. See you this summer!