Camp Rockmont for Boys
Encyclopedia
Camp Rockmont for Boys is a Christian
residential boys summer camp
in Black Mountain, North Carolina
. Rockmont was founded in 1956 on the former campus of Black Mountain College
. Three full sessions, including a 13 day, a 20 day, and a 27 day session, are held each summer, with each full session also being split into shorter sessions, including 6 day or 13 day sessions. Capacity for each session is about 400 boys, with each session varying slightly depending on enrollment.
theme. This Native American
theme continued until 2000, at which time the theme was dropped.
There have been a few changes in leadership over the years at Rockmont. The camp is currently run by Dan Davis, who took over the position of Director in 2006 from David Bruce, now the Manager/CEO. David Bruce is also the Executive Director of the Rockmont Alumni Association.
Each cabin is part of a larger "tribe", which generally include 6 to 8 cabins. The 6 tribes, from youngest to oldest, are Buckeye, Birch, Hickory, Hemlock, Poplar, and Sycamore. Tribes often do activities together, and sometimes compete against or with other tribes in games. Each tribe has a Tribal Director (TD) assigned to it, whose purpose is to plan, run, and manage activities, as well as to support the cabin staff within their tribe.
Each tribe is also part of another larger camp. The camp is divided into junior camp, better known as Bear Camp, intermediate camp (Deer Camp), and senior camp (Mountain Camp). The Buckeye and Birch tribes make up Bear Camp, the Hickory and Hemlock tribes form Deer Camp, and the Poplar and Sycamore tribes form Mountain Camp.
Each of these sessions is split into two shorter sessions, which campers may attend instead of the full session. A session is split into A1, which is 5 days, and A2, which is 13 days. B session is split into B1 and B2, which are both 13 days, and C session includes C1, which is 5 days.
Rockmont offers a range of different activities for campers to take part in, from traditional sports such as Soccer and Basketball, to shooting skills such as Archery and Riflery, as well as creative activities like Ceramics and Rocketry. Campers sign up for 6 of these activities before they attend in the summer, and each day visit 3 of their 6 "skills". Beyond that, each day also includes 1 to 2 "tribal activities", which are usually large group games such as Gladiator (Capture the Flag), Behind Enemy Lines, Invasion or Battleball (Dodgeball). Campers also get a free period every day, called Free Swim, and a Rest Period following Lunch.
Rockmont also puts a heavy focus on Christian ideals. Counselors give devotions to their cabins every night, usually talking about a bible verse or telling a personal story relating to it. As well, every morning each tribe participates in a "Morning Watch", in which the tribe sings camp songs, and the Tribal Director gives a devotion to the tribe. Also important to the Christian ideal of the camp is the council system. Every Sunday, each camp gathers at their "council ring" and recognizes campers for ways throughout the week that they grew and became closer to God
.
The Camp Diversity Foundation is promoted by the Rockmont Alumni Association, and receives financial support from its members.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
residential boys summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
in Black Mountain, North Carolina
Black Mountain, North Carolina
Black Mountain is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,511 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is named for the Black Mountain range of the Blue Ridge range in the Southern Appalachians.-History:Black...
. Rockmont was founded in 1956 on the former campus of Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College, a school founded in 1933 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was a new kind of college in the United States in which the study of art was seen to be central to a liberal arts education, and in which John Dewey's principles of education played a major role...
. Three full sessions, including a 13 day, a 20 day, and a 27 day session, are held each summer, with each full session also being split into shorter sessions, including 6 day or 13 day sessions. Capacity for each session is about 400 boys, with each session varying slightly depending on enrollment.
History
Rockmont was founded in 1956 by George Pickering on the campus of Black Mountain College, which had recently closed. It was founded as a boys-only Christian camp, and carried an American IndianNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
theme. This Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
theme continued until 2000, at which time the theme was dropped.
There have been a few changes in leadership over the years at Rockmont. The camp is currently run by Dan Davis, who took over the position of Director in 2006 from David Bruce, now the Manager/CEO. David Bruce is also the Executive Director of the Rockmont Alumni Association.
Age Division
Rockmont is rather large for a summer camp, with around 400 boys per session ranging from ages 6 to 16, so the camp is divided up into different groups based on age. Each boy is placed in a cabin with 7 to 14 boys his age, and 1 or 2 counselors, depending on the age and number of the boys. Campers spend a large amount of time with their cabin, including sleeping with them and eating with them in the dining hall. The cabins are numbered from youngest to oldest: 1 through 40, 6.5 (65), 18.5 (185), 42 and 43. (41 is not a cabin due to a camp story.)Each cabin is part of a larger "tribe", which generally include 6 to 8 cabins. The 6 tribes, from youngest to oldest, are Buckeye, Birch, Hickory, Hemlock, Poplar, and Sycamore. Tribes often do activities together, and sometimes compete against or with other tribes in games. Each tribe has a Tribal Director (TD) assigned to it, whose purpose is to plan, run, and manage activities, as well as to support the cabin staff within their tribe.
Each tribe is also part of another larger camp. The camp is divided into junior camp, better known as Bear Camp, intermediate camp (Deer Camp), and senior camp (Mountain Camp). The Buckeye and Birch tribes make up Bear Camp, the Hickory and Hemlock tribes form Deer Camp, and the Poplar and Sycamore tribes form Mountain Camp.
Sessions
Rockmont is open for 3 sessions each summer, for a total of 9 weeks. The 3 sessions are A session, which is 3 weeks (20 days) long, B session, which is 4 weeks (27 days), and C session, for 2 weeks (13 days).Each of these sessions is split into two shorter sessions, which campers may attend instead of the full session. A session is split into A1, which is 5 days, and A2, which is 13 days. B session is split into B1 and B2, which are both 13 days, and C session includes C1, which is 5 days.
Experience
Rockmont also puts a heavy focus on Christian ideals. Counselors give devotions to their cabins every night, usually talking about a bible verse or telling a personal story relating to it. As well, every morning each tribe participates in a "Morning Watch", in which the tribe sings camp songs, and the Tribal Director gives a devotion to the tribe. Also important to the Christian ideal of the camp is the council system. Every Sunday, each camp gathers at their "council ring" and recognizes campers for ways throughout the week that they grew and became closer to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
.
Registration
Camper registration costs about $1200 per week, though this amount varies with the session chosen. Campers never need to pay any money at camp, though they are allowed to use money from an account set up by the parents to purchase items at the camp store.Rockmont Alumni Association
The Rockmont Alumni Association (RAA) is an organization founded by former Camp Rockmont Director and current CEO, R. David Bruce. In 2006, the RAA hosted a reunion to celebrate the Camp's 50th summer of operation. The event's success prompted the RAA to begin hosting similar events every 5 years starting in August, 2010.Camp Diversity Foundation
The Camp Diversity Foundation (CDF) is a non-profit organization based in Black Mountain, North Carolina which aims to provide a Christian summer camp experience to financially disadvantaged children. The CDF uses Camp Rockmont's facilities to host its one-week "Adventure Camp" at the end of Camp Rockmont's regular camp season.The Camp Diversity Foundation is promoted by the Rockmont Alumni Association, and receives financial support from its members.