When I was a camper my year was based on the Rockmont calendar!
The anticipation for the next summer started as I left the rows of pines on Lake Eden Road. The first milestone to look forward to was the Fall Newsletter. That would hold me until Christmas, when the early enrollment gift would arrive (my son still has my treasured Rockmont blanket!). Directors would come through my town for the annual slideshow in January or February, and then – the big reveal – the Spring Packet would arrive! It would be filled with Rockmont stickers, luggage tags, health forms, and most importantly – the skill selection form (although these days, it’s all online)! I spent more time poring over that than any college class schedule!
So many choices! So many considerations! It was always a struggle to choose between ones I had enjoyed the year before and ones that were new to me, that looked so interesting.
Based on that (plus a few decades of life experience since) my recommendation would be to try and strike a balance between the skills you love year after year and some totally new ones. For instance, if you’re on a travel team at home it may be a good idea not to choose that as one of your six skills at Rockmont. Choose something that you wouldn’t have the opportunity to do at home, perhaps Homesteading, Nature or Appalachian Arts. You never know what new hobby you’ll discover that will become a lifelong passion!
That said, let me take a crack at some of the most commonly asked questions regarding skills:
