The Roundhouse

Last week we cruised out to Hickory for some quality North Carolina time. The Morris’ were kind enough to have a showing and Roland did a great job of letting the others in on the coolness of Rockmont.
Then after a quick turnaround I was headed down south towards Birmingham and Samford University. Taylor and Alan were there to round up some guys and we had a nice Mexican meal while chatting about the benefits of working at Rockmont! After a few nights camping out and waiting for Saturday to come, I joined over 50 other summer programs at the Birmingham Parent Expo to share the good news of camp experience, especially at “The Rock.” After a nice relaxing Sunday I was off to Montgomery where I was greeted warmly by the Dockery’s, with Chick-Fil-A, lots of snacks and one of the best turnouts I’ve had all season! We had a great time chatting about camp and it was surprising that only Taylor had been before. He did a great job representing camp and answering questions from parents and kids. After a good time in Alabama, I headed further south to University of Florida to try and do some more staff recruiting. Using pizza as bait, we had a good time talking about camp with joy. :) And since the Rockmont wheels don’t stop turning I moved my way back towards camp with a stop in Ponte Vedra, where we had a good time hanging out with some camp veterans at the Switkes’ home. Chase Rubin joined Sam, Sean and me to tell Dylan what camp is all about and why he should go join the mountain men in Mountain camp. We also had a good time checking out the slide shows on the DVD and I was happy to surprise Chase with the fact that there is also a video on the DVD! And after Mr. Switkes was kind enough to give me some rations for my drive home, I was on my way back to camp in the wee hours of the night. I was happy to get back to camp after what turned out to be quite a trip! Thank you to all those who were able to come and as always I never cease to be amazed by the generosity and hospitality of our Rockmont families! Y’all are what makes Rockmont such a special community!

PS Only 100 Days till camp starts!

We had a wonderful mid February visit from Kevin Coughlin, Garrett Cagni, and Steven Biddinger who, among other things, helped John Crouse repair and stabilize the cross at Inspiration Point and helped John and Jon trouble shoot a new traffic pattern in Eden Hall. This past weekend brought even more alumni to Rockmont for the annual board meeting of the Rockmont Alumni Association. See the slideshow below, and mouse over the pictures for captions.

We have just returned from an enlightening week in Nashville at the National ACA Convention. The American Camp Association is so much more than a well-thought-out list of standards for professional camp operation. They are also all about helping promote this important industry by providing shared ideas and training at a number of regional and national events each year. Dan Davis, Jon Brooks, Rick & Steve Sandman, and John Crouse attended numerous sessions and seminars to better understand the latest and greatest practices and trends in summer camping. You can probably imagine that continuing education for camp directors is one exciting experience after another. We met at the unbelievably huge Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. If you have not seen the rivers and waterfalls that flow through this place you need to take your family to Nashville sometime. Well – we’re all back home now and ready to prepare some of our best new ideas for you this summer!
Keepin’ it Fresh,
Jon Brooks|

John Crouse here, and I am back on the road after “a long winter’s nap!” I began my tour in mid January with a trip down to Auburn to see some staff Alumni (Brian, Kevin, Justin, me, Andrew, Bobby and Susan!) and had a great turn out at the fair, meeting a lot of new potential staff! Then it was back to camp to gear up for some more home shows. First stop was the Loux’s house in Atlanta, where we had a great group of guys, who are amped to come to camp this summer-a lot of them for the first time!

From Atlanta I cruised up I-75 to Chattanooga where I got to see two homes and a bunch of great Tennessee families in one night! The Smith’s were nice enough to host me on that cold night on Signal Mountain! After that quick tour I was back at camp again preparing for my journey this week. After visiting Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC and meeting a lot of great guys, I went up to Charlotte to the Chamber’s house. Lance, a 5 year veteran. Along with meeting his sisters, Lily and Caroline and their new puppy Brogan (so cute!), we also were able to share the Rockmont message with their friends! Just the next morning I was on my way up to Davidson College for another fair. Davidson is a beautiful place and it was that much better because I got to see previous staff members Scott Lester and Will McGuire and was surprised to meet old time camper Will James (pictured). Davidson had a great turn out and we are looking forward to some great potential staff! Tonight I am off to Montreat College and then on my way up north to Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky! Thanks to all who are constantly helping us spread the word of Rockmont! We can’t do it without you. Talk to y’all soon!