Camp Ridgecrest for Boys
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CAMP RIDGECREST FOR BOYS |
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| Motto | God Give Us Hills To Climb And Strength To Climb Them |
| Established | 1929 |
| Type | Southern Baptist, Private, Christian, Single-Sex, Overnight, Summer |
| Location | Ridgecrest, North Carolina, USA |
| Address | Camp Ridgecrest for Boys
PO Box 279 |
| Telephone | 1-800-968-1630 |
| Campus | Rural, 735 acres |
| Camp Directors | Ron Springs Chris Maslin |
| Colors | Depends on the Tribe |
| Nickname | Camp Ridgecrest |
| Mascot | Ridgecrest Redskin |
| Affiliations | LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention |
| Website | www.ridgecrestcamps.com |
Camp Ridgecrest for Boys (also known as Camp Ridgecrest, or simply CR) is a boys, "sleep-away", overnight summer camp that is owned by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, and accredited by the American Camp Association, the ACA. Camp Ridgecrest founded in 1929 is for boys grades 1-10. The camp is located in the Black Mountains of Ridgecrest, North Carolina, north of Asheville. Camp Ridgecrest hosts nearly 1,000 campers per year, in either two, four, six or eight-week sessions. Camp Ridgcrest is fully accredited by the American Camp Association and is one of the oldest camps in the country. Many common American camping traditions began or were founded at Camp Ridgecrest. The Camp, widely known for its historic traditions, has made a point of maintaining certain aspects of the historical "rustic" American camping experience. Camp Ridgecrest is considered to be one of the best camps in the nation, and is unique as it also incorporates hiking into the mountains and camping and sleeping in the wilderness twice a week. Many area camps were founded and modeled after Camp Ridgecrest and its sister camp Camp Crestridge thanks to former Ridgecrest Camp Director George Pickering, including Camp Crestridge's historical rival Camp Hollymont (Girls); Camp Merri-Mac (Girls) and Camp Timberlake (Boys); and Camp Ridgecrest's historical rival Camp Rockmont for Boys. The majority of these camp's traditions were copied exactly after the historical traditions of Camp Ridgecrest and Camp Crestridge. The camp is currently rated as the number one camp in the United States of America by CampRatingz.com [1].
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[edit] Location
Camp Ridgecrest for Boys is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. This landscape lends to a traditional camping experience with creeks, waterfalls, forestland, and hiking/biking trails. Much of the surrounding area is protected land. Camp Ridgecrest is located just 20 minutes east of Asheville. Camp Ridgecrest's sister camp Camp Crestridge for Girls is located across the highway on another mountain.
[edit] Staff
Camp Ridgecrest employs some of the best possible students to work the whole Summer at Camp Ridgecrest. They are skilled in their area of teaching, and hold certifications in the activities that require them. In the recent past counselors have come from the Ivy League, Florida State, Duke, Wake Forest, Washington University in St. Louis, William and Mary, UVA, Richmond, Baylor, Liberty, SMU, Rice, Furman, Stetson, Mercer, Vanderbilt, Union, Georgetown, Alabama, Belmont, Charleston Southern, Emory, Ole Miss, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, UGA, Wofford College and the service Academies. Camp staff usually arrive for about a week before camp starts for Staff Week, and training/certification.
[edit] Tribes
Every camper at Camp Ridgecrest is a member of a tribe. Each tribe has its own hill and a circle of cabins surrounding the Tribe "Egypt" (bathouse). The tribes from youngest to oldest are as follows. Apache, Shawnee, Choctaw, Arapaho, and Sioux.
[edit] Ranking system
Camp Ridgecrest uses a ranking system that even extends into the areas of the Staff. A camper begins at CR as a Hunter then progresses on as follows. Hunter, Hunter of the Woodlands, Warrior, Warrior of the Clan, Brave, Brave Pathfinder, Scout, Buck I, II, III, IV, or V (if he fails the Little Chief Test), Little Chief (if he passes the Little Chief Test), Son of Chief (Junior Counselor), Chief (Counselor), Big Chief (Camp Administration). Each person from Little Chief on up is given an Indian name and is known as their Indian name on Council Ring Hill, each name usually an action verb and an animal paired together that describes the person it names. (Ex. Chief Fighting Falcon, or Son of Chief Theatrical Yak)
[edit] Promotions
Camp Ridgecrest employs a promotion system that is enacted the first time a camper spends his first Sunday night at CR in a very solemn secret Indian ceremony the camper experiences his first night “Council Ring Hill”. Campers are given the opportunity to rise through the different ranks or an Indian warrior as they mature in what Ridgecrest sees as the four key areas of a young boy's development. The Camp's staff (which come from some of the finest institutions of American higher education) evaluate the behavior of campers weekly and during each session, every camper at Camp Ridgecrest has the opportunity to be promoted twice. Campers and staff are required to wear khaki shorts and go shirtless for the Council Ring Hill Ceremony, paricipants are also allowed to paint themselves in the colors appropriate to their tribe, and wear the colored feathers of their rank.
Ridgecrest Staff use a number of different criteria for promotion. Each is geared to help develop those individual children, and qualities such as leadership, and kindness are essential in both promotions and overall growth. Camp Ridgecrest evaluates a childs progress on the basis of that childs attitude, their cooperation, community service, sports skill progress, individual sense of responsibility, and quality of character.
[edit] The Society of Little Chiefs and the Little Chief test
The Society of Little Chiefs, is an ever present influence at Camp Ridgecrest. In order to become a Little Chief one must attain the rank of Scout. The Scout is then "tapped out" at 11:15 PM and is taken in the dark of night to the counselor's common lodge (Rogers Retreat) where the counselors and camp staff send him on his way with encouragement and read him the Charge of the Little Chiefs. The Scout must then pass a grueling 17 hour test of strength, skill, self control, and endurance. The Little Chief test officially begins at midnight.
The Scout must pass four phases of the Little Chief test:
- He is expected to light a fire with one match and keep it burning for six hours on the Catawba Trail.
- He is then expected to run (in the early hours of the morning) up the side of Mt. Kitazuma non-stop. If he stops or falls down and does not get up at any time during his run he fails the test.
- He is then expected to write a 1,500 word essay on what Camp Ridgecrest means to him.
- He is then is expected to engage in hard labor around camp until 7:00 in the evening.
One of the most difficult aspects of the test is that the boy is under a "silence ban" during the entirety of the test. Complete silence is expected. If he makes any vocal noise from 11:45 PM to 7:00 PM he fails the Little Chief Test and is sent back to his cabin. If he passes each phase and not talked since 12:00 AM he officially passes the Little Chief Test. He is given his Little Chief knife and Little Chief name (ex. Little Chief Rumbling River) at Camp Ridgecrest's closing ceremony.
The test is so difficult that in one two-week session, 25 boys were chosen to take the Little Chief test and all failed within the first few hours. If a camper fails the test, he is given the title of Buck. If a camper fails the test more than once he retains the Buck title and is also given a numerical number that symbolizes how many times he has failed the test. (Ex. If he has failed 3 times he becomes a Buck III). A popular myth states that a camper is allowed to take the test fonly ive different summers. If he fails the test a fifth time, he is no longer eligible to be tapped out for the Little Chief Test and will remain a Buck V for the remainder of his time at Camp Ridgcrest. This is however untrue. The myth is based on the fact that most campers are only eligible 5 times (two years in Choctaw, one in Arapaho, two in Sioux). However, in reality, there is no limit to how many times a person can be tapped out is included in the Little Chief Charge, The Constitution of the Little Chiefs or any information provided to Camp staff.
The test is monitored by current and previous Little Chiefs (campers, counselors, and members of the administration) for fairness, integrity and the safety of all involved.
[edit] Skills
A camper at Camp Ridgecrest signs up to participate in six "skill" areas. Campers then choose from a variety of outlets whether their interest is in athletics, competitive sports, or the creative arts.
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[edit] Trivia
Camp Ridgecrest has children from at least 43 states and 9 foreign countries at any given time during a Camp session.
CR also has many prominent, affluent alumni and regularly hosts the children of Southern Baptist Convention presidents and executives. Children of state governor's, ambassadors, diplomats, NFL executives and players. Arrangements are made for the child's guardian (if he has one) to sleep in the cabin with the child and participate in everyday activities with that childs tribe.
Camp Ridgecrest is one of the only camps in the nation to have a Board of Directors and an active Alumni Association that contributes annually to ongoing new building projects on the Camp Grounds.
The camp currently is undergoing the completion of a multilevel lakeside pavillion, and an Alumni Chapel.
Common bath houses on each Tribes Hill known as an "Egypt". Up until 2001 every bath house had a common showering area for campers and counselors alike. Now each renovated bathouse has individual shower stalls.
The cabins have remained without airconditioning since 1929, however the North Carolina mountain climate is extremely agreeable throughout the summer, so airconditioning is never needed.
Camp uniforms, although commonplace in most prominent boys camps, were phased out in the late 1960's.
Sockwar, a common American Camp tradition was founded at CR. This involves the Camp spilting into two teams and engaging in a capture the flag themed game, but disqualify members of the opposing team, participants must tag their "enemies" with socks full of sawdust. In the past gravel, or small rocks had been used instead of sawdust.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Blue Star Camps (Hendersonville) | Camp Catawba (Blowing Rock) | Camp Crestridge for Girls (Ridgecrest) | Camp Ridgecrest for Boys (Ridgecrest) | Cherokee Scout Reservation (Yanceyville) | Hagan Sea Base (Southmont) | Woodfield Scout Preservation (Asheboro) |
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