Our goal at camp is to offer these values for our campers to decide what each word means to them. To us, a person can have faith in just about anything. Campers can have faith in themselves, their families, their friends, the universe, their religion, their future, the Earth, etc. The same goes for hope! Our belief is that only providing one avenue for our campers to explore faith and hope as concepts feels more limiting than empowering.
When we talk to our campers about love, similarly to faith and hope, we don't feel that it's our place to tell them what or who to love, but we are happy to offer ideas! We encourage our campers to find love for themselves, eachother, their friends and family, their schools and teachers, their hobbies and passions, nature, the experience of camp, and anything else their hearts draw them to.
Adventure is a word that's a bit easier for us to offer a concrete definition to. To us, adventure means unusual, exciting, and new experiences or undertakings. We hope that by reminding our campers of the beauty that lies in the unknown, we can ease some of the anxieties that can come with conquering fears, trying new things, exploring new places, meeting new people, and embracing their authentic selves.
We operate using a Positive Discipline approach. This means we call out and reward positive behaviors and seek to connect and redirect when behaviors appear that do not align with our camp rules and expectations. In the case that a camper is being harmful to themselves or others, the camper will be separated from the group and addressed by the leadership team (Head of Boys/Girls Camp, Assistant Director, and Co-Directors) for a conversation until they are deemed safe and ready to re-enter the group. If they are not deemed safe and ready to rejoin camp, the directors will contact the campers legal guardian to discuss camper pick up. Harmful behaviors include: inability to follow safety instructions, violence, bullying, and hate speech of any kind.
Nurse Kimberly is a certified and practicing nurse with decades of nursing experience. She is available to our campers and staff 24/7 while at camp. She is the only person allowed to handle medications and provide healthcare unless we need to call EMS for any reason. In the case of any and all medical emergencies, listed guardians and emergency contacts will be contacted immediately.
Leadership is constantly monitoring weather throughout our time at camp. As the Blue Ridge Mountains are considered a rain forest, rain is to be expected occasionally during our week at camp. If there is light rain but no thunder or lightning within ten miles, all activities other than climbing will continue as planned. In the case of thunderstorms, we will have fun and enriching indoor activities planned in buildings with back up generators incase of power outages. The safety of all people present is our utmost concern and we will always err on the side of caution.
The best way to reach us is via email at campbobdirectors@gmail.com as we check our emails very regularly throughout the day from 9:00 am - 11:00 pm. If you need to reach us by phone, it is best to reach out to the cell phone of Co-Director, Amy Loeber, at (704) 258-4785. You can also reach out to the Bob Campbell Youth Campus Office at (828) 692-9136. If someone is not present to take your call, please leave a message and send us an email. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
We take safety very seriously at Camp Bob for the QC. Our staff members undergo 20+ hours of both virtual and in person safety trainings in preparation for camp. These trainings include topics such as emergency weather protocol, mandatory reporting, bullying and sexual harassment, navigating healthy power dynamics, positive discipline, emergency evacuation procedures, active threat procedures, first aid and CPR. Staff are in constant communication via walkie-talkies and are ready to act at all times. We also operate under “The Rule of 3” meaning an adult and a child may NEVER be alone together. Either one adult and two children or one child and two adults are needed in order to leave eyesight of the group. On top of this, a child may never be alone, and children may never be in any building without an adult present even if they are in a group. Legal adult to child ratios are followed closely, and head counts and attendance checks are performed often. All staff members carry a first-aid kit with them at all times, and Head Counselors carry binders including all emergency procedures, camper health information, and rosters at all times.
Peace Culture Music is an outstanding program lead by Daniel Scruggs, a world traveler, collector of rare instruments, and educator of global history and culture through music. We are incredibly lucky to have worked with him for the past three years, and we highly encourage you all check out his website at peaceculturemusic.com to learn more about all of the amazing programs he offers!
We are very active on our social media platforms and are always excited to share our campers smiling faces and action packed days. You can find us on Instagram at @campbob.qc or Facebook at Camp Bob For the QC! You can also visit the photo gallery right here on our website to see memories from every year of camp. Our digital gallery will be updated in the week following camp each year.