Behind the scenes at camp carolina

Have you always wondered what an “Egypt” was at camp? Or what your son meant on the drive home that he got to go to the Biltmore Train first? Well, today is your lucky day because we are going to reveal some less commonly known behind the scenes activities and logistics our camp families may not know about! Read on for the secrets to be revealed!

Behind the scenes traditions

• One of our FAVORITE traditions at camp is “Camper Admin”. After lunch on Sundays one camper representative from each cabin is nominated to meet with owner Alfred and In Camp Director Max. Each camper speaks individually in front of the group about what they LOVE about Camp Carolina and what they would like to change to make camp better. Most of our off-season maintenance tasks revolve around this feedback-the doors on showers/toilets, the walkways between cabins and Egypts, tents for younger campers on cabin day and the brand new giant slide are just a few examples of what our campers have suggested and that we have listened to! 

• Cabin clean up/Biltmore Train. Every morning during Period 1 the Head Counselor of each tribe inspects each cabin! They are looking for well-made beds, a swept cabin and porch, that the fans and lights turned off and general tidiness of the cabin. Posted outside of each cabin is a weekly score sheet where each day's scores are posted! On Sunday the famous “Biltmore Train” aka delicious ice cream from The Hop in Asheville arrives and the cleanest cabins get a head start in a delicious all you can eat ice cream dessert!

• Skin checks. Each weekend we have the infamous skin checks during rest hour! Every camper and cabin counselor gets an inspection from a Registered Nurse to make sure any bug bites or scratches are recorded and taken care of. It helps having this dedicated time to make sure every camper is getting a thorough check up and care to stay healthy!

Camp Lingo

• Egypts-We aren’t quite sure who started this joke but it was already around when current owner Alfred was a camper! Apparently when you wake up to use the restroom in the middle of the night it feels like you are walking to Egypt. Hence-the bathhouses are all referred to as Egypts!

• OD Hut/OD Field-Officer of the Day-You know that little hut where all the counselors are on Opening day? It is referred to as the OD Hut and goes back a longggggg time! This is where a CA (Counselor Assistant) is assigned to be the Officer of the Day from 8AM-9.30PM daily (they take shifts) and check visitors in and ring the gong!

• Old Man of the Mountain- Alfred's dad, Nath started this tradition. Nath loved to canoe and decided a canoe paddle was a perfect symbol for the award. He called it the Old Man of the Mountain to symbolize campers becoming more wise and acquiring skills in the outdoors as they progressed through their years at camp.

• CCB-Most people think the B stands for “boys”. It actually stands for Backcountry! When camp moved to the new (and current) location it moved to the “back” of the previous site (behind the old camp in more rugged location where campers used to hike in the "backcountry"). When Alfred’s dad Nath moved camp to the current site he thought it was the perfect addition to the Camp Carolina name.

There you have it-a few traditions and history that you may not have known! What are some other traditions you would like to know more about?