By Parker Ruth 

Sunset at night before devotions. Photo credit: Parker Ruth.

When I think of a place that I can ease my stress and take my worries away, I think of Camp River’s Bend. I have been going to Camp River’s Bend for six years and have noticed how much the camp has changed in the 10 years since it was established. I remember dropping my oldest brother, Scotty Ruth (‘21), off at camp in the summer of 2015 and seeing how much potential this place had. At that point, the camp had been organized in less than a year by many of the people who had been involved in Camp Virginia, a camp that had been around for close to 90 years and run for many years by longtime Collegiate Head of School Mac Pitt. Camp River’s Bend co-founder and director Matthew Richardson (‘07), at the time also a Middle School history teacher, took the initiative with multiple old camp friends to open Camp River’s Bend (CRB). In 2025, River’s Bend finished its 10th summer, and I spoke with a few others about their experiences as campers and counselors. 

Long-time camper and counselor Malcolm Pace (‘24) has been going to CRB for all of its ten years, and he has gotten the chance to see how much has changed. When asked about the most significant change in 10 years, Pace replied, “The biggest thing I think about is how few things were on the property ten years ago. Eating three meals each day in a tent, portable bathrooms, and showers, and having an activity as a camper that consisted of building things around camp. Versus now, having a basketball court, ping pong pavilion, and a permanent mess hall for meals.” 

Sunday night camp fire. Photo courtesy of Camp River’s Bend.

While CRB might not have had as many activities then as it does now, Pace said that what kept him coming back to River’s Bend was “definitely the people that keep you coming back. But as you get older, it’s your own experience with the older people and the culture there that make you want to give back and start contributing to the culture and younger guys yourself.” Pace was a part of the camp’s “Oil Can Society,” which is a group of campers and counselors-in-training that act as camp stewards, demonstrating the values of courage, respect, and brotherhood.

Sam (‘31) is also another member of the Oil Can Society, which participates in a new project every year. In 2016, the project was building a bell tower to ring for a camp schedule, such as waking everyone up, meals, activities, and swims. In 2021, they planted trees around the basketball court and built a permanent tent so people can have a place to cool off. While Sam has been a member of Oil Can, they have built a tent at the baseball diamond and stained the church benches, so when it rains, the water will not soak into the benches, making the wood last longer and allowing people to be able to clean off the morning dew before church begins. 

Upper fields with ping pong pavilion and first year basketball hoops. Photo courtesy of Camp River’s Bend.

When asked about the most significant change he has seen as a camper there, Sam replied, “All the counselors rotating in and out of camp, and meeting new counselors that were not there the years before.” Sam’s response shows how much the counselors mean to the campers, and he said his favorite part about camp is “Getting to know friends and counselors because of the bonds I make with them.” Sam demonstrates what it is like to be a camper at River’s Bend, because if you get put into an activity that you might not be very good at, or might not like, it is the people that make the place, and it is the place that makes the people. 

Lastly, Upper School history teacher Brent Miller (‘98) is a Camp Virginia veteran and has worked as a counselor at River’s Bend for many years. When asked about the most significant impact camp has made on him, Miller responded by saying, “the biggest impact camp has had on my life is the relationships I’ve built through the years. The type of relationships you develop at camp are the ones that last, because they are built on the timeless values of integrity, community, sportsmanship, faith, and gratitude.” Miller explained that one of the best parts of camp is reconnecting with others.

When I asked Miller what he thought had changed the most at camp during the 10 years, he said, “the biggest change has been the constant evolution of the physical facilities, campers, counselors, staff, parents, and friends of camp.” Even though there have been so many physical changes, the most important constant is the people. The counselors and campers start to peel off of camp as they get older, and new faces arrive, but River’s Bend is always still with them.