In 1921, a dream was born. Eleanor “Dear” Wills Rutland, of Nashville, set out to create a camp for girls—a place that nurtured a love of the outdoors and encouraged good sportsmanship. It was a decade of change and prosperity in the United States: women had secured the right to vote, and the nation was emerging from World War I. Dear purchased land on the Cumberland Plateau along the Elk River, a place long known for its healing mineral waters.​

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Camp Riva-Lake opened its gates in 1922. Many of the traditions still celebrated today—teams, achievements, and shared rituals—began in those early years. The 1924 Racket notes that at the very first Council Ring, Dear asked everyone to listen to the murmur of the stream. In the stillness, she explained the purpose of the Council Ring, telling the girls that each was a link in a chain, and it was their duty to keep that chain unbroken.

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Campers still ask how Riva-Lake got its name. Some say it reflected the balance of the Elk River and the lake that was to come. Perhaps it was the bend in the river where the ravine flowed in? Whatever the inspiration, the name quietly foreshadowed what was to come.

We cannot know whether Dear imagined that her chain would one day stretch across a century and connect thousands of girls. We are all blessed by her dream and a bond of sisterhood that endures. It is now our turn to dream of Riva-Lake’s future, and the gifts of sisterhood, strength, and resilience we will pass on to the generations ahead.

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The dream she set in motion is ours to uphold. A contribution to the Gratitude Challenge strengthens Riva-Lake for the girls who will come next and helps ensure the chain Dear began continues unbroken.