Finishing Well

All football players know that the most important time in the game is the fourth quarter… it is when the true competetors give their best effort and when the game is won. Camp is a bit different than football (obviously), for our “fourth quarter” is one of “riding the wave” rather than “gutting it out”. The end of camp is easy, it is fun, and it is deeply heart touching… but it is also the most important Harvest Time of camp… the part that really “sticks” with us after we leave. The final memories of the summer are sharply etched in these final days, often lasting a lifetime. Thus we really work hard to make each one distinct and excellent in every way. This is our fourth quarter and we are finishing strong.

The Derby Day and Senior Play combination require a shocking amount of work, each part is truly an all out effort. Margaret and I marveled at the scope of the preparations… three areas of camp, hundreds of people, countless hours expended to make everything perfect. The effect of the whole thing is amazing, really hard to describe… but the question naturally arises: “Is it worth all this work and expense?”.

We do not blithely adopt a response to this question. The assessment will start with camper surveys taken at our afternoon assembly tomorrow. These are anonymous surveys that ask a few very specific questions and a few very general ones. The campers (especially the Seniors) are VERY good at assessing the summer: this is how we determine how close to our goal we landed. Was this actually our BEST SUMMER EVER or not. Expensive and difficult programs have a high bar, they must be LOVED by the girls and achieve a worthwhile effect in the flow of the summer.

My first impression… it was worth it.

The girls love getting dressed up. They love watching the horses. They love the drama of the HUGE 8,000 square foot tent and the extra touches to make a picnic more than just good. They love the freedom of “grazing” on anything that looks good (amazingly, we consumed 80 pounds of salmon!). The feeling of the camp during the Senior Play was absolutely wonderful… joyful and giddy (you can watch it on our livestream for a couple more hours – will go down tomorrow morning). My off the cuff opinion is that it is worth every penny!

Today is a glorious day. Not sunny (it is cloudy with a good chance of rain later on), but certainly happy. Campers are soaking in our last days with an intentional intensity… they are writing “Plane Letters” (wonderful letters that are to be opened only after leaving the gates of Greystone on closing day). They are enjoying DMC’s by the lake, playing final matches in tennis or tether ball, and spending extra time in the Metal Jewelry shop in order to complete their project in time. It is a magnificent day.

So thanks again for making it all possible. This is a good “season” for your girls… Here they celebrate the days of childhood in a way that is hard to beat. We are humbled by your enthusiastic support. The countless prayers that covered our community for these weeks have been effective and powerful. Thank you for caring so much about a little thing like summer camp. It is deceptively “worth it”.

Jimboy

PS I must apologize in advance for the mucky mulch in camp. A weekend of rain has had an effect that is similar to the summer of rain we enjoyed last year. Mulch is wonderful, as long as it does not get saturated with water… wear appropriate footwear on Thursday, you will likely need it!