Sounds of Summer

One of two sounds will awaken your camper this morning: the gentle chirping of songbirds or the blast of a bugle.

Most campers will not awaken until the bugle blows at 7:30, a shocking sound that provides a joyful jolt of energy to get us going. We sit up in bed and we clap our hands and we say “It is going to be a great day!”. The girls will do it… we instructed them last night and more importantly the counselors have been doing it all summer. The sound of the bugle will be rapidly followed by sounds of laughter as the cabins delight in the simple routines of camp.

Some campers like to get up early. I fall into this category, awakening before sunrise to get some quiet time before the camp becomes a 3 ring circus of fun. During this time, the beauty of nature shines: sounds fill the air that are unnoticed at other times of the day. Literally thousands of song birds fill the air with music. Insects provide a “white noise” of high pitched chirping that provides an unbroken backdrop for the song birds more “showy” display of singing talent. Finally we notice the occasional deep croak of the bull frogs who are about to retire for the day down by the lake. I love to listen to the sounds of morning, many of the girls will feel the same way.

Today is going to be warm, cloudy, but not rainy. The warm temperatures of August have returned and will be welcomed by the girls at the pool (who did look chilly yesterday… we heat the water to a comfortable 85 degrees but as soon as they got out of the water they would shiver). It is going to be a fun day of activities, a day where the girls get their first full glimpse of the excellence of camp. They will love meeting the counselors (who are AMAZING). They will love to explore the camp with purpose (getting to class on time, then seeing the facility up close and doing the fun right away). They will make huge strides toward forming a cohesive community in each of the details of this carefully planned day.

Community is formed by many things: cabin is just one of the components.

• Mealtimes are WONDERFUL. The random drawing of table assignments is a blessing that is not noticed at first, but soon becomes evident to all. Different ages of girls enjoying campers and counselors they might not ever talk to otherwise. The community formed around the table is profound, it often leads to magical moments. Most of you enjoy family mealtimes… we do too! Ours includes not only great food, but singing too.
• Classes are exciting and often major conduits for conversations. As the girls get more comfortable with their schedule they will reach out and talk to other girls, making new friends in the classes that they are taking. Sometimes they make the connection from the Dining Hall (sit at a table near them), sometimes it is a regional connection (live in the same state as another friend). Sometimes it is just because they share a laugh at the same moment (eyes meet and a friend is made).
• Morning Assembly and EP (Evening Program) put us all together in the Pavilion, most girls have to “sit in the pit”. We gather at the sound of the bugle and wait for the program to begin… the conversations immediately begin, connections made, friends found.

The community of camp is the BEST part of the camp experience. We emphasize sweet friendships, we help the girls understand how to be good friends and how to overcome little misunderstandings. This is the work of the counselors… it is their major role. They model Christ, show love, and encourage that behavior by example with the campers (all day long, wherever they are). With so many counselors, the community has lots of “salt and light” to accomplish this goal. We all love it and will miss it when we leave. Nowhere else is like camp.

Tonight we will enjoy the Tentalow Lip Synchs… little dance routines to music that are performed by every cabin. They have been practicing the routine since last night, it is one of the first “goals” of the cabin counselor with her girls. Get them to work together to do a nice cabin performance for the camp, and when they get on stage and see 600 smiling faces looking back at them… when they hear the applause of an adoring audience… magic happens! It is fun to perform, it is especially fun to perform in front of a large audience on a real stage. Tonight is the Tentalow’s night, tomorrow will be the Bungalow and Cabin girls chance to shine. It is a perfect end to a perfect day.

Food: Breakfast featured a Greystone Favorite of fried ham and apples served with piping hot biscuits, cereal, juice, and fruit. Our fruit bar is amazing… the girls ate a lot of fruit today, we ran low on berries and melon (but the home made granola, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and oatmeal lasted till the end of the meal). The salad bar offers a ton of “extra” food for every meal, it has become my favorite part of the Greystone dining experience. This summer I have grown to love Tofu (marinated in soy, rice vinegar, and sesame oil then fried in a cast iron skillet till the outside is just caramelized; amazing) and oatmeal (stone ground oats slow cooked… simplicity can be sublime).
Lunch is a new favorite: Poppy Seed Chicken. Imagine a casserole with large chunks of white meat in a sweet and slightly savory sauce with a crunchy topping and stuffing. YUM! Add to it the fantastic salad bar, the fresh bread still warm from the oven, unsalted butter, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Feast!
Dinner is my new favorite: Flank steak (cooked over apple wood fire) cheese grits, a fresh salad, and of course bread. YUM AGAIN.

OK, that is it. This is a very long update… sorry. Usually not so wordy.

Thank you for sharing your girls. They are precious and wonderful, their bright eyes and thankful spirits fill this place and make it good. We are going to work hard to make these two weeks perfect.