Why The Age Limit for Camp?

I got an email this morning from a wonderful camp mother who is facing the big decision: Main Camp… ugh. 5 weeks. $6,000 (when you budget), two daughters. She had to ask—- any chance Greystone will consider extending the age group of our shorter sessions?

I get this email a lot. I should answer the question for all of you, for the answer is instructive. It took a while to write the email, I will just copy that (amended) email right now… clean it up later!

Thank you for caring about camp and desiring it for your girls. To have shared in these years is an honor and privilege. To have a girl “graduate” from June Camp is a real mark of transition. The Teenage years are upon you… the cliff is blocking your path and there is no option but just leap out in faith. It is a scary time (at least it was for me), but now that I have two going off to college I am beginning to feel a little more confident. God takes care of our children. He cares very personally about them during the hard times, upholding them and guiding them through the many dark hallways of this world. Pray, Pray, Pray!

Camp has a good teenage ministry, it might be the best thing we do… I try to be objective, but the superlatives are all that come to mind. We provide a substantial, significant, stimulating, and Spiritually excellent High School camp. It is natural to think that we could extend this experience to the June or August sessions, but unfortunately, it isn’t that easy.

Indulge me for a moment while I try to write down what we have learned about providing a successful “high school” camp…

1. Time is everything. Our program has been condensed from an original 7 week format to the current 5 week format and it is as tight as it can be. At this point if we take out a single day, we take away a big deal (something that is intentionally there for specific purpose). The question arises… how do you know? We try to figure out the answer (experiment with dropping that element in a summer and seeing if any effect is noticed). Main Camp is an intricate machine that WORKS for teenagers. Frankly, we loose teenagers in shorter sessions (including June Camp)… for teenagers, the home run is Main Camp… the reason (in short) is the length of time. There is a backup plan… if Main Camp ceases to be relevant (doesn’t fill); we would split that time into a three week and two week session combo. We would make one of the sessions into a “high school only” camp and change the entire formula. It might work… but I have my doubts. This group needs time to develop the “roots” of significant friendship and trust. Three Weeks would be good, but not as good (I think). The Metal Jewelry projects for Main Camp take every day. Same thing for painting… Guitar… Play Production… Riflery (can not pass “Expert” without every day)… and the list goes on. Classes are not the main thing, but we do have the program we have because we gear up for Main Camp.

2. Uniqueness… NOBODY else has High School campers as regular campers. CIT leadership programs are common. Some camps even have older 16 year old campers, but in very small numbers. 45% of Main Camp campers are 15 years old or older. 8% are 17 years old! Amazing. If we are doing something nobody else is doing as well… I don’t want to mess it up. Tradition is a stern mistress.

3. Success… Not only do we have the teenagers, we fill all sessions a year in advance. Extending the grade groups at shorter sessions would be a smart marketing move (broaden the base) but it would be at the cost of the experience. As I mentioned before, the older girls do not do as well at shorter sessions. Furthermore, I know that for every older camper we take, we have to turn away younger campers (who also are getting a valuable if different experience). We think God draws campers to Greystone for specific purposes… In every age group I see the fruit of this time and don’t want to cut any out.

None of this is to say that we will not do something sometime… but for this time it is likely to stay this way.

Thank you again for the considerate and encouraging note. God works a perfect plan in each of us; He has next summer in the bag, and it will be perfect. I hope it includes Greystone!

Sincerely

Jimboy