Sleep Late Friday

Sleep Late Friday… a tradition much loved by all. We have one “SLF” at June Camp (4 at Main), and we love it! Laura Hollowell is our Director and does an amazing job, she gets the credit for Sleep Late Friday (also for Apple Cart and Watermellon Table). She says she has been here for 38 years (she was a camper for a long time… we count that as “training”) and her sense of tradition and innovation is razor sharp. Several years ago she noticed a need for a languid wake up for at least one day every week (Sunday doesn’t count, we run Stumblers at 8… remember?)… so the thinking cap goes on.

How to sleep an extra hour yet not short change classes (a bigger deal than you think; trust me)? It struck her like a bolt of lightning: Reveille blows at 8:30, Counselors pick up Breakfast and bring it to the cabins, the girls have “breakfast in bed” and we go straight to Assembly at 9:15 (regular time). Voila (thunderous applause from the counselors… bravo, encore!!!). Ahhhh the luxury of an hour in the summer. Today we ate Krispy Kreme doughnuts, juice, milk… light and satisfying.

I am actually writing this during the extra hour of this glorious morning. My relaxation is writing to you good people! I will just write the update now and post it when I get to the office; the extra hour in the office will give me a chance to start a little 2012 planning.

One of the things that makes camp good is preparation. Good people thinking about every detail before the moment arrives… We plan, we have back up plans… Our team is very good: Laura (Sleep Late Apple Cart Lady), Kelly (Program Director; the hardest working person in the world; a real phenomenon), Sarah (our “great with child” Head Counselor; specializes in marketing/ new campers/ summer calendar; she also is a great aid to my happiness level because she is so funny), Margaret (my wife who is also our Health Director and completely manages this black hole of need in the center of camp… she also makes me laugh and sees that our 5 children are not forgotten in the press of the summer schedule), Gervais (Kitchen Director and good friend… also husband of Apple Cart Sleep Late Lady), and our Group Leaders (amazing… each and every one). This doesn’t even mention Diane and Jessi (in the office), Sam and his Merry Men (in Maintenance), Lell (also a good friend who we gave the title of “Director of Services”… she takes care of the store, laundry, housekeeping, purchases, etc.), Helen and her crew at the barn, the Hostesses, the counselors, the kitchen crew… it does indeed take a village.

Anyhooo…. my point was, good preparation happens with each of the individuals listed above. Each one of them focus on camp from a different angle. Each one puts their personality and individual genius into making the next week, day, hour better than it would have been. We expect everyone who works at camp to love it with a passion… and all that love is what makes the summer so good. It also makes the summer a delight for me! With so much help, I can just enjoy the ride!!!

Who Has The Best Job? I Do, I Do! Do I Know It? Yes I Do!!! (say this like a cheer; girls camp… am I starting to think like a girl? ugh).

So I will give you an “early” glimpse into the 2012 considerations for improving camp.

1. We are trying out new solar powered gable fans for all upstairs cabins that are not currently insulated (most of the cabins in camp). The concept is that during daylight hours, these high tech fans will pull the hot air from the peak of the roof thus making the cabins cooler. We are testing them out this summer, first analysis will be made over the weekend (supposed to become warm again by Sunday).

2. Staff Lodge… Our staff is much larger than you think. About 60 counselors are given the lucky ticket to be cabin counselors, the rest are “out of cabin”. This group gets bigger every year as the program becomes more complex and the skills of the department heads become more intense. We need housing for hundreds… a real challenge. The staff lodge that could sleep 60 would be a nice addition (if we can get building permission, a long and difficult process in this county).

3. Shower Doors… we replaced all the shower doors in the Tentalows this year and the result is a delight to everyone (housekeeping, campers, counselors, maintenance). We will replace the cabin and bungalow shower doors this year.

4. Not much else… camp is almost perfect.

I got an email complaining about our fees this week, thinking we should lower the fees not increase them. I wrote a long response, for it touches close to my heart. The challenge comes down to how much do we cut corners in providing this experience. We spend everything we make on making camp better… this might not be smart, but it is how I have always done things. I am trying to figure out ways of cutting expenses (thus my blog entry on credit cards http://www.campgreystone.com/news/2011-06-02-2012-and-credit-cards), I also hope that the Great Day Fund will eventually be fully funded so we can give scholarships as generous as our hearts (it currently has about $50,000 but needs about $5,000,000). If you are concerned about our fees, write. I think camp is a bargain… a very expensive bargain! For less than the cost of a hotel and meal every day, you get camp… but it does add up. I am sensitive to the financial hardship it can cause… there might be a solution out there one day (at Harvard, don’t students just pay what they can afford? I like that model.).

We have been around for 90 years… in 90 years what will we look like?

Well… I think I have too much time on my hands, this is digressing.

Today will give us a nice and cool overcast morning, clearing skies and warmer temps in the afternoon. Birthday Ball this evening (all Birthday girls this session will get dressed up for a dinner with my mother at the head table… a blow out feast and birthday cake for the entire camp). EP is the Talent Show (one of the best EP’s of the session). Good times.

Au Revoir and Cheers,

Happy Friday to you.

Jimboy

PS… Lunch was just perfect. Fried Chicken nuggat salad (nuggats on a big bed of Romaine lettuce, red onions, with honey mustard dressing) again my belt feels tight. Middle Age. ugh