Opening Day... FINALLY

It’s finally here. I can only imagine how hard the weekend was for some of you… for I know how excited your girls have been about camp. All summer they have asked “how much longer”… I can relate. When I was young time passed so slowly… As I have gotten get older, time condenses and speeds up… the blink of an eye and a week is gone. Campers are in “Slow Time” and it is hard!

Today, every person in camp will think that time is speeding up! We have planned 12 days of fun that quite literally never ends. Let the good times begin!

August Camp is a precious session, one that is marked by the enthusiasm of the campers who quite literally run everywhere because they “CAN“T WAIT”. Their love of camp is contageous. They jump out of bed with a clap of hands every morning, having a “Great Day” and feeling “Terrific”. They are delightful.

You parents will be a fly on the wall for the next two weeks. In this blog I will give you a glimpse into camp life: what we are doing, what we are eating, what we are feeling, what we are looking forward to. I will give you hints on being a good camp parent, how to answer a homesick letter, how to ask us a question about your daughter… hopefully building trust in our ability to deliver a quality camp experience.

Greystone is amazing. Ninty three years in the making, it is an inspiration that is hard to explain to those who have never been here. There is something special about the combination of counselors, campers, setting, facilities, food, and program. It all is put into the pot and comes out as an amazingly complex and satisfying life experience.

We are finishing a fantastic summer and the counselors are very happy to have one last “Fix” of the magic. Magic is what happens when the campers arrive… they make this place live and make our lives significant in a profound way. Lives are touched, counselors as well as campers. It is good.

Things you should do now: Log In and check out the photos. I post photos every day, we have a team of photographers posting photos too (counselors with a love of photography), we also have a professional photographer who shows up from time to time (Julie Mallett Photography). All of these photographs add up… you will want to check them out through the day. There is no way to search for your daughter specifically, you just browse the whole catalog…. and pick up a flavor of the summer by the images. Don’t read too much into the photographs they are not perfect!

Another thing: email your camper. Emails are FREE. Our software company will encourage you to purchase “add ons” like borders, cross word puzzles, etc. but I say skip that stuff. Write good emails now… lots of focus on how much fun they are going to have at camp, comments on the food, the EP’s, the classes, the friends, the dogs, the horses. Ask your daughter questions that she can answer with sentences, not just “yes” or “no”. They will write you back, often just giving answers to the questions that you ask. You will love the letters… certain to be put into the “memories” box.

Another Thing: write hand written letters. These are treasured beyond words. You should write as much as you can… but this is a very short camp. You will only be able to write for about a week before the mail system works against a timely delivery… so get on it today!

Another Thing: Pray! We are doing so as well. This is worth it. At camp we pray a lot: before the day begins (head staff), before meals, after assemblies, before bed… and this prayer lends a sweet spirit to the camp. We ask for your prayers too: that God will protect the campers and counselors; that He would strengthen us all to be good examples; that He would fill our hearts with joy and love.

That is it for now… thanks again for checking the update. It looks great on ipads (you can scroll the photo’s at the top both left and right… really cool). Make comments if you like; it is a nice way for our little community of parents to have a voice.

Thank you very much for supporting our camp. It is most appreciated!

Jimboy