Birthday Ball & Talent Show

Friday… one week countdown has begun.

It is hard not to begin a countdown once any session reaches the one week to go marker. It is a fact of camp life… we look forward to things both immediate and distant. Thus on this Friday morning we not only are filled with a sense of joy for the program last night (Counselor Talent Show was a HUGE hit with the girls), a joy for the program to come tonight (Birthday Ball and Talent Show), and the fact that one week from now camp will be over. It makes for a good Breakfast Club pointer: To make every day count.

Every day we encourage the girls to clap their hands and say out loud “It’s going to be a GREAT DAY” as soon as the reveille bugle sounds. It is silly. It is simple. It works! Campers and counselors alike are impacted by the simple plan for living that we present each summer. Make every day a Great Day by adjusting our attitude to seek the good in every situation. It is a lesson that works for parents too!

I find myself impacted by the camp experience every year, a surprising fact after so many years. I am impacted physically (healthy eating, lots of walking, no alcohol consumed leads to a weight loss of 15 pounds every summer). I am impacted Spiritually as well (there is something profound about the intensity of this community who all live for Christ). Life at camp is just good. I am glad to have one more week!

Let me tell you about Birthday Ball and Talent Show… Tonight’s EP starts with our big Birthday Ball Dinner followed by Camper Talent Show. This is a quality evening in every sense of the word: Fine Dining followed by Fine Art. Gervais will cook all day in preparation for the feast (stuffed port tenderloin, pasta, Joyce’s famous tomato pie, and birthday cake). Campers who have birthdays at camp are invited to get dressed in their Sunday Best and sit at the head table with my mother. The Head Staff act as waiters, attending to the birthday girls every need. We even give the birthday girls “favors” for attending the party (cool bracelets and some place setting things). Then comes the Talent Show… a real treat and probably the best quality EP of the session. It is a great evening.

Thank you for the encouraging comments yesterday… One of the things that the Blog allows is a public interaction between me (camp insider) and you (interested outsider). An amazing variety of people read the blog every day… I write with parents in mind but am aware that there are many “Greystone Fanatics” out there. Campers from previous sessions, counselors from previous years, and even friends who have never been to camp but appreciate what we do and want to keep in touch. The comments are a forum that encourages us all and we appreciate the “good vibes” that you send out!

A bit overcast this morning, chance of rain this afternoon, comfortable temperatures (low 80’s); life is good. I will head out with my trusted D-3S in the quest for the “perfect picture”… starting with Tennis then heading over to my favorite facility: Putt Cove. Our Putt Cove marina is over the top nice and works really well as a base for Kayaking and Sailing. Maybe we will have a nice breeze today…

Lunch is Shepherds Pie, another of the camper’s favorites. Mashed Potatoes covered in a ground beef savory sauce and topped with cheese. All of these camp meals are really great hits at home as well. Dinner around the table enjoying a simple meal is a real joy. The chatter in the Dining Hall is deafening now… lots of girls leaning in and grinning ear to ear as they share stories of the day. This “ease of conversation” is accomplished by routine… every day we gather, counselors lead the meal time (serving each plate and engaging the campers one by one). After a couple of days, it is a comfortable routine that is anticipated keenly. Such routines are worth keeping the year round!

Thanks again… it is a pleasure.

Jimboy