Golden Memories

One of the images that every camper relates to is that of the candle flame. The golden light of a single candle is quite lovely, the perfect brightness for illuminating a face in a dark room. The golden light of 700 candles is stunning… be it in an open air pavilion, circled on a grand lawn, or floating on a still lake. This image is one that we cherish for it represents camp. Our memories shine brightly as we leave Tuxedo for another year. They will be kept safely, their flames protected and cherished for a lifetime.

Camp closed today, the campers are gone and there are no more photographs to wade through. For 11 weeks our campus has been a beehive of activity… thousands of details each of which provide a wealth of subject matter for a blogger or photographer. The many facets of Camp Greystone are astounding and delightful to share: Food, Facility, People, and Fun moments enjoyed with childlike abandon. Camp is a place where a 50 year old man is called “Jimboy” and a group of 6 year old campers are called “ladies”. It is a place of sweet simplicity and profound importance. A shame it has to end.

If you are reading this blog, you are probably a fanatic. You have been watching our summer progress and appreciate what God does in this setting. You might wonder what is next…

Vacation I am going to take a week off with the family. Of my 5 children, 4 worked at camp this summer in one way or another (2 were counselors, 1 worked in the kitchen, 1 was a baby sitter). Margaret has overseen a 24 hour a day health center without a day off. The intensity of this work is hard to over-state, it wears a body out! We are looking forward to some quality family time.

Where’s Jimboy This is our first big project of the fall… campers and counselors want to win the big monthly prize package for the best photograph of the Jimboy head. The world map that locates each photo will be full by next summer… it will be fun to see the creativity of this community competing with a silly contest.

Assessment Our 93rd summer has been an unqualified success, it also presents many opportunities for improvement. The challenge with a successful summer is not resting on that success. We will shine a bright light into every corner, not because we are dis-satisfied but because we know there is not much time before we open camp for the 94th year. The weight of expectation is on our shoulders, we aim to deliver!

I will do blogs and tweets, trying to keep you up to date on the little news items that fill the horizon of camp life in the winter… but there is no way it is the same. Camp is defined by the campers and counselors; when they are not here, it is a different story.

Thank you for the interest and for the support. It is an honor to do this work and we are grateful for the opportunity.

Sincerely

Jimboy