Wednesday

Camp is the kind of experience that grows on the people that live here (camper and counselor alike). For the first week, we adjust to our new surroundings. The bugles and bells are not yet a part of our “comfort zone” and can sometimes be surprising (especially reveille at 7:30 in the morning!). The lack of computers and the abundance of people takes time… as does the quiet (most of us do not have quiet times built into our days… I might suggest you adjust your daily routine to include such moments!). All these things, and more, take us a few days before they are comfortable as an old shoe. Now is the adjustment time of camp and there might be some uncomfortable moments.

This is not to say it is hard. Change is actually quite wonderful! There are SO MANY people who absolutely love Main Camp and all of it’s details, we all get carried along in the wave of enthusiasm. The dining hall is “rockin”. The classes are “hoppin”. The cabins are “poppin”. It is fun, but it also takes time for some of us to get fully connected to our new circumstances.

Thus it is possible that you will get a sad letter. Prepare your heart to read such a letter with the confidence that such feelings are normal in the first week of camp. I mentioned quiet times as a wonderful but sometimes difficult aspect of the camp day. It is possible (perhaps likely) that you will get to share this good gift with your camper by way of their hand written letters home. We asked every girl to write home yesterday, you will get those letters soon… and it is not uncommon for that first letter to show signs of “adjustment”.

This process will continue for several days. The first week is just like that (even old campers will be comparing details this year to last and wonder if it is going to be as good as they thought it would be). Camp is never the same from year to year, but it is always GOOD. The girls might not know this in their hearts at this point of the game.

As the they lie on their bunk for rest hour, they will have time to think. Their thoughts will turn to you and they might get a bit sad. Processing this feeling with a heart-felt letter that pours out these poignant emotions in a torrent is a great way to make themselves feel better, but it transfers the burden to your shoulders! Such letters are precious. Margaret and I have gotten them from all of our children and we treasure them to this day. We knew to expect such letters and when they arrived, we did not worry very much. I wrote my parents the same kind of letters 40 years ago.

Adjusting to camp is a very positive life skill. It builds character, confidence, and gives a great sense of accomplishment. You will see the impact on closing day. We encourage the girls to adjust to camp in a healthy way, and we help them build those skills. Their counselors, the group leaders, and even other campers help in this process. It is a process founded in love and in building a positive attitude toward all of the hard things that life presents. Almost every camper builds these skills in a healthy way and we see such growth as a very normal and good aspect of their camp experience. Some (a very small number…) need speclal help.

If your camper is having a hard time and we think that her experience is not good, we call you. We will call you to give the “heads up” and to seek your input and guidance. What we are doing, saying, and thinking may be off base and you will put us on the right path. Sometimes your girl just needs to hear from you that she is going to love camp. You will be a part of the process if things are not working… but rest assured. It is very rare that a camper ever leaves camp due to homesickness. We will usually have one or two “serious cases” in a summer (out of 1,850 campers!!!). We are very good at this. You can trust us!

So… steel yourselves. If you are worried, email or call your camper’s group leader and we will get you a full report. But also feel free to trust us to take care of everything. We are on the same page as you: wanting to provide the best life experience possible. We want to make this a summer to remember, something that God uses for Glory! We are in this together and it is going to be an amazing ride.

Thank you very much for reading and for caring. It is a Great Day at Greystone.

JB

PS Breakfast: scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon links, huge fruit bar (never ran out of any of the fresh fruits and berries), cereal, juice, and smoothies for anyone who wanted one (spinach and fruit with coconut milk and yogurt). YUM

Lunch: our famous meat loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad.

Dinner: chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole.

PPS… Tentalow Lip Synchs were a big hit. We take a lot of photos so you can see your girl… the older girls go tonight!

PPPS… We started candy shoppe last night. Everyone can go get a treat before the EP (skittles and fudge popsicles are favorites). We offer healthy snacks too, but this is a camper choice thing (they can get whatever they want). Don’t worry… camp is a hugely active place, we burn a lot of calories every day. Candy shoppe is a huge morale boost for the campers, everyone LOVES it. Great social time too (the shoppe line is a great place to meet new friends and catch up with old ones while we wait for EP to begin).