What's Up

I get a lot of emails (and a few phone calls) every day… most of them are from parents letting me/us know what is on your mind. There are lots of encouraging thoughts that are shared, and I consider any honest thought to be encouraging (negative as well as positive) for they help gauge the impact we are having.

Camp is a powerful experience. If you attended camp you know this to be true, if you didn’t attend a camp yourself you will just have to take my word on it. There is something that happens when a group of people share a common experience; when that experience is carefully crafted for a specific outcome it is particularly wonderful. Camp is exactly that… a carefully crafted experience for the purpose of fun and transformative growth. Your perspective provides an important facet on the “jewel” of camp. Your comments, and especially the many conversations we have with the campers, help us assess what we are doing well and what we need to work on.

So I will share some mid summer thoughts…

God is Blessing us… the campers and counselors are healthy, happy, and comfortable. Counselors are returning to camp early on their day off so that they don’t miss a special event. There have been very few “friendship circles” (how we help cabins forgive and ask forgiveness) arranged by the head staff (the cabins are taking care of relationships appropriately on their own). There is a sweet spirit in this place, it is the Spirit of the Lord.

The food is outstanding… every aspect of the food service is amazing this year. I have been particularly impressed with the Fruit and Salad bar, the “power smoothies”, the menu (no duplicate meals except at breakfast), and the “extra’s” like Granola Bars, apples, and watermelon that are served as snacks. Gervais is making a point of using “power foods” every chance he gets… the extra efforts are noticed by all.

Zero Waste… our efforts to cut our contributions to the land fill have been very successful, but very difficult. We continue to purchase composting equipment in an effort to more effectively deal with the challenge. We are getting close!

Photos… the new photo system has been a success. LOTS of great comments and I think the photos are a very high quality (generally speaking).

Social Media… we have gotten help with our Social Media posts this year, allowing for daily facebook and instagram updates. This has been most appreciated…

Our facility is outstanding… My parents started an ambitious process of improving the camp facility in the 1980’s, I continued and intensified this effort in the 2000’s and am very happy to report that the combined effect is wonderful. The staff housing is excellent (good for morale), the camper cabins are unsurpassed, the water and septic systems working without a hitch, the new dance tent is a delight, and the marina looks and works like new. At this point the only “must do’s” include new decking for the dining hall porch and the blob dock… not bad.

Our dreams are big… The new outpost camp site (see the pictures above) is full of potential. Located just ten minutes from camp, it provides the “ultimate” overnight experience. We purchased this property just a month ago from an old Greystone friend (he was on tennis staff in the 1960’s). We don’t know exactly how we will use it, but know that it is certain to play a role in the camp experience for many years to come. Cabin overnights by the stream, the mountain top field, or the lodge are sure to be memorable. Hikes along the ridge are sure to be an inspiration. The Senior girls are the first to experience it, they will not be the last!

Skiing… The word from the campers is that they do not miss leaving camp for a ski day, but they do miss the chance to ski (they only ski at camp) and the chance to have a “break” in their daily schedule. We are exploring the possibility of doing a ski program on Lake Summit that meets the expectation.

Facebook… a parent was concerned with their child showing up in another parent’s facebook post (she was included in a group photo). Her concern was that the campers might feel like they are having to “look good” for the camera with the possibility of being put out on a facebook post (an intrusion into the bubble). There is also the privacy issue. This is a difficult problem, for it arises from simply having a photo service. I hope that this does not prove to be a difficulty that requires a “fix”, for the only fix I see is to no longer post pictures (low res photos are suitable for facebook use… so even if we take away the download function, the problem persists). I get a headache just thinking about it.

New programs are a hit… Kelly has done a great job introducing new program options this year: Zip Line, Farm and Garden, and Hair Braiding have all been a hit. Very strong participation, very good classes… home runs for sure.

Thank you for helping make Greystone better every year. Your love and support of camp are most appreciated.

Jimboy