Five Years

Why does Greystone have so many campers who return for so many years?

It is a good question, for it is fairly unique in the camping world and the answer must be a hard one to nail down or else every camp would be doing the same thing. It is a question we ask ourselves and every camper and counselor seems to have their own answer.

For some it is the friendships. Camp friends are unique for they relate in a way that is profoundly “real”. At Main Camp we have a long time to build relationships that are tempered in the flames of 24 hour days and 7 day weeks… good times and bad times… it is a fairly intense experience that leads to awesome friendships.

For some it is “the bubble”. Camp allows the girls to unplug and unwind from a world that does not allow them to do so. Without screens to distract us from the beauty that surrounds us, we can eventually sigh with relief as the pressures retreat. We notice the wind in the trees, the sun on our face, the colors of the sunset, and the phase of the moon. We catch fireflies and take naps in the afternoon. We don’t care what aweful thing happened 3,000 miles away… we simply live our lives (complete with the minor drama’s that arise from normal life) and focus on each other (remember, the secret of Greystone is Unselfishness). It is worth a return for as long as you can manage it!

For some it is the Lord. Here we find the Holy Spirit alive and active, speaking to our hearts in a way that is hard to explain to others. We read our Bibles without embarrassment, pray without self consciousness, and are not afraid to talk about spiritual issues with our friends. It is very satisfying to acknowledge spiritual truth in daily living… to see peers and mentors who are genuinely excited about God… to take a big part of the human condition (our soul) and talk about what it means. Spiritual truth is never more strongly experienced than at camp.

My point with all this relates to our EP tonight, the 5 year celebration. Girls who have come to camp for at least 5 years (and at least 3 at Main Camp) will be honored in a beautiful ceremony this evening. The girls wear their pretty white dresses and are given a yellow rose and a certificate in front of the camp community. Then the Senior Campers will each give a short speech about why they love camp. It is a beautiful and inspirational evening and you can see it if you like!

This will be our first Livestream event of Main Camp. We will start broadcasting around 7:30 and the program will go for about an hour and a half. The show will stay online for 24 hours, so if you want to catch it later (and fast forward to the parts you like) I would encourage you to do so. It really is a great night at camp, an inspiration for the younger campers and a big deal for those girls who are speaking (they have been thinking about this day for many years… talking about an emotional subject in front of hundreds of people is a fearsome task!).

The weather is hot and humid (standard July weather pattern) with a 20% chance of rain (but it seems to rain every afternoon regardless of the percentage chance). We have the misting stations set up to cool the girls off between classes and we will serve popcycles at the watermelon table this afternoon. Breakfast was pancakes and sausage, Lunch is chicken taco’s, Dinner is lettuce wraps.

Last night’s EP was tons of fun. Margaret and I had a blast with the rising 10th graders, the overnight at Thunderhead boasted of not going to sleep all night long, the baseball game was a hit ($1 hot dogs, a late return to camp), roller skating a blast, and the water felt perfect in the heat. So many happy sounds, so many happy memories!

I think that covers it… thank you for checking in. It is an honor to have your girls with us and a night like this makes us particularly thankful for you parents who have sacrificed for so many years to provide this experience for your girls. It is hard to block off five weeks of the summer, hard to pay the tuition, pack the bags, and be apart from your girls. Main Camp parents are a unique breed and the world is a better place with you in it. We sincerely appreciate the sacrifices you make to see that we are open year after year.

This celebration is for you!