Concert on the Lawn
Drew and Ellie Holcomb provided our favorite moment of camp this year (so far) with their amazing concert last night. The weather was perfect (warm, breezy, golden light as the sun set), the audience was perfect (engaged from the first moment, happy to show off their dance moves, singing with gusto), and the feeling was perfect (a sweet spirit of kindness that has grown very strong)… the perfect ending to a perfect week!
The importance of “the feeling of camp” can not be over-stated. It is the life blood that strengthens, invigorates, and encourages a community. The “feeling” at Greystone is always strong and consistant from year to year. It was best described by a camp mom about 3 years ago. Margaret and I were enjoying a nice dinner out when a woman approached our table and introduced herself. She had been a camper and was now sending her daughter to Greystone, and she absolutely LOVED camp! She gushed about rvery detail… her eyes filling with tears. She said that camp changed her perspective of the world. That Camp is a place where Kindness is a Currency.
I love that. I quote it a lot for I think it hits the nail on the head. This attitude, widely embraced, is how we form “the bubble”.
So the feeling of camp is good but it might not be easy for everyone. Some campers are still adjusting to camp and might be writing homesick letters. This is a normal and positive component of many camp experiences. This is not to say that ALL homesickness is good. Homesickness can be very destructive. We know the difference! If we have any concerns we immediately contact you so that you can partner with us to resolve the situation in a good way.
I was a homesick camper, my children were all homesick from time to time. We grew from such moments and understand the process. There are most likely a lot of campers who will struggle with this yucky feeling in the first week of camp. Most of them adjust quietly (often by writing a heart breaking letter home) and will not appear to be homesick. They actually enjoy their time at camp but have trouble when things are quiet (at bedtime or rest hour). Others are more expressive of their feelings. Those girls immediately get help from their counselors, group leaders, and Laura. We teach them coping skills to control those bad feelings, to re-direct the thoughts… to learn to enjoy life and not let a bad feeling ruin their day. They develop the very desirable character trait of resilience. I touched on the subject in 2016… check it out if you want.
Anyhow… Kindness was the theme of Breakfast Club today, finishing the “Social Growth” portion of the Breakfast Club Curriculum. The joke was an old “Converse” joke (“Paint the Porch”) that doesn’t get a lot of laughs but is fun anyhow. It might have been due to the fact that we changed tables today (we do this every week, random table assignments are a great way of making new friends). New tables are always much more quiet at mealtime.
It is very warm today… temperatures are about the same (80’s) but the humidity is higher. This probably means afternoon showers are once again going to be a part of our daily routine (no cooling afternnoon showers during our first week). Not a bad thing!
The Rundown:
- Breakfast: Sausage Gravy and
- Lunch: Shaved Pork Sandwiches
- Dinner: Steak Fajitas
- EP: Team Meetings with Cheerleading Tryouts
A word about that last thing… cheerleading tryouts. This is one of our “100th Celebration” EP’s, bringing back this really funny program that was dropped in the 90’s. The Teams will gather in separate places and have very short presentations by individuals, couples, and large groups. The Captain and Lieutenant decide who best exemplifies the spirit that they want to see with their team… and the winners are given custom bows and tutu’s as their official uniform to be worn on competition days. This is, of course, part of the build up to Challenge Day (the day after tomorrow). Should be a lot of fun.
Thanks for checking in during your “Holiday Week”.
Blessings to you all.
