Greystone Lingo and the Why Behind It
I realized pretty recently that I’m coming up on my 9th summer at camp this summer - it’s a pretty wild feeling! I still remember the feeling of coming to Greystone for the first time, taking in the sunset over the Pageant Court and trying to imagine myself settling in. At first, I was wary and a bit confused. What’s 5:10? The DHP? Is Gervais a person, place, or thing? Thanks to a group of very kind and supportive counselors and the Head Staff, I eventually figured out the inside lingo and felt like camp was home!
We’ve got an amazingly helpful Greystone dictionary that is a great resource! You should check it out, but I’m going to do you one better - I’m going to talk about some of my personal favorite aspects of Greystone lingo and about why we do them! Follow along for some true Greystone insider info.
Reveille is how you know a great Greystone day is about to begin! When reveille blows (here’s a Youtube video if you’re wondering what it sounds like), every Greystone girl claps their hands and says “it’s going to be a great day and I feel terrific!” Why, you ask? When we “claim the day” from the beginning, our positive attitude determines that we will, indeed have a great day!
After flag and a delicious breakfast in the Dining Hall, it’s time for Breakfast Club! It’s less of a “club” and more of a time to hear from Jimboy, the head honcho himself! Breakfast Club starts off with a song. It took me a while to learn, so in the meantime, I followed along with the motions. After the song, Jimboy gives an aspect of our camp philosophy, the Four-Fold way that we can work on and grow in. After that, he tells a joke. Jimboy jokes are legendary! Sometimes he’s laughing so hard at himself that he can barely make it to the punchline. Why Breakfast Club? Two of the things that are a big deal at camp are community and growth. By getting our entire community together and talking about ways to grow closer to God and to each other (and capped with some laughter), we start our day off in a great way.
We have some classes and then lunch, and after lunch is one of my personal favorites - Rest Hour! Rest Hour is when campers get mail, and there’s an hour to write letters, read a book, do a crossword or quiet game, or even take a nap! Sometimes it can take a while to get used to Rest Hour - a whole hour that you can’t talk or play? But here’s the why - our daily schedule at Greystone is packed with fun and activity! Our brains are constantly at work learning new skills and making new friends. Rest Hour is prime time for our brains and bodies to take a much-needed break so we can continue to have a great time without getting exhausted! If you think of it that way, Rest Hour is one of the most important things we do!
Another important aspect of camp that’s often overlooked is the Job Wheel. The Job Wheel is how each camper is “assigned” a job to take care of and clean her cabin. The job she gets rotates every day so she doesn’t get stuck doing the same thing twice in a row. Sweeping and cleaning the sinks doesn’t sound like that much fun, and camp is all about fun, right? Why do we even need the Job Wheel? For the camp community to work, everyone needs to pitch in! The Job Wheel is a great tangible example of this. No one wants to live in a grungy cabin, and the Job Wheel gives us a way to take turns to all do our part.
What’s the opposite of the Job Wheel on the camp love scale? It just might be Candy Shoppe! Some nights, after dinner at camp campers will have the opportunity to visit Candy Shoppe (sometimes we shorten it to just “Shoppe”). While you can get a sweet treat if you want, the why of Shoppe is much deeper than eating a bag of Skittles. Shoppe is, at its core, and opportunity for conversation. “Shoppe Dates” are deeply ingrained in the culture of camp, and they’re a way for campers start conversations about anything big or small with someone they want to spend time with, whether another camper or a counselor. Shoppe is a time to be spent however you want - from having a great conversation with a friend to participating in a giant game of Jimball (camp’s version of Gagaball).
Those are just a few of my favorite “Greystone things” but believe me, I could go on forever! Are there any other Greystone terms you’re confused about, or are you confused about why we do them? Give us a holler in the comments - we’d love to hear from you!