The Blog... It Can Help!

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Blog. It is my privilege to officially say “THANK YOU” for allowing us to once again open the gates of Greystone for another wonderful group of girls.

I will write daily blogs that will let you know what is going on in camp quickly. I usually upload before lunch so you can include the details in your emails to the girls. Knowing details like what we are eating, what the EP will be, the weather etc. makes your communications (emails and letters) better! Better emails make happier campers, so we want to help you craft emails & letters that are rich in camp content so that they will fully focus on the good that surrounds them!

We do so many fun, exciting, and interesting classes every day (so ask about what classes are especially good, ask details like if she did the blob, if she thinks she will make a bullseye or do the screamer, if she is knitting a scarf for her dog… the list goes on). Use the blog to turn her attention to camp and the fun she is having rather than what she might miss at home). This is a sure fire tip that works!

I also use the blog to reflect on some of the facets of what makes camp so good for children… how girls grow when they are here. Many of you have no camping experience and have very little idea about what to expect. You probably thought that this would be a fun thing to try out, a way for your children to play outside for a couple of weeks. Your expectations might not be very high… and we want you to expect A LOT from this deceptively simple experience. It is amazing.

The blog paints a partial picture in words, but we know a picture is worth a thousand words… so we take many photos. We will post them twice daily, at lunch (about 1:00 PM) and after EP (about 9:30 PM). If you don’t want to look at all the photos, you should consider the Waldo service. It is very effective at pulling your camper out of the thousands of photos, thus saving a lot of time! If using the Waldo service, help train it in the first days by adding photos of your daughter… it learns quickly and is very good.

As I write this, the girls are in their cabins after eating a picnic lunch (smoked turkey, pasta salad, ham, home-baked bread, fruit salad, cheese, brownies). The temperature is a perfect 75 degrees and a light rain is falling intermittently. We LOVE rain at camp! Particularly this kind of rain (which you can easily walk around in and doesn’t have any thunder). I think the forecast is for off and on rain for a couple of hours, then a beautiful afternoon.

We will start the afternoon fun with a short assembly to explain the camp rules and introduce the people who help with ANY needs that the girls might have (we always take care things immediately, just ask!). Abundant provision with a smile! After the assembly, the girls will take cabin photos, do a swim test at the pool, and enjoy activities around camp with their cabin. Lots of fun and games to make the get-to-know-you process easy for all.

Tonight we will enjoy our first meal in the Dining Hall (spaghetti), our first EP (Counselor Program Skits), our first crackers, first cabin devotions and tuck-ins, first taps, and first night of sleep in a cabin. I am sure we will wake up tomorrow with high hopes for our first full day of camp.

Observations of the quick dropoff routine:

• The campers like it! Independence and cabin team building begins immediately as they unpack, make their bed, decorate their bunk, and get to know each other. LOTS of smiles… and having something to do during those awkward first moments is great! The cabins are less crowded (Moms take up a lot of room!) and it isn’t as crazy or hot in the cabin.
• The counselors like it! They focus 100% on the campers rather than splitting their attention with the parents (you can imagine how difficult that would be).
• The Support Crew likes it! Moving trunks is hard work, but this system is easier, and the trunks arrive at the cabins quicker.
• Parents like it! The almost unanimous opinion of parent surveys from all other sessions (we have done it for two years now) is DON’T GO BACK! Very few parents prefer the “old way” even though they miss the chance to meet the counselors and visit with other parents.

Let us know your thoughts… we will be sending surveys on Closing Day and will welcome your insights. We know it is hard to drop off your camper without even seeing her cabin or meeting her counselors, but in these extraordinary times, we are trying a lot of new systems! Some of them are better than what we used to do… we always listen to you!

Thank you for your prayers and support.

We Love Your Girls!