The Starting Line

I never wanted to be on the track team but that did not matter in my 10th grade year. I played on the varsity football team and our coach made all of the players run track in the spring… so there I was, running the 440 (400 meter) “sprint”. It was one of the hardest things I ever did. Running full speed for a whole lap was excruciating physically and mentally; requiring extensive preparations before race day.

Today is like that for everyone at camp. We have anticipated this moment all year and are thrilled to finally welcome you to June Camp!

Thank you for making today possible. YOUR support and encouragement is deeply appreciated. THANK YOU for choosing Greystone for your girls, we think you chose well… this is one of the best places in the world!

I will be writing daily blogs that provide an inside glimpse of camp in a timely fashion. I try to post the blog before lunch so it is easy to include details in your emails to the girls. By including these details (like what we are eating, the EP that we enjoyed last night, the weather, etc.) your communications (emails and handwritten letters) will be better! Turn the focus of your letters toward camp (we don’t want the girls to think they are missing something fun at home)!

We take a lot of photos every day (like thousands). We post them twice a day: before lunch (about 1:00 PM) and after EP (about 9:30 PM). If you are not seeing your daughter in the pictures, let her know you want her to jump in front of the camp photographers (I am one of them!). After a few days, the girls get used to the cameras and enjoy sharing their moments.

Our photo system (CampInTouch) has facial recognition as a free service. Some of you might also want to open a paid Waldo account (parents have used this service for several years and it is very good). Both of these services require some setup work, but once they are dialed in they should be very good at pulling your camper out of thousands of photos, thus saving a lot of time!

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 sky is a little cloudy, there is a slight chance of rain, temperatures are a perfect 78 degrees, and we are ready to get this session going!

A few Opening Day thoughts:

• The campers like moving into camp on their own! Their independence and cabin team-building skills are immediately established as they unpack, make their bed, decorate their bunk, and get to know each other. Having something to do during those awkward first moments is nice! The cabins are less crowded (Moms take up a lot of room!) and the first experience of cabin life isn’t as crazy. It is MUCH easier for the campers to settle in.
• The counselors appreciate this time with the girls! They focus 100% on the campers rather than splitting their attention with the parents (who can be intimidating!).
• The Support Crew likes it! Moving trunks is hard work, but this system is easier and the trunks arrive at the cabins quicker.

We just sent you a little message from your counselors in the “Greystone Bubble”. You can meet your daughter’s counselors who made a short little video yesterday to introduce themselves… it will be nice to put a voice and face with a name!

This afternoon we will have a short assembly to go over a few camp rules and get to know each other while making sure the girls see the people who are here to help them. This first day is all about getting settled with a smile! After the assembly, the girls will take cabin photos, do swim tests, and enjoy activities around camp with their cabin. The counselors are very good at making this day all about bonding. The get-to-know-you process is fun and easy for all.

Tonight we will enjoy our first meal in the Dining Hall (opening day spaghetti), our first EP (Counselor Program Skits on the Pageant Court), our first Crackers, first cabin devotions, first tuck-ins, first Taps, first night of sleep in a cabin. We will all be very tired and sleep will come quickly to the sounds of crickets and frogs. Tomorrow morning, we will wake up with a smile, jump out of bed, clap our hands and say “It’s going to be a GREAT DAY!”.

Thank you for your prayers and for your support.

We Love Your Girls and are so happy to be enjoying another summer together!