A Glimpse of Greystone
This is your window into what is happening every day at Greystone. Some of you are naturally interested in these details (someone invented the phrase “helicopter parents” to describe our desire to know everything our children do). Some of you don’t think you are interested at all but you are just reading the first paragraph because someone told you it might be worth your time. Frankly, I think everyone with a camper here now will find the blog worth checking every day. It doesn’t have to take much time (I give the bullet point details of the day, this only takes 10 seconds to read). If you are one who is keenly interested, I write a few paragraphs that go into the “why” of camp and flesh out the details of subjects you actually care about. Don’t use today’s entry as the standard… it is more wordy than most.
These daily blogs are usually uploaded before lunch so that you can include the details in your emails to the girls. Knowing details like menus, EPs, the weather, etc., will make your communications emails better! Better emails make happier campers; the Blog will help you craft emails & letters that are rich in camp content so that they will fully focus on the good that is happening here versus the details of home. Use the blog to turn her attention to camp, and the fun she is having is a way of helping your camper fully enjoy her time here.
I will occasionally reflect on what makes camp so good for children… how girls grow when they are here. Many of you have no camping experience and have little idea what to expect. You probably think this will be a fun thing to try out, a way for your girl 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.
We know that you love to see your girls, so we take a lot of pictures. We will post them twice daily, at lunch (about 1:00 PM) and after EP (about 9:30 PM). If you haven’t done so, you should download the CampInTouch app and try out the facial recognition service. Parents have been very happy with this free service this year.
Opening Day is something that we do well. There are many components to the experience, but what stands out to me are the smiles. Our staff is instructed to smile so much it hurts on Opening Day. Their example rubs off on the campers, who also smile as they chatter away (it is always funny to see a cabin taking a tour with every camper talking at the same time). Smiles lead to friends, as noted in the weekend blog post and friends are what we specialize in making at camp.
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 warm 83 degrees, and there is virtually no chance of rain
Soon we will have a short assembly in the FORT to explain the camp rules and introduce the people who help with ANY needs that the girls might have (we always take care of 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, schedule their classes 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, our first cabin devotions and tuck-ins, our first taps, and our 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 three 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 we used to do… we always listen to you!
Thank you for choosing Greystone. We are honored to be a part of your family!