Jimboy's Spring Project Update

I had another birthday this month (for those of you who want to know the trivia answer, I am 61 years old). I have spent almost all of those years at camp and have celebrated the changes/improvements each and every year.

Facility updates are one of the things I love the most about my work at camp! I consider it my job to make camp better, and that often means renovations and building projects!

Nothing brings more joy than renovating a building built by Dr. Sevier, or Gigi, or Jimdaddy; planting a tree that would survive for 100 years after I am gone; and developing new programs with the facilities to enhance that activity. It is a HUGE job and one that has brought me delight for decades. That delight continues to this day, as my eyes grew big and my face smiled during my daily walk around Greystone.

• Putt Cove: the new paddleboard center looks amazing. It is the very best place in camp to watch a sunrise (the sun is visible first on the wide deck). The surrounding grass lawn is soft and thick to the sandy beach. We refinished the furniture at the Marina and rebuilt the boulder wall and stone steps at the boathouse. It is a wonderful place that brings joy to all who go there!
• Gate House: this is a place campers don’t go but is important to every camper’s day. The kitchen staff lives here (white house next to the front gate). We renovated a bathroom here, giving them two more showers. Any time we can add showers, it is a huge improvement!
• Gym: we discovered a soft spot on the dance room floor last month. An investigation showed massive rotting along the eastern wall. Rather than replace the entire floor, we cut out the worst part and repaired it as best we could. Next year we will replace the entire floor (we are already thinking about how to make it a better dance surface).
• Blob Dock: we attached the floating dock, making the entry and exit from the waterpark easier. We also have been moving the plastic swans around the lake in an attempt to scare off the geese (who poop on the docks). It is working! No goose poop in sight!
• Along the Lake: a new seawall now extends from the fishing dock to the track. It is super clean and really dresses up our signature front lawn. The River Trail flooded over the winter, with lots of damage to the surrounding trees and the path itself. We fixed it all, and it looks amazing!
• The tennis courts are getting refinished. Fresh tennis courts are a wonderful addition to the front campus (and Tennis is a hugely popular program… they deserve great courts).
• The Pagent Court grass is thick and green. Lovely! Everyone comments on it when visiting camp.
• Deep Country Cabin: this Program Staff housing got a replacement shower over the winter.
• Riding Ring: we tore up the big riding ring next to the track to repair the culvert underneath it. The repairs make the ring look fantastic!
• Tentalow 11 and 12 got a major “next generation” bathroom renovation. The new bathrooms are much cleaner and provide three changing areas, two showers, more cubbies, more closet space, and great ventilation. We will see how they work this summer and plan to renovate all Tentalow and Bungalow bathrooms over the next few years.