June 27 2024
One of the many improvements to camp from our COVID summers was the addition of clubs to our daily routine. We substituted a class period with an optional “Club time” where campers could do whatever looked fun… try someting once or every day, or just enjoy free time with friends. This was an innovation worthy of the name! These changes expanded our program and met the campers’ expectations (try a new skill but don’t do it three times a week). We kept clubs in the schedule because campers and counselors love them! Today, they go live. Check out the clubs and see if they make you jealous!
Every year, we expand and adapt the program at camp. Ellen-Anne considers herself to be the conductor of a 100-piece orchestra; each counselor plays an instrument and must be on key and reading the same music. When it clicks, it is sublime! There are so many great classes it’s hard to get right. Campers frantically swap classes for the first days of camp, attempting to hone their schedule to be a perfect mix that meets their expectations. Clubs enhance regular classes, as many of these might not be fun every day! They are often just silly “once off” experiences and work perfectly as such. They are sometimes intense, activities where birds of a feather push each other to do that one thing better than they could do in a regular class filled with a mix of less interested campers. So great!
But wait… I haven’t even mentioned last night… LAST NIGHT!!! SUCH A GREAT EP!!! Cabin Lip Sync EP is always spectacular and last night met expectations and then some! The two days of practice paid off… The HUGE number of senior campers allowed a very long portion of the show to be dedicated to some really awesome acts. The ten Senior Cabins worked together on their particular cabin song choices which were done in theme (Junior Seniors chose “Descendents” and Senior Senior chose “Christmas”). Each cabin’s performance was keenly anticipated and the subsequent applause was from the heart because the acts were genuinely amazing to see. The kick line Senior girls was so good it actually seemed out of place at camp! It appeared professional (not campy)… it was as if the Rockettes showed up at Greystone for a quick bit of fun on stage. That performance made my mind do a double take “what are THEY doing here?”. It was a show worthy of the moment, and we were blown away!
After the EP ended we had another surprise. Sophia, one of our Senior campers, joined Cat onstage and the excited murmurs from the audience indicated to all that something was off. The honor of closing the night is always given to a Head Staff member (typically Laura or me). Everyone looked at us to see if this was a “breach of etiquette”… we just smiled for it was part of the plan. We think spiritual growth is enhanced with other voices… campers, counselors, support staff, as well as head staff. Our inclination was correct. The prayer was sublime. Perfect for the moment, it brings tears to my eyes as I write about it. Such a sweet moment.
I spend a lot of time describing moments to you because such moments are precious to the girls. They love the silly things, the quiet things, the spiritual things, and the hard things. They love it all. They are raucously loud in the Dining Hall, dancing with gusto anytime “When a Greystone Girl Goes Walking” is played, but quiet in an instant as soon as the bell is rung for announcements. They saunter to class then join in the activity with intensity. They lounge in their cabins, read books in the enos, scream with delight whenever Oreo Cream Pie is served, listen intently when at assembly, and laugh (or at least smile indulgently) at silly “dad jokes”. This is camp. Welcome to the show!
Before we wrap it up for today’s blog… take a moment to consider the staff who are pouring themselves out for your girls. For most of our staff, this is their first “real” job. Much of our interview process is spent dispelling any misconceptions of what this job is like. Camp work is hard! This is no internship in your uncle’s law firm or waiting tables at Ruby Tuesdays. This job has you working all day every day, all night every night, few breaks and days off so scattered as to feel always distant. Here you work all the time, smiling with a kind and gentle heart reflected in your actions as Christ requires (we represent Jesus to these girls… one slip-up and the damage might not be easy to repair). Counselors learn that selfless service in love makes for a joy filled life. They experience a glimpse of the majesty that surrounds us all. Years from now, they will point to this summer with confidence as supremely good in every way, equipping them well for success in the real world.
We hope you appreciate the sacrifices counselors make for your children and occasionally send them little notes of encouragement. We make it easy with an online form that we will print and deliver in their mail. Such little things make a big difference, particularly when having a bad day. We hope you will consider this kindness as something worth doing.
- Breakfast Corned Beef Hash and Scrambled Eggs
- Joke Ike Pike and Mustard go ice fishing
- Lunch Sloppy Joes
- Dinner Poppy Seed Chicken
- EP Super fun, “Barbie” EP… complete with t-shirt giveaway!
- Weather overcast, occasional drizzle, warm (80)
- Sleep Late Friday in the morning tomorrow. Sleep till 8:30, We love it!
