July 31 2024

When was the last time you received a handwritten letter in the mail? Have you ever gotten one from a 16-year-old? Handwritten letters are increasingly rare treats. I get them more frequently than most, especially the week after Main Camp. Girls have returned home with the imprint of that session still vivid in their hearts. They want to communicate their feelings and at camp you do that by writing “old-school” letters.

There is something special about writing a letter on specially chosen paper with a good pen. It isn’t like a text or email (quickly written and easily edited). One must think about what to say and how to say it correctly. One must be careful or there will be a lot of corrections that stand out and ruin the effect. Thoughts composed in this fashion are more poignant and valued. We smile to think of the recipent going to the mailbox and ripping the letter open because they are so excited. We know that it is special to get a handwritten letter (it shows an obvious effort and the paper/ink/penmanship combine for effect). Such a letter in not thrown away immediately after reading, it is immediately considered a treasure. If you have gotten out of the habit of writing letters (is there anyone who hasn’t?), give it a try! You will make someone very happy, for getting a letter is always a thrill.

I am going include a quote from a letter I received in the mail just yesterday in the hopes that it inspires you to write your camper. The envelope addressed to “Jimboy” was very nice and clearly from a 16-year-old who had just returned home. The letter was surprisingly long, written beautifully, and featured excellent penmanship on a beautiful card (thick stock with texture, pretty artwork on the front, folded, cursive script on two sections, no strikeouts). Such a letter took some time to write (I would estimate 30 minutes) and some money (card+stamp=$10?). I gave it the proper respect (moving to a comfortable chair and sipping an espresso to savor while I read) then immediately wrote her back (which took me less time and money, being a “pro”). I will share a little of what she wrote in the hopes that you might be as inspired as I was after reading:

My mom likes to say that “the people make the place”, which is very true in this case. But I think at camp, the opposite can be true too. The Greystone environment really has helped me figure myself out, and it impacts all the campers in a positive way (I think). I have a younger sister at camp too, and each year after we come home she’s more patient, more generous, and kinder. And each summer I come back, the more the girls in my cabin seem to embody the spirit of Greystone. It’s such a change to live with 9 other girls who aren’t fake or mean, but instead are seeming to be competing in the “nicest human alive” competition!

Consider sending a handwritten letter to your camper today. The mail service might be slow (one parent in Ohio reports that letters to camp now take a week… it used to be 2 days), so if you don’t plan ahead it might not get here in time. Anticipate what she will be doing a week from today (Closing Vespers is next Wednesday… the production EP’s, Carnival, Challenge Day, Lip Synchs, Counselor Talent all done and the girls are packing their trunks and duffles). It is a good way to let them know how proud you are of them and how much you are looking forward to seeing them next Friday. Years from now, such a letter will still be a cherished possession.

If this is your first year at Greystone you might want to read up on some details of cabin life. One of those details is rest hour which happens every day after lunch (2:30 - 3:30) when everyone sits on their bunk and rests. This is when we distribute emails and letters, always a highlight of the day. Thank you for emailing and writing your campers… make sure those letters are focused on her life here not your life at home! Soon, you will get a scanned letter from your camper where she will share her schedule and some “comments” about camp (some only have a stick figure drawing… whatever they want to write is fine with us!). When you write, talk about the food, classes, weather, and EPs of camp. These emails and letters will be treasured by your daughter during rest hour and make her camp experience better. Thank you!

The girls are having a blast. Camp is fun, the weather pleasant, and our spirits sweet. This assessment comes from the counselors who tell us that things are going surprisingly great in every corner of the camp experience. From reveille to taps, every moment of the day is working the way it “ought”. They are very thankful to be here and their attitude is setting the baseline for the campers.

Counselors are “experts” at this point of the summer. They know how to manage a cabin, a class, a table, and the hundreds of little curve balls that daily life can present. They are able to assess how the girls are doing and were ready for these first days to be difficult (our other sessions have very few first-time campers), but it has been anything but difficult. The girls are polite, engaged, respectful, happy, funny, energetic, and eager to please. They run to class, listen obey the rules, and bring out the best in each other. Perfect campers make a perfect camp! We are loving this session!

There are many reasons why August Camp is such a popular session. It is two weeks long, we take the same seven classes every day (rather than rotating between MWF and TTS schedules), it comes at the end of the summer vacation, and the weather is typically so nice. It is a heavenly setting that never ceases to amaze. Some history might be helpful.

Lip Syncs last night (Tentalows through Bungalow 2) were delightful… Taylor Swift was prominently featured as we enjoyed the Pavilion venue for a second night due to rain. The rain was heavy at times, but unnoticed as we cranked up the volume and sang along with the acts. The girls were fully engaged in being silly on a stage with a huge audience clapping in time, cheering, and waving arms in time with the music. FUN. It really is a great EP and we look forward to seeing the rest of the girls perform tonight.

Camp is really settled: Classes are well underway, the girls are happy in the Dining Hall (I am getting laughs at my admittedly bad jokes), fully engaged and confident in their schedules, and comfortable finding their way around the facility. It didn’t take long to become Greystone Girls!

Details:

• Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns, Sausage
• Breakfast Club: Friends (kindness)
• Joke: “A little hoarse”
• Weather: 87 degrees, partly cloudy, very low chance of rain for a change.
• Morning Assembly: Check out our devotion from this morning; it was really good!
• Lunch: Pasta a la Norcina (a camper favorite)
• Dinner: Pan Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes
• EP: Bungalow and Cabin Lip Sync