August 7 2024
What a glorious day! Partly sunny skies, almost no chance of rain, perfect 84 degree high temperature, and we are enjoying another Great Day. Our last full day of classes is going to be perfect! The girls have honed their skills to a fine edge with the everyday schedule of August Camp. June and Main Camp have an every-other-day schedule which provides twice as many class opportunities but with a two week session, an everyday schedule is best.
The rain will arrive tomorrow (beginning early in the morning and lasting all day). It is not going to be a heavy rain and there will probably not be any lightning, so classes will go on as normal (we call rain “liquid sunshine”) and play all morning in our regular classes. All this rain (one inch is predicted) will make the soccer field very wet and there will be mud in places. Come prepared with rain boots and an umbrella or rain coat just in case it is still raining. We think the morning will just be overcast, but don’t know for certain (mountain weather is unpredictable).
We know that classes are particularly important to these girls, and we do our best to meet their expectations. At this point in the summer, it is particularly important that the counselors remain engaged and enthusiastic about their activities, and this year has been especially good on that side of things. The staff is outstanding, and we are very proud of their success in mastering “the camp game”. This last full day of classes will be just as exciting for the counselors as the campers! Many counselors made “bucket lists” for August Camp (fun things to do before they leave camp). Many of these have included activities with the girls in the dining hall, in classes, and in cabins. The dress up themes have been delightful!
We pack up at Rest Hour… a very big job, as you can imagine. Camp is tough on clothes… the girls love getting dirty! While their clothes have been washed once, and when you open that trunk you will notice those clothes now look, feel, and smell different now. It is the smell of two awesome weeks at camp. Don’t worry… they quickly clean up! One day (many years hence) you will miss those smelly piles in front of the laundry machine.
Tonight we will have our Council Fire/Closing Vespers program. We will meet in our recently renovated Council Fire Ring, a lovely spot that the girls absolutely love. Here we have met to talk about “important things” for a hundred years. The moss-covered rock bench, the impressive rock fire stand, and the oversized slab benches are ringed by towering pines and rhododendrons. We walk silently up the hill and take our seats, row by row. I will tell the MeMe bird story and connect it to the secret of Greystone (unselfishness). We will give awards for great attitudes and unusual commitment to activities. While we sit quietly, we will watch the sunset as the clouds turn pink and the fireflies rise in the surrounding forest (if the clouds have not yet moved in). The evening ends with each camper gathering around the flagpole in the late summer darkness and lighting her candle, signifying the light of love that we all carry into the world. It is a wonderful night… the girls keep their candles as a memento of the occasion, and we hope that they will remember these simple lessons many years from now.
We are so grateful to have shared these weeks with your girls. They are delightful beyond words, and we are proud of how they have grown. They have filled our little world with light and will be missed when they go home. Be very safe as you travel to camp for Closing Day.
- Breakfast French Toast Sticks and Sausage
- Breakfast Club Talking to God
- Joke “Pass the Bacon”
- Weather perfect
- Lunch Poppyseed Chicken
- Dinner Honey Chicken, Mashed Potatoes
- EP Council Fire/Closing Vespers
