Camp in a Pandemic

This year has been unprecedented for all of us, and the COVID-19 pandemic has hit every industry in a unique way. Though we call camp a “bubble,” we were no exception, and as you know we made the difficult decision to cancel all of our sessions for 2020. For the first time in our 101 years, Greystone did not open, and the grief that came with that is hard to express.

The weeks leading up to the decision were excruciating as we worked around the clock doing research, talking to experts, and having endless meetings trying to find a way to open safely and confidently. We started and ended every discussion with prayer, trusting that the Lord would guide us in an impossible situation. When the time came to decide, it was clear that canceling was the right decision for us - and over 90% of North Carolina camps did the same. But though it was the right decision, it was not easy.

First, there was the disappointment in our camp community. The campers, counselors, and parents who found their camp experience abruptly removed were very sad (and we were too!). All of the dreams and plans and contracts signed all of a sudden vanished. Camp does something unique in the life of a girl, and we knew nothing could take that place for this year.

Still, we worked hard to give our community a small taste of Greystone with The Camp Connection (an online program with daily camp content created specifically for each session). We considered 2020 to be our 101st year and encouraged the girls to think of themselves as campers (even though they weren’t physically at camp). We wrote letters, responded to emails, and answered phone calls all summer long. Despite the disappointment, our Greystone community astounded us with their resilience and true Great Day attitudes. We loved having campers stop by during the summer and seeing pictures of the reunions, care packages, and cabin Zoom calls happening all over the country. Even a pandemic can’t get Greystone Girls down!

Second, there is a financial challenge to meet. With the help of our bank, the generosity of our camp families, and a lot of creativity, we are determined to persevere and continue this great work we believe in no matter what! We have tightened operations and are cutting any unnecessary expenses when possible. Most significantly, we appealed to the camp community for donations and support. Almost 100% of our campers re-enrolled for 2021, with almost 10% of them donating some of their tuition to camp (and 1% even donated it all). Our Alumnae contributed generously as well (with over $12,000 donated through the summer…thank you!!). All 2021 sessions are full, and we are comforted knowing that God continues to take care of every need.

Finally, we are working hard to run camp safely in 2021 (a plan that is obviously changing as circumstances develop). It is possible we will need to change a lot of things to accommodate social distancing and group restrictions (but we hope that the situation will have relaxed enough to not have drastic restrictions). There will be a major emphasis on hand washing, facility cleaning, and health monitoring. We also provided every 2020 camper the chance to return to any session she wanted in 2021. To do this, we added a grade to our June, Main, and August “oldest” camper group. Thus, in 2021, June Camp will have campers that have finished 8th grade, August Camp will have campers that have finished 7th grade, and Main camp will have campers that have finished 12th grade! At Main Camp, this handful of oldest girls choosing to return will blend in with the Senior group, making 2021 even more exciting for all!

We can’t wait to open camp again next year and once again dedicate Greystone to glorifying God in all things. He is still at work in this place despite a year that looked nothing like we hoped. We trust Him in all of it, and are deeply grateful for your prayers and support.