Centennial Donors and the Great Day Fund

As we planned for a COVID-safe summer, we knew that in all areas of camp, cabin groups would need the space to distance from each other. After brainstorming every aspect of activities and events, it became clear that using our Council Fire ring wouldn’t be possible during COVID, as girls sit closely on benches with no way to distance properly. While we mourned the loss of using this iconic camp area for the summer, we found a new location in the Meadow, which gave Council Fire nights a unique and special feel this year.

So where did that leave us with our Council Fire renovation? A little backstory on the renovation…as we celebrated our 100th summer in 2019, alumnae graciously donated to our Great Day Fund, giving the Greystone experience they loved to girls who would attend in the future. We also unveiled a plan to renovate our Council Fire area, and those who qualified as Centennial Donors during our 100th year would be recognized with a bronze plaque at this newly renovated space.

Soon after this celebratory 100th year, we had to cancel our 2020 summer, which halted our Council Fire renovation as well. We still planned to mount the bronze plaque in 2021 to recognize our Centennial Donors; however, when we realized that campers would not use the Council Fire area, and alums would not be able to visit the plaque due to changes in the Opening Day drop-off routine, we pivoted on that plan as well (can you see a theme here?). In the meantime, we created a virtual plaque to honor these donors until we could utilize our Council Fire space again and renovate it accordingly.

That day has come! This year, we will be updating our Council Fire space in understated, yet significant ways. We are still finalizing the plans, but right now, we are anticipating: two stone Ebeneezers at the entrance of Council Fire, rock-work and seating for our Honor Council group, improved and expanded seating for our camper group, newly planted landscaping around the entire area, and finally, the centennial donor plaque mounted at the entrance.

If you were a centennial donor in 2019, we encourage you to check our virtual plaque to ensure your name is listed correctly. We are grateful to these donors and to all of our alums who support and encourage us in so many ways. We look forward to unveiling the plaque to our Alumnae community soon!