Getting Back to the Basics in 2021
How we simplified camp and what we think will stick around.
When we look back on summer 2021, we see nothing but abundant blessings. Was the summer hard? Of course! Was it worth it? Definitely. There is no doubt in our minds that it was one of our favorite summers to date.
Why was that? Camp just felt simple. As we reorganized, planned, scrambled, and re-invented the wheel on so much of what we typically do, we found ourselves looking to the past. We used much of what Greystone has done for generations as the building blocks for our 2021 summer. Here are a few ways we got back to the basics in 2021:
Reviving “oldie but goodie” classes:
Any K-Nu readers out there? Canoeing enthusiasts will be thrilled to hear that many Greystone activities that had lost popularity over the years saw a resurgence in 2021. Canoeing makes the top of the list! As campers were able to try every class in camp, many girls were shocked to realize how much they loved paddling the Lake Edith waters with their friends.
Will this stick around? We think so. So many girls tried and loved Canoeing this past summer; we are anticipating our biggest year in the canoes this summer.
Eating s’mores and jumping in the lake:
Many of you remember the good ‘ole days of riding the bus to the swimming docks or eating s’mores on your overnights at Grey Lodge with your cabinmates. Many of these simple, but very “campy-camp” favorites became a staple this past summer. Girls jumped in the lake in their clothes and enjoyed s’mores as the sun set over the mountains. While we have been doing some of these things for years, after the isolation of COVID, it felt like a more meaningful and exciting part of the summer.
Will this stick around? Definitely. The laid-back feel of some of our night activities just felt right, and we are going to work hard to keep that feel in the future.
Thunderhead:
As we mentioned last year in our Alumnae Sparks, the Riding program received a big overhaul this past summer, and Thunderhead was our main riding option. Girls loved taking the bus from camp over to a spruced-up “Thunderhead Ranch” space. Many of the girls who had only been English riders in the past enjoyed the one-on-one time with their horse and the trail rides into the mountains.
Will this stick around? Absolutely! We are already working on ways to make Thunderhead an even better experience next summer while staying true to the heart and soul of the Thunderhead program.
Simple art projects:
As girls traveled to classes with their cabin groups and only visited most classes one or two times a session, our Fine Arts program had to simplify as well. How do you make a detailed art project when you only have 50 minutes to learn, and then complete, your masterpiece? Peggy Thornton led the charge and created some wonderful projects for the girls, reminiscent of the relaxed, simplified nature of the Crafts program in past years.
Will this stick around? Probably not. Girls gain so much more by visiting art classes more than once, so we anticipate campers jumping back into more detailed projects in the coming years that really showcase their creativity and talent.
Men Staff:
This year’s Men Staff crew embodied the description of the “church as one body” and set a benchmark for how much FUN that group can be. And with that, the guys added some unexpected spunk that was reminiscent of past Greystone Men Staff groups. Would they sing an acapella national anthem with a crescendo of fireworks…inside our covered dining facility, the Fort? Absolutely. Could they put together a Syncronized Swimming routine to perform in the Watershow? Say no more. Would the “man cart” golfcart be better as a convertible? Yes, it surely would be. While the Men Staff job has always been the ultimate service role, the men this year, led by JF Miller, really put the emphasis on fun. They added pizzazz and lots of creativity to every job, much like many prior Men Staff groups have done.
Will this stick around? We hope so! This unexpected element of fun brought nothing but delight to the campers.
Council Fire:
Not only did we make changes to our Honor Council this summer, we also changed the location of Council Fire, making it an entirely new experience. We moved to the Meadow, a newly updated camp location that overlooks the lake near Green Cove. As girls visited many classes only one time, we wondered how counselors would give out awards (would counselors even know the campers well enough to hand any out?).
That’s where things got exciting: counselors started presenting cabin awards! For example, C3 could win the Most Dedicated in Archery and TL11 could receive the Best Attitude award in Fishing. With this change, Council Fire gained back some of the excitement of olden days. Most departments gave awards (including Ceramics and Cooking, classes that typically don’t give awards at Council Fire), and with all of our cabins visiting every class during the session, girls never knew when their cabin might be honored.
Will this stick around? Unfortunately, probably not. We plan to move back to the normal Council Fire ring, and with girls being able to choose classes again, the cabin patches will most likely become a one-year memory, but a wonderful one!
Circling the flag on all sides:
In our archives, we have pictures from some of the earliest years of girls completely circling the flag for our morning and evening Flag Ceremony. As the years went on, girls began lining up in a U-shape, only filling in 3 sides of the Pageant Court space. This year, to better space the cabins, we finally circled the flag again, making a four-sided square shape around it.
Will this stick around? Beats us! We will have to see what happens in 2022.
Space between the tables while eating:
Over the years, the Dining Hall has been expanded numerous times as camp continued to grow. With each expansion, the Dining Hall gained something glorious: space! While some of you may be scratching your heads, wondering where and when this elusive space existed, there were years soon after a new expansion when the Dining Hall felt shockingly roomy. It has been years since we’ve had that roomy feeling, but this summer, we gained so much space by moving our dining operation down to the Fort. We spaced the tables intentionally due to COVID protocols, and this spacing had the added benefit of providing girls with incredible lake breezes, the ability to stand up without hitting the chair behind you, and best of all, room for spontaneous dance parties.
Will this stick around? Nope! The Fort is already changing into our new covered gym space, and the tables have already made their way back to the Dining Hall. We will always remember this small blessing from our 2021 summer.
Swinging bridge
While the new swinging bridge is not quite the same as the old one, it surely brought back memories. This new bridge connects our Farm Barn area with our garden, allowing girls to walk across the large creek next to the English Riding Barn. Throughout the summer, you’d find girls running across, sitting with friends, or jumping up and down on the bridge.
Will this stick around? It’s a permanent camp feature, so you bet!