New to Greystone? Start here!
Welcome to Greystone!
A camp is defined by its people. The facilities, the setting, the activities, and the traditions are important, but all those things do not matter most. The most important part of a great camp is great people. As counselors, you make us who we are, and we are very grateful to welcome you to our camp family.
My name is Jimboy, and it was my great-grandfather that started Greystone 106 years ago. I play the role of camp dad, complete with bad jokes and cheesy patterned shirts. I am super easygoing and want you to come to me if you have any questions or concerns; if I can’t answer the question or solve the problem, I know who can!
My wife is Dr. Margaret, a Pediatrician who married a cook (I worked in the camp kitchen then), and she became our Health Director and camp mom. She takes care of you and is also a great one to go to when you are unsettled or feeling bad. We live at camp (always have) and are blessed with five children (all of whom are grown up now; Catherine and John will be here this summer working with you on staff).
We hope you will love camp as much as we do and will always consider yourself to be part of our family.
With Love,
Jimboy & Margaret
Helpful Links
The Staff Newsletter Page is our hub for all of the most important information you need to know about the summer ahead. Wondering about something? There’s a good chance you can find it there! The Greystone website and Staff website are also great places to browse for general information about your new summer home.
To make it even easier, we’ve gathered a few links below that you will find especially helpful as a new Greystone staff member. Remember that you don’t need to know it all before you get here; we will teach you everything you need to know during Orientation! But if you just want to be extra-prepared, these are some pages that might be helpful to you.
Daily camp schedule and virtual tour
A day in the life of a counselor
Important staff dates
Sessions and camper ages
Greystone terminology
Evening Programs and traditions
Learn our Dining Hall songs
Staff packing list
Want to be in the loop? Here’s a handful of staff-specific terms:
- Counselor Hut: Our staff-only building on the edge of camp. Here you can find laundry machines, lockers (with plugs!) for your tech, crafting supplies, and a delivery area for any packages you receive. It’s a great place to catch up with your counselor friends on your nights off.
- The Bodega: A staff-exclusive snack hut located beside the Health Hut in the middle of the cabin area. We try to keep the Bodega stocked with iced coffee and a few snacks, but you can also store your own snacks and drinks here for a quick pick-me-up in the middle of the day. You’ll keep your medication here if you’re on Cabin Staff!
- The Gritz: The staff day off house across the road from camp. The Gritz is open for you to use on your days off, so swing by for an hour or the full day! Relax with comfy couches, WiFi, and even a private room for a session with a personal counselor at home.
- Patrol: On some nights, Cabin Staff can leave their cabins after campers are asleep to have time off. To make this happen, all staff take turns being on “patrol.” When you’re on patrol, you station yourself around the cabin area in case campers wake up or need help. We’ll explain all the details once you’re here, but patrol is something we take very seriously. All staff play their part to help keep campers safe!
- All-ins and Half-ins: On “All-in” nights, Cabin Staff go to sleep with their campers and do not leave their cabins (you are always welcome to read or write letters on your porch). Program Staff and Men Staff don’t have to be in their cabins, but they do need to stay on the camp property. On “Half-in” nights, half of Cabin Staff can leave their cabins while the other half stays in, and then they switch. This is our way of easing into nights out at the beginning of the session.
- Nights out: On certain nights during the session, Cabin Staff can slip out of their cabins after their campers are asleep, around 10:00 p.m. (our Patrol makes this possible!). You can run to Walmart, check your phone, or hang out with your counselor friends. Just make sure you’re back in your bed by midnight! On those nights, Program Staff and Men Staff can also leave camp.
A Few Helpful Videos
Videos are a great way to get a sense of how camp feels before you even get here! Our Vimeo library has years worth of content and is a great way to spend a study break. Not sure where to start? These videos will cover some of the basics you might be wondering about! Looking for more? We’ve also compiled a few more videos just for staff here.
- A Day in the Life of a Camper: Follow around a camper for the day to see what our daily schedule looks like in action!
- Cabin Tour: Follow a few campers around as they show you the inside of our camper cabins! This video is directed towards campers, but it will show you what to expect if you are placed on Cabin Staff.
- Camp Tour: Check out the beautiful Greystone property you’ll get to enjoy all summer long. You’ll learn your way around in no time once you’re here!
- Learn the Bugles: We use Bugles around camp to signal when it’s time for the next thing, and this video will give you a quick preview of our different bugles. Don’t stress about memorizing them all now, but this will help you feel a little more prepared when you hear your first one this summer.
- How the Dining Hall Works: This cheesy video was made years ago to help staff learn how our Dining Hall works. It’s a lot of information, so don’t be nervous! You’ll learn everything very quickly once you’re here.
Have Questions?
New Staff FAQ's
Putting away your phone and computer during the summer is one of the best things about being a counselor! That being said, we know you still want to keep in touch with your friends and family at home. You will have access to your devices on your evenings and days off, so you’ll be able to respond to texts and phone calls then. In between, encourage your people to write you letters! Snail mail is the greatest. If your family ever needs to reach you in an emergency, they are welcome to call the camp office and we will relay the message right away.
You’ll want to dress in comfortable clothes that let you move, play, and get a little dirty if need be. Most counselors wear shorts or skorts and a t-shirt or tank top every day. Function is much more important than fashion here, so wear what you like! We’d recommend you not pack fancy workout brands or other clothes that could get ruined.
Just know that mountain weather changes often, so it may be chilly at night, hot in the middle of the day, and rainy in the afternoon. Bring layers and consider what clothes will work best for the class that you are teaching. You can check out the full packing list here.
This is important, because you will be moving all of your belongings around at least a few times during the summer as your cabin assignment changes. We recommend that staff pack in duffels, plastic bins, or other bags that are light and easy to transport. While having a trunk was super fun as a camper, trunks are heavy and cumbersome when you’re on staff! Once you’ve moved to your new cabin, you’ll unpack your things into drawers, so the biggest thing that matters with your luggage is that it’s easy to carry!
We are happy to help you with your travel plans! We prefer that you fly into the Asheville airport (AVL - 20 minutes from camp), but we can sometimes consider Greenville/Spartanburg (GSP - 1 hour from camp). If Greenville is your only option, make sure you check with us before you book!
We can arrange for you to be picked up at the airport, we just need to know your flight details as soon as you have them! Let and know your flight information when you have it, and make sure to complete that information on your Travel Form as well.
As far as packing, you are welcome to ship your items to camp so that they are here when you arrive. Just make sure to label your package clearly with “your name - STAFF” and ship it out (to our camp address) in plenty of time. We will help you retrieve your items once you arrive. Another option is to order some basics (like bedding, toiletries, or towels) online and have them shipped to camp so that you don’t have to fly with them. Have other questions about your travel to camp? Just reach out and let us know!
While we tend to encourage all staff to pack simply, bedding is the one area you may want to bring a little bit extra. Having a cozy bed at camp makes all the difference!
We ask that you bring your own sheets, blanket, and pillow, and most staff also bring a comforter or quilt and a mattress topper too. Twin-sized bedding fits our camp beds best, so many staff just bring their college bedding straight to camp! If you have an egg crate or mattress topper, we highly recommend bringing that if you can - crawling into a soft bunk at the end of the night is the best feeling.
Orientation is busy, social, packed with learning, and so much fun! You’ll receive an Orientation calendar when you arrive, but you can plan to spend your days in sessions learning about the job ahead, planning for your activity area with your department, and enjoying meals and games with your new friends on staff.
You’ll live in a cabin with other counselors until you receive your June Camp cabin assignment at the end of the week. Look for LOTS more information about Orientation coming in our May Staff Newsletter, but for now, just know that it’s a very full week that is also a total blast. You’ll make new friends, figure out your way around, and learn everything you need to know to do this job well. We can’t wait!
Some department areas (like High Adventure and High Ropes, for example) require a few extra days of training before regular Orientation starts. If your department has a Pre-Orientation training, Ellen-Anne will have discussed this with you. Not sure if this applies to you?
Pre-Orientation has a slightly different “feel” to our regular Orientation, but it is still busy and fun! This is a great time to bond with your department, as you guys will be spending most of your time together. Most of your day will be spent in focused training for your activity, but you may have a little bit of free time in the evenings to hang out around camp or explore our local area. Enjoy the slightly slower pace of Pre-Orientation, because once we get to regular staff training, your days will be booked!
The Greystone food is legendary, and you will eat well while you’re here! Our Kitchen makes almost everything from scratch, including freshly baked bread that you can smell all over camp. Our staff always really appreciate our huge fruit bar in the morning (complete with yogurt, oatmeal, and homemade granola) and salad bar at lunch and dinner (where you can find hummus and vegetarian options).
As a staff member, we want you to model food positivity to our campers, and that includes being grateful for what is served and never referring to any foods as “bad.” But with meals this good, that isn’t hard!
You can read more about how we handle food allergies here, but if you have an allergy, we will do everything we can to make sure you are taken care of. Make sure to list your allergy in your online forms. If you have questions about your particular allergy or want to talk to our Kitchen Director ahead of time, you can
Sundays are one of our staff’s favorite days of the week! We take a break from our normal rhythm of activities and slow down our pace to enjoy lots of quality time together. Highlights include a later Reveille, (optional) Stumblers running club, long showers, church together, a big lunch, a long Rest Hour, afternoon free time, and a picnic dinner.
This blog post will give you a good overview (note - we no longer do Sunday School at June and Main Camp. You and the campers will enjoy a longer time in the morning to relax and get ready for church!).
We’ll be sharing more FAQs every month in our Staff Newsletters, so make sure to check out those pages for answers to more of your questions.
Wondering about something not listed here? Just reach out - we’d love to answer! One of our biggest goals as a Head Staff team is to help you feel comfortable and confident going into your first summer on staff.
We also have a quick question form where you can submit your question with just a click. You’ll receive an answer from one of us by the end of the next business day!