The Sounds of Silence

Another perfect weather day… five straight days of low humidity, no clouds, light breeze, perfection. JOY!

We continue to delight in each other’s company. The Dining Hall is loud with the sounds of conversations and laughter. The Assemblies are filled with singing and dancing. Spirits are high which means that EP’s like “Team Fires” are a HUGE hit with the girls. We gathered at our team fire locations to do team cheers and team songs, fun made more crazy with the addition of the men staff who dress up as cheerleaders. We then gathered on the softball field to have cabin counselor relays to kick off the official team competitions of the summer. It was very loud and very active! Tonight we will change gears.

Tonight we will introduce a very quiet EP (Opening Vespers). This is one of our favorite traditions and the girls will really appreciate the subtle message and beauty of the evening. It is a tradition that has been enjoyed by literally generations of Greystone Girls and we know that it will be a special night. I vividly remember my Grandmother telling the Opening Vespers story, my mother leading Council Fires, my father leading Breakfast Club. I loved Challenge Day as a counselor and enjoyed singing the dining hall songs as much as anyone. Such memories are shared when Greystone Girls get together many years after their summer at camp. They are precious and wonderful.

Many traditions are quiet, Opening Vespers is a great example. We gather in the pavilion in absolute silence (as much as possible at least) as we sing quiet Praise Songs. Everyone enters into the spirit of the evening as we sing in the golden light of the early evening. We prepare the girls to appreciate how special these quiet moments are IF they will commit to making them special. A group of almost 500 young girls listening to a very old story in absolute silence, singing quietly, and lighting their candles in love is absolutely amazing to experience. Such quiet moments catch us off guard. The girls are surprised to find that they are touched by a program that many assumed would be boring.

At camp we celebrate quiet moments. While our days are loud and crazy, they are also marked by absolute silence (during announcements, rest hour, lights out and taps). During the quiet times we experience camp in a different way. We hear the wind russling the needles of the pine trees, we hear crickets and frogs, and song birds. These are the times that become special, for they are so different than our lives in the “real world”. We read books, write letters, take naps, or just sit and think. It is good for our brains and our bodies to recharge during the quiet times. Campers and Counselors alike grow to love such moments.

Thank you for providing this experience for your daughters.

Thank you for making this unbroken tradition possible for so many generations. It is a remarkable “thread” that your girls will cherish.