Raining: but not literally

Sometimes everything happens at once. On top of a very busy day (topped off by a magnificent performance of the Junior Play “Honk”), we got news that my 17 year old son had broken his arm and was in the hospital! So Margaret and I dashed off to Athens Regional Hospital (3 hours away) at about 11:00 PM and visited with JF (who is fine). Margaret stayed with JF (this is Catherine’s twin brother) and will drive his car and him home later this afternoon; I dashed back to North Carolina so that I could pick up John at Falling Creek on time (Today is closing day for their Main Camp).

The update is late… Now you understand!

It is a hot day, it will be a hot weekend too… so we drink lots of water and enjoy the water. The pool is a favorite place to be on days like this, I will get some pictures for you later on. The pool is amazing for a lot of reasons- in talking to a parent yesterday it struck me for the first time why it is so great: not because of the water, not because of the classes, not because of the Pool House, Nor the incredible sound system, nor the lovely gardens. Not any one thing does it, but the combination is powerful. Take a great program (swimming at Greystone is far more than swim lessons: it is an obsession), give them two great pools, make one of them completely different than any pool they will ever see (our diving pool is very deep, 10 to 12 feet deep everywhere… it is literally scary to swim in, reminds me of the ocean subconsciously). Add in some surprises like the sound system (designed by the people at Clemson University to give high fidelity in a large space) and the gardens (the timber frame construction and plantings are lovely). All this makes for deeply satisfying moments with friends.

The stuff of camp is not the important thing: what matters is the people. We could run Greystone on a grass field, it would still be good… that is what Dr. Sevier did 91 years ago! But with every good year, we enhance the quality with projects that will add a new dimension to the next years experience. My time as director has included some very large improvements, but that is not because I felt that we “needed” them… I just got carried away with the possibilities of “having” them.

What is in store for next year? I can’t say. We did two major projects this year, the Kitchen and Putt Cove. The Marina is not yet completed, so I guess you could say that the nicest Lake Complex in North Carolina will be what everyone will focus on next year. But we might add to that based on what the campers say this week.

The inspiration for our projects comes from the Main Campers, our most discerning critics. To this point, they are not suggesting anything! This is very encouraging to me, for I hoped to reach this point one day… that point when you can say that the facility is good. Very Good. This week we will survey the girls and ask them to give us unfiltered feedback on their summer, every aspect of their summer. Some girls will just say “Great” on everything, others will write pages about how much they loved every day (giving suggestions of tweaks that might freshen the experience). The suggestions will come, we will listen.

Tonight will be the Production EP, an extravaganza of Cecil B. DeMill proportions: a cast of hundreds doing songs, dance, jump rope, juggling, drama, and comedy. It is a celebration of the many activities and skills that are enjoyed and learned at camp. Some of the girls are highly skilled, others are beginners… it is all delightful.

Thank you for reading, for your prayers, for you comments, for your letters, emails, and cards. Never has there been a more wonderful community of friends. This work is a delight!