Why 8th Grade?

Occasionally a blog post is helpful to take a deep dive into a question we get a lot, and today I wanted to talk about a common one. Parent surveys from June Camp consistently ask why we do not allow older girls. It is a reasonable question and will be on MANY of your minds as you contemplate a possible return to camp next summer.

We allowed rising 9th graders at June Camp this year in an attempt to allow any campers from our canceled 2020 season to attend the session of their choice. You might assume that this change is permanent and be surprised to see that we have gone back to the original rising 8th grader limit. It can feel so unfair for Main Camp to be the only option for your camper - it is long and expensive. Why can’t older girls come back to June Camp?

We understand your perspective and want you to know that like everything at camp, this is not an arbitrary policy. The June Camp age limit has come from many previous years of experience, with a mind to allowing girls to flourish and create the best experience possible for them. A little history is helpful here…

For about 50 years, Greystone offered only one session. Seven weeks, grades 1-11. In 1973 we added a three-week session which parents considered a “starter camp”. The session proved very popular and about 10 years later we added a 2 week camp for grades 1-7. While camp was doing well, it seldom filled until March or April. While campers loved camp, they did not re-enroll in massive numbers. It was a very good camp that was beloved by many but did not resonate as we knew it could. Something was off.

Believe it or not, a big part of the problem was the age composition of the camp community. At Main Camp, our oldest campers are rising 12th graders - SUPER COOL HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS who ABSOLUTELY LOVE CAMP in EVERY DETAIL! They enter into the silly fun of camp life, they savor their nightly devotions, go crazy at Breakfast Club, take notes during Morning Assembly, comfort sad campers…they are stunningly good campers who have literally spent most of their life at camp. Their leadership (that can only come with age) trickles down and sets the tone for the rest of our community.

That sense of commitment to and passion for camp develops naturally over five weeks, but is hard to replicate in only three. Camp is not the same. It was still really, really good, but we realized it was not as good as it could have been. We reduced our grade limit in June and August Camp by 1 grade about 25 years ago in an attempt to make camp better… and it worked. Re-enrollment rates rose, surveys improved, the Wait List became a thing.

Our rising 9th graders this year are incredible (some of my favorite campers!), but they are ready for Main Camp. They are just scratching the surface of the camper experience; to go deeper, they need more time and the leadership of their older peers. Our goal is always to give each girl the best camp experience possible, and many years of experience have led us to believe that a longer session is better for these older girls. Main Camp is better equipped to give them that deep, impactful, mountain-top summer they crave at their age.

I might not be able to convince you that this policy is a good one. I know the passion that you feel about camp and how you want to keep providing this growth experience for your girls… how your girls need camp. To those of you who will graduate from June Camp and not make the jump to Main Camp, I assure you that there are wonderful programs for high school girls who only have a couple of weeks for a summer activity. We wish we could provide all session lengths for all girls, but it just isn’t possible.

We passionately protect our community, but if the time comes that it no longer resonates we will certainly make a change. This set-up is working now but might not in the future. One thing that 100 years teaches us is that things change. We welcome change when it is needed, but for now, we believe the age ranges are still the right fit for our current community.

Sorry for the long Blog. I know we often use too many words, but it is because it’s hard to explain the nuance of complicated messages. Hopefully, this Blog will answer some of your concerns… but as always, we welcome your questions and comments. Thank you for the support, it is appreciated.

• Breakfast scrambled eggs, grits, sausage
• Lunch Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
• Dinner Chicken Fajitas. Dinner is also when we will celebrate the Birthday Ball, where all the girls who had birthdays at camp this summer are honored in a special way. Each birthday girl will get a special gift from camp and a huge balloon tied to her chair. We have other decorations planned… and favors for all. Should be fun.
• EP is the Camper Talent Show, a really wonderful production.

The weather is a bit rainy this morning, but classes are going on as normal. The rain is very light, not a big deal. Last night’s seminars were wonderful… so many great moments around camp!

And we have another video… showing the second week of camp. Hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for checking in.