TEN DAYS

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There are certain things that are known at camp that would not be understood elsewhere… inside jokes, dining room songs, groove dance moves, funny cheers, and all the other details of daily life. These things are beloved by all Greystone Girls and are deliberately incorporated into life. Then there are the things that are known by the fanatics. Nuances that are experienced every year but only noticed in hindsight with an analytical eye. One of these nuances occurred today.

Today we crossed the ten-day mark, that point in the summer when we breath a collective sigh and settle into things. A day that Dr. Sevier took note of 100 years ago when he looked back on the summer of 1920. Ten days into camp we form a cohesive community. It took that long back then and it takes that long now. We can easily entertain for a couple of weeks (most camps are only that long because that is the “sweet spot” for a fun camp experience) but the greatest growth happens when we allow the required time for the community to bond. For campers to let their guard down, no longer be on best behavior, trust each other, confide in their counselors, and relax into the camp experience. Counselors go through this same process and together we find that ten days into camp things begin to click.

We know the routine of camp inside and out. Our classes become more compelling as we find that some of the skills are ones that really click. We are surprised to find that we have an eye for art or are really good at jimball. Our abilities are celebrated and our confidence builds. We find ourselves having GOOD DMC’s… not just long talks, but long DEEPLY MEANINGFUL talks with new friends at surprising moments of the day.

We find ourselves anticipating each moment of the day in different ways… what’s for lunch; who is going to challenge me at tetherball; what is the joke going to be this morning; what are we playing at land sports; are we going to learn that new syncro move today; what happens at water wars; what is castle building; etc. As we anticipate, we talk about that anticipation and we find others sharing that interest. We make our guesses and are exuberant if those guesses prove accurate. We start new trends, we learn new skills, make new friends, and find the hours FLY BY and we are shocked to realize that camp is almost over. After ten days time shifts as we find our days turning into weeks. Today is the beginning of that process.

We welcome this day with a delightful change in our routine. Challenge Day traditions (decorating the dining room, team colors worn by all, cheers before breakfast, coin toss afterward, challenges given and accepted, good-natured competition all morning, a big softball game, and tug of war before lunch). We will all sleep at Rest Hour and pray for an afternoon shower to extend the downtime. Clubs might find attendance sparse today as we recover from our morning madness.

The Details: