Wet Dog Day

Some of my favorite childhood memories occurred during long rainstorms. I was a camper at Falling Creek, always attending the Main Camp (seven weeks long). The days were marked by routines that were very predictable, but all that changed when it rained. Classes would meet in different places or be canceled altogether. We would have long rest hours and play broom hockey on the tennis courts. We would have mud fights and splash in puddles, getting filthy, then letting the rain wash us clean. Our counselors would talk to us for hours, telling stories and playing board games. It was glorious, and I remember those moments fondly to this day.

This week will likely provide some of those moments as a weather front slowly moves through Western North Carolina. Slow-moving (or stationary) weather fronts have hit camp many times over the years. We have had summers when it rained every day of a session, and those sessions are clearly remembered by all who attended… because they were so much fun!

Mud puddles that turned into mud pits that would eat rain boots. Our lake rises high enough to paddle canoes on the tennis courts. Pirate raids from archery class on the Fine Arts Center. Games such as ultimate foam and broom hockey were invented, then played with squealing passion on the tennis courts. Camp is so much fun when it rains… children understand this fact and embrace the situation with enthusiasm.

In the “real world,” most of us have lost that childhood appreciation of rain, but that childish delight is alive and well at camp, where rain is considered “liquid sunshine”. Classes go on as normal, a plan made easier with so many covered spaces. The FORT, Fine Arts Center, Whitehall, Dining Room Porch, Pavilion, Art Barn, Shepherd Gazebo, Dance Tent, Gym, Pool Pavilion, Sail Hut, Paddle Board Center, Archery Hut, and barn will be used for rain plans. There will also be a lot of campers outside… in canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. On the soccer field, on the tennis courts, in Freeman Creek, and in the little stream by Aerial Yoga, campers will be outside enjoying the water. It is going to be a fun day.

Tonight we will pile into the Pavilion for Production Night. Any class that features performance art will perform its act. Dancing, Singing, Improv, Drama, Guitar, Songwriting… the list of performances is long, and it will be a great show to have in the Pavilion (which has a great stage lighting system, wonderful PA, curtains, and a big stage) where camper shows have been the center of attention for over 100 years. This will be our first EP in the Pavilion this session, and we can’t wait!

In other news: It’s Dog Day at Greystone! Some of our meals have a dog theme. We will wear sock dog ears, paint cute noses and spots on our faces, and listen to dog-themed music throughout the day. We have no idea how the weather might impact our plans but hope everything will go on without any big changes.

Breakfast Club has moved to the last (and most important) theme: Spiritual Growth. While Social, Physical, and Mental growth are fairly well understood by all but Spiritual growth is largely dismissed. While 65% of our population considers themselves Christian, this is down from 85% in 1990. For most of Greystone’s 100 years, spiritual growth was considered essential part of life, but that assumption is no longer guaranteed. So we point out the spiritual growth elements of a camp day to the girls and explain why we include God in so many of our moments together.

Today we talked about prayer. If we include God in our day, we will grow spiritually. He wants for us to know Him, and prayer is a good way to get that ball rolling. Simply acknowledging God when we are happy or sad, when we see something beautiful or scary when we are happy or sad- if we just speak to God in those moments, we will grow our spiritual muscles. We pray a lot as a community at camp (before meals, after morning assembly, and after evening program. We also pray before bed in our cabins. All this prayer has an effect. We call it the sweet, sweet spirit of Greystone.

We hope you include spiritual growth in your family priorities. It is an essential part of the Great Day philosophy and will bless your life richly!

One last thing… and sorry that the blog is long… but We should explain age limits at camp. Almost 100 of our June Campers are rising 8th graders and can only come back to Main Camp. Many of those girls would like to return to June Camp instead of making the jump to Main, and you might wonder why we have this rule. We explained it last year in a Blog. Read it if you are interested in knowing the “why” of this policy.

Dog Day The theme of camp today… fun!

Breakfast Pigs in a Blanket, scrambled eggs

Joke A Grazing Mace How Sweet the Hound

Lunch Sweet Potato Tacos, Rice Krispy treats

Dinner Hot Dog Picnic (lots of varieties of dogs, lots of toppings, campfires) S’mores

EP Production Night