First Day of Classes - Sunday, May 25, 2025

The girls were cozy in their beds last night and jumped out of bed ready for the fun. They know that today is our first day of classes for the summer, and it is a delight to see the campers spread out all over camp participating in activities, some of which they have never experienced before. The first days of camp provide many moments of growth as girls adapt to new routines and settle in with their friends. The counselors teach with kindness throughout the day, encouraging the girls not only by their words but also by their actions (always positive and kind).

Every morning, my brother, Jimboy, leads Breakfast Club after the tables are cleared. This is a much-loved Greystone tradition when we celebrate the Four-Fold Philosophy of camp (spiritual, mental, social, and physical growth every day). This morning, he encouraged the campers to always smile, especially as they go about their camp day. Smiling says, “I can be your friend!” And when you smile, you end up feeling happier as well. The “Cat Scan, Lab Report” joke brought smiles, groans, and the usual murmur of girls asking each other what it means. Smiling is one of the ways you can make any day a great one!

The food at Greystone is famous! Gervais (our Kitchen Director) has a coffee roasting business, so we only drink freshly roasted coffee ground just before brewing. The counselors joyfully go through about 15 gallons a day! He directs an excellent kitchen that takes pride in its made-from-scratch meals. In addition to a main course, every meal has either a Breakfast Bar or a Salad Bar. The girls will find unsweetened Greek yogurt, house-made granola, fresh fruit and berries, hot oatmeal, boiled eggs, and more on the Breakfast Bar! The lunch and dinner Salad Bar is loaded with different kinds of lettuce, fresh-cut vegetables, hummus, hard-boiled eggs, apple sauce, cheese cubes, house-made ranch dressing, and many other delicious elements that are rotated throughout the week. We will update you daily on the meals in this Blog.

Breakfast: Homemade Biscuits, Ham and Apples, Grits, Fruit Bar, Oatmeal, Yogurt, Granola

Lunch: Chicken Fingers, Tater Tots, Peas, Carrots, Corn, Salad Bar, Homemade Bread

Dinner: Poppy Seed Chicken, Rice, Roasted Broccoli, Salad Bar, Homemade Bread, Shoppe

Weather: A very pleasantly overcast day with highs around 70 - perfect camping weather!

Every year we choose a theme from Scripture as a verse to memorize, consider, and encourage spiritual growth. This year’s theme is Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6. We hope that the girls will find themselves growing closer to Jesus while at camp, seeing Him as a friend who will always support and encourage them in all circumstances.

Today is Sunday, always a special day at Greystone. We started our day with Morning Assembly where Elizabeth Madden Pherson lead us in our worship. The devotion for today was about trusting God to carry our burdens as He directs our path. The campers were so attentive as “Madden” unpacked her HEAVY backpack with all of the unnecessary things that we sometimes carry around in our lives and challenged the girls to give those worries and burdens to Jesus, who will carry them for us.

Tonight’s EP: Cabin Lip Syncs! Cabins will bond as they pick a song, choose a theme, and choreograph a dance together to perform on stage in front of the camp. The girls often dress in costumes assembled from the costume closet, borrowed from a friend, or brought from home. No matter what kind of act they perform, the girls always leave the stage giggling as they recap how it went!

To see photos of your camper, log in to your Greystone account and click on the “Photos” button. We take thousands of photos daily, so we hope you will see photos of your camper every day or at least every other day. If you aren’t seeing photos of your daughter, send her an email to remind her to jump in front of the camp camera!

Handwritten letters are treasures, but you can send your camper emails as well. Emails are printed and distributed during Rest Hour, and can be a great way to send a quick note! To send an email to your camper, log in to your Greystone account and click the “Email” button. We print emails at 11:00 am every day.

One quick note about our lake level: when Hurricane Helene hit our area back in the fall, the dam on Lake Summit was damaged. This system controls the water level at Greystone, and since the hurricane, the lake level has been higher than normal. Most of our Greystone docks have been underwater since September! Luckily, this won’t affect our lake usage this summer. You may see our docks underwater in pictures, and we are adjusting where girls stand while fishing and will put our boats into the water in new ways. But rest assured that our Greystone girls are already enjoying all of the fun activities on the lake! Waterpark is in full swing this morning - and we can hear girls squealing all the way at the office!

It has been a wonderful start to our session, and the girls are engaged in camp and adjusting so well! It’s a great day here at Greystone. Thank you for checking in!