June 26 2025

SUCH A GREAT SHOW!!! Cabin Lip Sync quite literally gave me goose bumps. Apparently, lip synchs are a “thing” that the girls plan for throughout the year. Campers think of the perfect song, work out the choreography (with signature moves for several people), and a “big finish” move that will elicit a massive response from the audience. They pack the accessories needed to pull it off and pitch the concept to the cabin on opening day. A well-considered pitch will usually win over the group, and they immediately go to work memorizing the moves and adjusting them as necessary to make it a perfect act. Two days of practice paid off… particularly for the Senior group. The ten Senior Cabins worked together on their particular cabin song choices, which were done in theme (Junior Seniors chose “The Greatest Show” and Senior Seniors chose “Hamilton”). Each cabin’s performance was keenly anticipated, and the subsequent applause was heartfelt because the acts were genuinely impressive to watch. It was a show worthy of the moment, and we were blown away!

At moments like these, I wish you could be here. The moments of joy at camp are like the joys of a perfect performance. You know what that’s like – watching a movie or attending a Broadway show with no (or low) expectations, only to be moved to tears by the experience. Your hearts are filled in that moment, then you bask in the warmth of the memory over and over again… till that experience shifts as another big moment arrives unexpectedly the next day! This is what camp is like (sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?).

Breakfast featured a moment of culinary delight for me with Gervais’ homemade cornbeef hash. I often ask myself: Why does he serve cornbeef hash? It is not popular (never has been), but he knows that when done correctly, it is an excellent breakfast in every sense of the word. He REALLY wants the girls to experience how good it is but for many years this particular breakfast has been the butt of jokes. That changed today! He pickled the corned beef, then smoked it in the big smoker for a couple of hours, and finally braised it for several more hours to make it fork-tender and ready to shred. This morning, he pan-fried it crispy on the edges and served it with roasted potatoes on the side, accompanied by scrambled eggs. It was perfect. The girls agreed that it was good. I think he cracked the code (only took twenty years).

I spend a lot of time describing moments to you because such moments are precious to the girls. They love the silly things, the quiet things, the spiritual things, and the hard things. They love it all. They are raucously loud in the Dining Hall, dancing with gusto anytime “When a Greystone Girl Goes Walking” is played, but quiet in an instant as soon as the bell is rung for announcements. They saunter to class, then participate with intensity. They lounge in their cabins and scream with delight when EP is announced. They listen intently to Andrew at assembly, and laugh (or at least smile indulgently) at Breakfast Club. This is camp. Welcome to the show!

Today we start Clubs (optional activities that meet during 7th period. One of the many improvements to camp from our COVID summers was the addition of clubs to our daily routine. During the optional “Club time,” campers do whatever looks fun… try something once or every day, or just enjoy free time with friends. Clubs expand our program and meet the campers’ expectations (try a new skill, but don’t do it three times a week). We kept clubs in the schedule because campers and counselors love them! Today, they go live. Check out the clubs and see if they make you jealous!

Every year, we expand and adapt the program at camp. Ellen-Anne considers herself the conductor of a 100-piece orchestra; each counselor plays an instrument and must be in key and reading the same music. ** When it clicks, it is sublime! There are so many great classes, it’s hard to get them right. Campers frantically swap classes on the first day of camp, attempting to create a perfect schedule that meets their expectations. Clubs enhance regular classes, as many of these may not be enjoyable daily. They are often just silly “once-off” experiences and work perfectly as such. They are sometimes intense activities where birds of a feather push each other to do that one thing better than they could do in a regular class filled with a mix of less interested campers. So great!

Before we wrap it up for today… Take a moment to consider the staff who are pouring themselves out for your girls. For most of our staff, this is their first “real” job. Much of our interview process is spent dispelling any misconceptions of what this job is like. Camp work is hard! Camp work is no internship in your uncle’s law firm or waiting tables at Ruby Tuesday’s. This job has you working all day every day, all night every night, with few breaks and days off so scattered as to feel non-existent. Here you work all the time, smiling with a kind and gentle heart reflected in your actions as Christ requires (we represent Jesus to these girls… one slip-up and the damage might not be easy to repair). Counselors learn that selfless service, motivated by love, leads to a joy-filled life. They experience a glimpse of the majesty that surrounds us all. Years from now, they will look back on this summer as one of the best experiences of their life, recognizing it as supremely good in every way. It equips them for success in the real world.

We hope you appreciate the sacrifices counselors make for your children and occasionally send them little notes of encouragement. We make it easy with an online form that we will print and deliver in their mail. Such small things can make a big difference, particularly when you’re having a bad day. We hope you will consider this kindness as something worth doing.