June 27 2025

A predictable daily routine is a foundational expectation of every camper at Greystone. We delight in the cadence of this routine, which has remained essentially unchanged for over a hundred years. Reveille blows at 7:30, prompting a confused transition from deep sleep. Soupie blows, and we feel like eating. Assembly blows, and we run to flag. Taps blows and we drift to sleep… rinse and repeat… for day upon day. It is comfortable like an old cardigan sweater, and presents an opportunity for camp directors. Simply adding 1 hour of sleep has a profound impact. Everyone slows down till 9:30, then resumes a normal pace with the first class period (the rest of the day is routine). The girls are already invigorated by the change. TGIF

There is a lot to celebrate about our “Pit Stop Palooza” last night… but I’ll let the pictures do the talking. It was a blowout night! Perfect weather, great swag (the girls love the caps and many are wearing them today), funny theme (Buc-ee’s lends itself to hilarious humor), and really great food (our BBQ is TONS better than Buc-ee’s). We had a lot of fun and will cherish those T-Shirts for a long time!

Time to move on to something less “flashy”!

Later this morning, Margaret and I will meet with the Honor Council, and this evening I will lead our 105th Opening Vespers. It makes sense to do a quick review of these much-loved traditions of camp. Both carry weight that is hard to convey without a little context. If this is old news, feel free to skip to the end!

A few years ago, we updated the Honor Council. After 100 years, it was time to do a refresh. We dropped the “mysterious” system of tapping girls to serve and allowed any interested Senior-Senior camper the opportunity to develop leadership skills in a Greystone leadership program. Those who complete the program are admitted into the permanent Honor Council and given their gold G.

All of this year’s Senior Class decided on Tuesday to join this year’s Honor Council, committing to three classes a week (held at 5th period MWF, led by a variety of camp leaders and alumnae) and two service hours every week. This is a significant commitment for the girls over the summer, and we are proud of them for choosing to grow in this way. Their first class was on Wednesday, led by Sandi who spoke on servant leadership as exemplified by Jesus.

Margaret and I will lead a meeting that focuses on personal examples of leadership from our lives. I will discuss my first work experience at camp and how it laid the foundation for all subsequent jobs. How those jobs (both in camp and in the “real world” always were the foundation upon which I would build when assuming a new role. Margaret will speak of her High School and College years (which had far more impressive leadership honors than I ever had), her years as a Pediatrician, and her transition to Greystone. The girls love hearing these stories, which show that leadership is not a one-size-fits-all character trait.

Tonight, we will enjoy our Opening Vespers program. Not flashy but good in every sense of the word. This is a tradition that has remained unchanged for generations. We will use the Council Fire arena for the program (this renovated space is proving perfect for many traditional EPs and adds wonderfully to our “inspirational” gatherings). The girls will hear the story of love and light (the Linsey Woolsey story), recite their verses by cabin groups, and light our candles to show the impact of light in the world. It is a beautiful program and surprisingly impacts even the youngest campers. Opening Vespers is counter-intuitive (would you have thought such a program for a teenager?), but it is very special to the campers (who consistently rank it as a favorite summer moment). It will be the perfect “chill” ending to a Sleep Late Day!

Breakfast Picnic with Frittata, sausage, fruit, yogurt, granola
Weather 86 degrees, afternoon showers, UV 10
Lunch Roast Beef Sandwiches
Dinner Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
EP Closing Vespers