10 Crazy-but-True Greystone Facts

With 106 summers of fun and memories behind us, you can be confident that camp has hundreds of stories and crazy-but-true facts that span every decade. Just ask our alums - every one of them has a “back in my day” story that you have to see picture evidence to believe!

The stories can (and have!) filled up whole books, but we’re sharing just a few today. While so much has changed, the mission of camp remains the same, and that is the best fact of all!

1. The Original Tentalows Were Army Barracks: Our very first Tentalows weren’t built for camp at all — they were army barracks from Camp Sevier. And let’s just say… they were rustic! No toilets. No showers. Campers carried shower buckets to the shower house (where Ceramics is today) and trekked to the bathroom in “Egypt” (where Laura’s cabin now stands). We’ve come a long way!

2. Ring Tennis Was All the Rage: Before some of today’s favorite classes existed, Ring Tennis and Badminton were the can’t-miss activities. That’s not to mention the Typing class that met underneath the Dining Hall (where the new Club Cave is today!).

3. No Pool, No Problem: There was no swimming pool or diving well. Instead, campers loaded up on an old-school bus with Lincoln, the driver, and rode about a mile around the lake to the swimming docks (including getting out of the bus to walk across a rickety bridge). It was an adventure before you even got in the water!

4. Odd vs. Even Is Almost Too Close to Call: The all-time score between Odds and Evens is unbelievably tight. The Odds score is 280,982 and the Evens score is 280,541. That’s a difference of just 441 points over all these years. Can the Evens catch up this summer?

5. Challenge Day = Deep Fried French Toast: Every Challenge Day morning started with deep fried French toast. Delicious? Yes. A slightly greasy way to kick off intense competition? Also yes.

6. Opening Day Looked a Little Different: The Opening Day Evening Program used to be a program called Seasons. Campers were divided by birthdays into four teams — winter, spring, summer, and fall — and competed for the ultimate prize: going first to Crackers and Milk. The next morning was Program Presentation, followed by activity sign-ups. There was no digital scheduling - it was all pencil and paper!

7. Rest Hour Meant Mandatory Rest: Every camper (even the oldest) had to lie down for the first 30 minutes of Rest Hour. No reading. No letter writing. Just rest. Only after those 30 minutes could you sit up and do something quiet. Even though it’s not required anymore, we still highly recommend a Rest Hour nap!

8. Canoe Trips Were… Adventurous: When campers went on canoe trips, they rode in the back of an old cattle truck. No seats. No seatbelts. Just a group of girls and a whole lot of trust. Campers would sing songs all the way down the river and back into camp the next day!

9. Candy Shoppe Had a Payment System: Campers didn’t just grab a treat — they paid for it! Each girl had a “Shoppe Card” with printed dollar amounts. When you bought candy, counselors would mark off the cost on your card at the window. Thanks to Jimboy, it’s now free treats for everyone!

10. Arts & Crafts in White Hall (No Cooking Class!): Arts and Crafts were taught in White Hall, and there were no Cooking classes at all. Cooking is now one of our most popular activities, and it’s hard to imagine White Hall being used for anything else!