June 11, 2026

I never miss morning assembly, Especially if Mac is speaking. He accomplishes more in 5 minutes than 99% of ministers. Such a gift is rare (I have never been able to beat 9 minutes… and my talks are just so-so). Mac hits home runs every time he is at the plate. If you have not yet listened, do so today! It is 5 minutes well spent.

I will not opine on esoteric subjects today, just a straightforward breakdown of the day with a focus on what matters to the girls: Food, Weather, Activities, EP. They love the variables of each of these items. Every day, these areas become the setting of memorable moments that will delight and inspire. Each one is worthy of a story.

Let’s start with breakfast. Gervais made an unexpected choice… one that will surprise you… It is possible that you have only eaten this one or two times in your life. A few clues: It is very labor-intensive to prepare, includes marinated beef, onions, and potatoes… popular in Ireland… Who guessed it? Corned Beef! Served with grits with various fixings to make grits bowls if the corned beef was not desired… surprising choice, huh? It is even more astounding when you think that Gervais had to marinate the beef for days, slow bake the meat for 6 hours, spend yesterday afternoon shredding it and preping the potatoes and onions, then come in early (after a late Carnival night) to combine and cook everything on the huge griddles we use for French Toast and pancakes. So much work… for something most girls do not eat all year long… to make a memory and a moment. Some girls will love it so much that it becomes their favorite “special” breakfast food. All will remember Greystone when they see it on a menu in the future. Such a weird choice for little girls makes sense if you think about it!

Since we already mentioned morning assembly (where Mac’s talk inspired a new direction to addressing a perplexing problem I have been wrestling with), let’s look at High Adventure. This class is located on the Eastern edge of camp, about on the top of our Apple Hill pasture that overlooks camp. From that high location, they can see the lake, riding rings, pavilion, tennis courts, waterpark, swimming pools… everything. They climb on the tower (five climbing walls to choose from, all with auto-belays; some areas are easy to climb, but others are very hard). They are very good at it! Their small size, flexibility, and strength combine to make them shine. Friends climb with them, showing how to make difficult transitions and encouraging fearless flight up the towering wall. Fun. They might be doing the Zip Line that day (a favorite), or the Leap of Faith (terrifying), or the aptly named “Screamer”. Each area is fun, and we do them all most of the time (girls rotate from area to area).

The campers will get sweaty in their classes today… because it is hot! Not a cloud in the sky (yet), a very light breeze that is barely felt, and a slightly heavy humid element that increases the impact of the blazing sun. We have to drink a ton of water; this is one of the habits we take on at camp, and it is absolutely necessary to enjoy days like this. Heat is not really a problem when you have ice water to drink! Later, we might enjoy an afternoon thunderstorm. These storms come in like clockwork in the summer, typically around rest hour. Yesterday’s “storm” was a sprinkle with no accompanying thunder, but today might be different. We are very used to it and always love extending rest hour or class time if it is not good to be outside. Temperatures will drop by 15 degrees after a storm, making camp very comfortable for the rest of the day.

Some of the girls might be in Play Production when the storm hits, a great location for waiting to hear Perry indicate all is clear. These girls have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it. Annie is a big production! They must memorize their lines, songs, choreography, blocking (where they stand in each scene), and dozens of other details required for a good thespian experience. Some will be gathering props, some painting backdrops, and others assembling rolling dollies that have different scenes on each wall. They practice moving quickly and confidently when scenes change (much harder than you think) and learn how to work the sound equipment (the head mics are particularly tricky to wear and manage on the soundboard). They move the lights around and experiment with different gels and different spotlight angles for effect. It is a mammoth project to put on a play, I can’t wait to see it next week!

These are just two classes… but there are 70+ others. Each is amazing in subtle ways… not intended for EVERY camper to love, but designed to entice everybody. Some of the girls will find that they have found their thing… their “tribe”, their “gift”, their passion. A spark lights a fire in their life that will burn brightly. For a season or for a lifetime… no matter what, it is awesome and a big reason camp is so much fun.

Tonight, we will go to Council Fire to recognize the girls who have passed levels in their classes. We walk silently up the hill from Flag when the bugle blows. I lead with a torch blazing; the girls follow in two lines by cabin group, huffing and puffing by the time we reach the sacred space at the top of the hill. It is a program of tradition… same routine now as 107 years ago. Light the fire, sing the song, hear an old story, recite the Honor Council pledge, then receive recognition with awards in many classes. The girls love the awards… little felt patches given when a camper passes a level in her class. Hundreds of these patches will be given out tonight, every class level is unique to that class… different colors, shapes, designs. Designed to be special, for they recognize an important accomplishment. The girls put them on their camp pennants (which are given to each camper on her third summer at camp). It is very impressive to see these pennants decorated with felt representations of memorable moments, particularly as the years pile up. We close by singing taps. Nice EP… one of my favorites!

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, feedback, support, and trust. Caring for your girls is a heavy burden that we carry with delight. Thank you for the opportunity.

Breakfast Corned Beef Hash!
Weather Hot, 85, chance of thunderstorms
Lunch Ham & Cheese Croissent Sandwiches
Dinner Pizza
EP Council Fire