June 29, 2026
Cecilia Glenn returned to Greystone with two fellow songwriters last night, inaugurating our much-beloved “Concert on the Lawn” tradition at Main Camp. She has an absolutely beautiful singing voice, a sweet/winsome personality (predictable since she is a Greystone Girl, former counselor/Group Leader), and sang a mix of covers/praise songs/and original songs (she is a songwriter in Nashville). The girls loved it, and when Cat closed the show, she surprised us all (me included) by saying that Cecilia was a Group Leader with Catherine and taught Catherine how to swallow a pill! It was a great night.
The concerts at Main Camp are so much fun. Margaret and I do not go to concerts in the “real world,” but we really love going to them at camp. The variety of performers is surprisingly delightful. Campers still talk about Peabod, a Christian rapper from LA who gave an outrageously engaging concert at the Pavilion a few years ago. I remember it clearly. It was a hot and muggy evening; I was sure the indoor show would be a flop since it wasn’t a great night to be inside, but when he ran onto the stage and cranked the volume to 11, we were hooked. He was a great performer and an example of how we mix up the shows to keep the girls guessing. Hats off to Sarah Brown, who finds performers who meet our demanding needs: cheap enough to afford, willing to play in a camp, and are OK with an outside venue. We only do concerts at Main Camp; they would not be as appreciated by the other sessions.
We changed tables this morning, resulting in a delightfully quiet breakfast experience. Changing seating assignments in the Dining Hall is a great idea. Mary Gray is the Group Leader in charge of Dining Hall seating, and she enjoys that tedious job, making it fun for everyone. Rather than having the computer assign tables at random (the easy way to do this job), she chooses a theme (for instance, sorting by first or middle names or birthdays or cities). We don’t let the girls in on the plan; it is fun to break the code.
Our last talk on Social Growth encouraged the girls to be the first to talk. We often just talk to our friends, but at camp it is fun to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Anyone will do. Just smile and start talking; see what happens. Camp friendships vary in depth; casual friendships enhance our social growth (and sometimes a casual friendship becomes a cherished one over time). Peter stood in for me this morning, a surprise to everyone and something we do from time to time just to keep things fresh. He did a great job making the point quickly, then following up with a genuinely short joke (I drag jokes on for longer than necessary). One minute and six seconds to tell an old camp favorite. I was shocked to see that we left the dining hall on time, despite the slow start to the meal!
Tonight will be an EP that divides the camp into three groups, each group given a fun activity. The girls will be at Waterpark/Pool, in the Dining Hall decorating cupcakes, or on the soccer field getting messy depending on their age. We will do this group EP again so eventually everyone will experience all events.
Details of the Day
- Breakfast Corn Beef Hash, Scrambled Eggs, Skillet Potatoes
- Breakfast Club Social Growth (done by Peter, who stood in for me as a surprise host)
- Joke A Little Horse
- Weather Sunny, Hot (87), Afternoon Showers, UV 10, full moon (provides a wonderful setting for EP)
- Lunch Chicken Tenders
- Dinner Fusili Norcia (pasta recipe from Sandi Taylor, camper favorite)
- EP Rotating Groups