June 5, 2026

EP last night was a hit. It started with a theme dinner: Camp Walden (from The Parent Trap). Green and white pennant streamers, green and white checked tablecloths, a very good meal (baked potatoes, chili, cornbread, lemonade…reminiscent of Chessy’s chili and cornbread in the movie… each part shockingly tasty), and a slam-dunk dessert (Oreo cookies and individual Sunbutter cups to share with a friend). We played Parent Trap music as background for the whole dinner. It was very festive.

The girls wore white t-shirts printed with the theme, bandanas with matching colors for their cabin, and a challenge: get the most points as a cabin for a prize an invitation to Jimboy’s house to hang out and watch a movie in the theater. Energy was high as every cabin worked as a team to gain points from the various games and challenges around camp. It required strategy, teamwork, and relentless effort to prevail. The top 3 teams competed in a relay to retrieve the fish (a lifelike rubber fish) from the lake and place it in the bucket in front of the stage. Tentalow Upper Ten won… everyone cheered… good program!

EP tonight is different. A calm, quiet, meaningful, and understated program from a time before computers and television. When Hollywood was just becoming a city of silent movies, and radio was the most popular form of entertainment in our country. Opening Vespers “worked” back then, and amazingly, it still does. Its simplicity is refreshing in this fast-paced world, and the subtle message is understood by all ages. They enjoy wearing their whites for the first time, sitting in silence after the fast-paced week we have had, listening to an old story, reciting a verse, lighting a candle, and watching the light spread is just what they want. They will marvel at the beauty of the moment. It will be a great night.

Opening Vespers has always been one of our highest-rated EPs, perhaps because it celebrates “important things”. It has continued essentially unchanged for 100+ years, and the campers appreciate the continuity. The old story is one I first heard from my grandmother and never expected to tell, but every time I do, it moves me deeply. This might also explain why the campers like it. Authentic emotion resonates.

Every good organization will have a core culture that does not change. Values that transcend time and are foundational to what that organization does, why it exists. Our mission has remained the same for 107 years: “for the glory of God” was Joseph Sevier’s reason for being. It is why he became a minister, why he started Greystone. It is why the parents, campers, and counselors of that time came to camp. It is why Greystone is so good today. The “why” of camp is understood by all. Any of our programs that do not change effectively promote the mission. The campers “get it” already.