July 18, 2026

Today is Watersports Day (our last big team competition of the year). It is sunny, hot, and we are playing in the water all morning long. What could be better than that? Morning activities are canceled as we rotate competitions to win points for our team. The morning ends with a war canoe race (in our 28-foot-long, Old Town wooden canoes…beautifully restored by a Greystone legend, Perry White, several years ago). The winning team will receive the coveted “bear” for the rest of camp. After ALL this buildup, we will end the day with our world-famous Water Show. I say world-famous because it is unique. Not many places celebrate synchronized swimming, but at Greystone, it is HUGE. Three hundred campers will participate in ten choreographed performances. It is a challenging skill, requiring grace and stamina. Once mastered, it is quite lovely, particularly in this setting. It is an extravagance that seems crazy to other camps… but is worthy of this moment. It will be a memorable program and a springboard to the Senior Play on Monday.

I was trying to explain the Water Show to Blake, a new staff member, this morning. He said he was excited to see the show, to which I cautioned him not to expect to “get it” at first. Water Ballet (or synchronized swimming as we call it) is a tremendously intense class to take. It is as physically challenging as any sport, requiring intense conditioning and practice. It requires the huge expense of building a large, deep pool and concrete bleachers for the entire camp; we constructed ours in 2008, and at the time, it was the largest facility expense in our history. A synchronized swimming pool was a huge commitment to a program which could have been dropped without much fanfare. We kept it not because it made financial sense, but because it was a part of our heritage. Our campers have mastered this sport for a hundred years; we wanted it to continue for a hundred more.

If you were to watch our show, I would give you the same advice I gave Blake: just soak in the moment and appreciate everything that went into making it happen. A major facility built for one night, three hundred girls practicing and exercising every day for a month, and a large staff planning for this moment since orientation two months ago. This much effort going into a program that is difficult to understand suggests that we give the whole experience time to soak in. Note the setting (the bleachers, the pool, the sound system, the lighting, the landscaping, the decorations, the play of light on the clouds as the sun sets). See the campers nervously prepare before their moment off to the right of the pool, obviously reminding themselves of the complex movements that need to be performed perfectly. See the counselors coaching the girls, going from one to the next, leaning in close with big smiles on their faces and bright eyes full of joy as they anticipate the big moment when their girls will shine. And see the campers perform a “dance” in the water that is so unique as to be inexplicable to all but the staff who are watching the girls intensely and encouraging with silent mouthed words and big smiles. It is hard to see what goes into making the show, so it is hard to appreciate the artistry. Given time, the appreciation will come. Main campers appreciate the show and will deeply appreciate the moment.

Yesterday’s Production Night was shockingly good. Mary Ellen decorated the Pavilion in pink velvet, transforming the stage and entrance with fabric she found in storage. She made custom posters to place around the pit and made sure the lighting and sound was dialed in perfectly. The effect was stunning, and our jaws literally dropped with the astounding performance by the Advanced Jazz class. It was perfect. Dramatic, exciting, unusual, enticing, and perfectly choreographed. The perfect opening act to what proved to be a perfect show. Each dance and every musical performance was outstanding in various ways. The costumes, the timing (during and between acts), the choreography… every detail combined seamlessly and made the performance shine. I know that I wear “camp glasses” during the summer (never going to “real” performances, watching outside media, or seeing anyone other than campers and counselors doing their thing with no inhibitions about being silly or making a mistake). They probably aren’t perfect performances, but they feel like perfect performances. They are authentic reflections of genuine talent… by friends.

A quick moment from the show that is particularly sweet in my memory occurred during a Broadway Fun “Frozen” act. They were singing “Do you want to build a snowman”, which follows the characters through childhood. The part of the younger character was played by several girls, each of which sang beautifully. It was genuinely moving. I teared up (but I doubt the campers felt that pang of children quickly growing up that brings such a response… it is possibly unique to parenthood). At the end of the song the girls took their bows to thunderous applause. A triumph! It was a wonderful performance, a wonderful evening, and represents what we feel as we bask in the golden light of the ending moments of a wonderful camp session.

These big productions build on each other as we enter the last week of Main Camp. First comes the Junior Play, then Performance night, then the Water Show, then Senior Play (Monday’s big finale for camper performances). Squeezed into our free Sunday afternoon is the big Art Show, Riflery Tournament, Archery Tournament, Great Day 5K, and Council Fire. Each of these events represents a culminating moment for some of the girls who have worked all summer to present their art, skill, and genius. Their moments are recognized and celebrated by the entire camp; we feel connected to their triumph.

Greystone is amazing. It sounds like a sales pitch, and I expect many are skeptical of my praise. Words like “amazing” somehow cheapen the authentic reality of experiences, but they are sometimes true. It is good to keep this in mind when reuniting with your daughter next week. She might not have words to answer that first “real” question: “So what did you think about camp?” Tough question. She might just tear up and look out the window when you ask. We are not equipped to process such emotions. We don’t have the words, just poignant feelings in our hearts.

Thank you for your continued support. We’re having a great time savoring our last weekend at camp.