August 5, 2026

What a glorious day! Partly sunny skies, almost no chance of rain, a perfect 80 degrees- our last full day of classes is going to be perfect! The girls have honed their skills to a fine edge with the every day schedule of August Camp. June and Main Camp have a different class schedule (classes meet on an every-other-day schedule), which means that August Camp, despite being shorter, allows just as many classes as June Camp. We love the August Camp routine!

It rained after Taps last night, allowing the girls that glorious feeling of drifting off to sleep with the sound of rain on a tin roof (one of my favorite things in the world) . It looks like the last two days of camp will be enjoyed with continued perfect weather. Spirits are high, the girls are beaming, the counselors are giddy, the support staff (cleaning, maintenance, and kitchen) are delighting in their work. Head Staff are already excited about starting preparations for 2027. It is a wonderful time in the summer and a great day to be at Greystone.

We know that classes are particularly important to these girls, and we do our best to meet their expectations. At this point in the summer, it is particularly important that the counselors remain engaged and enthusiastic about their activities and help the girls pass levels (for patches) and finish projects. Many campers and counselors have included special end-of-camp moments (like dressing up in costumes or rolling down the pageant court in big groups.) The cumulative effect is delightful!

We will pack our bags for Closing Day at Rest Hour… a very big job, as you can imagine. Camp is rough on clothes. The girls love getting dirty! While their clothes have been washed once, when you open that trunk, you will notice those clothes look, feel, and smell different now. It is the smell of two awesome weeks at camp. Don’t worry, they will probably clean up! One day (many years hence), you will miss those smelly piles in front of the laundry machine.

Tonight we will have our Council Fire/Closing Vespers program. We will meet in our recently renovated Council Fire Ring, a lovely spot that the girls love. Here we meet to talk about “important things” and have done so for many generations. It is an impressive place in camp. The moss-covered rock bench, the large rock fire pit, and the oversized slab benches are ringed by towering pines and rhododendrons. We walk silently up the hill and take our seats, row by row. Tonight I will tell the “MeMe bird” story and connect it to the secret of Greystone (unselfishness). We give awards for passing levels in activities and quietly experience the end of the day. The evening ends with each camper and counselor lighting her candle, signifying the light of love that we all carry into the world. It is a fantastic night. The girls keep their candles as a memento of the occasion, and we hope that they will remember these simple lessons many years from now.

We are so grateful to have shared these weeks with your girls. They are delightful beyond words, and we are proud of how they have grown. They have filled our little world with light and will be missed when they go home.