August 6, 2026

This is, of course, Banquet Day. Everyone (campers and counselors alike) is giddy with excitement and anticipation for the big event. But first, we have one more day to enjoy with our friends, one more day for activities (1st-4th period at least), and a huge Banquet celebration that the counselors have worked on for several days. Tomorrow we anticipate joyful reunions with our families. It is a day of joyous exuberance. The hours will be marked by expressions of gratitude, laughter, skipping, running, and crazy blow-out dance parties. Our counselors are just as excited as the campers, and a little bit sad.

The staff is conflicted about this moment… they are excited and sad at the same time. Most of them arrived in mid-May and have worked very hard ever since. Our days were long and passed in the blink of an eye as we organized and executed dozens of memorable moments for the campers. It is SUPER fun and SUPER exhausting… not your typical summer job. We now have the rare satisfaction of finishing a race well. It is a feeling they will remember for the rest of their lives… a wonderful sense of accomplishment in the work and a bond of love with their campers and each other. They have completed a difficult task and made lifelong friendships… not a bad way to spend a summer.

Tonight we celebrate with a banquet. It is an event that the campers anticipate with keen delight, ranking it as their favorite EP of the summer. It will be a wonderful ending to a wonderful session… beginning with a fun play introduced at Flag (if it’s raining, we will gather inside), presented at the Pavilion, and completed in the Dining Hall. We serve camper-friendly food with banquet-style seating, have toasts, present activity awards, and announce the final team scores. Afterward, the girls have a final cabin devotion and tuck-in by their counselor. It is glorious! A night that is celebrated by every camper who has ever attended Greystone. So much fun!

Last night, we enjoyed a wonderful Council Fire in the FORT. We made the last-minute change due to the rain (surprise rain showers are not uncommon, so we were prepared). The girls gathered, anticipating once again hearing the Me-Me Bird story first told by Gigi in the 1950s. We honored the girls who have come to Greystone for 3 or more years (all of whom are given big Pennants on their third year). These pennants will be where camp memories (patches, buttons, awards, and anything else that represents their time at camp) will be carefully glued or sewn on over their camp career. Then we presented patches for passing levels (some classes have levels, others just do the activity). After the awards were given, we silently moved in cabin groups to enjoy a Closing Vespers inside the FORT. The girls really embraced the moment (not a word or giggle to be heard as the light slowly spread from candle to candle). It was spectacular and touching. After the program, they kept their candles, resolved to tuck them away just like Dr. Margaret did 40+ years ago to remind them of the moment. Whenever that little candle is brought out, we hope it will remind them of the simple lessons of light and love learned at camp.

Silence is a part of the Greystone experience… intentionally worked into moments as an emphasis that makes that time special. Church, Vespers, and Council Fire are all made more poignant by the absence of sound. In such moments, we hear the crickets, birds, frogs, and other night sounds. We hear the wind in the pines and the occasional whinny of a horse in distant pastures. At that moment, we can concentrate, remember, think, and commit ourselves to big goals. It is wonderful. Last night provided a great memory for everyone because the campers participated so well. They are really great!

Thank you once again for your support and encouragement.

Thank you for sharing your girls.

Thank you for reading the Blog.

Drive Safely

Breakfast Croissants and eggs
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 82 degrees, scattered afternoon showers
Lunch Taco in a Bag (easiest, best, most requested, “crowd-pleasing” meal in the camp menu… do it the next time you have a crowd of children coming to dinner… you will thank me).
Banquet Dinner Chicken Tenders, Mac-n-Cheese… and special dessert
Tips For Tomorrow:
Pick up bags in the FORT (before or after you get your camper).
Don’t forget the Laundry Bag (it should be with her trunk/duffle.)
Take a tour of camp; your camper will show you the best parts.
The grass will be a bit wet and the field muddy in places.