August 7, 2026

Writing this blog every day has been a comfort and encouragement to me this summer. It is a routine that reveals the astoundingly good things that make up our simple days. If you are reading this, it is because you also love camp and like thinking about it. The Blog has become part of your daily routine (perhaps surprisingly). I can see how this would happen:

The subject resonates (you might have been a camper or sent a camper to camp for many years). It sparks a memory that makes you smile.
The pictures are fun (campers and counselors in moments of authentic delight).
The task only consumes a minute or two of your day. Not much of a commitment!

If you are reading this, know that your routine is about to change. I won’t be writing it tomorrow and will likely not post anything until next summer. Instead, you will hear from some of the other people who are vital to camp (Catherine, Sarah, Ellen-Anne, Laura, Meyers, Molly, and Peter). Their passion for camp is worthy of a public forum. They always do a great job, but blogs will be posted much less frequently when campers are not here.

I have written the Blog every morning since May 21. That is about eighty days, a routine that I have loved for many years. The Blog encourages me to notice the little things about camp that make it so delightful to those of us who live here (first rays of sunlight in the morning, the light of the moon, dew on grass, rain on faces, children playing, adults working with beaming smiles). Life is good at Greystone, and its goodness should be shared.

The delight and inspiration of life are evident when the campers and counselors are enjoying life here. Those moments are nonstop; 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week experiences (good and bad) formed by the people who call it home. I live this life in a very similar way to the campers and counselors (delighting in and despairing over situations that arise unexpectedly). When such a moment occurs, I pray (including God in the moment). Then I write in the Blog.

My Thoughts On The Summer

It was a very healthy summer. Just what we needed. The Health Hut ward never had more than a couple of campers in it (until last night when several girls showed up with an inexplicable upset stomach).
The counselors, kitchen, office, maintenance, and cleaning crews worked together better than ever. It is a delight to serve with such good-natured, proactive, hard-working, intelligent people.
The campers were wonderful… as usual!
The cabin bathroom renovations were almost perfect. We have now renovated most of the camper bathrooms, a major accomplishment!
Every session was amazingly good… Best survey scores of any summer ever.
Every session was safe… Given the inherent risks of life, this is a blessing we never take for granted.
Our Photo Policy has been a mixed success. For the camp experience, it was a win. Photographers change things. Think about it, and you will agree. If you hired a photographer to capture a great vacation or a week of your family life, it would be a mixed blessing. Great photos for a photo book or grandparent, but decreased connections to each moment. You would always be aware of the camera. It changes things, makes them less authentic. Our assessment is not complete, but we know for a fact that dramatically decreasing the number of photographers improved the feeling of camp. For parent expectations, it is not so clear. It is a roughly 50/50 split with very strong feelings both pro and con. We welcome the feedback and will continue to assess. The Atlantic has an article on the subject that a parent shared with me yesterday, if you are interested.