Meet a Director: Ellen-Anne
It’s time to say hi to another member of our Head Staff team, but this lady likely needs no introduction!
You already know and love Ellen-Anne from talking to her all about the counselor job and your activity area. She is the most artistic member of our crew, and she brings that creativity to everything she does at camp. You are going to love meeting her husband, James, and her three precious kiddos this summer!
Watch the video below to spend a minute with EA. Your day will be brighter!
Get to know Ellen-Anne:
- Years at camp: 10 as a camper; 19 on staff
- During the year, I…. am a part of our hiring team, plan fun activities, and chase my rowdy kids around!
- Here’s what you can find me doing during the summer: Organizing program, talking to staff, helping plan fun clubs, managing our girl helpers, and being a listening ear whenever!
- The most random/wacky thing I’ve done at camp is: Played a nose whistle while my friend juggled for the talent show. No…I was not a camper at this point…I was on staff.
- Come find me if… you have any questions, or just need to chat, I’m your gal! I have a great couch in my office.
- These are a few of my favorite things: Being outside, cooking a good meal, enjoying friends and family!
- Most used emoji: The cartwheel lady.
- Something I’m loving right now: My back porch as the weather is getting warm!
- One thing you wouldn’t guess about me: I was a full time potter in another life!
- Something I want you to know about this summer: That it has the potential to be the most transformative experience if you let it be. Throw yourself into it, make yourself uncomfortable, and by all means HAVE FUN!
- My best advice to counselors is… Don’t take yourself too seriously, but do take the job seriously. We will make mistakes - and that is A-OK! But remember, important work is worth the growing plains, and camp is an amazing place to find your footing and do a perfectly imperfect job!
- Working at Greystone as a counselor is… the BEST thing you could do with your time. The experience grows with you no matter your age, and is continuously teaching you what you’re made of!
Preparing for Camp
Can you believe you’ll arrive at camp next month? Us either! The time is flying, and we cannot wait to finally welcome you to Greystone in just a matter of weeks.
Now that camp is coming so soon, this is a great time to page back through the previous Staff Newsletters and make sure you’re up to speed. This month, you have a couple of important items to check off your list (we’re looking at you, forms, Ministry Safe training, and Staff Store!), so set aside a little bit of time to start getting ready for the summer to come. Have questions on any of this? Just ask!
- Sign up for a Staff Penpal by Friday, April 17th. Fill out this form to sign up to be paired with another staffer to get to know before camp! We’ll then reach out within the week with your match.
- Send us your song suggestions! Music is a BIG deal at camp, and we want to have great playlists ready for all the dance parties to come. Use this form to tell us which (camp appropriate!) songs YOU want to hear this summer.
- Is this your first year at Greystone? Check out the New Staff page! You’ll catch on to everything quickly once you’re here, but we’d especially recommend listening to our Dining Hall songs for a head start.
- Watch the mandatory sexual abuse prevention training through MinistrySafe, if you have never taken that training before. Staff who have taken it within the last 5 years do not need to take it again. If you need to take it, you will have received an email with an individual link to complete this training. All staff must have completed it by May 15th! Questions?
- Complete your Staff Forms by May 1st! Many of them can be submitted digitally with just a few clicks, so don’t put them off. Help us pay you this summer!
- Place your Staff Store order by Orientation. We’re offering you a gift card to shop for anything you like in The Greystone Store, but you have to use it before you arrive at camp! Look in your email for your gift card, read all the details on this page, and if you have questions.
- Check out the Staff Packing List! Now is a great time to make sure you have everything you need for the summer. Have questions about what other staff bring? Ask in the GroupMe - our returners give great advice!
Important Heads-Up: Your Pre-Arrival Health Screening Form
You don’t need to do anything for this yet, but be on the lookout for more information about your Pre-Arrival Health Screening Form next month! This easy, quick form will just ask you a few health screening questions, and it will be required for you to complete before you arrive for Orientation. You’ll be able to fill it out online like the rest of your camp forms. We’ll send more information out about this later, but make sure it’s on your radar to complete before you come to camp!
Hiring Spotlight: Men Staff
Heads up: while most of our positions are filled for this summer (hello, best staff ever!), we are still looking for a few great guys to round out our Men Staff. This is a work-hard, play-hard kind of role; our Men Staff teach classes, serve behind-the-scenes at camp, and live together on camp property. It’s a great summer gig for a guy who loves Jesus and wants to play a part in a tight-knit Men Staff group!
We know you have brothers and friends who are still looking for summer jobs, and we want to meet them. Fill out a referral form to send them our way! A $500 bonus could be yours if we hire them for the full summer. Spread the word!
Our Summer 2026 Theme Verse:
Did you know that we pick a theme verse every summer? We choose this theme carefully and use it in lots of ways throughout camp, from Morning Assembly devotions to Sunday church services. We hope this verse will be an encouragement to you during your summer as a counselor and in the future.
We wanted you to be some of the first to know our 2026 theme verse; we hope you love it as much as we do!
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
FAQ Corner: Small Details
One of the best parts about camp is being present with the people around you - you’ll be surprised by how much you love putting down your phone! Your electronics will live in your locker in the Counselor Hut (where you’ll also be able to charge them) for you to access whenever you have a day or evening off. You’ll still have plenty of opportunities to communicate with your people but plan to be present in camp for the majority of your time here.
There are a couple of ways to do your laundry at camp - it all depends on your personal preference! Cabin Staff are welcome to send in their laundry once a week when their campers’ bags go out (just know that everything is washed and dried together on high heat). All staff can also do laundry during their time off using our free machines in the Counselor Hut. Just bring your own detergent!
Getting snail mail is one of the best parts about being on staff! You’ll be able to receive letters during the regular after-lunch mail time. One of the privileges of being on staff is that you can also receive packages (our campers aren’t allowed to get them). You’ll pick those up from the Counselor Hut when you’re off, so tell your friends to send you lots of care packages!
All mail should be addressed to: Your Name - STAFF 21 Camp Greystone Ln. Zirconia, NC 28790
There are lots of times during the day where you can grab a quick shower - it all depends on your preference and who you’re living with! All cabins have their own showers to use.
While most Cabin Staff prefer to shower at the end of the day (before dinner, after dinner, or after Evening Program), Cabin Staff can also shower before breakfast or before/after Rest Hour. We ask that you not shower before Reveille or after Taps if you’re living with campers, and that you help your campers get showers before you take yours!
Program Staff can hop in the shower during the same times listed above; you can also shower before Reveille or after Taps, as long as you’ve cleared it with the other counselors you’re living with. No matter what, you’ll get very good at a speedy shower this summer - it’s a life skill!
The closer the summer gets, the more questions you might have about counselor life, summer details, and what you need to do right now to be prepared for this job. We try to cover a lot of ground in these newsletters, but we know you might still have questions, and that is exactly what we’re here for!
As you think of questions over the next few weeks, send us an email or fill out our question form, and we’ll get back to you with an answer. We want you to feel completely “in the know” now and throughout the summer!
Staff Manual: April Edition
The Staff Manual is your go-to place for all the details you’re wondering about. This month we’re getting into all the details that go into our different roles at camp: Program Staff, Cabin Staff, and Men Staff. Don’t miss it!
Pray with us!
This month, join us as we pray for a safe and healthy summer from the first day to the last!
Pray that all of our campers and staff members (!) would be protected from illnesses of all kinds. Pray for wisdom and endurance for the many camp doctors and nurses who will work so hard to take care of our community. Pray for safety in all of our activities and events and that God’s hand of protection would be on us every minute of our summer.
We are boldly praying that 2026 will be our healthiest summer at camp ever, all to God’s glory! Join us as we pray and trust the God who has protected Greystone for over 100 years. He is good, and He goes before us in all that we do!
Verse to meditate on:
(This is how we feel about all of you!)
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14