Greystone Cancels All Sessions
This week would have been the kick-off of our 101st summer. Right now, we should have been in the middle of Junior Camp, hearing squeals and laughter from our youngest girls as they celebrated the joy of Greystone. But as you know, we had to cancel our Junior and June Camps in April, and have been waiting to decide on the rest of the summer until we had more information.
Today we are heartbroken to announce that we are canceling all sessions this summer. We’ve shared the news with our families and staff, and wanted to let our greater camp community know as well. We know you love this place as much as we do.
For weeks now, we have been reading every article we could get our hands on, talking to countless health officials and government authorities, participating in camp-specific Zoom calls, and thoroughly researching the guidelines presented by the ACA, CDC, and our local health authorities. We desperately wanted to find a way to make camp happen, but it became clear that under the current guidelines, opening Greystone is just not possible.
To hear more from our directors about this decision, please watch this video below:
We are grieving this summer alongside you - Greystone is nothing without the magic that happens when our campers and staff are gathered here. We are going to miss watching you laughing on stage during your Lip Sync, rolling down the Pageant Court after Evening Program, sitting with a friend for a DMC, running through the misters on a hot day, and singing loudly “I Don’t Wanna Go Home” after meals. Camp is for the campers - you are why we do what we do, and we never would have expected that we would have to make this decision.
This was a hard thing to do, but we are confident it is the right decision for our community. We don’t understand why God allowed this terrible virus at this time. But, we trust that He is loving, He is kind, and He has protected our “miracle in the mountains” for 100 years - you should be absolutely confident that He is still protecting us now.
Closing camp has presented many difficult situations, but we believe it is not an accident that a long time ago we chose Philippians 4:6-7 as our theme verse for the summer:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Main and August campers, we love you very much and are thinking of you today as you hear this difficult news. We hope you’ll stay in touch with your camp friends and remember to hold your lights high until we can be back together again.
Many of you may be wondering: what is going to happen at camp this summer? Right now, we don’t know. We have focused all of our energy into opening Main and August Camps, and we will now shift to looking at other summer options. If we decide to open any type of Family Camps or other summer opportunties, our camp families will be the first to know. We will still be giving tours this summer, so tell your friends!
So we leave you with this, Greystone family…remember the final truth of Breakfast Club, always shared at the end of our last breakfast together: Wherever you may wonder, whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole.
We love you Greystone girls!