SPARKS Summer 2015

Summer 2015
SPARKS
Before the summer, have you...
☐☐ Written your penpal more than once?
☐☐ Filled out your Pre-scheduling Forms for Junior, June, & August camps? Remind your parents!
☐☐ Followed along with our Social Media accounts? We will be revealing more surprises before the summer!
☐☐ Started Packing (and labeled ALL of your clothes)?
☐☐ Ordered anything from our online Greystone Store (www.thegreystonestore.com)?
Greetings Greystone Girls!
When the daffodils and dogwoods bloom, we know that
summer is almost here… the show is about to begin and
WE CAN’T WAIT to make it THE BEST SUMMER
EVER!!!
It is hard to describe how excited we are about camp this
summer. For ninety-six years our family has gone through
this process: praying, planning, designing, building, and
finally enjoying the ultimate camp experience with you
(our campers). Each year is special, each one uniquely
wonderful. We can confidently say that we have done
everything we can think of to make it perfect, and we trust
that God will bless the effort.
We hope that you enjoy this final Sparks magazine… it has
a lot of information that will be exciting to learn. We have a
lot of surprises in store this year, the first of which you will
discover within these pages. Our many building projects,
program changes, and new “things” are here because you
asked for them. We know that you will be very excited to
see that we listened!
We hope that you are also preparing for your “best summer ever” too by:
• Praying that God will bless your summer (giving you good counselors and good camper friends);
• Writing your Pen Pal and make a point of being a good friend to her;
• Getting excited about your classes, signing up before May 1st so you will be completely ready to go on Opening Day (Junior, June, and August campers);
• Practicing your “Greystone Smile”; you will be using it a lot very soon!
Thank you for choosing Greystone to be your
summer home. We know you can’t wait to run
up that hill and start the fun; it will be here
before you know it! Enjoy reading the Sparks and
making your plans for this…the BEST SUMMER
EVER!
See You Soon Girls,
Jimboy
We cannot wait until
Opening Day! We have the
best summer planned, and
we know you are going to
love every minute of it. The
fun starts when you arrive
on the first day of camp!
Remember to wear
comfortable shoes as you’ll
be walking up the Pageant
Court to your cabin. Bring
an umbrella, just in case.
See you soon!
Opening Day Checklist
☐☐ Arrive through our staff entrance and we will have staff members showing you where to park
☐☐ Meet a Greystone Staff member at your car to find out your cabin assignment
☐☐ Have your heavy bags tagged
☐☐ Carry your loose items up to the cabin area
☐☐ Walk in your cabin and meet your counselor!
☐☐ Choose a bunk, receive your nametag, and start unpacking your things
☐☐ Drop off all medications in the Health Hut
☐☐ Visit the Dining Hall porch for the Parents reception (see info on the following page)
☐☐ Visit the Greystone Store for some awesome camp merchandise
☐☐ (Parents!) Drop off prewritten letters in bins on the Office porch
☐☐ Hug your parents goodbye!
All Sessions:
Please arrive between
7:15 - 9:00 a.m. We will
not allow campers into
the cabin area prior to
7:30. Parents, please plan
to depart by 9:30 a.m.
Parent Reception
Parents, you are invited to a reception hosted
by the Millers on the Dining Hall Porch on
Opening Day. Please come and meet the
Miller family, while also tasting our wonderful
scones. We look forward to seeing you!
All Sessions
Opening Day
8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Alumnae
Reception
Calling all Greystone Alumnae!
We would like to issue a
special invitation to all of
our Alumnae to stop by the
Opening Day Reception on the
Dining Hall porch at each session this summer
(same time as the Parent Reception)! Bring
your camper, have your picture taken for the
alumnae section of the website, and pick up a
new “treat” at the Alumnae table. We love and
appreciate our Alumnae and the generations
represented throughout the summer!! We look
forward to seeing you!
-Katie Miller Grant
Top 10 Packing Tips
1. Put your name on everything! First initial
and last name are fine, but don’t just put the
first name. Don’t forget to label non-clothing
items like your Bible, tennis racket, shoes,
and flashlight.
2. You will definitely need a water bottle
and a backpack/tote bag – don’t
forget to bring these (and put your name
on them!)
3. Goofy costumes for dressing up are
always great to bring…never know when
you might need them.
4. Parent tip: Use zip lock bags, label each one with a day of the week, and put one outfit in
each bag. Many parents suggested this worked well for younger campers.
5. Don’t forget your Whites – a plain white shirt and a plain white pair of shorts (or
skirt). Many past campers suggested bringing more than one pair as they get dirty easily
(Junior camp only needs one set).
6. On Opening Day, carry up your bedding so you aren’t waiting for it to be delivered on
our trailers.
7. Bring some hangers to hang up Sunday dresses, if you would like them (no dress
needed at Junior camp).
8. Parent Tip: On Opening Day, bring along some duct tape, extra batteries, zip lock
bags and trash bags, just in case you need them.
9. It’s going to rain! Make sure to have a raincoat, a pair of rain-boots or shoes, and even an
extra pair of tennis shoes.
10. Don’t forget a few bunk decorations – just remember, no electrical or battery operated
lights. The only electrical item you can bring is one small plug-in fan (and consider the clip on
variety!)
For more tips on Packing for Camp,
make sure to check out our
Packing for Camp page on the
Parents section of the website.
Packing for
Evening
Programs
All Sessions: fun dress up clothes or
costumes (Lip Syncs); green and gold
clothing items (Challenge Day); clothes that
can get dirty and messy (you never know!)
Main Camp: 4th of July colors (Carnival);
hillbilly overalls, straw hat, or redneck shirts
(Corn Roast); derby hat (Derby Day)
New: June & Main Campers
June Campers: If you
have it already at home,
bring an outfit that
is representative of a
certain country (i.e.
sombrero, beret, soccer
jersey, Viking helmet).
Main Campers: If you
have it already at home,
bring a “nerdy” outfit.
Pre-Camp Scheduling
Junior, June & August Campers
We don’t know about you, but we are SO EXCITED about pre-scheduling for Junior, June and
August camps. Not only do you get to plan ahead of time – but you get to enjoy Opening Day
in a whole new way!
At Junior Camp, we will enjoy Opening Day like normal; you will find out your schedule the
following day (Sunday).
At June and August camps, after you take your cabin picture and finish your swim check, you
will then go as a cabin group to receive your schedule. If you need to switch a class around, no
worries…we will be standing by for any changes to make your schedule perfect, just as we did
in years past.
Get excited for your BEST schedule ever, which will make this the BEST SUMMER EVER!
Theme
Verse
We are excited to announce that our 2015 theme for the
summer is Confident. The theme verse is:
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for
and assurance about what we do not see.”
-Hebrews 11:1
It will be fun to learn from our great ministers, Jonathan
Davis, David Fisk and David Speakman, as they weave this
theme throughout their sermons and devotions. Thank
you to all the campers who participated in our online
survey that determined the theme!
Visitor &
Package Free
Don’t forget - we are Visitor and
Package Free at Greystone!
Visitor-Free: Please help remind your
family and friends that they will not be
able to visit you while you are at camp this
summer.
Package-Free: Please remind your family
and friends that all mail should be in flat,
standard size envelopes. Envelopes with
“stuff ” in them, and over-sized envelopes,
are treated as packages, and will be
returned.
Welcome Junior
Campers!
Junior Camp has lots of new changes
coming for the summer of 2015, and we
know you are going to love them all!!
When you arrive, you will check into your
cabin, meet your counselor, and all of
your new cabinmates. Then, the weekend
will be spent doing fun cabin activities
together all over camp....things like
Waterpark, Cheerleading, Landsports, and
Greystone Groove. On Sunday afternoon,
we will have Challenge Day with campwide games to win points for your teams,
the Odds and Evens (make sure to pack
something green and gold in your trunk
as you won’t know what team you are on
until you get to camp)!!
Also new to Junior Camp this summer
will be CARNIVAL...we will have lots of
exciting inflatable stations, great carnival
food, and music planned to make the event
something you will remember for a long
time!! Every night of the session will bring
a fun Evening Program, and each day will
bring hours full of activities that you have
chosen for the week (Kindergarteners will
not choose classes but will go with their
cabin groups to activities selected just for
them). We can’t wait to welcome you in
just a few short weeks!
New for
2015!
New Dog Camp
Renovations
Camp is always improving and this summer
we know you are going to LOVE the newly
renovated Dog Camp! The dog camp barn
has always been a favorite spot – and with a
new open floor plan and extended play space
for the puppies, it is sure to make for the
BEST SUMMER EVER!
Name our Cute Dog Camp Puppies!
Not only will the puppies have a new home at camp – but they will also be named by YOU!
Keep a look out for our Dog naming contest to go live in May on the website (check the News
section for details). You can also see pictures of the little puppies we have adopted on there as
well. We can’t wait to see the names you come up with for the BEST SUMMER EVER!
Farm & Garden
Bunny Adoptions
New to Greystone and requested by many of
you: we will be starting bunny adoptions! Our
dog camp adoptions have been so popular over
the years – we figured, why not have bunny
adoptions as well? These sweet Farm & Garden
animals are the best fuzzy addition to any
home. Get your names on the list ASAP (for
bunnies or dogs) by emailing Ellen-Anne:
ea@campgreystone.com.
New for
2015!
Ice Machines &
Daily Snacks
For many years you have asked us to allow ice
in your water bottles. We did not allow you
to get personal ice from the ice machine in
the kitchen because the Health Department
would NEVER let us (and Gervais would go
crazy with all of you marching in and out of
the kitchen). It took time and planning…but
now your wishes have been answered!
We have purchased three big ice machines
that will be located in three “refreshment”
centers around camp (near Waterpark,
Landsports, and the Fine Arts Center). Each
refreshment center will have an ice/water
dispenser custom made for our need to fill hundreds of water bottles in a short period of time.
Each center will also have a refrigerator filled with healthy treats to enjoy whenever you like
(such as string cheese and bananas). No other camp has made such an investment; we do it
because we think it will make camp better… in fact, it will help make this the BEST SUMMER
EVER!
Eno Hammock Hanging Stations
For many years, we have not
allowed you to hang hammocks
in your cabins due to the safety
reasons. But, we know you love
hanging out with your friends in
your Eno, so this year, you can
enjoy hammocks with your friends
in different locations around camp!
You can bring your own Eno, or
you’ll be able to check out a camp
Eno to use during certain times.
We will have different places where
you can hang them (the Castle,
near Candy Shoppe, and more).
There is no need to bring an Eno or
purchase one for camp; however,
if you have one and would like to
enjoy it in our hammock locations,
bring it along! Another reason this
is the BEST SUMMER EVER!
New for
2015!
Salad Bar & Dining Hall Expansions
One of this year’s BIG improvements has been a huge renovation and addition to the dining
hall and salad bar room. You are going to love it! The addition to the dining hall will allow us
to spread out the tables, allowing more room for everyone. The salad bar will feature wider
doorways, more food options and lots of space, which will give us faster lines. We’re also
getting new salad bars with double the capacity of the old ones.
In the salad bar, items that were scattered
around and hard to get to, like oatmeal, hard
boiled eggs, granola, green smoothie drink,
vegetarian options, seeds and dressings, will be
available on every line. There will also be room
to add more choices like different fruits and
vegetables plus larger amounts of your favorites.
We’ll also be introducing other healthy options
like cottage cheese, soy butter, toast, dry fruit,
soup and more. We’re so excited to add this
great addition for the BEST SUMMER EVER!
New for
2015!
New Canoes
We have replaced our canoe fleet with twelve beautiful new
custom-built Merrimack canoes. The Merrimack company
moved to Travelers Rest, SC last year and approached us about buying their canoes. They felt
that their custom-built heirloom quality boats would be a perfect fit for camp, and one look
convinced us too. These boats not only look good, they are a dream to paddle on the water.
We hope you will enjoy the boats this summer… another reason this is going to be the BEST
SUMMER EVER!!!
Painted Tennis Courts
You will notice a new look on the front
campus this year – the tennis courts
have been refurbished and given a new
paint scheme. Rather than the green
and red courts that we have enjoyed for
the past 5 years, we will now enjoy the
preferred USTA color of Green and Blue
courts. Coach Vining has requested
this change, saying it is a better color
for spotting the ball. He also assures
me that it will help make this the BEST
SUMMER EVER in tennis!
Brand New Arcade Room: Skee Ball
This traditional arcade game
is a lot of fun… matching
the fun of bowling with the
feeling of darts. We have
purchased six antique Skee
ball machines and are having
them restored to “like new”
status and placing them in
a new arcade room in the
tunnel beneath the dining hall
porch. You will be able to play
at free time and before meals,
earning tickets to redeem
for prizes. We think you will
become a Skee ball expert
this summer and love playing
your friends, another reason
that this is going to be the
BEST SUMMER EVER!!!
Years at camp: Most
of my life
Where you are from:
Live at camp
Miller
argaret
M
&
y
o
rs
Jimb
nd Directo
a
s
r
e
n
w
O
What you do at camp:
Imagineer, small
time blogger, big
time goof ball
Looking forward to in 2015: Rest Hour
Thunderstorms, Cabin Lip Syncs,
Gervais’ cooking
Something we don’t know about you: I am learning to speak Spanish and
reading the entire Bible this year with Margaret
New thing you’re most excited about: Ice Huts... the ice is that great “soft
ice” like they use at Sonic
Hidden talent: I can “wiggle” my hair
Two truths an a lie: 1. I have been a wrangler; 2. I have been a chocolatier;
3. I have been an arm wrestling champion
Meet the
Directors
Years at camp: 27 years
Where you are from: Cadiz, KY; now Tuxedo
What you do at camp: Try to keep Jimboy from
doing anything too silly
Looking forward to in 2015: Seeing all the bright
shining faces of the campers and singing songs in the Dining Hall
Something we don’t know about you: I won a silver trophy for showing a pig
at the fair
New thing you’re most excited about: Bunny adoptions!
Hidden talent: I can touch my nose with my tongue
Favorite game: Catch Phrase
Two truths and a lie: 1. I like to Blob in the winter; 2. Jimboy proposed to
me over the phone; 3. I taught Fencing at camp one summer
Years at camp: Every year of my life!
Where are you from: Live at camp year round
What you do at camp: I love the Bible and sharing
God’s word with all of the campers at camp
er
Libby Mill
ctor
Senior Dire
Looking forward to in 2015: Coming into camp with
Honey, my cocker spaniel, to see each of you!
Something we don’t know about you: Honey was a
puppy from dog camp 5 years ago!
Hidden talent: I love flowers, growing them and
arranging them
Two truths and a lie: 1. I met my husband
JimDaddy at camp; 2. I was the captain of
my team when I was a camper; 3. I won the
horse show when I was a camper
Years at camp: From
the year I was
born I have been
at camp most
every summer!
Where are you from: Live at camp
er Grant
Katie Mill
p Director
Junior Cam
What you do at camp: Plan all of the fun
things we do at Junior camp
Looking forward to in 2015: Getting to
know Junior campers better because
the session is 2 days longer!
Something we don’t know about you: I used to teach water skiing at camp!
New thing you’re most excited about: I can’t wait for the FIRST EVER
Junior camp carnival!!
Hidden talent: Knitting sweaters & Needle-pointing belts
Favorite Game: Candy Crush
Two truths and a lie: 1. Jimboy is my brother; 2. Margaret is my sister; 3.
Libby is my mother
Years at camp: 40
Where you are from: Spartanburg, SC
What you do at camp: Drive Apple Cart
llowell
Laura Ho
irector
& August D
June, Main
Looking forward to in 2015: Being with all
the girls!
Something we don’t know about you: I like
to play “Ruzzle” online with friends
New thing you’re most excited about: The
ice machines and the new salad bar
Hidden talent: I can wiggle my ears - without my
hands, of course :)
Favorite game: Scrabble
Two truths and a lie: 1. I wrote 2 of the songs we
sing in the dining hall; 2. I learned to water ski
as a camper; 3. I learned to sail while I was
the department head of sailing
Meet the
Directors
Years at camp: 24
Where you are from: Greenville, SC
What you do at camp: All the fun stuff!
Looking forward to in 2015: Main camp
concerts - oh boy, oh boy
Something we don’t know about you: I really love
doing crossword puzzles
Sarah Brown
Head Counselor
New thing you’re most excited about: Eno
hammock hanging locations
Years at camp: 19
Where you are from: Tuxedo, NC
What you do at camp: Plan
activities and hire the coolest
staff on the planet!
Looking forward to in 2015:
Seeing the staff and campers
together for the first time in
the pit!
Ellen-An
ne Skelt
on
Program D
irector
Something we don’t know about you: I lived in Germany for a year
New thing you’re most excited about: Dog Camp! I cannot wait to
see the puppies running around in their newly
renovated place space!
Hidden talent: I can play the nose whistle
Favorite game: Apple to Apples
Two truths and a lie: 1. I used to be on a riflery
team; 2. I love eating a whole jar of pickles in
one setting; 3. I pogo stick in my free time
Hidden talent: Consuming obscene amounts
of cheese dip and guacamole at Mexican
restaurants
Favorite game: Chess (but I’m not so good)
Two truths and a lie: 1. I’ve never eaten a
fast food hamburger; 2. I used to be on
my school’s debate team; 3. My husband
proposed to me while I had a mouthful of
Kraft mac-n-cheese in my mouth
Meet the
Directors
Years at camp: 13
Where you are from:
Durham, NC
What you do at camp: Serve as a Group
Leader with a major focus on taking care
of the counselors and checking in with them
regularly throughout the summer
Looking forward to in 2015:
Every year our staff
gets better and better
and I expect this year
to be no different
Whitney Bus
se
Program Assis
tant
Something we don’t know about you: I strongly dislike
condiments
New thing you’re most excited about: Bunny adoptions!
Hidden talent: Being a physical therapist
Favorite game: Any football game Clemson is playing
Two truths and a lie: 1. I took synchronized swimming
every year as a camper; 2. The Little Mermaid is
my favorite movie of all time; 3. I have a Great Dane puppy
Two Truths and a Lie Answers: Jimboy: I have been an arm wrestling champion; Margaret: I like to blob in the winter;
Libby: I met my husband JimDaddy at camp; Katie: Margaret is my sister; Laura: I wrote 2 of the songs we sing in the
dining hall; EA: I pogo stick in my free time; Sarah: I used to be on my school’s debate team; Whitney: I have a Great Dane
puppy; Smith: I love pickles; Kelly: I teach Zumba
Years at camp: 25
Where you are from: Brevard, NC
What you do at camp: Help campers choose
activities, have a blast, and look for trash!
uts
mith” Ho ector
S
“
y
il
m
E
mp Dir
Junior Ca
Assistant
Looking forward to in 2015: 2 more days of Junior
Camp!! :)
Something we don’t know about you: I have a funny
cat named Lucy
New thing you’re most excited about: the ice
machines!
Hidden talent: I am good at riflery, ring tennis,
and catching fireflies
Favorite game: Monopoly
Two truths and a lie: 1. My brother is exactly one
year older than me; 2. I love pickles; 3. I make
an awesome apple pie
Years at camp: 13
Where you are from: Brentwood , TN
What you do at camp: Recruit cabin counselors
and work with group leaders, counselors and
campers during camp
Looking forward to in 2015: Junior Carnival!
Something we don’t know about you: Our family
has three bee hives
New thing you’re most excited about: Skeeball
Kelly
Assistant Ju Pinkley
nior Camp
Director
Hidden talent: Speedy reader, I usually read at
least one book every week
Favorite game: Heads Up
Two truths and a lie: 1. I teach Zumba; 2. I’ve lived in
seventeen different places; 3. I won a trip to Hawaii
Find that Greystone Counselor
How well do you know our 2015 Greystone counselors? Below are some facts about our
summer staff; all answers can be found on the News page of our website under People. See how
many answers you can find!
• Six first year counselors have siblings who have been on
staff previously. Can you name them?
• 16 counselors have a favorite food combination that has
to do with peanut butter. Who are they?
• Greystone Counselors love their Chacos. How many say
it is the one thing they must bring to camp?
• Which counselor is also a professional hair and makeup artist?
• Which counselor is also a published poet?
• Which counselor is also on their school equestrian
team?
• Which counselor lived overseas in Central Asia at one
point growing up?
• Which counselor also has her own jewelry line?
Top 3 Colleges
Represented
Wofford – 7
Furman – 7
Georgia – 5
Top 5 Hometowns
Represented
Charlotte – 8
Hendersonville – 5
Knoxville – 5
Spartanburg – 5
Atlanta – 5
Only weeks to go until it is finally time for...
Summer 2015: BEST SUMMER EVER
21 Camp Greystone Lane
Zirconia, NC 28790
www.campgreystone.com