It’s incredible to think and reflect on the last 15 months. Between camp’s own year-round programs like Family Retreat or Spring Camp and rental groups, it’s very rare to find a quiet weekend on camp. But for the last 15 months, in a departure from the norm, camp has been quiet. But by the time you’re reading this blog post, our first staff for summer 2021 will have arrived on camp… and camp will be quiet no more.
Camp, much like the community it fosters, thrives because of its people. The constant use of the facility helps to keep things in working order. The frequency of weekend events does put wear and tear on the facility, but it also means that when something breaks, we tend to find out about it very quickly. Much like rebuilding strength in a muscle that has atrophied, camp is getting itself up to operational status. Thankfully, camp will be quiet no more.
The shutdown due to COVID would have been enough (Dayenu is echoing through my head as I write this) but we had to contend with the record freeze in February. The pictures of a snow-covered Greene Family Camp were as beautiful as they were hard to believe, but they also lead to more maintenance challenges in the months that followed. Like so many things throughout Texas and Oklahoma, camp was not built for the kind of weather we experienced. Camp seemed to get even quieter due to power outages and other issues, but thankfully camp will be quiet no more.
15 months (448 days) since our last group on camp. But today, we’re back. Camp is filled with staff who will be making 1192 Smith Lane their summer address. Smiles. Singing. Laughter. Joy. Camp is back, and camp will be quiet no more.