It’s NOVEMBER!! That means the holiday season is just around the corner; then comes the New Year, then Spring, then CAMP! How time flies!
There is so much good news to share, starting with Marisa having her baby! James Francisco Murray was welcomed into the world on Tuesday, October 31st at 11:36 p.m. He weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 21 inches long. Mom and baby are well.
Gary Daniel, our favorite building contractor, is back on site to rebuild our two oldest cabins, Skylark and Faraway. We are sharing a couple of photos of the demolition with you. Our challenge has been that the new Skylark will not fit back in the same spot. Those of you who have been at Keystone know how little space existed between Skylark and the Dining Hall. So, we are moving Skylark up the hill, and the new site will be between Fairview and the swimming lake. It has taken me a little bit of time to adjust to this relocation, and I am sure most of you will need to wrap your heads around it as well. Is this the time to rename it? Should we go back and resurrect ‘Peachtree’ or ‘The Goldfish Bowl?’ The name ‘Skylark’ would then be placed in reserve for a while. We would love to hear from you on this subject, so chime in as you feel led. These two new cabins will be in the same style as our other new cabins with a slightly larger bunk room, slightly larger PigPen and two showers.
Miss Bertha has been in touch. She wants everyone to know she is doing very well. The Keystone Camp family has been helping her make some improvements to her home. One of our loyal alums in Jacksonville, Florida, has been supervising the work for Miss B. Once a member of the Keystone family, you are a family member for life!
We are also working on a new summer camp website. There have been some tough decisions on fonts, colors, styles, etc., but as of Tuesday, we have settled on a great direction. We are excited to see the work, and we will keep you posted on the big reveal date.
Heidi has been in touch with many staff members. She is really enjoying getting to know our counselors more closely. I loved seeing Julia in New York City, and I will be in Chapel Hill tomorrow visiting with Olivia and Mary Stuart. The other UNC girls had other commitments, but I will try to catch up with them at a later date. My county commission position takes me to Chapel Hill frequently for work at the North Carolina School of Government.
Heidi has also been conducting CIT interviews, and she is pleased to have so many girls continuing in our leadership program. We will be having some face to face visits with both CITs and staff as we combine staff recruiting with our Keystone Road Shows. Heidi and I hit the road next Sunday with an open house in Knoxville, Tennessee. Shortly thereafter, you will find us in Cincinnati, Ohio, Charleston, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina. In other words, we will be all over the map for the next few months. Our Florida swing is shaping up for January, and we have Atlanta and Washington, DC on our list as well. We will be in touch with dates and times of the open houses in advance of our trips to your cities. We just love seeing our staff members, our campers, their parents and new families who are interested in Keystone.
2018 is shaping up to be a terrific summer! We look forward to seeing you at Keystone!
