I will never forget arriving at Greystone and being certain that we were at the wrong place. It was not possible that this place – with its green lawns, clean pool and quaint chapel – would be the venue for our school camp. By the end of the day I was still uncertain – the tasks were fun and the food good! When camps have always been notorious for bad food and worse sleeping quarters, this was paradise!
The trip only improved and the course – challenges for champions – was aptly named. Every task was enjoyable and taught us something. It truly was a fantastic opportunity to overcome fears and build character. Dave’s talk really opened our eyes and showed us aspects of leadership, communication and respect that we had never considered before.
I cannot define what was different about Greystone – and there really was something different about it. Even though many of the activities were the same (abseiling and obstacle courses), and even though they were rather strict (we had to put our hands up and be quiet in 10 seconds), and even though it was sometimes rather embarrassing (we had to sing for every meal), it was great fun and we all learnt something. The thing that impressed me the most though was that , somehow, they managed to get 110 teenagers up at quarter past seven in the morning, singing ‘Boy, am I enthusiastic! What a day, what a day, what a day!’ and meaning it.