By: Chris “Topher” Aderhold

SaLT Promo Poster

Visit Camp’s YouTube Channel on Thursday to see the world premiere of “A Call To Serve.”

Happy December, friends!

From all of us here in the Camp Gray Blog Office, we wish you a very blessed start to your Advent. We hope and pray that – for all of us – the Reason for the Season is as abundant as ever!

As fall here at Camp Gray has quickly and quite emphatically turned to winter, one might think that things around the Gray slow to a halt. That, my friend, is a misconception that I’d like to overwhelmingly disprove on this chilly December day.

So, grab yourself a hot cup of coffee and enjoy catching up with the latest happenings, adventures, milestones, and shenanigans of the people, animals, and buildings of Camp Gray!

Let’s begin by giving a round of applause to our Servant Leadership Team! While their retreat schedule slows down in December and January, they’re busy processing their crazy fall schedule. Additionally, they keep busy during the winter months making improvements to our retreat programs. Since the retreat season began, back in early September, they’ve led 33 retreats for some 1,200 young people.

December and January are great months for Shane, our Program Director, to begin recruiting for next year’s Servant Leadership Team. We’re thrilled to announce that on Thursday, we’ll be launching A Call To Serve, a new promo video for the Servant Leadership Team! Please check it out, and if you know of anyone that might be interested in serving for a year at Camp Gray, please pass it along to him or her! Also, you could direct them to our Servant Leadership Team page of the website. Thanks!

Though opening day for Summer Camp 2015 is 188 days away, summer is on our minds! Registrations on this day are up 225% compared to this date last year! We are humbled and grateful for the support (and we’re busy processing all those registrations!). Please visit the Summer Camp Session Chart to see availability for 2015.

Speaking of Summer Camp, interviews for our 2015 Summer Camp Staff have already begun. A great bunch of returners have applied, and a plethora of new applicants have, as well! If you know of anyone that might be interested in being a part of our fun, vibrant, Catholic community, please direct them to our Prospective Summer Staff page.10154200_10202796781097117_3163899058703200665_n

In case you haven’t heard, Camp Gray is on the radio! Well, kind of… Former staffers Lindsay and Sara, and I, have been recording and posting weekly podcasts. You’re not familiar with podcasts? Check out the Madison Catholic Youth page to learn more about podcasts, and to listen to Freshly Brewed – the greatest Catholic youth podcast in the entire Diocese of Madison. Guaranteed.

While today’s Camp Gray keeps us busy, we do have an eye toward the future. A few areas of Camp Gray are in dire need of improvements. Please visit the Tomorrow’s Camp Gray page to learn how you can help us grow!

Lastly, it’s that time of year again, friends. I, your humble scribe, am looking to answer some reader mail! Do you have any questions for the 4th Tuesdays with Topher Mailbag? Please email them to me in the next two weeks! Thanks! (Check out the first, second, and third mailbags here!)

We invite you to come on back next week, as we’re set to publish our 3rd annual “By the Numbers” post! The following week we’ll be posting a thrilling year-in-review post!

Thanks for your great support of Camp Gray!

Peace!