Director Jud's Blog

Memorial Day always feels like the real turning point in the year. The weather shifts, families start spending more time outside, and there is this sense that summer is finally about to begin. At Stone Mountain Adventures, we feel it too. The first few staff have already arrived on site. You can feel camp slowly coming back to life. Cabins opening up. Trails getting walked. Spaces being prepared for the first campers to arrive.

But Memorial Day is more than the unofficial start of summer. It is a day rooted in service and sacrifice. It is a time to remember men and women who gave their lives in service to others. That kind of sacrifice calls for gratitude and reflection. It also calls for us to think about how we live, how we lead, and what we value.

At camp, service is something we try to make real in everyday life. Every camper is part of a crew. Each morning, alongside their crew leaders, they spend about 15 minutes doing simple chores around camp. It might be sweeping a porch, picking up a common area, helping reset a space, or taking care of something that keeps camp running smoothly. It is not about the task itself. It is about learning what it means to contribute to a community.

We start each crew the same way. A short meeting where everyone is together, everyone is included, and everyone hears a quote of the day. It sets the tone. It reminds campers that they are part of something bigger than themselves, and that how you show up matters.

Memorial Day reminds us that freedom and opportunity are not free. They are built on sacrifice. At camp, we try to honor that by helping young people grow into the kind of people who contribute rather than take. People who step up, who include others, who carry their share and sometimes more than their share.

This weekend also tends to mark the beginning of excitement for summer. Parents start thinking about logistics. Kids start imagining what camp will feel like. There is a kind of anticipation that builds when something meaningful is close.

We see it every year. The first day of camp arrives and there is a mix of nerves and excitement. New campers wonder what they got themselves into. Returning campers act like they are coming home. By the end of the first day, most of them are already changed in small ways. They have done something hard. They have met new people. They have stepped into a place where screens are gone and real life takes over.

That is what Memorial Day leads into for us. Not just a calendar shift, but a mindset shift. From routine into adventure. From comfort into growth. From watching life to stepping into it.

As we move into summer, we carry the meaning of this weekend with us. We remember those who gave their lives in service. We honor that by trying to build something worth living for in the time we have. At camp, that means helping young people grow stronger, kinder, and more willing to serve the people around them.

Summer is almost here. And with it comes another season of challenge, friendship, and growth at Stone Mountain Adventures.