The Power of Please & Thank You

We love hearing the success stories of previous campers especially when it takes them all the way to the White House and beyond.

Q: Tell me your name and how old you were when you first attended manners camp.

A: Monroe Gray. I started going to summer manners camp at age 9, I had just finished the third grade.

Q: Was that your only camp session?

A: No, I attended manners camp through 6th grade and then the Mad About Manners series for middle school.

Q: What were some of the activities you remember most about camp?

A: Learning how to write a good thank you note and proper table behavior.

Q: Can you give me an example of how learning to apply those skills has helped you over the years?

A: Sure, I didn’t realize at the time just what the art of writing a good thank you note and having good table manners would mean to me. There is real value in both. At age 21, I find myself well advanced in the area of table etiquette compared to most of my peers. And the thank you notes I’ve written over the years have been acknowledged by parents, professors and employers.

Q: If you could name one thing about manners camp that meant the most to you, what would that be?

A: I think learning the skills that helped build my self-confidence; ones that I continue to apply in everyday life. And having that self-confidence motivates me to work hard at being the best I can be.

Q: I see from your picture that you have been in D.C.

A: Yes, I did a summer internship for Senator Shelby. It was a great learning opportunity! Having confidence in my ability to do a good job in the interview as well as for the senator played a major role in the successful outcome of that experience.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I have just graduated from the University of Mississippi, and enlisted into the United States Army. My intention is to become a Special Forces Green Beret.

Q: Wow! I’d like to thank you for your desire to serve your country. We need young adults like you who have a strong desire to make this world a better place to live in. Is there anything you’d like to say to future manner’s campers?

A: “I cannot express enough the impact that using good manners has had on my life and the lives of others. There is no question that the skills I learned at manners camp-long ago-have served me well and I will undoubtedly benefit from them well into the future.”