First Full Day of Camp Gives Us a B-B-B-BINGO
Not to be outdone by the bright and happy A Session that just wrapped, B Session has gifted us with a shining sea of new faces and a wonderfully bright start. Yesterday, we got to watch our campers enjoy the wonderful weather that lasted all day, get settled right into activities in the afternoon, dive into our famous giant cookie dessert after dinner, and finish off the day with our classic Opening Ceremony! There, we sang some songs and were introduced to each other and to our Program Leaders – in all their silly splendor and glory! 
Today was yet another day of joyful play and spontaneity – from our first day of Discoveries this morning, to our first chorus of singing in the Lodge, and our first BINGO game of the entire summer. Lest you mistakenly think this was an ordinary game of BINGO – think again! No, Gwynn Valley BINGO comes with a side of dance battling, counselor (friendly) competitions, and emotional vegetable-ing (ask your campers). The lucky winners of BINGO are gifted GV merch in the form of glow-in-the-dark water bottles, t-shirts, and baseball caps, while cabins of the counselor based challenges get to take away prizes like extra flashlight time, being called first into the Dining Hall, or picking songs for the next day’s singing in the lodge. I assure you, you can’t fully comprehend the term “happy campers” until you’ve seen a Dining Hall full of children shout with glee at their cabinmate and new friend getting a BINGO, or cheer on their counselor dancing their heart out to “Cotton Eyed-Joe” and “Shake It Off.”
Not only did our Mountainside and Main Camp start off with a bang, but our Riversiders graced us with their presence as they returned from a successful canoeing trip on the Tuckasegee river yesterday. We are so proud of them for their adventurous spirit and grit, and it always feels great to welcome them back to their home base. They got to join us for some pottery, some fly fishing, and some sports before they head out for their third and final adventure backpacking through the Pisgah National Forest. 
Our Young Leaders had a phenomenal time on their once-per-session rafting trip that they do every year, and tomorrow they will head out to enjoy the Cradle of Forestry in nearby Pisgah National Forest, where they will get to learn about the storied history of the public land we get to enjoy every summer.
With so many things to look forward to – campouts with our cabins, mountain dancing, and celebrating our international staff from Egypt, Colombia and Brazil we’re so excited for all that this session has to offer!
