Session 1 Video Highlights & Slideshow
Session 1 has already come and gone and we miss everyone so much already! We hope you enjoy these memories and we cannot wait to see you next year! [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdeBVXsLtWQ[/embed]
Session 1 Graduating Campers
Gold Arrow campers who have completed the 9th or 10th grade take part in a special celebration at the end of their camp session. These campers and their counselor gather around a magical campfire created just for them when the rest of camp is settling into their sleeping bags. This is a milestone and tradition that campers both look forward to and have feelings of trepidation about because it signals the beginning of something new and the end of their time as a carefree camper. Each camper receives a paddle inscribed with their name and a special word selected by their counselor. Notches on the wood represent the years spent at GAC. For our graduating campers, this paddle is more than wood and inscriptions, it’s the hope of what lies ahead after the many lessons learned as a camper.
Session 1’s 3 and 5 Year Campers
Congrats to our 3 and 5 year campers! Since the early days of camp, founder Manny Vezie began a tradition – campers and staff who attend Gold Arrow Camp for five summers are presented with a blanket to commemorate this achievement. Every summer at camp 5-year campers are wrapped in their blankets at Appreciation Campfire along with 3-year campers who receive their banner on the final night of their session.
Session 1 Bears’ Adventure
A highlight of the two-week session for our youngest campers (grades K-3), and their version of backpacking, is Bears’ Adventure. This one-night trip allows campers to experience sleeping outdoors under the stars and cooking over a campfire. Campers’ luggage is taken for them to the campsite, so they are not technically “backpacking,” because they have no pack to carry. With just their water bottle and their positive attitude, they set out from camp singing and talking on their hike. The best part of Bears' Adventure is the free time kids get to play and explore the area. For many campers, the longer sticks provide the perfect start to a fort. Others enjoy laying on their sleeping bags talking with friends or silently watching clouds move overhead. Some participate in crafts and games while enjoying being outdoors. For many of these kids, Bears’ Adventure is their first experience “roughing it,” and they absolutely love it. When they hike back into camp the morning after their adventure, our Bears campers stand a little taller. And their dirty, smiling faces are the best indication that they have experienced the awe of nature.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuHSroDVVk8[/embed]