Camp Pegnita: Banzai!

Camp Pegnita is officially over for the summer, with many VdM students extending their summer camp experience throught Camp Lite for the remaining weeks. But we couldn't let another day go by without highlighting Camp Pegnita's main event: Banzai! Banzai (or what's known at Camp Pegnita as Bonsai) celebrates the oldest running camp tradition, and refers to the traditional Japanese toast wishing 10,000 years of life and happiness. By far the favorite and most popular of Camp Pegnita's events, children from the community and school often sign up just for this one day. It's certainly a fun (and messy) one, and this year was no exception!The big event starts in the afternoon, mostly to keep all sorts of food out of the swimming pool! Children gather around the Magic Circle, where they are directed to close their eyes while camp counselors hide all around Villa's campus. The object of the game: to find and collect all seven colors of rubber bands from the various hidden counselors, all while avoiding getting hit with a sock full of flour by the "Temple Guards," five of the fastest, scariest, rowdiest counselors who chase the squealing children.Once children have been tagged, they must head back to the Magic Circle, where all sorts of goodies are poured onto their heads, backs, and shoulders.As you can imagine, many of these treats must be sampled!Once a child has found all seven hidden counselors and each corresponding rubber band, he or she reports to the Camp Director (our very own Megan Eilers) to receive the last clue. Whoever finds the hidden flag first wins Banzai!Somewhere along the way, children are hosed off, which is a big part of the fun:The whole campus smelled like the inside of an ice cream shop by the end of the hour!

Above: the hidden flag...

... found after many attempts, by a determined and driven former Villa student! Congratulations, Beacan!

And thank you to all the counselors, the runners and the pourers, the hiders and the planners. Without you, none of this would be possible!... and thank you to the trusty megaphone, of course! Until next summer!