We have officially reached spring convention season. With the wrap up of IC many have been craving another fun convention with friends, and for the teens of GAR they did not need to wait that long to go to the next exciting BBYO event, ASC- otherwise known as Annual Spring Convention.

Once at the camp site on Friday, we ate dinner, dropped our stuff in cabins and then the activities for the weekend kicked off. The first thing we did was have shabbat services that were lead by the soon to be leaving seniors. After that, we had time to wait and talk with others as the seniors got set up for candle lighting. Once ready, we walked to the candle lighting building where the seniors were all in a row at the front with unique candles in front of each of them. Candle lighting lasted the rest of the night as each graduating senior got to tell, in a quick speech, about their time in BBYO. Additionally, we had a break halfway through the speeches, where we got to sign posters with a seniors’ face on each one, wishing them well in the future or telling them how much they meant to us. After all seniors had spoken for the night, we were sent back to our cabins to rest for the next day. 

On Saturday, after breakfast, we kicked the day off with various services. There were many creative services such as rap, interpretive dance, and candy bracelet making that our steerers’ did a great job at planning. Once each service was over, rotations started. These rotations were activities that had been planned by our Y’ALL program (a program for MITs/AITs) and included dodgeball, pass the marker, and chopped. Pass the marker ended up being a highlight as no one got anywhere near the original drawing. After we had gone to all three rotations, it was time for AZAA and BBGG. For BBGG, we had a shark tank program where we had to pitch a new invention to Dr. Doofenshmirtz to help him defeat Perry the Platypus. Each group was given marshmallows, dry pasta, rubber bands, plastic cups, and pipe cleaners to make their “inators”. After these programs were done, it was time for chofesh. During chofesh you had to put on your best 2000s spirit wear fit for the rave later that night and you had to go pick up life from graduating seniors. Once chofesh was ended we had the GARnival which featured many exciting booths such as jousting, pie in the face, and glitter tattooing. The GARnival did end a little early to let teens go clean shaving cream from pie in the face off of them. After dinner that night, teens walked to their respective seperates programs. At the BBG seperates, there was a Taylor Swift theme that was followed by the regional board leading it. Once seperates concluded, teens walked to the fire pit for havdalah and s’mores followed by the 2000s themed rave. The last thing that concluded the night was a seniors only program to give them a proper BBYO send off. 

Sunday was the last day of the convention. After breakfast were elections, where GAR was successful in electing a new regional board! After elections were over it was sadly time to leave and go back home, so teens loaded up the buses and wished each other goodbye. Even though the weekend was rainy, GAR teens only had bright spirits as the weekend closed out.