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Radha Madhav Society Summer Camp
Kids taught core Hindu values

Radha Madhav Society (RMS) hosted its third Summer Hindu Youth Camp from July15 – July 20, 2010 at the Indian Springs State Park near Atlanta, Georgia. The main thrust of this camp was to instill in the Hindu kids growing up in North America a spirit of Hindu culture and impart to them a basic knowledge about Hindu faith. About 50 children attended the camp and several of them were accompanied by their enthusiastic parents/families.

A fun-filled family-friendly camp that acquaints the entire family to the salient features of Hinduism and teaches them how to practice it on a daily basis is an uncommon event in North America and people expectedly seized the opportunity when one was made available to them.

At the camp children were divided into two groups: 5-9 years and 10-15 years and age-appropriate schedules were designed for them. In this 6-days long camp, several activities were planned for the children where they learned about the fundamentals of Hinduism, Yoga, Arts & Crafts, Hindi, Bhajans, musical instruments (dholak, harmonium), the manner of offering prayers, dancing (garba), games ( pitthu, cricket, tags, tug of war, statue) etc. in an easy-to-imbibe environment. All the kids and parents celebrated Guru Poornima, Holi, Govardhan Puja and Shard Poornima in an atmosphere of piety.



The kids went on nature walks, had a picnic and took part in a cultural program reflecting Hindu values. Older children had the opportunity to discuss the conflicting issues they encounter growing up in two cultures (Indian at home and western outside home) with Sushri Siddheshvari Devi, the founder of RMS (also known as Didi Ji). They and got spiritual guidance on how to reconcile the two different paths and strike a balance. While children were busy attending various classes, parents spent their time in Satsang with Didi Ji, learning how to incorporate spiritual values in their daily lives and to inculcate them in their children.

At the end of the week, everyone - children and adults alike - was sad to leave. The overwhelmingly positive feedback about the camp seemed to indicate that the camp attendees were so deeply engrossed, oblivious to the fact that the week had come to an end. The parents, children, organizers and volunteers were emotionally caught up with the camaraderie that all the camp attendees had developed.

Some of the feedback comments provided by the camp attendees shown below would suggest how deeply the participants were involved:

 

  • Youth Camp has been a blessing in every possible way for our family. Not only my children ages 8 and 6 benefited from the pious atmosphere, myself and my husband experienced spiritual awakening too.
  • It was amazing to see that towards the end of the camp, every child had learnt an instrument e.g. Dholak, Manjira, Harmonium and Jhanjh.
  • There were dramatics, singing, dance and art classes for the children. We celebrated Guru Poornima, Holi, Govardhan Puja, Shard Poornima and ended the camp with a grand cultural program. Playing Holi like we did in India was the biggest hit among the children.
  • As the Indian Community migrates to the west, many of the core Hindu values are lost in the assimilation of the American culture. This Hindu Camp is a place where children and parents can come together and learn first hand the beauty and joy of Hinduism
  • In fact anyone of any background can come to this summer camp and learn about Yoga, vegetarianism, nature, and the pastimes of Krishna.
  • The discussions with Didiji are exciting and the volunteers are outstanding in accommodating everyone. This is a "Not-to-Miss" opportunity.
  • My boys and I really loved the camp. I think as a parent this camp was so good for my children because this was the first time they were exposed to singing religious songs and introduced them to bhajans and kirtans. I am just so happy we went to this camp



    According to Dr. Manisha Gupta, President of Radha Madhav Society, the smiles on the faces of the children at the end of the camp were the biggest reward for the organizers and volunteers. The children have all promised to come back next year and bring their friends along and the volunteers are inspired to work diligently all year round to ensure that the next year's camp is an even greater success!

    To find out more about Radha Madhav Society and its mission, please visit http://www.radhamadhavsociety.org