Darshan Meditation Camp 2007 Update

April 26, 2007 Darshan Meditation Camp Update Following is a brief update on the status of activities and preparation for camp. Camp Dates – We will announce the camp dates as soon as we get them. We know that it will be one week in July but which week is still to be determined. As soon as we get the dates, you will be notified, and camper and sevadar registration will begin immediately. Please be ready to register promptly once the dates are announced. Spiritual Survivor (new ) – Program to better prepare campers and CIAs to survive spiritually in the world. Includes:  Spiritual Treasure Hunt – A very fun activity where multi-age and mixed gender teams will search for information on various topics of Sant Mat as talked about in the literature of the Masters. Teams must work together, help each other, and include everyone on the team. CIAs will have a 4 hour hunt while campers will do a 2 hour one.  Spiritual Jeopardy – Knowledge gained from the Spiritual Treasure Hunt will be applied to a Spiritual Jeopardy game. This game will be set up using power-point and be very much like jeopardy as seen on TV. It will allow for Maharaj Ji to ask impromptu questions on the various subjects if he would like to.  Diary time – Greater emphasis is placed on having group diary time especially with the CIAs. A more consistent approach is being taken for all cabins.  Overall Goal - Overall goal for teams is to see how many points each team can contribute to a camp goal. Achieving a goal may result in providing something new for camp the following year and/or a donation to a specific cause.  CIA Teams - CIAs with the 13 and 14 year old campers will be divided into two teams who will compete for the most points to be achieved through the above activities and through cabin neatness and team work.  Camper Teams - Campers will work as cabin teams to get the most points possible. Also included in the camper teams is the Positive Reward Program (PRP) which includes class attendance, Satsang presentation, and cabin neatness. We added diary time and lights out on time to the PRP. Challenge Course (new) – We are installing about 20 elements (15 already completed) in the wooded area surrounding the cabins. These are low level elements that require a team to plan and work as a team to complete each element. The elements are the equivalent of the lower elements of the ropes course that we used to take our teens to Fredericksburg to do. They are fun and help teams develop teamwork, communication, cooperation, giving and receiving feedback, and they are mentally and physically challenging. This course is designed mostly for teen teams, but some elements can be done by younger children. All facilitators will be professionally trained and the course will be inspected and certified by a professional. 13 and 14 Year Olds (new) – We see a need to integrate this age group into some CIA activities as a transitioning to the CIA program and to meet their current needs. They will remain as campers and fulfill all camper requirements, but be permitted to participate in some CIA activities.

Schedule – The schedule will be similar to last year with classes in the morning, and fun activities in the afternoon and evening. There are many new and exciting classes again this year. The Challenge Course and Spiritual Survivor are very fun and exciting new programs designed to enhance the goals of our camp. These two events will take the equivalent of one full day and are planned early on in the camp week. Meditation-time Reward Program – The MRP was a big success last year so we will do it again. We have spent a lot of time refining it, so it should be even better this year. This summer, junior campers will be required to take a mandatory rest period after lunch to ensure that they get enough daily rest. All cabins will also be scored on lights out at night as part of the PRP; this will help ensure that campers are getting to bed on time. For those campers and CIAs who achieve a Sach Khand level of attendance at meditation sittings, there will be a final Meditation-off as last year; however, the rules have been thoroughly reviewed and refined in order to ensure fairness. SOS Agreements – We will continue the SOS Agreements at camp as they raise the level of awareness about being, (1) Safe [Sawan], (2) Kind to All [Kirpal], (3) Dedicated to Truth [Darshan], and (4) Respectful [Rajinder]. This is a mission-wide program for both children and adults. Camp Angels – Instituted last summer for the first time was the Camp Angel Program designed to place adults in strategic locations around camp at specific times to serve as additional eyes and ears for the counselors. This was another very successful program enhancing the quality of camp life.