Friends of the World Centres

Newsletter 6 May 2008

WelcomeWelcome to the second Australian Friends of the World Centres newsletter for 2008! We hope that you will enjoy following the latest events at our four World Centres, and the reports from our members who have visited them recently.

As the Winter months approach, now might be the perfect time to hold an indoors “World Centres” night with your Guides, trying out some of the programme and fundraising ideas from these newsletters. Have fun and raise money for the World Centres at the same time!

Pax LodgeThe staff of Pax Lodge are busily preparing for an exciting London Summer season! Following is some information from Grace Farrelly, World Centre Manager, regarding recent developments at Pax Lodge.

Pax Lodge History BookThis is currently being printed! Eileen Burbidge has been working very hard for the past year on the first Pax Lodge history book and it’s nearly here. You’ll be able to purchase a copy from our online shop very soon. It details the first sixteen years of your World Centre in London and is complete with colour pictures.

Pax Lodge DVDThere is now a Pax Lodge DVD available giving you a tour around the building, where you can see what things we offer here at Pax Lodge. You can purchase a copy for £5.00. Please contact office@paxlodge.org if you’d like to order a copy.

Resident Volunteer ProgrammeYou can now join the programme for two to five months. The minimum period has now been lowered to reflect the needs of those that want to join us for a shorter period. If you or anyone you know would like to join us to gain work experience, life skills, make friends from around the World and spend a few months living in London, then contact office@paxlodge.org for more

information and an application pack.

Summer 2009 Events

We still have spaces for our Summer 2009 Discover Your Potential events. These five night events include seeing sights in London as well as learning about issues important to girls and young women and aim to improve skills such as leadership. Please contact programme@paxlodge.org for more information.

Thinking Day at Pax LodgeGuests and staff representing a variety of nations enjoyed a fun-filled Thinking Day at Pax Lodge. Here is a photo of the celebrations.

Our ChaletNew StaffThis month Our Chalet welcomed its new Centre Manager, Katie Franzke! Katie was a Guide in the United Kingdom and became the first girl to join the Bristol Scouts in 1994 and gain the Chief Scout Award.

Katie has previously worked at Kandersteg International Scout Centre over a period spanning 5 years, starting from a volunteer position, then as Reception Manager and then finally as the Guest Services Director, where she worked as a member of the Senior Management Team.  Katie then spent time living in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Katie’s husband is an Australian who also has a background working at Kandersteg! 

Our Chalet has also welcomed a new Programme Manager, Antonia Forster from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. Antonia is trained as a Forester and has worked in Africa and Ireland. Recently she completed her Masters in Mountain Forestry in Vienna, Austria. She has also been a Venturer and staff on Raleigh International Expeditions in Belize and Chile.

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Rover Week 2008

In February 2008, Our Chalet held its inaugural Rover Week for Girl Guides and Scouts Worldwide aged 18 – 26 years. Following is a report from Jane Burnett of Queensland, a member of the Australian contingent.

On 7 February 2008, six Aussie Guides (all from Queensland) embarked on their travels to ‘Our Chalet’, Switzerland to participate in Rover Week 2008. With some spare time (nearly 24 hours on a plane) on our hands we got to know each other and played some random games to help pass the time.

We arrived in Switzerland where it was about -10 degrees. We then made our way to Adelboden, where we were greeted by the staff from Our Chalet. Our luggage was placed in the blue Our Chalet van and we proceeded to make the ‘famous’ trek up the hill towards Our Chalet. The road was icy in parts, and snow was piled high on the sides, the view was stunning and we were unaware of how familiar we all would become with this walk, as for the rest of the week we trekked up and down this hill at least twice a day.

We finally made it to the top of the hill and were amazed by the sight of Our Chalet. The Australian contingent was the second group to arrive, beaten by the Singapore Guides and Scouts. We entered Our Chalet in a burst of energy and I do believe that we spent at least the next 5 minutes running, jumping and screaming up and down the corridor in a state of disbelief that we had all actually made it to Our Chalet. Needless to say we were all very excited.

Throughout the next week we worked closely with our patrols, which were different from our roomies, so this gave us the opportunity to mix and get to know nearly everyone. The activities for the week were: Night out in town; Skiing (downhill and cross country); Hike to frozen water falls; Snow Tubing; Night tobogganing; Snow Cinema (the movie was Top Gun); Swiss night; Camp Fire (every country performed a song or skit); Snow Shoeing; and lots more.

One of the major events for the week was the service project. Each participant got to choose the service project which they took part in. There were plenty of service projects in the Adelboden community and at Our Chalet. Some of the service projects were: putting together and performing a concert for the local nursing home, cleaning the rock climbing wall, repairing the igloo, picking up rubbish, building new campfire and snow cinema chairs, building a new campfire wood house and signs for the campfire circle, cooking, and lots more. Everybody had a great time giving service and may even have learnt a new skill or two e.g. learning how to plane wood or sign in German.

Rover Week ended with the 1st Rover Ball held at Our Chalet. We all dressed up in our formal dresses and suits and had a delicious buffet dinner and some Swiss beverages. In typical Aussie style we gave karaoke a go and sang ‘We come from a Land Down Under’ by Men at Work. I am very proud to say that Darren - our token Aussie Scout - won best dressed male of the ball. It was a great way to end a brilliant, fun-filled week.

It is fair to say we all had a wonderful time, thoroughly enjoying the challenges that the week’s activities threw at us. We would like to thank everybody who supported

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us and helped make this week possible. We would also like to encourage all 18-26 year olds to attend Rover Week 2009.

Thinking Day CelebrationsThinking Day celebrations at Our Chalet began at midday, with a fundraising BBQ attended by all of the guests and many staff. Representing Denmark, UK, Australia and Canada, the group enjoyed a lovely lunch and watched the enrolment (as members of GirlGuiding UK) of a young guest and Our Chalet’s chef.

Evening activities focussed on the 2008 Thinking Day theme of "Thinking about Water". This is very important to Our Chalet, as Our Chalet is in a catchment zone in the Swiss Alps. The evening began with a discussion on the importance of water, before everyone calculated their own personal water usage and discussed ways to reduce our water wastage. Guests then had the chance to make three environmentally friendly bath products: vanilla lip gloss, lavender bath crystals and orange bath bombs. To close the evening, guests and staff sang the Our Chalet and Thinking Day songs around a candlelit Trefoil at the flag pole.

Our CabañaNews from Our CabañaThe staff members of Our Cabaña have had a busy start to 2008! Following is a report from Vicky Gagliano, Deputy World Centre Manager, on recent events and developments at Our Cabaña.

Thinking about water with the Guías

On World Thinking Day, staff and volunteers took on the challenge of creating a morning of water-themed activities for participants who were attending the butterfly event with 90 Guías de Mexico from the city of Cuernavaca.

The participants and Guías were mixed into groups which then rotated around different stations. Stations included everything from making a water canal to learning about evaporation. The biggest laughs were heard at the station where teams raced against each other by passing plates of water backwards over their heads, resulting in a lot of wet participants.

At the end of the morning everyone joined together around the fountain for a special Thinking Day ceremony where everyone threw in a coin or two to donate to the Thinking Day Fund. At the end of the ceremony everyone was presented with a Thinking Day badge.

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Spring Events 2008

We started the spring season in March with the Aquatic Adventure event. Twenty-six participants enjoyed the traditions of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting, experienced Mexico and participated in an overnight stay in Acapulco where they practiced scuba diving, snorkeling and kayaking and had fun with the Mexican Guides.

This was followed by the Spanish Adventure Event, where eight participants had the opportunity to practise their Spanish skills. They took part in two service projects with the local community and experienced the Mexican culture with visits to Cuernavaca, Tepoztlan and Taxco, enjoying Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting at its best.

The spring events were brought to a close with the Mind, Body and Guiding event, where participants relaxed in a spa, learned about healthy living and how to dance Salsa. They also helped the local community during two service projects with Habitat for Humanity and visited Taxco and Cuernavaca.

Easter

Ninety-six participants from Canada, the UK and the US came to celebrate Easter with us and encountered two naughty chicks and a bunny as they scoured the Cabaña in a hunt for Easter sweets.

Aliens landing at the international festival and memorable trips to Xochicalco and Tepoztlan on Easter Sunday were just some highlights of the event.

Travel groups had prepared activities around the Our Rights, Our Responsibilities theme and spent a wonderful morning with 90 local children from two organizations: Ansam and Vamos, showing them everything from T-shirt design to teamwork games.  

New Events and Seminars in 2009

In 2009 we will see the launch of a number of new events at Our Cabaña in response to comments and queries from participants. In March and November there will be a new orientated event called girls worldwide say ‘build a better world’, open to adults and girls. Participants will spend a number of days helping to build houses in the local community with the organization Habitat for Humanity as well as taking part in our usual range of activities aimed at getting to know more about WAGGGS and Mexican culture and traditions.

In spring 2009 we will offer tailor-made packages. We hope this way of visiting the Cabaña will be a help to those who find it difficult to book for a specific event because of school holiday dates.

According to the number of days that your group is able to stay with us we could arrange:

         Trips to Taxco, the silver capital of Mexico, and downtown Cuernavaca

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         Trips to the Archeological site Xochicalco to learn more about the Aztecs and then enjoy a ‘Temazcal’, an ancient sauna used by the Aztecs and Mayans to purify their soul

         Service project with the local community          Activities based on WAGGGS projects and initiatives         Mexican crafts and cooking lessons          Girl Guides and Girl Scout songs and ceremonies         And much more!

Our annual trip to Acapulco will still take place March 18 to 19. If you want to be part of this aquatic experience we invite you to arrive one or two days prior to 18 March and then after we come back from Acapulco, you can if you wish, extend your program for a couple more days.

For more information write to us at ourcabana@ourcabana.org.mx. We are sure that we could create the right package for you and your group.

Things to do in MexicoOur Cabaña has recently produced an article on places to visit in Mexico before and after a visit to Our Cabaña. If you would like a copy of this, please contact Judy Harris (judylharris@bigpond.com) or your State International Adviser/Manager.

A New Cat!Our Cabaña has a very cute new cat, Maya. As you can see, she is busy training to become a Volunteer, complete with scarf and Walkie Talkie.

A Visit to Our CabañaJudy Harris of South Australia recently visited Our Cabaña. Following is a report of her Mexican experiences.

In April 2008, I ventured to a new part of the World for me – Latin America! As well as catching up with Guiding friends in Mexico and Argentina, the trip gave me the opportunity to visit Our Cabaña, my third World Centre!

I took part in the Spanish Speaking Adventure session from 14 – 19 April 2008. A Spanish speaking session might sound a little scary, but actually it wasn’t scary at all! The staff members were all very supportive of our efforts to learn and practise Spanish, and all instructions and ceremonies were in both English and Spanish, to give us plenty of opportunity to practise our language skills.

There were only seven other participants in my session (six from North Carolina and one from New York), so we had plenty of opportunity to get to know the staff too. We all had a lot of fun and even though I was a contingent of one, I never felt left out – everyone was very welcoming and friendly.

A focus of our session was service projects within the local community. We went shopping to buy food for the ANSAM senior citizens’ centre, spent a morning cooking and serving breakfast and running games and activities at the senior

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citizens’ centre and also spent a morning visiting senior citizens in their own homes. This provided us with a wonderful insight into how the members of the local community live, as well as an excellent opportunity to practise our Spanish! It was great to see the senior citizens’ faces light up as we spent time with them, too. We definitely knew that our visits were appreciated.

During the session we also had an introduction to Mexican crafts, music and food, took part in a session on the WAGGGS “Girls Worldwide Say…” messages and enjoyed excursions to the towns of Cuernavaca and Taxco. Highlights of Cuernavaca included Cortes Palace (now a museum) and the colourful craft market, whilst highlights of Taxco included the amazing Church of Santa Prisca (a “must see”!) and of course all of the silver shops, where you can buy silver jewellery and other items for extremely reasonable prices!

Three of us also enjoyed an evening at Las Mañanitas, reputed to be one of the World’s top ten restaurants. We dined on the terrace outdoors, overlooking the beautiful green lawns – complete with toucan, peacocks and flamingo! Other evening programmes included some fun getting to know you activities, an interactive version of the Our Cabaña Story, a campfire and an international night, at which we were joined by a group of local Mexican Guías.

Our Cabaña is a truly wonderful place, and from the moment you walk through the famous Chief’s Door, you know you are at a World Centre. Whether it is the welcoming hugs from the staff as you arrive, the laughter at meal times or simply the Trefoils on the bathroom tiles, the Guiding spirit is everywhere! I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Our Cabaña, and would definitely encourage others to start planning a Mexican adventure now!

News from ChristineThose of you who met Christine Cretchley (former Deputy World Centre Manager) during her time at Our Cabaña will be interested to know that Christine is still living in Cuernavaca, where she has opened a Guest House called Casa Chocolate. You can find more information at www.casachocolate.com. Why not get in touch on your next visit to Our Cabaña!

SangamFarewell to StaffSangam recently bade farewell to CindyLynn (CL) Swatland of the USA, very valued Programme Manager of the past two years. Sally Thornton, World Centre Manager, wrote in the April FOSI Newsletter: [CL] has been an incredible role model to the many volunteers and participants who have passed through our doors during her term. Staff also bade farewell to Mary T of Ireland, Sangam’s highly respected Event Administrator for the past 12 months.

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New Car for Sangam!

Sangam staff recently took delivery of a new car for Sangam - the first in Sangam’s history! The car was obtained thanks to a donation from an individual Friend of Sangam member. It will be used in programmes, particularly during the monsoon, and will also earn income for the Centre from airport pickups.

Site DevelopmentsA new kitchen shelter is being constructed at the Sangam campsite, which will make it easier for campers to do their cooking. Staff and guests were also happy to mark the reopening of Sangam’s pool in late February – a wonderful way to cool down in the hot weather!

Upcoming maintenance projects include repairing the retaining wall behind the dormitories, replacing toilets in the dormitories and installing new air conditioning in the volunteers’ bedrooms.

New Format for EventsWhen looking at Sangam’s advertised events you will see that there are many different types. Here is an explanation about some of the different events you can attend.Discover Your Potential All these international events will feature a Community Action Project, but will have a different area of focus, such as children's rights, women's empowerment or community health care.Build a Better World These events will cover global issues such as the environment. There will be interaction with Sangam’s community partners, but no specific action project.Advocacy Seminars Two advocacy seminars will be held in each of 2009 and 2010. The topics will be linked to global issues determined in the WAGGGS 2009 - 2011 Strategic Plan.Essence of India These events introduce participants to the wonders of Indian culture. Each Essence of India international event will feature a different aspect of Indian culture such as Bollywood or holistic lifestyle.

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Other Events Sangam also offers many other special events.  All events feature sessions on WAGGGS, leadership and advocacy, and the opportunity to experience a side of India that no ordinary tourist can. In particular, there will be special “Celebrate our Centenary” events in February and October 2010 – stay tuned for further details!

Discover Your Potential – January 2008In January this year, Tammy Flett and Zoe Southworth, both of Western Australia, attended the Discover your Potential session at Sangam. Following is Tammy’s report of the event.

Zoe and I were fortunate enough to be accepted to represent Girl Guides Australia at the “Discover your Potential’ event held at the Sangam world Guiding Centre in Pune India from the 18-25 January 2008.

Joining Guides from the UK, we spent 10 days learning about Indian culture, more about WAGGGS, and most importantly participated in one of Sangam’s Community Action Projects, working with children from the Ranganatham School for the Deaf.

Despite the problem of us not knowing any Indian sign language, or Marati, and the kids not knowing any Auslan or English we managed ok and the time spent with them was definitely a high light of our trip. The kids were so open and accepting, keen to spend as much time we us as possible, and would literally fall over each other to get in to a photo with us. Despite the spartan life they lived in their residential school, they were the happiest (and quietest) kids I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with.

I think we all took away a special memory of the time we spent with the kids; Mine was the bus trip back from Sanskruti Cultural fun park when they asked me in sign if I would forget them once I flew home – I almost cried – how could one ever forget them! They welcomed us in to their school and lives with open arms, and learnt so much from each other. We all returned to the school to visit prior to leaving India for hugs, and more special treatment from the principal – it was truly a humbling experience.

India is a place of extremes – from the scared out of our wits midnight drive from Mumbai to Pune with an unknown driver that spoke no English that we had to hire due to a mix-up, to the amazing experience of visiting a Sari shop, where men literally throw silks at your feet and drape you in these amazing colourful, beautiful saris and a standard of service unheard of in Australia.

It’s a land of brightly dressed women in saris and Punjabis in colour and pattern combinations you would never dare wear in Australia. It’s also a land shrouded in dust, and the smell …. That is indescribable. It’s the home of the Rickshaw, and the streets of no lanes, and ignored traffic lights, and you fear for your life as your Rickshaw darts between loaded lorries and motorbikes. Yet a cow can meander safely through the busiest of intersections. After the first few trips where your knuckles are white as you hang on for dear life, and you shut your eyes in fear, you become used to the ride, and sit back and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells that is India.

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Sangam itself is a tranquil oasis in a land that seems like chaos. Sitting in the Jubilee Garden one would almost forget the 10,000 people crammed in the 7 acre lot next door, and the honking of horns that blare 24 hours a day. Or the prayer call at 5am which at first is hauntingly beautiful, and then an unwanted alarm clock as you become acclimatised. The staff are wonderful, and the food once used to the spices was wonderful. By the end of the stay, I was craving a big red juicy steak though, as many of the meals are vegetarian. The only thing missing from the Sangam experience was the pool, which unfortunately was in the process of being retiled.

Sangam had many international Guides staying during our stay. There were Guides from Ireland, India, Denmark, Canada and USA working at Sangam, as well as Community Volunteer Program Participants from UK, Denmark, South Korea, USA and Canada. They joined in with us for many of the Indian cultural experiences including Rangoli, Mehendi, Sari tying and the Maharashtrian Wedding Feast.

We squeezed in some sight seeing including Pavarti Hill, Shaniwarwadar Temple, and a highlight was the Aga Khan Palace where Mahatma Ghandi was arrested and held for two years. The palace is now a museum and we were fortunate to have a guided tour of the exhibits and the kindergarten on the premises by an ex-Guide who recognised the logo of the World badge on our shirts.

A highlight for us both was our two trips to the cinema to watch Bollywood! Despite the movies being completely in Hindi, we laughed in most of the right places, and definitely cried in all the right places. At our second trip to the movies our neighbour wondered why we weren’t laughing when they were, and was amazed we were there despite not knowing any Hindi! So she translated any sections we didn’t understand (which was many!) We also discovered this wonderful, wonderful place called Landmark! Bollywood DVDs, Bollywood CD and other stuff - heaven!

India was also very heartbreaking. While exploring the more touristy areas of MG road where you find things like McDonalds (which does home delivery, but you will not find a Big Mac in sight), KFC with a side of rice, and other Western stores like Body Shop, you also come across the Beggars. They are not shy about grabbing your clothing, or sticking their hands and heads in to Rickshaws at the few stop lights people actually stop at. You also pass many sleeping in the streets and slum areas where they build homes out of whatever they can find.

All in all we both loved our trip to Sangam, and we can talk about our experiences for hours on end, and have done so for many groups in Albany. It opened our eyes to a culture vastly different to our own, and also reminded us we are part of a World wide organisation, and there is much more to Guiding than what happens in our own district, region, state or country.

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We both plan to return to Sangam and see more of India. We both highly recommend every guide take up one of the opportunities to travel to Sangam or any of the other international events. Its is an experience that you will not only remember for ever, but we both feel we left Sangam with more than just new friends, and memories, but new skills and greater understanding of so many things to help us at home.

Upcoming Events at the World Centres include…Pax Lodge Trefoil Special – 16 – 21 November 2008

A fantastic opportunity for Trefoil Guild members to explore London in the company of other Trefoil members from around the World!

Mid-year 2009 will see the introduction of an exciting new range of “Discover your Potential” sessions based on WAGGGS initiatives and aimed at girls, their leaders, and in some cases their parents too! Have a look at the Pax Lodge website and see if there is a session that fits in with your school holidays!

Sangam Discover Your Potential I - January 10 – 26, 2009

In this extended community action project, learn about and work with marginalised women and children in our community. Share with them the skills of advocating for their rights. This event is specifically designed with Australian and New Zealand participants in mind, so please promote it widely!

WAGGGS Around the World (Thinking Day) – February 17 – 23 2009As we approach our Centenary in 2010, explore the traditions of international Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting by looking at the past and exploring the future of our movement.

Our Cabaña

Explore Mexico and Our Cabaña – 13 – 18 October 2008Explore Mexico City (staying at Ticalli Guide Hostel) then enjoy a programme of activities, excursions and a service project at Our Cabaña. Find out all you need to know before planning a trip for your Girl Guides to Our Cabaña!

New Year Girl Friendship Event - 29 December 2008 – 6 January 2009Join Girl Guides, Girl Scouts and their leaders from all around the World to celebrate New Year in Mexican style! Also participate in many activities, excursions and a service project.

WAGGGS International Seminar – Leading Teams and Cultural Diversity in WAGGGS – 12 – 18 January 2009Open to active members of WAGGGS aged 18 – 35 years, this Seminar will focus on the skills of an effective team leader and the issue of diversity from a leadership perspective.

Our Chalet Rover Week – 7-15 February 2009

Join Guiding and Scouting members aged 18 – 30 years from all around the World for a fun-filled week of skiing, snow shoeing, tobogganing, service projects, the Rover Ball and lots more!

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Former Staff Reunion – 19-26 September 2009Have you ever volunteered or worked at Our Chalet? If so, come and join in the fun and renew old acquaintances at a staff reunion next year! The official celebrations will take place on 20-21 September, and programme activities will be offered for those staying longer.

For further information about events and volunteering/job opportunities at the World Centres, visit the Guides Australia website or contact your State International Adviser.

Any member of Guides Australia can stay at a World Centre, either to take part in an organised session or as part of a private holiday. Bookings for private holidays should be made directly with the World Centre, but you should advise your State International Adviser of the details of your visit. Groups visiting a World Centre (for example, leaders taking Guides overseas) need to obtain approval from their State Organisation and the Australian International Manager. Make sure you organise your trip well in advance, as many sessions (particularly the Girl Friendship Sessions at Our Cabaña and the Summer Sessions at Our Chalet) fill up very quickly.

Fundraising ReportsWe would love to hear what you have been doing to raise money for our four World Centres! If you have run a successful fundraiser, or if you have an idea for a fundraiser, then please tell us all about it!

Let’s focus on… Sangam!Following is some information to help you learn about the history of our Indian World Centre! In 1956, the WAGGGS International Commissioners met in New Delhi, India.

They came up with the idea of building a World Centre in the Asia Pacific Region, to ‘promote the Spirit of Guiding, the sharing, the understanding and above all the friendship of a common humanity’.

WAGGGS wanted to find a place with a good climate, good transport routes, and a strong local Guiding community that would support the Centre.

Australia, the Philippines, Pakistan and India all bid for the Centre, and India was selected.

Pune was considered the ideal city for the Centre due to its climate, rich cultural history and strong tradition in education. Its proximity to Mumbai (formerly Bombay) meant that it was relatively easy to access. The Government of Maharashtra (the State in which Sangam is situated) donated 7 ¾ acres of land for the Centre.

In 1963 the building plans were approved at the World Conference. WAGGGS member organisations around the World were asked for donations to help build the Centre, and the response was fantastic!

It was decided that the new Centre should be called “Sangam”. This is an old Sanskrit word meaning ‘joining together’ and is literally used to describe the place where rivers meet. Like the confluence of streams, Sangam is a meeting place for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.  

Sangam was opened on 16 October 1966 by the World Chief Guide, Lady Baden Powell.

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Thanks to the generosity of supporters, Sangam has continued to grow over the years, with the continual addition of new buildings, amenities and equipment.

In recent years Sangam has strengthened its focus on advocacy seminars, running many international seminars on current social and health issues. Sangam also enjoys a strong relationship with the Bharat (Indian) Scouts and Guides and many community service organisations.

Programme and Fundraising Ideas Invite a member of the local Indian community to come and speak to your

girls about India. Perhaps he or she could also teach you some words of Hindi, or teach you about some traditions and customs.

Have a Mothers’ and Daughters’ Sari night – learn how to tie a Sari properly, have a Sari fashion parade, see who can tie a Sari quickest, make Saris for paper dolls… You could even ask for a gold coin donation, or charge 50 cents per game, to turn this into a Sangam fundraiser. Find out more about Saris here: http://www.sangamworldcentre.org/en/about/activities/Saree.

Visit a local Indian restaurant, or try out come new curry recipes and have an Indian Feast, asking guests to make a gold coin donation. There are some recipes for Indian food on Sangam’s website: http://www.sangamworldcentre.org/en/about/activities/indiancuisine

Many Sangam events include contact with local service organisations such as the Door Step School. Find out more about the work of these service organisations, and challenge yourself to do some volunteer work for an Australian service organisation. Compare the different needs of the people who are helped by the Australian organisation and the people who are helped by the Indian organisations.

Find a book in your local library with pictures of Indian embroidery or rangoli (a chalk design placed at doorways to bring good luck and harmony) and make your own rangoli designs. Find out more about rangoli on Sangam’s website (http://www.sangamworldcentre.org/en/about/activities).

Play Fruit Salad using the names of Indian fruits, such as papaya, banana, pomegranate, sweet lime (mosambi), orange, pineapple, coconut and mango. Afterwards you could make a real fruit salad using as many of these fruits as you can find in your local shops.

Diwali, also called the Festival of Lights, is a Hindu celebration held around October. Have a “candle” themed meeting for Diwali, and make your own lanterns using the instructions on Sangam’s website (http://www.sangamworldcentre.org/en/about/activities).

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This year Sangam will be turning 41 years old. Challenge each girl to bring 41 coins (of any denomination) during the year, and at the end of the year donate all the money raised to Sangam! As the coins come in, you could keep the coins in a jar, or stick them onto a large piece of piece of paper – perhaps in the design of an elephant, as Sangam’s mascot is an elephant named Sangelee.

Learn Sangam’s official song, “Come into Sangam”. The words and music are on Sangam’s website: http://sangam.wagggsworld.org/en/resources/documents/258.

Thank You and AcknowledgmentsThank you to everyone who has contributed to this newsletter, and special thank you to Grace Farrelly (World Centre Manager, Pax Lodge), Vicky Gagliano (Deputy World Centre Manager, Our Cabaña), Darshana Pawaskar (Deputy World Centre Manager, Sangam), Vicki Callaway, Tammy Flett, Dorami Keyt, Kathy Webb and Janis Wittber for their assistance in gathering contributions and information.

We also acknowledge the following publications and websites from which information was sourced for this newsletter:

Friends of Pax Lodge News Volume 4, Issue 1, February 2008 Friends of Sangam International Newsletter April 2008 www.ourcabana.org www.ourchalet.ch www.sangamworldcentre.org

Next NewsletterDo you have any fundraising ideas or program ideas? Have you recently visited a World Centre? If so, we would love to hear from you! Please provide all contributions to Judy Harris, Australian Friends of the World Centres liaison, by no later than 8 August 2008. Contributions can be provided by email (judylharris@bigpond.com) or through your State International Adviser.

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