Making Memories and Molding People

Yesterday was Revo, a day when the Madatzim took over for the day. Following this, tonight is Bo-Zman, a tochnit erev where the Bogrim (with assistance from the Bonim) will "kick out" the madrichim and Madatzim for the evening. 

It may not be apparent but Bo-Zman, Bo-Coup, and Revo exemplify what Camp Galil is all about. Chanichim go to Galil from a relatively young age, and grow up experiencing programming with the idea that one day, they will be a part of the planning themselves.

Brother and sister before a meal

I first came to Galil when I was eight. I saw the older chanichim take over for the day, and in later years become madrichim. I thought they were so old and thought that would never be me. Then my time came, last year. We were 18 Madatzim who planned and ran two Revos. Now I see chanichim who I remember as small children growing up and leading their own special days.

The peulot we do are more than just basic activities and conversations. Peulot are intentionally built to grow strong characters and future leaders. The Sayarim had a peula today about patience, kindness and honesty. The Sayarim drew and wrote about the characteristics of an ideal member of their kvutzah. They then discussed those ideal characteristics, and how they could try to embody them in the future. 

Cousins (madrich and chanich) hanging out during chofesh

The Chotrim had a similar peula where they drew personal timelines from first session. They wrote down big events from their summer, how they felt at the time, and how they have grown. They then came together as a kvutzah and collectively made another timeline detailing important milestones for everyone. The goals of this peula were for the chanichim to reflect and grow, and for the madrichim to see how the Chotrim have evolved in just four short weeks.

This afternoon, I spoke to a boy in Bonim. He told me how excited he is to be on the other side of running programming at machaneh. He had a lot of questions about how it will feel to be in charge. I told him how I have noticed (especially at Galil) that there are chanichim who might not feel capable of being in charge, but when it is time to take responsibility, they really step up to the plate.

Bonot waiting to enter the chdar ohel

The theme for Bo-Zman tonight was "Scooby-Doo Masquerade." It started with the Bogrim dressed as Scooby-Doo characters announcing after dinner that all their kupa is missing, and that the madrichim have taken it! The Bogrim and all of machaneh kicked out tzevet while they investigated. Through their interrogation of suspects (Bogrim disguised as various characters), they discovered that the madrichim had help stealing the kupa and wanted to catch the culprit! They all sneaked into a masquerade ball where they knew the villain was hiding. At the masquerade, there were a variety of stations with challenges to complete in order to help find the perpetrator. These tasks included shaving balloons with popsicle sticks, face painting, mummy wrapping, and throwing sponges at suspicious characters. 

While this night may seem like pure fun, it is also a major milestone for the Bogrim who planned and ran everything, and are on their way to becoming future machdrim with their own chanichim.

Bogrim after planning Bo-Zman