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Welcome to the Chinmaya Mission Chicago (Yamunotri) Annual Youth Camp.

Introduction

"Love is to the human heart what sunshine is to the flowers."

Gurudev, H.H. Swami Chinmayananda

Balavihar: The greatest boon given by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda to bless our younger generation is Balvihar. Balavihar provides the spiritual and cultural education to the children of the modern age. The rationale of the Balavihars as elucidated by Pujya Gurudev in the "March of the future" talk is:

v     To train the children and inculcate in them the reverence for our ancient culture, and inspire them to live up to it with correct understanding.

v     To create self-confidence to serve and act cheerfully.

v     To generate a true affection in all contacts, inculcate personal discipline and a true spirit of leadership.

v     To mould their capacity to express and assert their individuality.

v     To bring out their dormant faculties and detect defects; cultivate and improve their creative abilities.

v     To help children to develop a healthy resistance against temptations in the atmosphere in which they grow.

The visionary and humanitarian of our times, Swami Chinmayananda saw that in the hi-tech urban civilization both sunshine and love would be hard to come by. Anticipating this need, he initiated the Balavihars. Good conduct, emotional refinement, intellectual finesse and spiritual awareness are developed by mature sevaks and sevikas through fun and play, and through stories and bhajans. The children are encouraged to be responsible, alert and sensitive members of society. Swamiji believed that just as the strength of a wall depended on the quality of each brick, so too, the health of a society depended on the individuals. If the individuals are healthy, the society is healthy. His strategy for building a new society was to "Catch 'em young."

A typical Balavihar class starts with the chanting of stotras including the Guru Stotram. They sing and learn bhajans. Classroom sessions are conducted by trained sevaks and sevikas and include value-based stories, study of prescribed religious texts, discussions etc. Instructions are through games, arts, crafts, stories, and other unique techniques. Balavihar program teaches and reinforces spiritual and cultural values. The curriculum is designed for all grade levels (Kindergarten through Grade-12) and is creative and dynamic. The Balavihars have been the most popular and effective programs in the Mission . It has touched the lives of thousands of children all over the world. As Swamiji would say, "Our children are our Future." Balavihar activity of the Mission ensures that the future of the Movement is bright and luminous.

Youth Camp : The annual Youth Camp is a focused activity with a structured syllabus on specific themes and topics. It is a well-organized, week long day camp for children from 5 years to 18, from our local communities and also from different parts of the country. Acharyas from other Chinmaya Mission Centers conduct the classes, with many sevaks and sevikas assisting in classrooms. As in our regular Balavihar classes, the camp provides a healthy and encouraging environment of structured activities for children and youth, to learn the values of our scriptures through class room instruction, interactive sessions, arts, crafts, stories, discussions etc. Children will also be given instructions on puja and religious worship practices conforming to our traditions and values. The camp also includes daily recreational activities of sports and games, organized and supervised by adult volunteers. Overall, for every participant, Chinmaya Youth Camp is a period of lasting enrichment and memorable experiences.