Friends of the World Centres
Newsletter 6
May 2008
Welcome
Welcome 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 Lodge
The 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 Book
This 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 DVD
There 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 Programme
You 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.
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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 Lodge
Guests and staff representing a variety of
nations enjoyed a fun-filled Thinking Day at
Pax Lodge. Here is a photo of the
celebrations.
Our Chalet
New Staff
This 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.
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.
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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
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 Celebrations
Thinking 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.
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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 Cabaña
News from Our Cabaña
The 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
Thinking Day
Thinking Day
Thinking Day
the morning everyone joined together around the fountain for a special
ceremony where everyone threw in a coin or two to donate to the
Fund. At the end of the ceremony everyone was presented with a
badge.
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.
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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

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!
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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 Mexico
Our 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 Cabaña
Judy 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 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.
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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 Christine
Those 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!
Sangam
Farewell to Staff
Sangam 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.
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
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Sangam member. It will be used in programmes, particularly during the monsoon,
and will also earn income for the Centre from airport pickups.
Site Developments
A 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 Events
When 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.
Other Events Sangam also offers many other special events. All events feature
sessions on WAGGGS, leadership and advocacy, and the opportunity to experience a
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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 2008
In 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
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become used to the ride, and sit back and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells that is
India.
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
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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.
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 2009
As 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 2008
Explore 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 2009
Join 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.
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
WAGGGS International Seminar – Leading Teams and Cultural
Diversity in WAGGGS – 12 – 18 January 2009
Open 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!
Former Staff Reunion – 19-26 September 2009
Have 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 Reports
We 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
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(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.

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.
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
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).

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 Acknowledgments
Thank 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:




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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 Newsletter
Do 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.