First day at Gilboa focuses on creating familiarity - with the space, with madrichimot (counselors), with the program, and with other chanichimot (campers). After lunch and a first encounter with their kvutzot (age groups), chanichimot went through a series of stations where they learned some camp songs, visited the mirpaa (health center), and met with the mazkirut (youth leadership) to discuss camp rules. Later, everyone gathered on the dining hall balcony and watched a series of skits that introduced the tzevet (staff), as well as the chuggim (electives) they could choose from for the session.
After dinner, a traditional "meet the madrichimot" tochnit erev (evening program) took an old western movie twist, as chanichimot were asked to travel from Missouri to their desired destination; Gilboa! The road proved to be a challenging one, and as they encountered madrichimot in different stations, they had to assist them with various tasks. By the end of the evening, chanichimot helped stranded madrichimot heal their horses (origami ones), assisted in getting corn kernels into the right tin bucket by the fire (and fed the madrichimot some good old popped corn), and toilet-paper-bandaged others with stress fractures caused by the extraordinary trip, among other fits of courage and determination.
Today, besides visiting the pool for the first time, and going through archery safety training, chanichimot experienced their first peulat shichva (experiential education activity), participated in chuggim and engaged in a tochnit erev discussing refugees and their struggles. More about that in tomorrow's post. In the meantime, some photos from these first few days at camp.
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