Being a leader.
Hello and welcome to CISV. This is a handy (I hope) guide to being a leader on a village for the first time.
Before the village.
Delegation meetings.
This is a chance for you to get to know the parents and the children you will be taking away. These can take the form of anything you like, suggestions include meals out picnics, shopping bowling etc…. it’s always a good idea to do a couple of activities geared for the parents and children, and then some just for the children so you can get an idea how well they bond together, and how well they react to each other, so you can suss out any potential problems (although I’m sure there won’t be any )
Pre-camps.
These are information from the country where the village will be held, and usually contain all the information you need to contact the village beforehand, and a general guide on what to bring with you. There are normally two or three of these, it’s a good idea to contact the camp beforehand, and also register with the website and send a message out asking if anyone is going to your village, this way if anyone replies and you are in contact with some leaders beforehand.There may also be a facebook or Twitter page which has been started up by people going to the camp or the camp staff;it makes the idea of meeting 60 odd people slightly less scary!
One of the first things to ask the camp contact (shown on the first pre-camp) is do they have a washing machine, and do they have a kitchen you can use for National Night in case you decide to cook something.
Preparation for National Night.
Can be a bit scary for a first time leader…….. But don’t worry you’ll get lots of help with preparation from this end. National Night is when each country (normally 12 of them) does a dance and teaches some sort of traditional dance and or game/song from their country. There should be a calendar put up in the leaders’room, so you can sign up which night you want to do yours on. It’s a good idea to go somewhere in the middle, and not right at the end.
Our national night consists of Morris dancing with sticks, and bells etc…. don’t worry about learning it, as It’ll be taught to you at delegation meetings (2-3pm 1 hour before JB) It’s a good idea to find bunting, and other union Jack type stuff, to decorate the place with, if you can find posters great, if not don’t worry about it. I’ve always taken scones to make as a snack, but not everyone has a kitchen, or will let you use it.
Our National Costume is also different every time, you can discuss it with the parents; they’ll give you tons of help
Booklets and Packs
These are to be given out at National Night, and normally consist of a booklet, where each kid gives a bit of info about themselves, and then does a page on various aspects of culture, e.g. Music, history etc…. some people put recipes and things in them as well. I normally make a pack consisting of 1 booklet, a penny, various leaflets and a few postcards, there needs to be one for each person. It has become trendy to put these on cd recently but it’s up to you.
At the Airport.
Get the children to say goodbye to the parents as quickly as possible, as it makes it harder if the parent and/or child is sobbing uncontrollably, I find a small present (a teddy bear from a pound shop, or something equally small) is a good idea to give to them after they’ve left their parents as it takes their mind off it. You can also whisper you have a present in the ear of the most distraught child, as this is like a magic charm! Sit the kids down, and lay down some ground rules so they know there is a line and not to cross it. If they want to go to the toilet make sure they go in twos, make a base, and make sure they know where it is.
During the flight
Have boiled sweets handy for takeoff and landing, take plenty of puzzle books, cards etc…. chances are there will be more than one delegation on the plane, so they will probably make friends with them and run round the plane which is good.
The Adventure Finally Begins!
Arriving
You will look like death the kids will be tired hot and complaining, and you’ll feel hot and disorientated and desperately wishing children had an off button. This is normal. You’ll be met by a bunch of people madly waving big cisv signs, and the kids will be whisked off to be with their host families for the weekend you need to make sure that they have their health forms, their insurance forms, and the number of the camp (as your phone may not work). You then may have to wait for some other delegations, and all the leaders will be taken on a minibus to the village. Your kids may phone up because they have stomach ache or are homesick don’t worry about it, just reassure them that they are ok, and they’ll be fine.
Finally there hurrah!
This is a chance to get to know each other without kids, and the first day is taken up with name games and generally getting to know each other. There’ll be a few team building exercises and various things going including the preparation of the camp for the kids, as you’ll probably make welcome posters, and other little bits that need doing.
The kids arrive
You will have missed those kids, and they probably want to tell you all about their amazing weekend. But they will also be scared (asking the maddest questions) as they are meeting 65 other people for the first time – so watch out for this. You’ll probably have delegation time so you can catch up with them, use this time to find out if they are all ok, and reassure them, that if something is wrong they can talk to you about it no matter how trivial.
During the village
This is a tricky one; I’ll try to keep it short
Here’s a typical daily schedule with some handy hints and tips.
8am wake (usually done by the delegation of the day I’ll explain later)
8.15 flag time
8.30 Breakfast
9.15 Cleaning Groups (the bane of every camp)
10am Activity 1
11.30 Break
11.45 Activity 2.
1pm Lunch time
2pm JC shop/Siesta
3pm activity 3
4.30pm Leaders meeting/ Shower time for the kids
5.30 Delegation Time
6pm Dinner time
7pm Activity 4/National Night
9pm Flag down
9.30 Lullabies
10pm Bed Hurrah!
10.15 Lights Out
It seems like a long day and it is! After the kids are all in bed (hopefully) you still have leaders meeting, it is exhausting, but sooooo worth it!
Delegation of the Day
Do the wake up this can take the form of loud music or singing or whatever you like really, and normally set up mealtimes (such as laying out of cutlery etc…) they also raise and lower the flag, the kids LOVE this. They also say good night and good morning to everyone one. It’s easier to see some of these things rather than explain them……
When you are delegation of the day, I find laying out of cutlery and stuff is best done by yourself the night before, and get the kids to put out the perishables in the morning, as I can’t be arsed to deal with 4 grumpy, tired 11 year olds first thing in the morning.
Cleaning Groups:
This will probably be done on a rota, and can take various guises you may or may not have to clean the toilets and the showers and the kids always grumble at this.
JC shop/Siesta.
This is a shop run by the Junior councillors and will sell sweets, ice creams t-shirts and other necessities such as stamps and postcards etc…. Siesta is quiet time, and I find this is the best time to give the kids post from their parents, but stress that it must be read away from the others as some kids may get no post at all, and it upsets them. (It’s also a good time to catch up on sleep and any other little things that need doing, like having a shower)
Leaders Meeting/Shower time
This is when the leaders get together and discuss things – such as problems, discussing arrangements if there’s an excursion the next day etc…. Shower time is always a problem, some kids don’t or won’t shower some will do it at night when they’re supposed to be getting ready for bed, some will only shower on their own, and some will only do it in their bathing suits, it can be a minefield, but you must stress to the kids they have to shower in shower time as much as they possibly can.
Delegation Time
This is a chance to catch up with kids, get all the gossip from the kids (such as who isgoing out with who today ) and also just a general check in to see how the kids are doing, if there is a problem within the group this is the best time to try and sort it out. Try and find a quiet secluded place (so no-one can hear you gossiping) and make it a regular place, so if you’re late from leaders meeting the kids know to go there rather than you having to hunt them down which can be frustrating.
If there is a problem within the group you need a magic object (ball stick whatever, it doesn’t matter) they can only talk if they have magic object, and if a decision is to be made you make it together and it has to be unanimous.
Lullabies
You will never want to hear certain songs again after village and some you will treasure forever and each time you hear them feel sad or even cry (embarrassing in a nightclub but hey!) The delegation of the day also picks the lullabies, and despite (hopefully) a songbook of about 40 songs you will still sing the same old faithful (which includes leaving on a Jet Plane, it’s a Small world and at least one Beatles song…..)
Enough of the Schedule.
Open day
Is the middle weekend where the host families come to cart the children off, for the middle weekend so you get a break from them and also get a better chance to get to know each other. You need to make sure before they go, it’s the same as at the airport… forms and a phone number, and make sure they are contactable.
Each country sets up a little ‘stall’ with knick knacks from their countries for the other people to look at, and puts some sweets on and things. This is a handy way to get rid of any crappy stuff you don’t like the kids also wear their national costumes, and perform their national night dance for the local chapter. This is why you need to make sure you do national night before the open day.
Swaps
Little things the kids (and you) can exchange with the other countries, (t-shirts are always good for this) normally little knick knacky things such as key-rings etc….
Day Off
You get one day off in the whole month – you have 24 hours to do what the hell you like, make sure the kids have a leader (you can ask one of the others or ask the kids who they would like) or at least a JC looking after them. If you leave at 11pm, you have to be back by 11pm. You can leave the camp site, but you may be in the middle of no-where. Sound out the staff as to what is the best thing to see or do, they may even give you numbers of local hotels as there’s nothing more frustrating than being knackered, and being woken by the delegation of day…… at 8am! Try and arrange so you go with at least one other leader it makes it more fun.
Pranks
The JCs and the kids will play pranks on each other and quite possibly you. Your shoes may go missing, or your underwear and it will mysteriously appear on the flagpole. You may find toothpaste over your door-handle, or your face drawn on when you’re asleep or somehow in the corridor on your mattress when you wake up, or even your mattress not there when you go to bed it’s a good idea to have a ‘prank-master’ who the kids HAVE to go to play a prank – otherwise it gets a bit daft – but the best thing about pranks – is revenge!
The Diary
Is written every day by the Delegation of the day and they write about what happened the day before, it can be handwritten, drawn anything at all. At the end of the camp it’s all collected, and everyone has memories of what happened when.
Flag time
First thing at morning and last thing at night (just before lullabies) everyone gathers in a BIG circle, and says good morning or good night to each other in their own language. It’s controlled by the delegation of the day, who will say e.g.: good morning Japan, to which the Japanese delegation says Ohio, and then everyone, says Ohio. Then the CISV song is sung and the flag gets raised (breakfast) and lowered (night time) by the DOD.
Kitos
Kitos is the blessing said after every meal the words are in the song book. It’s a mixture of Finnish, Danish and Swedish. At the end of the meal everyone gathers in a circle around the dining hall, and this song is sung, it’s really just a way to end the meal, rather than having kids drift off here there and everywhere. BUT it is not allowed until EVERYONE has finished eating.
Goodnight Song:
This is sung at lullabies as the last song before the kids go to bed,
Monito or Secret friend
This will probably happen on the second or third week on camp. Everyone makes little envelopes, and puts them on a wall or on their bedroom door. You then pick the name of someone out of a hat. This is your monitor (or secret friend) the game normally lasts a week, and the idea of the game is that you make little presents for your secret friend, buy them sweets from the jc shop send them a hug via someone else etc…. then at the end of the game, all is revealed.The song is in the song book. When playing this game, the kids will probably tell you who their secret friend is even though they shouldn’t. You need to make sure that they giving their secret friend presents on a daily basis, and also that they are getting presents. It’s a good idea to have a monitor master, who knows exactly who everyone’s secret friend is who the kids can go to in case this happens.
Translation time.
All the games will be explained in English, then it’s translation time make sure your kids know to only ask you questions afterwards, as some kids may not be able to speak English at all, and need translation time, and it’s not fair if they can’t hear because those that can understand are chatting. It’s a problem in every camp.
Cleaning groups
After Breakfast the communal things are all cleaned in cleaning groups – such as activity areas dining hall, showers, toilets etc (you may be lucky with the showers and toilets thing!) these are normally done on a rota, system and you will be in charge of a group of between 6-8 kids not necessarily your own delegation. This gives you chance to get to know the kids better. The best thing to do is delegate things to them, as they definitely will NOT want to clean
Laundry
If you are lucky enough to have a washing machine, you will probably get to do your kids clothes once a week, this again is normally done on a rota system, just make sure you manage to pick up your own kids clothes, as there will probably be 2 or 3 delegations with the same wash day as you If you don’t have a wash day, the camp will have some sort of provision for this, either taking clothes off site, or getting host families to wash them etc…..
I think that’s it. If I think of any more I’ll let you, I know this is a bit scary. I can’t tell exactly what it’s going to be like, as each village is different. The structure is very much the same wherever you are, but each village is unique. I hope this helps.