The Start of Children Happy Camp 2010

About forty-five children between the ages of five and twelve years old joined the Fo Guang Shan (North Island) two day Children’s Happy Camp 2010, which began on Friday 15 January. Venerable Abbess Manshin, Venerable Manwang, Venerable Rulian and 6 BLIA committee members, including Presidents and Vice-Presidents from various sub-chapters, attended the opening ceremony.
The open ceremony was simple yet solemn. Venerable Manshin led the singing of “Ode to the Triple Gem” at the beginning of the ceremony, after which she taught the children to recite ‘Omitofo’Buddha’s name, and encouraged them to greet each other in this way. The open ceremony ended with the singing of the camp song led by the youth from the YAD.
A series of games and activities were organised for the children, including ice breaking games, baking pizza, making a human sculpture, Tea Cha’an meditation and story time. The day was ended with guidance from Venerable Miao Yu who posed questions on the 3 good deeds and the 4 givings to encourage the children to speak good, do good, think good and offer others confidence, convenience, hope and happiness. At the end of the lesson, they played a memory game to help them get to know each other better.