Swamiji Plays
Swami Viditatmananda inaugurated our event by lighting a lamp and playing an entire game of Clash of Dynasties! He won!! It meant so much to all of us to see his deep participation, and fierce engagement with all aspects of our presentation, and of course he asked some focused questions. We are so grateful for his blessings and profoundly appreciate his support for YICG Games for Seva.
The People
Games for Seva is a diverse community of inquisitive individuals eager to hone their spirit of seva in collaborative efforts. Learning and laughing together, we were able to share our games and the flagship Wisdom Without Borders 'Values' Kit with hands-on events. The contributions each member made culminated in a day packed with friendship, and the spirit of Seva.
The Games
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of all, the Values Festival was a great success! Many attendees purchased GFS games for their friends and families. The featured products included the Wisdom Without Borders 'Values' Play kit and games such as Ganga ~ River Rescue, Vice to Virtue, Clash of Dynasties, Memory Maya, MahabharActs, Hindu Symbology, Color It, Dharma Dilemmas, Success, Freedom, and Ramayana MatchUp. All our games can be purchased at our online store here.
The Game Locations
Within the location of our Values Festival at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, there were quite a few places where games were played. These included the auditorium, Temple Hall, and Pampa. Our amazing GfS youth & adult leaders were assigned to stations with designated games to play and teach others.
The Ecology Hack
We launched our Eco-Dharma Project by engaging our participants in developing a precise question (How Might We….) on Environmental Challenges. We used many of our developed wisdom decks and games - ‘Memory Maya’, ‘RamayanActs’, ‘MahabharActs’, ‘Vision of the Gita’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Success’, ‘Fatal Flaws’ and a developing deck of Ecology subject matter.
The Location: AVG
The location for the Values Festival was Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Saylorsburg, PA. Many of the featured games were developed at this scenic site during annual summer workshops. In between the gameplay, festival attendees enjoyed walks through the peaceful greenery and visited the temple. AVG has been a home away from home for us, supported by the kindness of all who make it such a beautiful Gurukulam.
The Food
The socializing continued as attendees enjoyed freshly prepared meals in the new dining hall. Parents generously contributed a large stockpile of snacks for GFS volunteers which were enjoyed throughout the day. While drinking chai or coffee in the lobby, many visitors to the gurukulam stopped by our GFS tables located there.
The FUN
In addition to game play, kids expressed their creativity through arts and crafts. The GFS team took a trip to the gazebo on the Shanti trail, an iconic AVG location, for a group picture. At the end of the day, we cut a cake for the GFS graduates, past and present, who attended the festival.
We deeply thank all the wonderful people at AVG that helped us, especially Suddhatmaji! We could not have asked for anything more and hope this is the beginning of many fun, meaningful events at our beloved AVG.
Our Amazing YICG GFS Team 2022 @ AVG
