Chicago Youth Camp

1. Chicago Youth Camp Dec. 29, 2006

2. Agenda 3.45pm Registration / Refreshments All 4.15pm Introduction Prem Kohli 4.20pm Results of Questionnaire Survey Sudhir Dureja 4.30pm Motivational Exercise 1 Dr Bobby Sura 5.15pm Break All 5.30pm Babaji’s Aspirations for the Youth Gurpreet Bhatia 6.15pm Video Presentation Gurpreet Bhatia 6.45pm Break All 7:00pm Personal Experiences with Baba ji Sukhdev Singh 7.30pm Motivational Exercise 2 Dr Bobby Sura 8:00pm Question and Answer Session All 9:00pm Closing Remarks Summit Puri/Sudhir 9:15pm Langar All

3. Results Of Questionnaire Survey Sudhir Dureja

4. Participation • Total Online Feedback Filled: 16 • Paper Survey: • Received very honest and good feedback • Moving forward we may want to do such Surveys once every 6 or 12 months

5. Time Distribution • Time for Charity/Sprituality < 5 % • Most of other timings are very varying • Family time – 5-80% • Work Time – 5 – 45%

6. Gyan Application • Gyan Makese Sense – Between 6 to 10 • Gyan Meaning In Life - Between 7 to 10

7. Things Like In Sangat • Love • One Family feeling • Various activities across the year • Flexiblity for change

8. Things to Improve • Have more sangat outdoor events. • More Sewa Dal work being done • Approaching any one with comments like “how Often come”,”How your character reflects teachings” • Bring in new faces to uphold growth. • Improve on the content of sangat bringing real life experience of each saint/member and why or how gyan has changed their lives. • Break out from the in and out group there is.

9. Things to Improve • Disconnect between various age groups (within themselves and with each other too) • Not to sing Geets based on popular movie songs. In past I have lot of crticisam from outsiders. • Make it more attachtive to locals • Invent ways to practically follow the GYAN and not just listen and ignore it later on. • Namashkars should be allowed only during the beginning or at the end of the sangat. (This is due to the distraction during sangat when families (arriving late) walk to the stage and do namashkars. )

10. Things to Improve • I would like to see some changes in the sewadal groups within the youth. We must make changes in order to ensure all youth shows up when its time to wear their Vardi. • We must ensure the youth incharge calls group members on time if they want us to wear vardi. Also, creat some kind of communication within group members when cleaning up after sangat. • IMPROVE: myself! • More social welfare activities 2) • More Prachar activities 3) • Wider sangat/Youth participation • Scale down on food focus, just have a simple langar. Create a real sense of langar the way it has to be.

11. Things To Improve • Ask a question to each sangat member, why do you come to sangat? for youth why cant their parents tell them to sit inside sangat hall? its more of a socialization than having to listen to speakers. • Final thing, bring in some shy individuals - this will force them to come prepared to sangat next time and will put them to gain confidence. I am sure whoever does not speak in sangat are either shy or and afraid of saying something wrong. .

12. Questions • In daily life away from Sangat, best way to increase love and reduce bad feelings (hatred, racism, competition, jealosy, anger, etc.) • How to increase ones devotion towards voluntary services in the mission? • How to attract locals to sangat? • is it possible to constantly remember gyan in your daily life? to always know that god is with you? if yes, how? • How to inculcate spirituality more and more in our day to day lives? • It is said that even relationships are maya, then how may i live in this world without getting attached to people, because obviously one is attached to one's family and friends?

13. Contributions • Better organization, help keep Bhavan neat and clean. • Youth Samagam Organization • Anything where we can attract locals. • Social Welfare activities – Cancer Walk • Particpate In Kirtan • Fund Raisers for new bhavan • More involvement in Sewa dal

14. Motivational Exercise Exercise 1 – Interview of Chicago Sangat Dr Bobby Sura

15. Why are you in the world ? What is your purpose or mission ? • To serve Humanity • Learn & Spread the teachings of Babaji / Mission by imbibing the teachings in our lives • Spread God Knowledge/Realisation /Gyan to those who seek • Spreading the message of Universal Brotherhood, Peace, Love to one & all • Help people connect with Nirankar • Understand & spread meaning of Spirituality • Every moment live a blissful life, in the wonderful creation of God

16. Who has given you this purpose or mission ? • God / Satguru / Babaji / Nirankar • Purpose is given by Saints

17. How do you go about trying to achieve this ? • By giving our commitment • Seva, Satsang & Simran • Focus & understand the teachings • Express the thoughts & experiences publicly • Educating people on God knowledge • Congregate with different religions/communities across the globe • Organising & attending regular congregations, spiritual activities, social activities (Blood Drive), publicly at all levels • Self realisation • Abiding the teachings of Babaji / Mission / Satsang • Take self initiatives

18. What are your biggest dreams or hopes ? • Peace on Earth • Understand & imbibe the teachings/Satsang message in our daily life • Invite people of all religions • Encourage & attract more Youth & non-Indian community to the mission • Follow teachings of Babaji • Receive Gyan & understand • Spread mission spiritually • Entire world to have God Realisation

19. What do you give to your youth members ? • Motivation • Responsibility in spreading the mission • Blood donation Camp • Guidance & roadmap to follow the path • Cultural values • Respect for adults • Active participation in Sangat & Sevadal activities • Team building activities with active participation • Love, Knowledge & Support • Role Models

20. What do your youth members give back to you ? • More involvement in Seva • Charity drives • Time, Dedication & Devotion to spread the message of the mission • Active participation & efforts in Seva & Sangat • Financial Contributions • Become true building blocks of the Sangat • Give back to the community as well

21. Are there any things You could do better than you do at the moment, especially for your youth members ? • Speak more • Seva for the Bhavan • Youth to come & tell about their needs & requirements • Come-up with Youth Centric activities • More active & organising interesting activities • Work towards increasing the Youth members • Be more available

22. Are there any things your Youth members could do better for You ? • Regularly coming to Sangat & come On Time • Not be selfish • Full Sevadal uniform • Share the knowledge & teachings with their friends & put efforts & self initiative to spread the message • Take ownership of their roles & responsibilities • Be better prepared to introduce the mission to others • Time Management • Read & understand more about the mission • More involvement/Active participation – Meeting more frequently & coming up with activities to function better • Confidence building • More productive & involved in activities, organising events, etc

23. Guru’s Aspirations for the Youth Rev. Gurpreet Bhatia

24. Guru’s Aspirations for the youth • Appreciate how much the Guru gives and does for you • Respect the organisation that the Guru has established, and work within it and with it • We can do this if we see the Guru in each and every person • 12 month planners, with a calender of events, with rotating duties • Tell people about your mission and sangat – people are keen to know, if we overcome our own reservations • The Guru says the youth have an important role to play – have you thought about what your role might be ? • Use modern technolgies, performance arts etc to spread the word and existence of the Guru on earth • Opportunities are given –we just need to make ourselves available, and wonderful things then happen • Show due reverence and awe for the Satguru and his devotees – more love and respect is the call of the day

25. Read the publications and books of the mission as our questions are already answered there • Visit the www.nirankari.org website regularly

26. Quotations From Baba Ji’s Discoures Their Interpretation By Various Youth Groups

27. Become a light house • Enlightenment – the bringer of light • A lighthouse is no use without light • Focus which directs all who are at sea • Direction in life • Be a vessel for Nirankar’s light • The ‘port’ is where the lighthouse directs all…the divine destination. One destination, but many ships and vessels of different shapes and sizes

28. Greet others with an open hand, not a closed fist • It’s a lot easier when you are open, not closed • Open = open mind..warm greeting…deep, sharing and approachable… • Closed = closed mind and keeping it to yourself • An open book can be read, a closed book cannot • An open hand and heart, causes others to reciprocate in the same way • It’s easier to give and receive with an open hand

29. We are growing old, but not growing up • Are we growing spiritually ? • Physical growth occurs naturally • Growth requires a change of attitude and outlook…we should have a better perception of things with each year that passes • If we don’t live in the present moment, we lose time and focus, so lose growth • If we don’t share and express knowledge, it remains stagnant

30. If we create walls, how can we build bridges with others • Walls are boundaries that separate – they create boundaries of race and religion • We need to break down the walls, and the barriers of ignorance…the superficial differences • Accept difference, rather than get stuck with it • Gyan is the hammer that we can use • Respect, love and accept one and all, to be one with them • Borders are meeting lines, not dividing lines, for those who wish to see them as such • Mutual support helps build bridges…these bridges are built of love, family and togetherness

31. Dhan Nirankar Ji