Bala-Gokulam
Teacher Handbook
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 2 Bala-Gokulam
Bala-Gokulam
Inside … • Introduction • Welcome to Bala-Gokulam …….. 3 • Starting a Bala-Gokulam …….. 5 • Time Table for 90 mins …….. 5 • Other Activities …….. 6 • Plan for a Year …….. 9 • Activities for the parents …….. 11 • How children learn …….. 11 • Skills • Story telling …….. 14 • Conducting Discussion …….. 15 • Teaching Shlokas …….. 15 • Teaching Songs …….. 15 • Conducting Games …….. 15 • Effective Shikshak …….. 16 • Sustaining Systems • Sankhya Sheet …….. 17 • Database …….. 17 • Volunteer Sheet …….. 18 • Planning Baitak …….. 19 • Planning Chart …….. 19 • Gata Paddhati …….. 19 • Sampark …….. 19 • Knowledge - Baudhik • Festivals …….. 20 • Sample Skits …….. 18 • Topics for one year …….. 55 (See Page 6 for Index) • Resources on WWW …….. 204
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 3 Bala-Gokulam
Welcome to Bala-Gokulam
Gokulam is the place where an ordinary cowherd boy blossomed in to a divine incarnation. It is here that Krishna's magical days of childhood was spent and his powers came to be recognized.
Every child has that spark of divinity within. Bala-Gokulam is a forum for children to discover and manifest that divinity. Bala- Gokulam will enable Hindu children in US to appreciate their cultural roots, learn Hindu values in an enjoyable manner and make good friends. They will also develop a sense of Sewa, Service to humankind.
Our Goal Is … • To facilitate children to appreciate, learn and practice Hindu way of life. • Instill pride and confidence in Hindu children about their identity. • Raise Hindu awareness in the society around. • Develop social awareness and leadership skills among children.
Activities In Bala-Gokulam
Children will have lots of fun while they learn. Activities are planned for their physical, intellectual, social and spiritual development. Weekly activities include:
Games Yoga Arts Crafts Stories Bhajans Shlokas
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Special Events Festivals Hindu Festivals like Ganesh Pooja, Raksha Bandhan and Guru Pooja are celebrated with a special focus on children's participation. Children will perform the pooja themselves and the meaning behind the festivals are explained.
Hindu Heritage Camp Vacation can be magical. That's the time to explore, enjoy and make more friends. Hindu Heritage Camp of HSS conducted during vacations or any other weekends has been a favorite event for the children.
Community Service Sewa or service is the best way for us to realize the divinity in all and serve the needy. Children from HSS Bala-Gokulam have visited elderly people in convalescent hospital, volunteered at Hindu Mandirs, actively participated in Human Race and have worked with other voluntary groups in serving the community.
"I make it a priority" - Seema Shah (16), Houston,TX
As a Hindu teenager living in America, I make it a priority to participate in cultural or religious activities. The society in this country has a great deal to offer whether it is in education, careers, or recreation. However, it does not give the spiritual and cultural guidance that Hinduism encompasses. Hindu children should realize the importance of their heritage.
The activities offered in Bala-Gokulams are excellent ways for Hindu children to learn about their culture and incorporate the teachings and values in their everyday lives. Furthermore, Bala- Gokulams fosters a productive learning environment that is different from schools.
The breadth of activities from games and exercise to education encourages the children to improve a variety of skills. They also motivate the children to stay committed to the regular Bala-Gokulam classes and partake in the Hindu community events. Thus, Bala-Gokulams are instrumental in providing the necessary cultural and religious education to Hindu children so they may retain and be proud of their Hindu identity.
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Starting a new Bala-Gokulam If you have the desire and the inclination to conduct one such Bala-Gokulam in your town, there is a strong team of dedicated and experienced people in HSS, who are always there to provide training, material and any support necessary.
Steps to start a Bala-Gokulam The Hindu population in each town is different. Hence, you will have to figure out the best way for your town. Here are some of the standard things that have worked. • For few days, keep discussing this idea of Bala-Gokulam with your friends and find out who is more interested and committed. • Make a flier for Bala-Gokulam. A sample flier is attached here. Soft copy is available from www.balagokulam.org and you can modify that. Keep these fliers in Indian grocery stores, Hindu mandirs, or any other place where Hindus meet. Make use of special events like Diwali, Janmashtami, etc. to reach out to more people at one time. • When people call for details, take down their phone numbers, email, etc. and also check out if they are interested in volunteering. • Once you have a team of 2 or more people, you are ready to start. • Contact one of our coordinators and schedule a training session for volunteers and meeting with the parents. • Find a place to start and get going☺
Duration, Frequency and Time • Bala-Gokulam duration can be from 75 minutes to 90 minutes. • To have the expected impact, it should be held at least once in a week.
Majorities of Bala-Gokulams are held on Saturday or Sunday. However, depending on the convenience of children and parents, they can be conducted at any time and any day of the week.
Time table for 90 minutes Cheerful, enthusiastic and cordial atmosphere is at the heart of a successful Bala-Gokulam. Physical fitness, knowledge and pride of Hindu Dharma, ability to work together in team and social awareness are being inculcated through various programs. The activities can be broadly classified as ‘Sharirik’ and ‘Baudhik’ - the physical and intellectual activities.
The programs depend on the available floor space and number of children. Following is a suggestion for 90 minutes session. Assembly 5 min Exercises 5 min Games 30 min Surya Namaskar 5 min Shloka,Bhajans 20 min Story/Discussion 20 min Prarthana 5 min It is better conduct the activities in different groups based on their age.
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Other activities There can be a variety of activities to bring out the creative power within the children and Shikshaks and also to make them good team players. Here are some ideas that have been found successful. Please experiment and come out with new activities and share with us so that other Bala-Gokulams can benefit from your experiments.
• Clay Modeling - Especially for Ganesha pooja, children can make murti of Ganesha themselves. • Rangoli - Demonstration and some hands on training. • Projects on modeling temples with cardboard, foam, sticks, etc. • Teerth Yatra or Pilgrimage (Visit to temples in your town). • Sahal (Picnic) with all the families to build family level bonding. • Seva: Visit to convalescent hospitals, children’s wards in hospitals, soup kitchens, etc. • A presentation by social workers group or teenage counselors about challenges facing American society today. • Sports Day • Competitions in reciting shlokas, singing songs, speaking, etc. • Art of Skit writing and acting • Hindu Jeopardy/Quiz • Dialogue between parents and children (For teenagers) • Celebrating Hindu festivals in schools. • Teaching how to read and write Devnagari script • Preparing posters on different topics: Can be group projects
Support System for Bala-Gokulam Shikshaks: • www.balagokulam.org is a good resource place for Shikshaks. • People, who have been successfully conducting Bala-Gokulams for many years, will be available to conduct training sessions for volunteers or to provide any other assistance required. • Annual training camp for children and youth volunteers. • Pravasi Karyakartas will be visiting various places and their trip can be made use of for improving the caliber of Shikshaks. • Join [email protected]. The purpose of this list is to exchange ideas, experiments, experiences and material related to conducting Bala-Gokulams.
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How To Use This Handbook
• This is a handbook for the Shikshaks (Teachers). It is best used after attending a training session for Bala-Gokulam teachers. • Shikshaks package include: • This book (Teacher's Handbook) • Bala-Gokulam Book (That is given to children) • Games and Yogasana Book • A suggested month-to-month plan for one year is given here. For each topic listed here, detailed material is provided and also the reference web sites. • At the end of one year, the Shikshaks should be in a position to make their own plans with the resources available at www.balagokulam.org • Constant Self-development is the key to becoming a good Shikshak. One has to study to improve one's knowledge, practice to improve one's skills, take up organizational responsibilities to become competent and try new experiments to become more capable. • Sustaining a Bala-Gokulam and maintaining the growth require a strong organizational system. Please read the section on 'Systems to Sustain' to get some idea about how to expand volunteers team, make collective decisions, plan and execute the activities with precision. • Involve the parents. Vast talent pool among the parents can add to the quality of programs. • The topics from the following categories are covered in this suggested plan. 1. Hindu Dharma 2. History of Hindus and lives of Great People 3. Festivals 4. Social Issues 5. Organizational • The plan is given for two age groups (5-9) and (10-15). You may make the plan most appropriate to the children and a particular age group in your place. • One weekend in every month is devoted to talk about and if possible collectively celebrate the festival of the month. The festivals should be covered in the weekend closest to the festival day. Lives of inspiring people can be covered closest to their birthdays. Here is an approximate timing for the festivals: FESTIVAL MONTH PAGE Makara Sankranti January 19 Shiva Ratri February 20 Yugadi March 21 Ram Navami April 22 Hindu Sanghatan Diwas June 23 Guru Poornima July 32 Raksha Bandhan August 35 Ganesha Chaturthi September 38 Janmashtami September 41 Vijay Dashami October 45 Deepaavali November 46 Geeta Jayanti December 48 Six festivals that are in bold letters are to be observed in every Bala-Gokulam of HSS. Refer the web site www.hindunet.org/festivals for the exact dates of the Hindu festivals.
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SUGGESTIVE PLAN FOR GROUP 2 (10-15 Yr.) TOPIC PAGE 1st Month Purpose of Bala-Gokulam 1 God in Hindu Dharma 57 Bhagini Nivedita 58 2nd Month Raising Hindu Awareness in our Schools (Churcha) 70 What is Hindu Dharma 70 Story of Hanumanta 72 3rd Month Meaning of Prarthanaa and abhyas –1 82 Meaning of Prarthanaa and abhyas –2 82 Hindu Scriptures 84 4th Month Meaning Behind Rituals … (1) 87 Life of Doctorji 90 Art of Story Telling 104 5th Month Reincarnation and Karma ; Hindu Dharma - Video games 105 Life of Swami Vivekananda 111 Swami Vivekananda's Speech competition 121 6th Month Qualities of a Swayamsevak/Sevika 124 Story of Ramayana -1 125 Story of Ramayana -2 125 7th Month Ashramas 144 Hindu’s Contribution to the World of Sports and Games 145 Prithviraj Chauhan 150 8th Month 10 Avatars of Vishnu - Part 1 155 10 Avatars of Vishnu -Part 2 155 Hindu Values 161 9th Month Meaning Behind Rituals … (2) 164 Life of Moushiji 167 Duties of a Hindu 168 10th Month Hindu Jeopardy/Quiz 170 Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswati 170 Jhnasi Rani Lakshmi Bai 171 11th Month Hindus Contribution to the world of Mathematics 181 Story of Rani Padmini; Sati system and Child marriage 185 Poetry and essay writing skills 189 12th Month Perfection in God’s Creation; Discussion on Sewa 190 Hindu Family 193 Tanaji Malsure - Commander of Shivaji 195
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SUGGESTIVE PLAN FOR GROUP 1 (5-9 Yr.) TOPIC PAGE 1st Month Heaven and Hell 197 Elder Brother 197 One God, many forms 57 2nd Month Shibi, the compassionate 201 Story of Hanumanta -1 72 Story of Hanumanta -2 72 3rd Month Prarthanaa and abhyas 82 Dhruva, the firm 203 Panchatantra hindukids.org/grandpa/index_panchatantra.html 4th Month Meaning Behind Rituals … (1) 87 Overview of Hindu Deities 207 Qualities of a Swayamsevak/Sevika 124 5th Month Panchatantra Stories www Life of Swami Vivekananda 111 Swami Vivekananda's Speech competition 121 6th Month Story of Ramayana -1 125 Story of Ramayana -2 125 Story of Ramayana -3 125 7th Month Panchatantra Stories www Markandeya 210 Story Telling Competition 211 8th Month 10 Avatars of Vishnu - Part 1 155 10 Avatars of Vishnu -Part 2 155 10 Avatars of Vishnu -Part 3 155 9th Month Panchatantra Stories www Prithviraj Chauhan 150 Story of Sudhama 211 10th Month Everything happens for Good. 213 Hindu Jeopardy/Quiz 170 Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswati 170 11th Month Arts and Crafts 214 Krishna's stories -1 215 Krishna's stories -2 215 12th Month Story of Ranti Deva 215 Story of Bhasmasura 217 Tanaji Malsure - Commander of Shivaji 195
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There are many short stories for small children on www.hindukids.org and www.hindumythology.com Please visit these two sites and collect more stories.
Activities For The Parents
In most of the Bala-Gokulams, parents also have parallel activities planned. This is a suggested format for parents activity.
10 mins - Shlokas Practice 30 mins - Yogasana 15 mins - Simple Games 10 mins - Geet/Bhajan 20 mins - Talk/discussion on Hindu Dharma, Lives of great people, parenting, etc. 5 mins - Prarthana (With children)
Initially we may not have enough resources to conduct all these activities. You can start with Yogasana and study group and gradually cover other activities.
The web sites given in this book can help in providing the material for talks or discussions with parents.
Understanding How Children Learn
In Bala-Gokulams, children should learn good values and leadership skills along with knowledge about Hindu culture.
Shikshaks make the Bala-Gokulam a place where children enjoy coming to or a boring place. It is important that Shikshaks understand how children learn and how learning can be made enjoyable to the children as well as for Shikshaks.
Learning through Role models • Children are influenced by the people in their lives — especially the adults who are important to them, such as parents, other relatives, and teachers. Children learn values and habits mostly by imitating their role models. These things cannot be 'taught'. Shikshaks should be like role models in all aspects. If we sing shlokas and bhajans with devotion and shraddhaa, children will also do. If we are punctual, children will be. • Children select those people as role models whom they like, whom they respect, admire and adore. We should mold our personalities so that we are 'likeable', we are 'affectionate' and 'friendly' with children while setting up examples. A smiling face and affectionate way of talking to them helps. Playing with them informally after the Bala-Gokulam session brings the Shikshaks closer to the children. Sampark - visiting their houses make the children feel that you are part of his family.
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Learning and having fun Children should have both. They should enjoy leaning as well as the group. More friendship they develop with other children, more they feel like coming back. Games play a very important role in building that friendship and bonding.
Keep it simple and yet challenging Children enjoy activities that are within their ability to master. Try to simplify, maintain or expand your activities in response to the level of understanding the children demonstrate. A healthy competitive spirit and a sense of achievement are good to cultivate for faster learning.
Each child is different Each child has different learning ability in different areas. We should recognize the strength of each child and make them feel that they can achieve. Do not compare children.
Children's learning proceeds in predictable directions. Simple ------> Complex Known ------> Unknown Self ------> Other Concrete ------> Abstract Exploratory -----> Goal Directed Inaccurate ------> More accurate Impulsive ------> Self-controlled Children of different age groups are different. These are some general observations on different age groups. Each child is different. These are only some general observations.
Early Elementary (Age 6 to 8) More story telling and visual aids make it interesting to children of this age. They enjoy affectionate Shikshaks. Simple crafts can work but difficult ones can get messy.
Rhythm and repetition are two techniques that work for this group. Teaching shlokas, simple songs should follow these two techniques.
Thinking is very concrete at this time. If they have never seen it, heard it, felt it, tasted it, or smelled it, they have a hard time thinking of it. So more visual descriptions in stories should be used. While telling the story of Puranas, Amar-Chitra-Katha books can be used to make them imagine who a 'rishi' is. Similarly, the idea of palace, king, queen, rakshasa, throne, chariot, etc. needs a visual aid in the beginning. While teaching Yogasanas or conducting games, rather than simply giving instructions verbally, Shikshaks should demonstrate the activity. Doing is important for both the children and the Shikshak.
Children are just learning how to be friends and may have several "best friends" at a time. Fights, although occurring often, seldom have lasting effects.
Children at this stage like to play games. Rules and rituals become fascinating, but the children are not yet ready to accept losing. Cooperative games in which every child wins can be especially enjoyable at this age. Failures should be minimized, and some measure of success should be found
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in every experience to ease the blows to young egos. Too much of competition with others is inappropriate at this age.
Middle School (Age 9 to 11) Activities for the middle school-age children should encourage physical involvement.
Children at this stage are beginning to think logically. They still think in terms of concrete objects and can handle ideas better if they are related to some thing they can do or experience with their senses, but they are moving toward understanding abstract ideas. As they begin to deal with ideas, they think of things as black or white. Something is either right or wrong, fabulous or disgusting, fun or boring. There is very little middle ground.
Although middle school-age children still have difficulty understanding another person's thinking, the 9- to 11-year-olds are beginning to discover the benefits of making other people happy. Near the end of this age range they begin to realize the joy of helping others and start looking for some idealism.
Middle-school-age children have a strong need to feel accepted and worthwhile. School becomes increasingly difficult and demanding for these children. Other pressures are added, too. Successes, even small ones, should continue to be emphasized. Failures should be minimized. (All people learn better and try harder if they believe in themselves and think they can succeed!)
Comparison with the success of others is difficult for children at this age. It tends to erode self- confidence. In addition, it can cause problems in dealing with peers at a time when they are trying to understand and build friendships. Instead of comparing children with each other, build positive self-concepts by comparing present to past performance for the individual.
Young Teens (Age 12 to 14) This is the age where idealism and activism enters the minds of children. Many young teens turn in to animal rights activists, environmental activists, etc. Stories of great people like Swami Vivekananda and Bhagini Nivedita can provide the right idealism for children at this age.
Young teens enjoy playing with ideas as much as playing sports. Young teens move from concrete to more abstract thinking during this time. If a subject is of interest, it will be intensely explored. Ready-made solutions from adults often are rejected in favor of the young teens finding solutions on their own. In Bala-Gokulam have more group discussions where they are made to think and share their opinions. Give them projects of their interest where they can explore and create their own.
They can be made to understand the complexities in judging and making the right decisions.
Develop leadership skills in this age group. They should be encouraged to tell stories to small children, co-ordinate a skit, write the script for the skit, conduct games, organize a picnic, a program, etc.
Shikshak should be more like a friend to these children.
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ART of Story Telling
Story telling is the most important element in public speaking. Like any skill, practice is the best way to improve. Here are some tips to keep in mind while practice.
• Read the story and understand the message you want to convey through this story. Story telling should revolve around that theme. We need not have to tell at the end of story 'the moral of this story is …' • Do not read, but tell the story. We will miss eye contact when we are looking at the book. Reading a story is useful with small group of 2-3 children at home. • Modulations in the voice. Vary the volume and tone with the story. • You should enjoy the story, so the expressions come out on your face and in your voice. Drop all the inhibitions about acting. • Eye contact: Move your eyes so that you can see every one. • Slow down the pace. During normal conversation, most of us speak fast and without much modulation. Children should be able to follow you. So, don't rush. By looking into their eyes, you can see whether they are enjoying it or not. • The pace should vary with the meaning of the sentence. When you say, "The lion came slow..ly", slow down the speed. When you say, "She started running fast without looking at the back", speed up your telling also. • Before or after you make a strong point, pause for a while. That gives some time for them to feel the story. • You can make it gently interactive, Ask questions in between. Questions which require them to say 'YES' or 'NO'. Don't end up in a discussion! • Have a smiling face. • Body language: Make use of your hands to bring in the expression needed at places. • Use examples from their day-to-day life to make it more interesting. • You can use some pictures to show them.
Every one of us have our own strengths. Use all your creativity and come up with a style that suits you best.
Conducting Discussions In a group discussion, initial presentation by the moderator should be brief, to the point and make them think on the subjects. The introduction should not have any pre-judgements and opinions. Throw the topic open for them to think. Make sure every one participates. Many a times it would end up in 2-4 children arguing back and forth. Do not discourage any opinion.
When the discussion is digressing from the main topic, bring it back on track without wasting much time.
Be prepared for powerful concluding comments that will have an impact.
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Teaching Shlokas The Shikshak should have 'shraddhaa' in recitng religious shlokas. If the Shikshak is very casual about it, children will not have seriousness about it.
• The pronunciation of the Shikshak should be clear and the voice loud. Better the children get to hear it, louder they say it. Louder they say it, quicker they get it. • First time, say it slow and make children repeat one word at a time. • Second time, say two words at a time and make them repeat twice. • Third time, say half line at a time and make them repeat twice. • Bring out the competitive spirit in the children by asking "who can say the first line now?" • Generally children say with low volume, because of lack of confidence and comfort level in saying. Frequently, prompt them to say it loud without bothering about the mistakes. • Appreciate when they say it loud. Make them enjoy a sense of achievement when they get it. • Explain the meaning of the shloka. Let 3-4 of them read the meaning from the book. • Every week, revise the previous 3 shlokas and practice the current Shloka. • 2 Shlokas can be comfortably taught in a month. More can be done depending on the interest of the children and the Shikshaks. • Parents should also be taught the shlokas we are practicing with the children. Parents can practice them at home.
Teaching Songs • Select simple songs with simple and appealing tunes for children. • Once, sing the song completely and let them enjoy it. • Practice the tune for the first two lines (pallavi) without words 'la-la-la…'. • Make them repeat one word at a time for the first two lines • Sing one line at a time and let children repeat. • Here again, prompt them to sing loud. • Whatever song they practice for 1 or 2 months, you can have them sing in the next utsav (we celebrate at least 6 utsavs in all the Bala-Gokulams)
Conducting Games • Have an idea about the number of children in your gana. • Select more games than what is needed for 30 minutes. • Maintain enthusiasm in the gana with slogans like 'sanghatan me, shakti hai', 'hara hara - mahadeva', etc. • Give clear instructions for the game. • Demonstrate once. • Make sure all the rules are followed. • Give chance to all the children. • Have control over the gana. • For smaller children, games should be simple with simple rules. • Remember that the purpose of games is to develop friendship. No hard feelings about winners and losers should be cultivated. • Keep in mind the constraints of the place while planning the games.
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Effective Shikshak
Becoming an effective Shikshak is a process. It is a combination of the knowledge, skills, competence and capacity and some thing more than all of these. Ultimately it is our personality that makes us an effective Shikshak. Like in any 'Saadhanaa', we have to put in continuous effort at it till it becomes effortless and enjoyable.
• Swaadhyaya (Self-Study) and mananam (contemplation) are important to enhance our knowledge and clarity and we will not run out of stock or steam. • More a Shikshak thinks about the Bala-Gokulam activities and visualizes how things will flow, easier it will be to plan. One can plan the minute details also. Confusion can be avoided. Plan for every activity -- games, shlokas, songs, stories, skits, etc. • Friendly personality: Make an effort at becoming more approachable and likeable person by children. By talking to new families, new children, we can enhance our social skills. • Becoming a good team player. Cultivate the habit of making decisions in a team in the planning baitaks. While participating in such baitaks, detach yourself from your opinions. 'My opinion is just one of the opinion'. Whatever we decide together is every one's decision. • Our ego should be secondary to the interest of the Bala-Gokulam. It is hard to detect the emergence of ego in our personality. Some signs are: • Feeling 'ignored'. 'I was not consulted'; 'I was not told'; type of small thinking coming in to our talk. • Getting hurt; getting upset at small things. • Frequent use of "I", "My" and "Me" in our conversation. • My name was not printed/announced. • Looking at some tasks as 'small tasks', 'task below my dignity'. • Vision of creating new Shikshaks from the children. When a child coming to our Bala-Gokulam become a Shikshak in next few years, that is a mark of our success. • Harsh on oneself; Soft on others: We should be strict about all the rules, punctuality on ourselves. When mistakes happen from others, be soft on them. • Positive thinking. Belong to the winner's creed. Try new experiments without any inhibition and encourage others in the team to try new things. WINNING ATTITUDES CAN'T CAN DO We've never done it before We have the opportunity to be the first We don't have enough resources Necessity is the mother of invention It will never work Will give it a try There's not enough time We'll reevaluate some priorities We already tried it We learned from the experience There's no way it'll work We can make it work It's good enough There is room for improvement It's not my job I'll be glad to take the responsibility
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Sustaining Systems After we start a Bala-Gokulam, certain systems help to work in an organized way and sustain the growth. Following are some such systems.
Sankhya Sheet Recording Upasthiti (attendance) in the Bala-Gokulam. Following is a suggested format: Bala -- children; Tarun - 18+ men; Mahila - 18+ Women
Date Bala(5-9yr) Bala(10+yr) Tarun Mahila Total 10/07/2000 10 8 10 10 38
Database When a family calls the volunteers for details on Bala-Gokulam, make sure that we collect the details of the family. Each week, we should collect the details of the new families attending Bala-Gokulam and update in the database. Following is a form that can be used to collect details from each family.