This year Abhimanyu shakha had tremendous participation in annual Surya Namaskar Yagna. Shakha team in association with Chicago Vibhag team launched this Yagna by organizing a Yoga Event at Hoffman Estate Village Hall right after Makar Sankranti on Jan 16th. Honorable Mayor of Hoffman Estate Mr. McLeod and others from the city and our Shakha participated in this event with great enthusiasm. Click here for the pictures from this event.

Hoffman Estates Yoga Event

Not only Abhimanyu Shakha members but Yoga classes from many local Temples also participated in this 2 weeks long Yagna. Conclusion of this Yagna took place with a 2 hour long Yogathon at Abhimanyu Shakha on this Sunday Jan 31st. A total of 3280 Surya Namaskars were performed by 51 participants in this event. Surprisingly many kids performed all 11 sets of Surya namaskars without missing any. For others, a parallel track for yogasana, pranayam and meditation was conducted.  Delicious Samosas and Sweet Barfi was served after the session. Click here for the pictures from this event.

SNY Conclusion

We are proud to share that City of Hoffman Estates proclaimed Jan 31st as Surya Namaskar Yoga Day. Initial counts of total Surya Namaskars for Abhimanyu Shakha is coming to 13000 or so ! Thanks to all Karyakartas and members in making this year’s Surya Namaskar Yagna a great success.

Hoffman Estates Proclaimation

Some of the sanskar we get in shakha are sense of connecting, sharing and giving. Throughout the year, we offer our time and effort (tan and man) towards shakha. Once a year, we have this special occasion of Guru Pooja Utsav to offer monetary contribution in addition to our involvement in shakha work.

Guru Pooja Utsav was held at Abhimanyu Shakha on Dec 6th. Around 45 Swayamsevak and katyakartas attended this Utsav and offered their samarpan (offerings) to our Guru which is Dhwaja.

 Distinguish guest (Mukhya Vakta) for this event, Dr. Prabhakar ji Joshi and Savita ji Joshi, delivered a great lecture on the importance of Dhwaja in Indian culture and HSS. Kids sang several Sangha geet while everyone offered their samarpan one by one. A very good amount of money was collected as a result of this event. Thanks and congratulations to all parents and kids who contributed in small or big way for this event.

Click here for pictures from this Guru Pooja event

Just like last year, Abhimanyu Shakha conducted Diwali Food Drive with a renewed interest. Not only Food items but we collected cash donations from our Shakha members. Which helped us buy exactly those Food items which Food Pantry was running short on.

Elk Grove Food Pantry

We visited Elk Grove Food Pantry right after Diwali on Oct 18th and donated all the collected and purchased food items. We were fortunate to have our National Pracharak Saumitra Ji Gokhale accompany us for this visit. Nancy Clarbour from this Food Pantry was elated to see us again this year. She thanked a lot for remembering the Food Pantry and bringing essential food items on the occassion of Diwali. She was particulalrly excited to see our Shakha kids involved in this volunteer work.

HSS Abhimanyu Shakha in Schaumburg is conducting Food Drive on the occasion of Diwali festival for Schaumburg Food Pantry.

Schaumburg Food Pantry Letter

Please Bring Following Items to Shakha on Sundays in October:

Cereals, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Spaghetti Sauce, Fruit Juices

Canned Fruit, Snack Items, Crackers

HSS Chicago Vibhag had their Annual Family Picnic on Saturday Agust 1st 2009. It was a full day event held at Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Palatine IL.

HSS Picnic 2009

The pictures of the event can be viewed here - http://www.hssus.org/gallery/v/MWEST/Chicago+Vibhag+Picnic+2009/

Over 120 participants of all ages, representing 42 families from across the Chicagoland area made the best of the rainy day. An unseasonably cold, windy, overcast and rainy climate failed to dampen the spirits of these enthusiastic picnickers.

The day started at 10AM with just a few karyakartas present in the picnic shed, wondering if anybody would show up in that kind of weather. People started coming slowly and within 30-40 minutes, the grove was filled with kids screaming and running around, and adults helping with vyavastha and chit-chatting with others.

All families were asked to register and the picnic officially started around 11 AM. We played the first game, which was actually a cleverly crafted introduction of the entire group. 3 ganas were formed to play various games. One group went on to play a game of Lagori, while the second group played kabaddi. A separate 3rd gana was made for the shishus and balas. 

Lunch was served at 12.30 and it needed no further evidence to the saying that the way to happiness begins and ends in stomach. All the families had contributed in bringing the food.

After the heavy lunch, some preferred to stay put and chit-chat, while most were off to playing more games again. We played volleyball, cricket, tag football, frisbees, etc. Sevikas made their own gana and played some light games. They were the group who enjoyed the most because they did not want to take a break even for the ice-cream! Others took breaks for ice-cream and then for tea.

The final session started at 3.30 PM and was the main attraction of the picnic, especially for the kids. We played various races, incluing freestyle running, lemon-spoon race, sack race, and 3-legged race. Finally there were two special races for the couples.  

We started the concluding session at 4.30. After a sanghik geet, Madhav’ji Naidu gave a bried concluding message. He talked about the purpose of coming together in functions like the picnic and weekly shakhas. The picnic ended with Prarthana.

As usual, it was a display of great team effort – the arrangements, the food and the cleanup.

HSS MW SSV 2009

Shikshaarthis/Shikshaks:

There were 37 Shikshaarthis - including 10 Sevika Shikshaarthis. 

Shri Yogeshji Bhargav was Varg Karyavaha and Shri Chandakji was Varg Sarvadhikari

There were five full time Shikshaks and one Part-time Shikshika (Shrishji Apte, Digantji Dash, Paragji Singla, Advaitji Athavale, Darshan Soni and Priyanka Bhargava)

All the Shiksharthis were Shakha going Swayamsevaks and Sevikas and as a result the entire camp was very meaningful and inspiring.
Sampark and Sewa Worshop:
Two innovative and new Karyashalas were conducted during this SSV

Sampark Karyashala:  All the Shiksharthis and Shikshaks went to neighborhoods close to the campsite (~30 to 45 minutes driving distance away) to meet Hindu families and visit public places such as grocery stores and restaurants.  All in all - there were 8 cars/vans that left the campsite in a very orderly fashion and visited several communities near the campsite.  Later on there was an experience sharing during the Ratri Karyakram of how the visits to various families and business establishment well.  Overall this was a great workshop and brought out several meaningful questions, answers and experiences regarding Sangh work.
Sewa Karyashala:  Similar to Sampark Karyashala, on Thursday all Shikshaarthis and Shikshaks visited three locations to do Sewa.  Although it was difficult to engage in actual Sewa Karya due to constraint on time,

 Vyavastha:
The Vyavastha for the SSV was managed by Chicago Vibhaag Karyakartas and it was very well done.  The food came from 40 different Karyakarta families in the Vibhaag and it was very delicious.  Chicago Vibhaag Karyavaha Yogeshji Bhargav was at the campsite full time and was in charge of Vyavastha along with the Varg Karyavaha responsibilities.  In addition to the Chicago Karyakarta Team, few other Karyakartas and Sevika Karyakartis joined in the Vyavasthan efforts enthusiastically as they were present at the campsite. 

Sharirik:

Overall, Sharirik during the Varg was excellent.  Especially, all the Khel sessions were well planned and executed keeping in mind its usage in Shakhas.  All other Sharirik Vishays were covered very well - including Pada Vinyas, Dand, Achar Paddhati, Shikshan Vidhi, VyayamYog, Dand, Niyuddh, SuryaNamaskar and Yogasan/Pranayam.  Each Sharirik Kalansh was 25 Minutes instead of 22 or 23 minutes.  This was very helpful and overall Shikshak feedback was that it helped in covering more material.
Shririk Pradarshan during Samarop went well and it included Dand, Niyuddh, Khel, SuryaNamaskar, Yogasana and VyayamYog. 

Baudhik:

Ma. Yashwantji Pathak and Saumitraji visited the Varg.
Many of the Charchaa sessions were conducted by Chicago Vibhaag Karyakartas
Overall planning of the Baudhik sessions was done well - such as Parichay, Vaiktik Geet, AmrutVachan etc.

 
Pravasi Karyakarta Varg:

There was a Pravasi Karyakarta Varg from Friday noon till Saturday noon.  All sessions were separate for SSV and Pravasi KK Vargh except for one Vibhag-wise Baihak for 30 Minutes on Friday.  The Baithak was very helpful to all Karyakartas to see how the SSV Trained Shiksharthis can help in growing and strengthening Shakha activities in their respective Vibhags. 

All Pravasi KKs attended the Samarop on Saturday. 

Pictures:  http://www.hssus.org/gallery/v/MWEST/Sangh+Shiksha+Varg+2009/
Overall, the Varg was very inspiring for all Shiksharthis and Shikshaks…

On the occasion of Holi and onset of spring, Sevikas of Abhimanyu shakha organized Face painting. Kids as well as adults enjoyed the face painting as you will be able to see that reflected in the pictures. Kids kept coming back for more and Sevikas continued to paint beautiful lotus flowers, butterflies and what not on their faces and hands. It was the best way to celebrate Holi - festival of colors !

Click here for more picture

Holi Face Painting

Today (January 12th) is the 12th Anniverasry of Abhimanyu Shakha. We are so proud of all who helped in building and sustaining this Shakha in Schaumburg area for the last 12 years.

Abhimanyu Shakha organized a great outing to Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier on Jan 3rd. 10 families from our Shakha  participated in this outing and thoroughly enjoyed and geled togather.

Click here for pictures from this outing

Winter Wonderfest

It’s difficult to imagine what all shapes a simple sheet of paper can take if we put our creativity to work. A 10 year old Bala , Karthik, took up the Origami Paper Art Baudhik at our Abhimanyu Shakha in Schaumburg today. It was amazing to see how easily everyone was able to follow his steps to fold a sheet of paper and turn it into a Box. A big OM to Karthik !

Click here to see pictures from this event

Art of Origami