"We are a happy family"

A family and youth mindfulness camp for parents and young people
with Plum Village Monastics

From 16:00 July 16  to 17 :00 July 18, 2010
at HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp,
Tai Mong Tsai Road, Sai Kung , NT

The children and thay Phap An at the April 2010 retreat in Hong Kong

 

Dear friends,

In Plum Village France, summer opening is a time when parents, young people and children come for a family retreat, where both parents and children can get a "treat" from the mindfulness practice and having a happy time together. Many children who came in the early days of Plum Village and who have became parents themselves, return to Plum Village with their children, making Plum Village a summer destination for their families. During that time, young people and children are in a safe and peaceful environment, where they can make friends with their peers from all over the world, practicing mindfulness in a joyful way, being with the monastics, and/or just being themselves. Many children are looking forward to the annual "soccer match" between them and the monastic sisters. In Hong Kong, there are several families who make annual summer trip to Plum Village, France.

We are happy to announce that the first family and youth mindfulness camp in Hong Kong, similar to the ones offered in Plum Village France, will be held from July 16 - 18, 2010. The retreat will be set in a camp setting, where parents, young people and children have separately activities as well as joint activities. There will be separate programs for each age group: Children program: 6 to 12 years old, teen program:   13 - 16 years old, young adult: 17 - 22 years old,  and adults: 23 and up. Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The retreat is jointly organized by Plum Village Hong Kong and Tung Lin Kok Yuen Wang Fat Ching She and sponsored by Hong Kong University Centre of Buddhist Studies Alumni Association

In this mindfulness camp, we will practice deep listening and loving speech. We will offer our presence to our loved ones, our children and parents. We will learn about true, unconditional love, which consists of four elements: loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. True love will establish a caring communication channel between parents and children, between friends, and peer groups. Young people do have the needs to talk, to confide to their parents and older siblings, and to get support and guidance from them.

The tentative program for the retreat is as follows:

Time	Friday July 16	Time	Saturday July 17	Sunday  July 18
16:00	Registration check-in	5:30	Wake up	Wake up
18:30	Dinner	6:15	Sitting and chanting	Outdoor sitting & hiking meditation
20:00	Orientation	7:30	Walking meditation
21:30	Bed time	8:30	Breakfast	Breakfast
		10:00	Dharma talk	Dharma talk, Questions & Answers
		12:30	Lunch	Lunch
		13:30	Rest - Total relaxation	Rest - Total relaxation
		15:00	Dharma Discussion / Group activities	14:30 Be-in - Performance
		17:00	Exercise & Sports (swimming, bamboo rafting, sailing, wind surfing)*	16:00 Group  games (capture the flags, relay races ...)
		18:30	Dinner	17:00 Farewell
		20:00	Camp fire
		21:30	Bed time

* with support from staffs of Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp. Additional fees may be charged by the center.

Accommodation and cost : The HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung is situated in the scenic country side of Sai Kung, surrounded by beautiful mountains and built along the sea, with modern rooms and facilities.  The cost for rooms and board, facilities and other expenses per person is as follows (in HK Dollars):

Room Type	Cost per person (18 and above)	Cost for children between 6 and 12 years old*	Cost for teenagers between  13 and 17 years old
12-Person Dormitory (one living room with two 6 persons rooms)	700	560	630
8-Person  Dormitory (one living room with two 4 people room)	700	560	630
2-Person Deluxe Guest Room	1200	NA	NA

*Please write us at retreats@pvfhk.org to arrange for accommodation for children under 6.

As there are no parking facilities in the camp.  As public transport may be difficult during summer months.  Transport will be provided to leave the camp to Hang Hau (MTR station) or Shatin (New Town Plaza) after the retreat.  Please indicate which destination and number of persons on the registration form.  Cost will be $18 per person.

For more information about the camp, please visit its website : http://www.hkfygotc.com .

How to register: Registration is available online at Plum Village Hong Kong Website, pvfhk.org, at  http://www.pvfhk.org , on a first-come-first-served basis. Children of all ages can register for the retreat. However, for children under 6, there are no separate programs for them and have to be under full care of the parents.  Registrations are not final until we receive your payment. Please make payment within one week after you register. If payment is not received within one week, we will put your registration on the waiting list. For means of payment, please refer to the online registration webpage.

Closing date for registration: July 10, 2010. Cancellation after July 1, 2010 is not refundable. For enquiries, please contact us at retreats@pvfhk.org .

We are looking forward to seeing you at the retreat!

A lotus to you,
A Buddha to be

For the Family and Youth Mindfulness Camp Registration Team
Camilla, Corrin and Grace