SYAI Co-Chair Rhyana Blakeley writes about her experiences of this New Year’s Snow camp in Switzerland and how the yearly event is a great model for the direction of other potential Subud Youth events:

I always find it hard to put a wonderful experience into words; it is like trying to describe eating chocolate to someone who has never tried it before. Ten years ago I went with my father to a snow camp. It was a wonderful experience for an unopened shy 16 year old, and has always stayed with me. One of the things that struck me was that there seemed almost a family of regulars from all over Europe who always met up at the snow camp. I knew many teenagers at the time (now they are in their late 20s) who made a strong friendship at these camps reaching from Israel to France, and had a pact to meet there every year. The camp was so important to these friends that the year I went it was organised by a group of them.                    Fast forwarding ten years and I had a chance to return, this time to a new location, Flumserberge. When I arrived in the Swiss town I took a bus that went up, and up and up a steep hill through crisp white snow. I then staggered with my overly full suitcase to the warm snug hotel. After a warm welcome I found I was sharing a lovely little room with my dear friend Rachael. And so began a lovely week.........

.........The hotel had rooms for those who wished to stay more cheaply in a hostel environment, to those who wished for their own bathroom and enough space to allow for many activities. So we could have simultaneous Latihans, workshops, quite chats around the bar or in the dinning room, or parties and table tennis in the large basement. But of course the main attraction was the snow, whether you skied or snow boarded or like me just went for long peaceful walks in the White Mountain rangers, it was a wonderful escape from city life.      Yet however you choose to spend your time, here for me was Subud. Apparently we had 17 nationalities ranging again from Israeli, Russian to American, and every age range. We ate together, sang together, danced together and those of us who were opened did Latihan and testing together. And thanks to a rota system, we cooked, and cleaned together meaning that we all took part in making this camp happen. In a week, I saw old friends and made new ones, with many magic moments ending with a wonderful new years eve, where we had a cabaret night, a bonfire in the snow, waltzing and of course a disco.      During this time I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Valentine Willecke (the Subud Zone 4 representative). We had a wonderful walk in the hills and talked of how Subud Youth could work within Zone 4, more meetings followed, and summarised simply, I feel we decided to just involve younger members in the overall workings of the zone and try and support each other with any camps or congresses that may happen within the zone. Our conversations were very constructive, but the greatest value came from the overall picture evident in our surroundings at the camp. The camp was an environment for all ages, where youth played a central role and were integral to its success. Many of the younger members there told me of how they saved up and travelled far and wide to come to these camps, (such has happened every winter for 31 years now) how, even some were opened there in the past. And in the case of those who may not come from a strong group or family background this was a place that had enabled them to "meet subud", and now they feel it is a place they will bring others to meet subud, whether it is friends or younger siblings. The variety of activities and general involvement in the running of the camp included everyone and gave the ''youth'' a focus and interest in taking on roles to support the success of the overall camp. As well as the running of a rewarding camp there was the opportunity for people to explore their creative talents, do testing, or be involved in talks about Subud if they wished.      This partnership between the ages was also present in the original organisation of the camp. Oliver and Sofia Haitzman, Davina Haitzman and Sebastian Quiblier have organised the camp for the past 4 years and the younger members of the team, (which in past years included other younger members Rachael Murray and Eliza Leuthold) started their work in their teens, as the camps were so important to them. The overall lead is now being taken by Sebastian Quibbler, and he is hoping to steer a team of varying ages, over the next year.     I have to thank them all for their hard work, and everyone there for a wonderful time, and encourage anyone, from wherever, and of whatever age come and spend new years with us all next year.