On being a Kloster volunteer (klosteraktivist) on the family courses of Løgumkloster Højskole
Every year Løgumkloster Højskole arranges short courses for families during summer and autumn holidays. Beside the schools employees, there is the need fro volunteers, who wants to use their holidays to entertain, and take care and responsibility for children and teenagers.
Anders (teacher) making pancakes for the teenagers this summer 2010.
I have now been a volunteer on Løgumkloster Højskole five times: Two weeks in the summer 2009, in the autumn holidays 2009, in the summer 2010, latest this autumn. Every week has offered new people to corporate with and new challenges, but I am not the only volunteer, who keeps coming back.
I come back for a reason: Because I enjoy my holidays with activities such as cooking on the fire, crazy competitions for even the youngest participants, “movie night” with pop corn, children’s discotheque and music. The courses in the summer includes more than common activities, during these courses the volunteers are taking care of a certain group of children or teenagers. So there is a lot of planning to do, and preparations must be done, but on the other hand, you really get to know the children or the teenagers, and it is worth it.
To give young people a good experience makes me want to come back and give other children or teenagers good experiences. This has been a pleasure on every single family course until now, and I hope there will come many more.
This is of course not a walk in the park, and you will experience many different things, for example a child falling from the bicycle on the Bicycle Motocross track, or a sunken canoe. You must be prepared to help in these cases, but till now there have not been any bad happenings on the courses, where I have participated.
Parents are often over protective of their children without being able to see it. It is important that the child, so far as possible, get the opportunity to participate in the activities along with the rest. Sometimes this leads to a discussion with the parents, but this is part of the experience.
Generally, Løgumkloster Højskole is a very good place to spend one’s holidays. There is a nice staff and a good kitchen. So why not go there or come back and develop yourself even more, while you are doing something for the joy of others? This is, at least, my opinion.
Words: Morten Scott Caspersen
