We are Israel!
… and being a part of Israel means being associated with one of the twelve Israelite tribes. At Season of Our Joy, we want to illustrate that point by dividing all who attend (keeping families together, of course) into twelve 'tribes', then grouping those tribes into 'Camps' in somewhat the same order they would be if camping around the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
By assigning you to tribes and Camps, we hope to promote fun, fellowship, and responsibility by having each Camp participate in various 'chores' during the festival. Here's why -
During the festival, the Camp Shiloh staff will be taking care of most of the major household cleanup, but they will be doing so only one time a day. Because SOOJ has reserved the entire campground for entire festival, SOOJ is responsible for cleanup whenever the regular camp staff is not avialable. Therefore, each 'Camp' will be responsible for one of Four daily chores. Those chores include - 1) Walking through the capground to pick up litter or trash, 2) Straitening Chairs and cleaning up spills and litter in the Conference Center, 3) Setting up the Dining Hall for the evening Group Meals, and 4) cleaning the Dining Hall after those meals.
Here's how it works -
Campground / Bathroom Clean-up - sometime in the afternoon, the North Camp will walk throughout the campground to pick up any 'incidental' trash that might be found laying around. In addition, they will check the campground bathrooms for cleanliness and correct as needed. If items are found that appear to have lost their owner, they will be taken to the Lost and Found area in the Conference Center.
Historically, with a 6-person crew, this task takes about 20 minutes each day.
Setting Up / Cleaning Up the Conference Center - Before and after each days' "Main Session(s), those in the East Camp will do a quick cleanup of the Conference Center. It usually involves no more than straightening the chairs, picking up papers and items (including empty coffee cups) that have been left on or under the chairs, and checking the bathrooms for tidyness. Occasionally there will be a spill that will need to be cleaned up. On rainy days, the inside entry door areas will need to be mopped in order to avoid slipping on the wet floor.
On days there is a 'Presentation Dance', the 'dance area' will need to be swept immediatly after the waving of the lulav.
Note that on the first day of the festival there are two Main Sessions. On all other days there is just one. Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of each Main Session to perform this service so that it is completed 15 minutes before the session begins. Note that a Congregational Dance Class begins 35 minutes before each Main Session.
Historically, with a 6-person crew, this task takes about 20 minutes.
Group Meal Setup - On the days there is a group meal (5 nights + the Hamburger Social), the South Camp will assist in setting up for the Group Meal. This will involve straitening the tables & chairs; setting salt & pepper shakers on the tables; loading knives, forks, spoons, and napkins into the appropriate trays; receiving and setting out the various dishes as they are brought in; keeping the drink areas organized, preparing coffee, ensuring the trash cans have liners; and helping to serve as necessary. The South Camp's job is complete once everyone is eating. Please arrive 30 minutes before the meal is scheduled to begin.
Historically, with an 8-person crew, this task takes about 20 minutes.
Group Meal Cleanup - On the days there is a group meal, the West Camp will assist in cleaning up after the meal. This includes cleaning off the tables, sweeping and moping as needed, washing serving dishs, utensils, and trays, and taking the trash to the dumpster. Basically, it is whatever it takes to prepared the dining hall for the next meal.
Historically, with an 8-person crew, this task takes about 20 minutes.
Each Camp will have a 'Camp Captain' and three 'Tribal Leaders'. The Camp Captian is responsible for performing the daily task. He will - on a rotating basis - assign the task to one of his three Tribal Leaders who will then lead his tribe through performing the task. Based on participation in the Tribes program, he may schedule different persons from his Tribes to It's our hope that no tribe has to serve more than 3 times during the festival.
The Camp Captain will also give instructions in how the task should be performed and will show where the necessary supplies may be found.
This year's Coordinator, Camp Captians, and Tribal Leaders are:
Coordinator - John Tupper
Camp Captians:
- North Camp - Houston Hagler
- East Camp - Jeff Beitel
- South Camp - Cecil Wolfe
- West Camp - Logan Ryan
If you get a call or email from one of these fellows, you will know why!
More Information - including the Layout of the Camps and the chores each tribe is responsible for, can be found in the Trible Guide.
To determine which tribe you and your family have been assigned to, go to the Tribal Assignments and find your tribe by using the last four digits of the phone number you provided on your registration form. Tribal Assignments.