Microsoft word - olympia badge - eglish version.doc

Introduction The WAGGGS Olympia Badge is a sport-oriented activity pack created by Soma Hellinikou Odigismou (The Greek Guiding Association) for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world. The idea for the badge came as a response to two significant events – the launch of the new WAGGGS Triennial Theme “Our Rights, Our Responsibilities” and the decision that the Olympic Games 2004 were to be held in Greece. The badge aims to trigger enthusiasm for sporting activities among all members of the World Association and to enhance awareness of the Olympic Games, particularly beyond the territorial limits of countries hosting the event. In describing the badge, the Greek Guiding Association has said the following: • “The Olympic Badge is an activity promoting peace.” • “It supports the development of women in sport and women as peace-makers within sport.” • “It promotes WAGGGS’ public image as a leading World Youth Organization for girls and young women involving large numbers of motivated volunteers.” • “It is strongly connected with the new Triennial Theme, ’Our Rights Our Responsibilities’.” • “It fulfils WAGGGS’ mission for the development of girls and young women in sport.” Since the badge honours the Olympic spirit, its true origins are ancient – for the Olympic Games began more than 2,700 years ago! Records show that the earliest ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece around 776 BC. From this date, the Olympic Movement began its evolution into a philosophy of life, exalting the qualities of body, will and mind as a balanced whole. From this Olympic philosophy were born Olympic ideals, placing noble competition, sport, peace, culture and education at the very core of Greek civilisation. There is a great deal you can learn about the Olympic Games. If you have access to the Internet, you can look on the following web pages: www.ioc.org www.athens2004.com www.olympictruce.org www.olympiceducation.gr www.paralympic.org www.specialolympics.org www.blues.uab.es/olympic.studies/ Alternatively, you can look at the resource pages attached to this pack and learn more about: The Olympic Spirit; The Olympic Games; Ancient Olympia; Sporting Events; Olympic Myths; Olympic Prizes; The Award Ceremony; Olympic Traditions; The Olympic Oath and The Olympic Flame. The Olympia Badge “Medals” The Olympia Badge has been developed under three headings: Stadion, Naos and Theatron. These translate as Stadium, Temple and Theatre and each represents an aspect of personal development considered to be Olympic ideals: • Stadium represents the harmonic development of body and the effort to acquire skills and fitness and appreciation of both environment and ourselves. The stadion activities relate to practicing sports and developing the body. • Temple represents the spiritual dimension of our existence, the development of the mind and the acceptance of other people’s minds and ideas. The Naos activities relate to the spirit of the Games and their history, values, symbols etc. • Theatre represents the balanced development of our soul, our cultural and emotional selfrespect and tolerance, and our inner peace that is the prerequisite for the peace around us. The Theatron activities relate to intercultural character of the Games, the special culture of the Games and the artists that have been inspired by the Olympic Spirit in their work. Just like Olympic medallists in ancient Greece, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts must make progress in all three categories to earn the Badge and, just as in the Olympic Games, there are three levels to reach: • In order to obtain the “bronze medal”, Girl Guides/Girl Scouts must complete one activity from each of three categories (three activities in total). • In order to obtain a “silver medal” two activities from each category are required (six activities in total). • In order to obtain a “gold medal” three activities from each of the three categories are required (nine activities in total). All activities can be easily adapted to all age groups and provide the opportunity for children, adolescents and adults to obtain all medals (badges). The activities are described in the next section of this pack. Overall, we hope that they will help those who take part to develop inner qualities, which will enable them to live their lives in a way, which they believe to be true and right. Good luck!! ACTIVITIES STADIUM (Body) 1. Name the Olympic sports and the criteria for these sports to be part of the Olympic Games. 2. Choose an Olympic sport that you like and learn about its history, best athletes and records. Get in touch with people who practice this sport in your country or who might have attended the Olympic Games. Try to practice this sport yourself. 3. What are the Paralympics and the Special Olympics? Get in touch with athletes who have participated in these events. 4. Try to practice a specific sport from the Paralympics yourself or with your group, simulating the special needs of athletes (e.g. running 60m blindfolded following a rope etc). 5. Choose at least three Olympic sports, which relate to air, water, or earth and learn as much as you can about them. Organize and play these sports with your group. 6. In which sports are animals used? In which sports is other equipment required such as bicycles, skis, boats, balls etc. Choose a sport and learn more about the kind of care and training the animals need or what kind of maintenance is required. Volunteer for two months to work in places where they keep animals for these sports or where the technical equipment is being maintained. 7. Learn as much as you can about an Olympic sport which you have never heard of and research its history and origins. Play it with your patrol, or present what you have learned to your group. 8. Learn more about the Olympic Committee and other sporting organizations that exist in your country. What is their connection with the International Olympic Committee or the respective International Sport Federation? Present your findings at a group in your community to communicate your findings with others. 9. What are the requirements for constructing Olympic venues? Research the athletic infrastructure of your country. Using your imagination make a model or a sketch of a stadium in which you would like to practice. 10. How are World Records and Olympic Records registered? Make a photo-album showing athletes from various countries that have achieved such records. 11. How long have women athletes participated in the Olympic Games and in what kind of sports do they mostly excel and why? Play a women-only Olympic sport with your party. 12. Find out how many women and men athletes participated in the last Olympic Games and compare this figure with the respective number of athletes who participated in the Olympic Games of Athens 1896. Research how much the participation of men and women athletes has changed during all these years. TEMPLE (Spirit) 1. Find an imaginative way to tell the history of the Olympic Games, in ancient and contemporary times, to your group, class or team. 2. Make up a photo-album narrating the history of the Olympic Games and present it in an original way to your group, class or team. 3. Find out and make a list of differences in sports and organization between the Olympic Games in ancient Greece and contemporary Games. Point out elements of the Games that have endured throughout the centuries. Find three people who are interested in the subject and play sports of the ancient Games with them. 4. Fair play, self-esteem, leadership and fitness skills are all qualities of a successful athlete. Do a treasure hunt to promote those qualities to your group, patrol, team, etc. 5. Ask older people about their memories of any sporting event or Olympic Games that either they experienced as athletes or as spectators and list the events they most vividly remember. Present your material in an original way. 6. Find information about an unpleasant political event related to the Olympic Games. Imagine that you have the power to change this history by turning back time. What would you have done to preserve the spirit of the Games? 7. What values did athletes have at ancient Olympic Games and which values do the athletes of today have? Are they similar or different? Organize a debate with your party or any other group with this subject. 8. Learn to sing the International Olympic Hymn (song) in any language you want. Create a small choir and sing it. 9. Who wrote the verses and who composed the music of the International Olympic Anthem (song)? Put together a presentation e.g. board, cassette, video, web page, newsletter etc. of your findings. 10. What is the Olympic symbol and its meaning? Make the symbol of the Olympic Games using five different materials and decorate your house or meeting place. Alternatively run, swim, cycle, sail, paddle, walk or ride a course that fits the shape of the Olympic symbol. 11. Compose a poem or a short text representing the principles contained in the Olympic idea and the Athlete’s Oath. Run a 4 x 400m relay race and speak the Athlete’s Oath when passing the baton. 12. Together, with your friends simulate the Lighting Ceremony of the Olympic Flame. Use all your imagination and creativity in the design of the stage scenery, costumes, music and speeches. 13. What value do you think the Olympic medals have and why (athletic, spiritual, cultural, material, social, economic)? Play five kinds of games with a ball and make a medal to give to the winning team or person. 14. What is the relationship between the Olympic Spirit and the values of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting? Play a treasure hunt to find at least five of the similarities and differences that exist. THEATRE (Soul) 1. What honours do Olympic Medallists enjoy in different countries. Compare these with the honours they enjoyed in Ancient Greece. What is your personal opinion? Organise a debate on this issue. 2. At what price and what sacrifice can an athlete become an Olympic Medallist? Which legitimate and illegitimate means are used? What is your opinion about this? Discuss it with a trainer or a coach of any Olympic sport. 3. Try to follow the lifestyle of an athlete (nutrition, training, sleeping habits etc) for a week, or imagine it and present your notes to your group. 4. Draw a stamp or a commemorative coin or banknote for the occasion of the 2096 Olympic Games. Create and play a sport of the future. 5. Run a triathlon to promote the idea of volunteering among youngsters for organizing sporting events in your community. 6. Imagine that the next Olympic Games is going to take place in your country. Draw up how you would like your country to be presented. What would you like to change, what would you like to protect, what would you like to draw attention to and what would you like to hide? Why? 7. Imagine that you had the opportunity to speak with the President of the International Olympic Committee, an Olympic Medallist or any other famous athlete. What would you tell her/him as a child/young person? What game would you play with her/him? 8. Chose an Olympic sport of your liking. Each member of your patrol pretends to be an athlete from a different region of the world, without a common language to communicate amongst each other. You pretend to be the organiser. Run this sport in equal and fair terms for all athletes. 9. Explore artists that have been inspired by the Olympic Games and make a presentation of their work actively. 10. Research three women-athletes that, according to your opinion, have changed the history of the Olympics in sport and present their achievements. 11. Play a team sport, such as rugby, soccer or basketball in your community to promote the message of peace of the Olympic Games. 12. Why was truce enforced during the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece? What happens in contemporary Olympic Games? Organise a debate on this subject within your group. 13. Look into the history of the ancient and contemporary Olympic Games for cases where truce turned into an opportunity for peace. Think how organising the next Olympic Games could contribute to the solution of an international problem or crisis. Make a resolution with your team or group to pass it on to your local authorities. 14. What role does the mascot play at the Olympic Games? What does it express, or represent and what purpose does it serve? 15. Find the mascots of at least two Olympic Games and present them to your group.

Source: http://www.seo.gr/LH2Uploads/ItemsContent/654/Olympia-Badge---eglish-version.pdf