Week 1: What a week it was!
It's Friday of our first week, and what a week it was! The Homesteaders and Peeps playing this summer's Game of Village are off to an incredible start.
Today, as we do every Friday, we're having fun at Campfire celebrating our accomplishments, sharing performances, giving Props and recognizing our Peep graduates for their accomplishments. Pictured at left is one of our Homesteaders, enjoying her campfire snack.
We've been at camp now for five days, and so much has happened. We've gotten to know each other and sung a lot of new songs. We've learned the game (Peep High School), created a town, decided on a government, started Fed jobs (i.e. Managers at the Radio Station, Newspaper/Blog, Bank and Trading Post) and engaged in a lot of energetic commerce!
Choosing the Town
The Game of Village is played on a one-acre plot of land chosen by the Homesteaders. Each player's Peep then claims a "mini-acre" (1/24th of a human-sized acre) to use as the collateral for their loan.
After getting to know the lay of the land on Monday, Homesteaders worked together to encircle their town with the acre perimeter string. They shared ideas and managed to include everyone's desired land features!
Once the town was established, Homesteaders staked their Peep's claim for their mini-acre in the Land
Rush, and set to work clearing the land and creating primitive shelters for their Peeps.
Making Peeps
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| Finding just the right thing to wear... |
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| Homesteaders, Commissioner Grace and heads to be baked. |
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| Sewing a "Peep pouch" to safely carry Peep Aria. |
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| Sewing clothes for Peeps. |
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| Introducing Mr. Albert Peepstein. |
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Commissioner Josh and Jeff Littleton laugh
with Peeps Nacy, Mia and their Homesteaders
as they learn to use Roberts Rules of Order. |
Robert's Rules of Order and Town Meeting
This year Commissioner Peep Jeff Littleton helped us all by providing an easy to follow cheat sheet for Robert's Rules. After a few minutes of practice, there were "Points of Order" and "Points of Information" being raised left and right. Motions were moved and seconded (and thirded, fourthed and fifthed! Point of information: Only a second is needed!)
After some deliberation the Peeps decided to name the town The United Peeps of America (UPA). The currency is called "Lifes" (sic) and "Deaths". The currency works much like dollars and cents, in that one life is equal to 100 deaths, just as one dollar is equal to 100 cents. The Homesteaders and Commissioners were greatly amused by this fact.
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| Homesteaders with Peeps Aria (L) and Mia (R). |
Federal Jobs
In the Game of Village, all Peeps can have jobs. Peeps can create their own businesses, or work for one of the Federal Government's organization. We hire managers for the Radio Station, Trading Post, Bank and Newspaper/Blog.
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| Trading Post Manager "Donald Trump" is ready for business. |
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| Radio Station Manager "Psycho Jeff" and Nacy's Homesteaders making an announcement. |
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| Entering deposits. |
Establishing Homesteads and Building Homes
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| Completing a lumber order. |
Homesteaders staked their claims and got busy organizing, planning, and building. We held classes on using tools paint.
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A unique abode, erected quickly! This Peep's
Homesteader could only stay and play for a week.
She was determined to finish her house and repay her loan,
which she did. A proud homeowner! |
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| Measuring a model for an accurate lumber order. |
Land Time
Land time is some of our favorite time playing Village. Visits to other Peeps' land and commerce were the main features of land time this week.
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| Visiting and haggling over wares during land time. |
This week land time featured mini foods and supplies for home decorating. There were Peep pancakes, enormous buckets of cinnamon apples, mini-muffins and baskets of Peep-sized wild strawberries (gathered fresh that morning on the way to camp!). A lot of lives changed hands and everyone had fun.
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Jacques with a basket of wild strawberries and
two enormous cups of cinnamon apples.
All for less than ten lives! |
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Hyde plans to propose a theocracy. Guess who
he plans as its leader. |
A government is formed!
Thursday of our first week was a rainy day. It was a perfect day to discuss the town government. After a short talk about types of government, a town meeting was held with the purpose of choosing a town government. By now many townspeeps have become experts in using Robert's Rules. Questions were moved and points were made. Through some very civil discourse, several governments were discussed. Some recalled the representative government from last year's village, while another mentioned the fairness of the direct democracy model that is the default town government at Village. Another recalled the influence of the Chinchilla Food Cult on last year's political scene, and yet another suggested a bocce-ocracy, in which all decisions are reached through means of playing bocce.
Finally, however, the suggestion that carried the most energy was that of an oligarchy. The constitution determined in that day's town meeting appears below.
It was decided that the direct democracy model would continue through the end of the week. The government by oligarchy will begin on Monday!
Peep High School
Peep High School teaches Homesteaders basic personal finance and home design, as well as explaining the rules and expectations during the game.
Townspeeps gathered together for a quick photo after the caps were thrown (some are not pictured).
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Back Row: Albert Peepstein, Donald Trump, Elizabeth, Mr. XXXII, Jasmine, and Aria.
Front Row: Raven, Rose, Nacy, Angelina, Psycho Jeff, and Jacques. |
It's Friday of our first week, and what a week it was! The Homesteaders and Peeps playing this summer's Game of Village are off to an incredible start.
