THE IRGUN HAROKDIM ACHIEVEMENTS: IMPROVEMENT OF CONDITIONS AT THE KARMIEL FESTIVAL Irgun Harokdim was created in 2006 by a group of 14 dancers who voluntarily made it their business to work for the preservation of folk dancing in Israel and worldwide. Its goals included improving the welfare of the dancers at dance sessions and festivals. In 2007, Irgun Harokdim was officially established as a registered Amuta, a non-profit organization. One of the Amuta's objectives was to improve the conditions at the Karmiel Dance Festival for the benefit of the dancers attending the festival. The Irgun met with the Mayor of Karmiel and the Festival management and were granted full cooperation. Every year a meeting is held with the Festival management to consider what improvements need to be done; these working meetings have led to the following improvements: Toilet cubicles and changing rooms have been added in a special building next to the tennis courts. The cleaning services have been improved throughout all hours of the day and night. The air conditioning in the community center hall has been improved. The parquet flooring in the community center hall has been improved. A cold water cooler has been installed in the tennis courts. The holes on the center of the tennis courts caused by net posts have been filled. Giant fans have been installed at the sides of the tennis courts, the skating rink and the community center hall. The location of the loudspeakers and fans in the tennis courts has been changed. Sand has been sprinkled on the tennis courts to improve the surface for dancing. The organization pushed for the music to be played at a reasonable volume and distributed ear plugs to the dancers. A monitor showing the volume of the music in the tennis courts was installed. Extra dance sessions were added in the air-conditioned, parquet-floored, Rabin Hall. A free shuttle service operated between the festival site and Rabin Hall. Additional toilet cubicles were opened in the Rabin Hall. A refreshment stand was opened in Rabin Hall. The shuttle service network to the car park improved. A lost and found department has been added. A telephone recharging station has been added. ATM machines were installed in the festival site, next to the Baruch Center and near the festival headquarters. An information station manned by Irgun HaRokdim has been added in the center of the festival site. We reduced the ticket queues for tickets at the entrance to the amphitheater. A luggage storage facility, manned by Irgun Harokdim, was instituted. The conditions for disabled dancers were improved. Signage around Karmiel and at the festival site was improved. The entrance price for sitting on the lawn at the amphitheater shows has been reduced. The festival security network has been improved. The sanitary conditions at the food stalls have been improved. Dance sessions and activities for young people have been added. We became the main address for requests made to the festival management. We coordinated with the Dance Instructors Organization, Irgun HaMarkdim, to prevent duplication of dances at dance sessions. We arranged for the Dance Instructors Organization to provide a balance at the dance sessions in order to meet the needs of various levels of our dance populace. We are continuing to deal with a long list of additional improvements for the benefit of the dancers; covering the tennis courts with PVC sheeting instead of sand; reducing the prices at the food stalls; displaying price lists at these stalls; preserving a reasonable price level for shows; reducing the entrance charges at the amphitheater, and the list goes on. If you have any suggestions for improvement, you are invited to reply to this mail or to write to us using the contact page at the Irgun Harokdim’s website www.harokdim.org THE FOLK DANCERS ORGANIZATION – BY YOU AND FOR YOU!