On Saturday morning – October 1, groups of gnomes made their way through the streets of our town toward Primary School No. 6. The gnomes were pupils from the second and third grades, and the official name of the event they took part in was the 4th BOLESŁAWIEC GNOME RALLY. The principal originator and organizer of this wonderful undertaking was mgr Roman Binkiewicz, a teacher at Primary School No. 6 and vice-president of the Association of Creative Teachers.
More than 400 pupils from grades 1–3, representing 14 schools in the town and municipality, took part in the rally. For the first time, pupils from schools in the municipality participated. It was also the first time that the Bolesławiec Municipal Office provided financial and organizational support. It is difficult to imagine the event without the excellent sound equipment provided by the Municipal Culture and Sports Centre and operated by the irreplaceable Mr Bolek, who also thoroughly photographed the entire event. Let us hope this becomes a lasting tradition.
In the morning, the rally participants were taken to six villages: Dąbrowy, Kraśnik Dolny, Wartowice, Nowe Jaroszowice, Kraszowice and Brzeziniec.
This was possible thanks to the goodwill of MZK director Mr Zbigniew Dercecki. On that day, the bus ticket was a very beautiful rally badge, which each participant wore pinned on.
From these localities, the children, together with their teachers and led by route guides, walked to Primary School No. 6, where they had doughnuts and tea and took part in rally and tourism competitions. But before that could happen, intensive preparations had been under way in the schools. Parents and pupils made very imaginative gnome costumes. Together with their teachers, the children practised their group chant and rally song.
The most original name for the group was also devised. These elements were scored by the jury. By chance, I walked the route from Kraszowice together with four groups. Among them was the winning team from Primary School No. 4, led by Mr Tadeusz Puławski, which scored 43 points, guaranteeing it first place – for the second time, having previously won in 1992 – as well as the travelling trophy, the Rally Gnome Cup. The cup was donated by the headmaster of Primary School in Ocice, mgr Cezariusz Rudyk. The impressions from the route are difficult to describe.
The children were relaxed and joyful, thinking impatiently about the surprises awaiting them. In the large gymnasium made available by director Edmund Maliński, mgr Elżbieta Okraska arranged a genuine children’s festival. There were excellent activities engaging all the children – songs, dances, and performances by children’s groups and soloists.
In the dance procession arranged by Mrs Elżbieta, together with a huge DROPSIK, the grand prize won in a draw by Żaneta Herbut from Nowa Wieś, the delighted children left the hall. But before that, under the direction of Mr Roman Binkiewicz, in addition to the regular competitions, they held a balloon-bouncing contest and ball throws into a basket. Second place went to a group of pupils from Nowe Jaroszowice, led by Mrs Lucyna Grugl, while two groups shared third place: Primary School in Dąbrowa, led by Mrs Halina Bzdyk, and the group from Primary School No. 1, led by Mrs Jolanta Strońska.
The three best schools received sports equipment, while the pupils and teachers received individual prizes. Special thanks are due to the Rally organizers: the Inter-School Sports Centre, whose director, Mr Stanisław Merdas, was also a member of the jury; the Association of Creative Teachers; and Primary School No. 6, which also sponsored the event.
Financial and organizational support was also provided by the Bolesławiec Municipal Office, the Municipal Transport Company in Bolesławiec, the Education Authority and ZOW–PTSM in Jelenia Góra. It is also worth adding that the undeniable organizational success was made possible by a well-chosen team, including the headmasters of “number six,” “number eight,” “number one” and Ocice, as well as several teachers from Primary Schools No. 6, 9 and 1, and several parents.
After the Rally ended, I drove the tired but happy children from Nowe Jaroszowice and Ocice home. The children from Jaroszowice were proud of the prizes they had won; those from Ocice envied them a little, but the second-graders assured everyone that their participation in the 5th Bolesławiec Gnome Rally was certain.
The children’s smiling faces confirmed to me that the organizers’ efforts had not been in vain.
In this way, we would once again like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to preparing the Rally.