Journey into the Wild (Outdoor Survival Camp)

Bacala, Alexandra Rose Callanta

From the 11th to the 12th of August 2018, the Silvers had their Outdoor Survival Camp at Everton Scout Camp. They were joined by the Outdoor Leadership Team as well as two experienced wilderness first aid trainers: David and Casey. The camp was designed to teach the Visioneers how to survive and perform first aid in a wilderness setting.

In order to survive in the wild, the youth were taught to create an A-line shelter and a natural shelter to maintain body heat, a smoke signal, a campfire to keep warm, and wilderness first aid. Wilderness first aid is different from your typical first aid because injuries are more likely to be neck and spinal fractures at dangerous places such as on a cliff or in rapids. 

Other than building a shelter and campfire for the night, the participants also had to go through an obstacle course with a twist. The Visioneers were pushed to their limits but worked well together as a team because their interpersonal skills were enhanced. They also learnt to trust and care for each other more, and ensured that everyone was always together. Overall, it was a taxing yet extraordinary experience.

Closer Connections (Bark Lake)

Bacala, Alexandra Rose Callanta

On 6 August 2018, the Bronzes and Silvers went cabin camping in Bark Lake Leadership and Conference Centre for three days and two nights. The trip was not only for the Visioneers to have some fun, but to also improve their team building and interpersonal skills.

On the first day, we met the Bark Lake staff that would facilitate the various leadership tasks: Alex, Jennifer, Val, Seana, and Andrew. For them to get to know the people of Vision Youth, plenty of icebreaker games were played. After that, we were given a tour of Bark Lake; with the Bronzes split into two teams: Martens and Fishers, whilst the Silvers remained as one group. All three groups had different activities to do during their stay which included: low ropes, high ropes, kayaking, canoeing, and voyageur canoeing.

In addition to the activities mentioned above, the Bronzes played “Capture the Flag” with the Bark Lake staff and volunteers. Moreover, we went on a night hike led by Jeffrey Zhang to go stargazing. Despite the difficulty of navigating to Second Beach due to water elevation, everyone managed to get through safely with the help of the volunteers. Also, once we arrived at Second Beach, there were only a few visible stars because of the cloudy weather, yet Karen Au made our hike worthwhile by telling us stories about the constellations. 

On Day 2, the Bronzes continued doing their team building tasks while the Silvers were tested on their survival skills. The Silvers were divided into three groups that had to canoe to different checkpoints and finish different team building challenges. Later, the Visioneers were assigned to create a skit in their superhero teams. They were to perform their skits around a bonfire after dinner and the bonfire was later used to make smores. Nonetheless, as excitement grew, so did mischief. However, after being warned once, the Visioneers behaved themselves immediately.

Last but not least, it rained on the third day, but that did not stop the Visioneers and Bark Lake from doing their last activity together. On the whole, the camp was a great time for relationships to deepen through communication and courage which was learnt through the many leadership activities in Bark Lake.