Inspire and Coach – 2013 Vision Youth Programs Opening Ceremony

2013 Vision Youth Team

    June 30 was a big day for Vision Youth – around a hundred of young and energetic Visioneers, parents and committee members gathered together at the Scarborough campus of University of Toronto to celebrate the joy and happiness of having a new batch of Visioneers embarking on a new and exciting journey of the 2013 Vision Youth Bronze, Silver, and Gold Programs for the next six months. We were glad to have Mr. Peter Yuen, the staff inspector of Toronto Police Services, as the guest speaker in the opening ceremony. Mr. Yuen gave a speech on leadership, specifically stressed on the importance of having this quality and highlighted that students could train their leadership skill by practicing it. He also mentioned three insightful traits of a good leader, namely knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, communicating with others well, and striving to take action. His speech was inspiring and has been regarded by many Visioneers and parents.

            Mr. Eric Li, the Chairman of Vision Youth Leadership Program, mentioned the two Gold summer programs that were held last year in his welcoming speech. One was a meaningful trip to Vancouver, while the Visioneers got a chance to expose themselves to the First Nation’s history and culture. Having experiences of living in the inhabitants’ tents, hiking through the Rockies as well as visiting BarkerVille to explore the early Chinese gold mining history in Canada, the participants gained valuable eye-opening experiences. Another trip was to Dongguan, China, while the Visioneers joined a summer camp which led them to find their Chinese dissent and learn the Chinese heritage.

            In the opening ceremony, the program operation team introduced the organization and the program to both Visioneers and the parents. One special thing about Vision Youth is that the organization is operated by volunteers and it maintains program sustainability by inviting graduated Visioneers to become counselors or operation team members to lead a new team of Visioneers. Not only refining the skills they had learnt before, the counselors could practice leadership skills through leading and guiding the Visioneers. This year, nine counselors were awarded Ontario Volunteer Service Awards, affirming their effort and dedication to volunteer work.

            Besides, an orientation day was held on the day before the opening ceremony. Visioneers of all levels gathered around, met their teammates, counselors and program directors. The whole orientation program was organized and operated by Gold Visioneers and some graduated Visioneers. The participants learnt teambuilding skills and cooperation through games and team activities and developed an irreplaceable and precious bonding with the teammates. Mr. Benjamin Lo, a Gold Visioneer, commented that the orientation program, which was run by Gold Visioneers of similar age, could better allow Bronze Visioneers to get involved in a carefree and friendly environment. Also, he mentioned his exposure to the program enriched his life after joining Vision Youth when he was 14. With integrated skills like interpersonal skills, leadership skills and outdoor skills trained, he found himself becoming more mature and capable.