By Katie Li
As
per tradition, Vision Youth hosted its annual two-day May Camp trip this past
weekend. Taking place in Stouffville’s Woodland Trails Scout Camp, this year’s
Gold Visioneers and Bronze counsellors had the chance to spend their weekend
learning and brushing up on outdoors and leadership skills.
The
weekend was first kicked off with an exciting navigation challenge - Gold
participants were paired up with a Bronze counsellor and led blindfolded to an
undisclosed location. Given a map, pairs used six-digit grid referencing and
orienteering skills to find their campsites for the night.
Later, under the guidance of a talented and
dedicated program and DEA operation team, Golds and Bronze counsellors were able
to brush up on emergency shelter-building, knot tying, and fire-building skills,
amongst many others. Whether a first-time counsellor or long-time participant,
everyone was able to learn something new!
Though tactile skills were practiced frequently,
communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills was not forgotten. In one
activity, counsellors and Golds were challenged with the task of moving a
picnic table with only ropes and knots. In a race, teams communicated their
ideas with one another, received feedback, and ultimately hatched their plans
and led one another to successful completion of the task.
Later in the evening, the setting sun did not mark
the end of the itinerary of activities. With the help of program operation team
members, counsellors were given the opportunity to lead their first Debrief
session with Golds around the campfire. Reflecting on the day’s likes and
dislikes, achievements and mistakes, and ways to grow from them, the session
was finally concluded with a round of s’mores, laughter, and story-telling.
The amusing and strategic game, though initially
successful, was however, cut short by two unexpected disasters.
A lost cell phone in the dark forest called for an
organised sweep of forest grounds. Through clear instruction and the meticulous
efforts of a team, the cell phone was eventually retrieved after a half-hour of
searching, only to realise the mysterious disappearance of a Gold participant.
Secretly a planned, emergency first-aid drill, Golds
and counsellors were faced with the disturbingly realistic scenario of
searching a missing team member in the dark of night. After locating the member
“injured” in the forest, participants worked as a team to assess and perform
emergency first aid and extract the injured from the forest. Following a
successful response to the situation, the truth of the mock emergency was
broken out to the relief of the unknowing participants, and smiles and laughs
of relief was shared. However, the drill remained a stark reminder of how
crucial and careful responses to disasters as such should be met with.
The trip was wrapped up the next morning with
classic games of Capture the Flag and Manhunt in the forest, an obstacle course
challenge, and a final debrief led by Bronze counsellors. Tired and dirty, but
still smiling, the one-night trip was an exciting preview of what was in store
for in the summer ahead!
As the Golds look forward to their upcoming canoe
expeditions, and Bronze counsellors prepare to lead first-time Visioneers in
the exciting world of outdoor adventure, May Camp has, undoubtedly, proved
itself to be yet another successful outdoor leadership training mission
accomplished.
