Outdoor Leadership 101: Another Successful Vision Youth May Camp!

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.