Pindaris: Early in the week, the group had many talks about incorporating new members into the group. The Pindaris completed a busting challenge of creating a set and busting to flames in 24 hours in order to earn pancakes from their therapist! The group held a gathering on vulnerability, and each shared their stories with one another. Two members of the group were honored with trail names: Tenacious Eagle and Radiant Bear. The group hiked over 5 miles between Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Once arriving at therapy site, the group held a leadership gathering, worked on skills, and held a feedback gathering. Each staff member, as well as 3 students, were honored with tokens from other students.
Lorikeets: At the beginning of the week, the Lorikeets focused on working efficiently and confronting each other in a respectful, assertive way. They also put effort into busting fires with integrity, with all members applying their energy to the cause of creating fire. The Lorikeets held a vulnerable gathering where they talked about things they liked about themselves and things they wished they could change. Each member of the group took the thing the others wished they could change, and pointed out its positive aspects. There were multiple morning meditations based around self-love and acceptance of difficult emotions. When the group arrived to therapy site, there was some conflict regarding the delegation of tasks. The students were able to have individual intentional conversations about the conflict. One student received their trail name, Soulful Fox, in a trail name ceremony at the end of the week.
Goannas: The group had an intense and interesting week. There was the departure of three members of the group, which greatly changed the direction and feeling of the group. The Goannas went from a very intense, emotional beginning of the week to a fun, light, joking end of the week. Students worked hard to create an emotionally safe space for each other, where they could be authentic and see each other for who they really are.
New members began finding their places within the group, adding appreciated personalities to the mix. Older members helped guide and support the new members and create a new group that focused on support and care. On Valentines Day, the group successfully summited a nearby hill to celebrate a student’s birthday with a ceremony! Each member of the group received a token including Maker, Brightness, Strongcord, Seeker, Vital Fire, and Letting Go. Each member gave positive and constructive feedback to each other that came from a place of desire for healthy relationships all around.
Ulurus: The group went through a big shift early on in the week when many members left for Peak week at the same time, but a theme of “togetherness” guided the group forward. A tender reflection on their impact in the group sent off the eldest Uluru, and the rest of the group set off hiking.
The weather posed challenges for students to overcome, with rain turning into snow on Friday, but the group rose to meet the elements with resiliency and eagerness to grow. The group honored three members with their trail names, starting the week with Blossoming Panda also receiving a custom token, and named Electric Eclipse and Vibrant Pulsar later in the week. Two newer members in the group were honored with tokens, one with “Giver” for his selfless support to the group and “Maker” for his bountiful ideas for skills time. Electric Eclipse created a Dungeons and Dragons campaign for the group based on the world of Outback, which the group enjoyed playing while relaxing around the fire after long days of hiking. Each student flexed their resiliency muscle and passed the week laughing together through hard times.
Check Out What’s Happening in 1st Camp @ outBACK
This week at first camp, we focused on helping each other get out of first camp and into our groups. Our main focus was our first camp books and our intake questionnaire. Skill wise, we focused on spoons and backpacks and we also went on a few day hikes to learn the mountains and landmarks of the field. The weather gave us obstacles to work with- and we overcame them with fire! The group members enjoyed playing games in the fresh, soft snow, and riddles and word games entertained all.
