Dingoes: This week the desert taught us many lessons and brought us more good memories, even as we endured some rain. We hiked ¾ of Red Pine Mountain and were able to admire beautiful views all around us. This is the first time the boys had seen pine in the desert in a while and it was exciting! We played games, such as telephone Pictionary and worked on skills such as making a quiver, adding new pieces to busting sets, and moccasins. We sang (a lot) this week to get us through the rainy days and the boys participated and lead insightful gatherings, focusing on self-love, acceptance, and the importance of gratitude.
Gnowees: This week the Gnowees got a little break from the rainy weather. We had a peak attempt that lead to a Gnowee being given her trail name in the best ceremony ground that this group has seen. Two girls were given tokens of traits/values they have been showing during their time here. As a group we worked on busting and making bullroars. We also had gathering about box styles, which allowed the girls to act out the different boxes and try to communicate with others in different boxes. We had a great gathering about processing group dynamics that lead to conversations about how and why we treat others the way we do. We ended the week with a better understanding of each other and how our external reactions affect group dynamics and culture.
Goannas: The group showed a lot of resilience this week by pushing through a several rainy hikes. A few members were awarded tokens this week. Vital Fire was awarded to a member with a strong desire to take charge with group responsibilities. Openness was awarded to one of our newer members for being vulnerable with the group. Solid Ground was given to a member with a solid work ethic and having the ability to put the group’s needs before his. The group is bonding over their strong musical talents.
Brumbies: The Brumbies had an action packed week despite some on and off rain storms. The boys took advantage of the moments of sun and on Thursday, hiked to a beautiful peak where we read a chapter from the book Man’s Search for Meaning. On Saturday, we recognized two special Brumbies! One received a trail name Courageous Wolf, and the other received the token “Peace Walker”. We also pack hiked 3 times this week. During one of the hikes we came upon a big stream blocking our path so the Brumbies helped the staff create a bridge out of rocks to continue on the trail. The Brumbies group is really special and they all had a big focus this week on creating group culture. The boys expressed interest in leaving a legacy that allows future students to come into their group and benefit as much as they do. Spirits are HIGH!
Ulurus: The Ulurus are in a transition phase with some students who discharged on Thursday and we had 3 new students join the group throughout the week. Due to the many new students, we only hiked one day this week. It was a rainy week and getting fire was challenging, but we persisted. The older students were very excited about being mentors to the new students and helping them learn how to cook. A student received the trail name “Resilient Ox,” and students received “Strong Cord” and “Winged Heart” tokens.
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Peak Week – Adventure Therapy @ outBACK
This week on peak the group had a ton of fun climbing, listening to music and hiking through parks with amazing views! The group challenged themselves to be very open and vulnerable with one another which created some great gatherings and forged some deep connections within the students. Spirited Otter was honored with the seeker token for challenging himself to conquer fears and search for deeper meaning in the emotions he was feeling. Unyielding Stream earned the openness token for sharing some hard details about his past that he had not before with students or staff. Lastly, Resilient Wolf earned strong cord for his willingness to follow through on a promise he had made to the group early in the week which showed his strength and resilience. Overall the group of peak weekers created some deep connections through vulnerability, challenged themselves by facing their fears on climbs, and made many fun memories that all of us will remember forever and smile!
