YOUNG LASALLIANS

THE CHANGING PERSONNEL OF THE YOUNG LASALLIANS “DREAM TEAM”

Author: Philippe Dulawan, Associate Director Formation for Mission, Lasallian Mission Services

One of the joys of working for, with and in the Lasallian Family is the diverse and engaging people that are met along the way. The Young Lasallians team, affectionately called the “Dream Team”, comprising Lasallian Volunteers (LVs) and Lasallian Youth Ministers (LYMs), is no exception. During these opening months of 2021, there have been some noteworthy changes to the team:

At De La Salle College, Ashfield, Dean Bestos is welcomed as an LYM working 2-days per week. Dean is a former Vice-Captain of Ashfield (2019) and is the first Ashfield alumni to take-up this position. He has made an impressive start, having already facilitated the Year 7 and Year 10 retreats. Heartfelt appreciation is given to Aiden Moore, the LYM in 2019-2020, who generously volunteered his time to be onboard and orient Dean to the school, alongside Maddy Forde, Young Lasallians Coordinator. Aiden leaves a lasting legacy, having played an instrumental part in accompanying Ashfield graduates and now LV, Salesi Lata (Balgo) and LYM, Juan Pablo (Revesby), to take up these opportunities. Thank you, Aiden and welcome, Dean.

Similarly, Meryla Lowther is offered gratitude for her service over a multitude of roles. Meryla has concluded her time as a Dream Team member to pursue further education with a prestigious scholarship from Western Sydney University. Meryla is a Young Lasallians pioneer, having graduated from Oakhill College in 2014, before taking up a Lasallian Volunteer position in Middle Swan. She was the first repeat Lasallian Volunteer, completing her second year in the Balgo Hills community in 2015, before continuing her employment at the school in 2016. She returned to Sydney in 2017, taking up the position of LYM at Holy Spirit Catholic College, Lakemba and De La Salle College, Revesby. She continued at both communities until 2018 before focusing her time at Revesby in 2019 until the present. Juan, who began job-sharing with Meryla this year, will increase his presence at the Revesby from 1 to 2 days per week. We thank Meryla immensely for her many years of service and commitment to our Lasallian mission.

Shaye Baker-Baines, a graduate from Lasalle College, Middle Swan, has decided to return home after taking up the position of LV at Southern Cross College, Scarborough. We thank Shaye for her service and wish her a smooth return home. Angelina Bone, who initially took up an LV position in Scarborough in 2019 before returning home due to COVID, will continue as the sole LV in QLD in 2021. Angelina has displayed determination and resilience to come back for a second year, serving at yourtown and Southern Cross. Lastly, this work is only possible through the ongoing collaboration of several key stakeholders, including the Colleges themselves, yourtown, Lasallian Communities, community Directors, site and placement supervisors, and Lasallian Mission Council staff. Special thanks are given to each of these stakeholders who are involved in supporting our young people.

YOUNG LASALLIANS

“DREAM TEAM” CONNECTS 150 STUDENT LEADERS 2021

Lasallian Youth Ministry seemingly creates new goals each year in its history. The virtual Student Leaders Seminar happened on 20-21 January for five hours each day. It saw the whole Team, including School Youth Ministers, the new Lasallian Volunteers and past members numbering 45 young Lasallians leading the e-gathering. There were 150 student leaders from almost all District colleges zooming and participating from Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. (Pakistan were to run their own program locally). Welcomed for the first time were St. John’s Dubbo, founded by the Brothers in 1927, and La Salle Academy Lithgow, opened in 1952. (Both schools now operate under lay principals). Most students clocked on from home, with some centrally, from their school. The themes included “Navigating the Year Together”, and “Tools for the Journey” threaded together with inputs, breakout groups and of course some ice-breakers to relax and build a sense of community. Workshops included “Being an Effective Networker”, “Delegating, Asking & Collaborating”, and “Embracing an Authentic Faith”.

It was very relevant and will help me during my time as a student leader in 2021 and beyond. I would definitely recommend to future leaders and wish that more leaders from my school were able to attend. The expertise of the facilitating Team LaSalle was well rewarded with students judging the Seminar “engaging”, the “big win of small groups” and “amazing work” of the workshops.

I took away the fact that I’m not alone and that there is a diverse community of leaders across Aus., NZ, PNG and Pakistan. I was also able to reflect on what leadership means for me, so I can go out into my school community with a greater awareness of my strengths and weaknesses, and as a result be able to best serve and work with others.

Individuals of the Team itself saw “great varied methods of delivery with anecdote and moral and spiritual lessons consistently”; and “an energetic experience through a platform that is quite difficult to be interactive and engaging in”. Overall, the Seminar was seen by the Team to offer a capacity to build connection, increase Lasallian leadership awareness and widen relationships. It was notable in its large reach of participants and the big number of students from PNG. Lydia Avia-Aumua, on behalf of the Team, offers thanks to the schools, the families and the students themselves for their commitment. There will be three “check-in” dates to re-connect over 2021, and a final one on Wednesday 29 September.

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DAMIAN K: “TOMORROW” STARTS TODAY

Damian K is pushing the boundaries in bringing his music to the masses, after six years in the business. His debut single, “Tomorrow” pushes a vision and offers purpose, as we start our re-start after the depths of COVID. A session musician on piano and violin, Damian Khoury currently co-ordinates youth work for Lasallians across Australia, New Zealand, and even Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.

Coming from his own experience, the single acknowledges that different chapters of life can be quite challenging. Damian’s authenticity and optimism shine through. Lyrics and melody tap into a passionate hope, a call to action, and leaving a mark on the world for future generations: “our children’s children will remember how we responded.” It’s all about empowering oneself, seeing the direction, taking the challenge. Damian started his musical tertiary studies in 2013, studying a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Creative Technologies through Central Queensland University. It was through that course, he says, that he “met and built a network of fellow musician on the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane(He) has played with artists such as The McClymonts, Travis Collins, Carl Wockner, Caitlyn Shadbolt and many other upcoming artists”.

Other artists he has shared the stage with have included Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, The Cat Empire, Sticky Fingers.

One can access the song through: https://linktr.ee/damiankmusic

YOUNG LASALLIANS

LASALLIAN YOUTH LEADERS -FORMATION DAY 2021

Author: Ms Zani Bates, Lasallian Youth Minister

The Lasallian Youth Leadership (LYL) program operates across almost every Lasallian School in our District of Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea. This program has been offered at St Michael’s College for over 15 years. This year approximately 25 students from Year 10 and 11 have joined this fantastic leadership initiative.

On Friday 19 February the new LYLs at St Michael’s College Adelaide attended the Formation Day at the Grange SLSC. This day is the first formal event for the LYLs, helping them develop the required skills and knowledge to carry out their leadership role. They not only learn more about each other and our founder, St John Baptist de La Salle, but also brainstorm ideas which we can hopefully implement in 2021. Students reflected on their experience:

“The LYL formation day was a great experience for me, and all students who attended. This experience has allowed me to make new friends of varying ages and build upon my understanding and values, on what it means to become a LYL. We performed many activities to help teach us these skills, such as how different techniques can help with public speaking, and what it means to be Lasallian. I’m looking forward to my future as a LYL and the new people I will meet.”

Joel Grygus (10PC-04)

“On the formation day I learned what it means to become a Lasallian Youth Leader, and the importance of the Lasallian history, and how much of an impact it has on today’s modern education. There were many fun and educational activities including a presentation on the importance of being a Lasallian Youth

Leader. The LYL formation day allowed me to know what to expect in my future as an LYL.”

David Levett (11PC-09) We were very fortunate to have Mr Robert Dempsey, Director of Mission, Mr Andrew Spencer, Year 10 Director and Indigenous Coordinator, Mr Nicholas Flynn Year 10 Assistant Director, and Ms Thu Nguyen, Teacher, present on the day.

We are very thankful for old scholar, and now SALT (South Australian Lasallian Team) member, Jordan Tucker (2019) who also took the time to visit. Jordan expressed how fortunate she was to be part of the LYL program, and how she has developed vital skills through the opportunities within the program.

Overall, the day was a great success, and we look forward to the exciting initiatives the LYLs will be a part of this year.

YOUNG LASALLIANS

CHECKPOINT ON THE JOURNEY: STUDENT LEADERS MEET ON-LINE

Journeys need occasional stops to examine progress, re-evaluate and plan the future. The Lasallian Youth Ministry team engineered that on 11 March for Student Leaders from our network of schools. In addition, many of the 20-plus Youth Ministers helped with feeding-in their experience as peer leaders.

Working expertly from two venues, the Team Office in Bankstown and James Sheahan College in Orange, the team of Philippe Dulawan, Maddy Forde, and Br Arian Lopez hosted and ran the technology, while Damian Khoury presented the theme, unpacking the experience of points in John Baptist de La Salle’s life. There was a renewing friendships and re-meeting stage from the opening-of-year seminar, before reflections on the leadership experience so far in the schools. Breaking up into small discussion groups and individual jotting down insights and suggestions ensued. The intention of this first of three checkpoints in the year was, as Damian Khoury, Co-ordinator, said was “to bring the (Founder’s) story to life”, and how it links with the leaders’ experience of their journey.

The one-and-a-half-hour twilight session included a video and real-time presentation on the work of Lasallian Volunteers: this shows an option in what these young leaders and the school Youth Ministers might discern for 2022. In creating this event, the Team were promoting essentially a “pastoral gathering”, which was formative and enriching for Student Leaders on the ground. The Team has had from 2020 the goal of becoming professional in offering an on-line space for development.

Once more, a creative and focused event in the youth program, as it gears up for the District Youth gathering in July.