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A Banquet of Perceptions Copyright 1971 by the National Association of Independent Schools
(From The Independent School Bulletin) BY RENNY A. STACKPOLE
TAKE A TWO AND ONE-HALF HOUR boat ride to a four teen by three-mile island, add an 1874 life-saving station, thirtyfive bicycles, enough food and bedding for a week, thirty thirteenyear-old boys, and some halcyon October days in southern New England; then mix thoroughly with the concept of total environ ment and you have prepared a unique recipe. The outcome is a banquet of perceptions related to a real educational experience. The Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, re cently completed such a program with its eighth grade on the island of Nantucket. The Headmaster, Peter Rhoades Mott, noted for his interest in ecology (see Art Education, October 1970), described the purpose of the program in environmental education as combating the "four-wall syndrome" of learning. Further more, each boy would come to grips with an extraordinary en vironment, all the while gaining a greater understanding of learning in the field. The mechanics of the trip were handled by the Head of the Middle School, Philip Rogers, and I was in charge of the overall coordination. The class was divided into two groups of thirty, each group enjoying five days on Nantucket. Three faculty and three seniors accompanied the boys. The voyage to the island on the steamer Nantucket provided the youngsters with the experience that accents the remoteness of an island. Arriving after dark, the students found the town shrouded in mystery as they were transported by bus to the lifesaving station, converted into a Youth Hostel, at Surfside. Gath ering in the common room of the structure, the boys listened as their names were called and they were assigned to watches. Similar to the system used by Outward Bound, the small watch (usually six boys) teaches each member the importance of group cooperation. As one boy said later, "we spent every day together and did everything together for five days. In those five days, I learned a lot about people, especially the people in my class." The boys did not have to be reminded that they were living in a place called "Surfside." The surf literally lulled them to sleep that first night — accompanied by the ever-popular ghost stories.
