Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week 2022

By Mr Mark Oliphant, Head of Senior School

Outdoor Pursuits

and Activities Week 2022

A vital part of our Pastoral Care program is the Outdoor Pursuits and Activities

Week for all boys in the Senior School. Through these camps and activities, the boys are challenged in different ways, providing opportunities for the accompanying Mentors to reinforce many of the skills they have been building in their Pastoral Care Groups.

Assisted by some Year 12 leaders, the Year 7 boys enjoyed a range of beachside activities at Alexandra Headland, strengthening their peer relationships. The focus of the Year 8 Camp, held at Camp Warrawee, north of Brisbane, was on developing teamwork and resilience in an outdoor setting. The Year 9 boys faced an ecochallenge at Noosa North Shore, which saw them hiking, mountain biking and canoeing to their various campsites and learning a bit of bush craft along the way. The outdoor activities during this camp were designed to challenge the boys by taking them out of their comfort zone. The Year 10s spent their four days undertaking work experience, and most boys derived considerable value from this experience.

During the Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week, the Year 11 boys experienced a four-day leadership conference at Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast, designed to foster leadership skills among the boys. The Year 12s were involved in a range of activities to develop their skills for life after school. These included the completion of courses in providing first aid, defensive driving and the responsible service of alcohol. They welcomed real estate agents and accountants who taught them how to rent and budget. Services Australia spoke to them about the assistance they are eligible for when heading to university or into a trade, and LetzLive presented how to apply for a gap year. Many of the boys also elected to complete university tours. I was fortunate enough to visit all camps and witness many of the activities that occurred. Watching the boys enjoy the week made me think about the purpose of camps. Sadly, many schools choose not to do camps. I say that it is sad because, as teachers, we witness so much learning from our young men on camp. Often, they do not even realise what they are learning. I witnessed a boy who struggled with mountain biking complete a 15km ride and receive great encouragement from his peers as he made his way around Noosa North Shore. I saw Year 7 boys making new friends as they learned the School Song. I watched Year 11s beaming with excitement as they shared their ideas on how they might shape their Senior year. I watched Year 12 boys, who thought they were pretty good drivers, knock cones over on a driving track time and time again.

Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week puts boys in situations in which they typically would not find themselves. It is rare to see teenage boys smiling, genuinely happy to be at the School studying or home doing chores. On these camps, I noticed far more smiles than frowns. While making the boys happy is not the purpose of the camps; hopefully, it is one of the outcomes. The purpose of the camps program is to enhance well-being and develop the boys’ core values.

I am sure that many parents would be surprised to see the situations on camp in which their sons found humour, how often they showed compassion to their friends or just how kind they could be to the boys they hadn’t met before. During Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week, not only did I witness the series of activities that the boys were doing, but I also observed boys developing compassion, humility, empathy, resilience and building the foundations for life-long friendships. All our boys possess these values; they just forget to show them to us on occasion. The next time your son brings up School Camp, ask him what challenges he overcame this year. You might just be surprised at his response!