By TBHS | Posted: Wednesday December 7, 2016
Our Year 10 boys have just completed the final challenge of their journey which involves a 20 hour outdoor "solo" at Peel Forest.
The solo camp is the final challenge and its successful completion symbolises the boy’s ability to be resilient, respectful and responsible.
In a very difficult environment, the boys coped remarkably well. Every class had to deal with wet, soggy conditions. The boys managed to shelter themselves with a tarpaulin, two pieces of string and two poles. In addition to this, they were given five matches, 100mls of methylated spirits, some food and their penny stove cookers (pre-made in class) to cook their tea on.
The connected, busy lives that our boys live sometimes eliminates the ability for them to be still. Solitude and silence are important part of life and an important part of working through problems, finding solutions and goal setting. The solo experience definitely gives them time to think and the programme highlights the need for having time for yourself.
Part of the solo experience is that the boys write a letter to their school-leaving self. The boys are encouraged to write about who they are currently, where they would like to be in the future and what they may want to achieve.
This was first introduced in 2013 as a trial and some Year 13 students received their letters at the end of year conferencing session. The response was overwhelmingly positive. This is now a compulsory component of the programme.
If the boys successfully completed the year long Rite Journey programme, they received a Rite Journey badge. These were handed out after the solo at Peel Forest. I would encourage all the boys who earned their badge to wear them at Junior Prize giving. These badges are a very important addition to the senior blazer that they will wear next year.
Timaru Boys’ is the only school in New Zealand that gives Year 10 boys the opportunity to experiences a ‘real’ solo experience. We believe it is a challenge to complete successfully. We want to continue to give our boys the chance to move from dependency to responsibility so there has to be an element of risk associated with the experience. If, as parents and a school, we eliminate all these risk from our boys lives, then how do they respond when they are first put in a position of risk and there is no adult around? We appreciate parents’ continued support of this programme and understand that sometimes parents are more anxious than the boys when it comes to the solo! I can speak on behalf of all the Rite Journey teachers and say that your boys are turning into fine young men.
Unfortunately due to bad weather, the 10NL and 10WT solos were postponed. Their solo will take place on 7-8 December instead of the scheduled Electives.
