Helen Storrow Seminar: Friday

Our final day, Fantastically Fabulous Friday started with a meaningful, yet innovative reflection, teaching us the value of teamwork (through the medium of a human bicycle - Together Everyone Achieves More!), and the importance of persistence when working on our projects.

The theme of teamwork continued in our first session of the day, where we were first challenged to write step-by-step instructions for the other patrol on how they should throw balls into a rubbish bin. Both patrols took true advantage of their creativity, and while the Tornados had the Firewaves 'slamdunking' the balls, while screaming 'Touchdown!', the Firewaves had the Tornados doing a rendition of the 'birdy song', 'pink panther' and Egyptian 'belly dancing'. Through all the fun, we learnt a very valuable lesson in communication, and the real need for clarity in your message, particularly in multi-cultural situations.

We then focused on different tools we could use to structure our projects, and create a dynamic but realistic action plan. SMART objectives, the SWOT analysis and Action Planning Hand were tried out by all. We then ended the session, giving a minute-long 'vision' of our project. The room was full of incredibly diverse, but all inspirational ideas, ranging from developing education programmes, to holding a Passion Day, to providing better nutrition to kindergarten children. By the end of the session, we really believed that 'together we can change our world'.

The rest of the day was used to develop each of our action plans, taking advantage of the resources we had around us, the inspiration of each other, and the advice of the Planning Team. After a final evaluation, we ended with a fitting Closing Ceremony around the flagpole, remembering that only a week before we had come together for the first time. Feeling like one extended family, we closed with reflections of the week, lowering the flag to the Our Chalet song. Making our way over to the Campfire Circle, we chatted, sharing our favourite songs from around the world, and enjoying each other's company for the last time as we watched the sun set behind the silhouettes of the mountains.

So the 6th Helen Storrow Seminar came to a close, and as we parted we reflected on our experiences of the week, looking forward with both excitement and anticipation to the development and later successes of our projects.