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Carnivale 06 – Helping peninsula youth sail a course to
adventure, achievement and fun
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This year’s inaugural Peninsula Hot Springs Carnivale gate
takings will go to helping Peninsula District Venturers, the
Sorrento Unit in particular, purchase a yacht that will become
the focus for exercises in leadership, teamwork, initiative and
self confidence building.
The event also aims to spearhead a recruitment drive for
southern peninsula Venturers, giving opportunity for more 14-18
year olds (male and female) to join in the adventure and fun of
their year-round activities. |
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Peninsula Hot Springs is working with Peninsula district
Venturers to create a learning and development centre on the
springs property
district leader and Sorrento Unit leader Gary MacDonald said he
was rapt that the Venturers would be beneficiaries of this
year’s Carnivale gate takings: which will go a long way to
helping the unit achieve an otherwise unfeasible fundraising
dream. |
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“While our peninsula Venturers have access to a lot of smaller
sailing boats, they take crews of one, two and up to three.
Access to a larger sail boat of about 25’ will mean we can form
crews of six to eight sailors - sailing a boat that size comes
down to team work or it just doesn’t happen.
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| “This is seen as a great tool for developing communication
skills and organisation skills. When (Peninsula Hot Springs
director) Charles Davidson and I were talking about this, we
were both coming from the same idea in that we wanted to achieve
something we could use as an icon in the area for youth
development. There are nearly 30 Venturers in the peninsula district (south
of Mt Eliza), with room for many more to join in their packed
calendar of activities.
“We see this event as part of a major recruiting drive, raising
awareness of Venturers and their activities,” Gary said. Many
young people, and their parents, might not be aware of how
Venturers has evolved as an organisation. “Venturers don’t
generally wear uniforms, and they have a lot of fun, while
taking part in activities that put them miles ahead when it
comes time to present their resumés.
“Our kids go to school on Monday and really have a story to tell
about the weekend: whether it be that they went caving at Mt
Eccles, or a tubing expedition down the Thompson River. |
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“I’d like to be able to communicate to more younger people on
the southern peninsula that these fantastic activities are
taking place that they can take part in. Our Venturers are doing
things that most other kids don’t ever get the opportunity to
do.
One of the activities recently undertaken by the Sorrento
unit Venturers was the restoration of a couple of small
sailboats to take to various sailing camps throughout the
year. |
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| These include a fun regatta at
Hazelwood pondage in November, or the Admiral Napier Cup at
Albert Park Lake in August, a more serious competition event
where the Sorrento unit has been very successful over the
past few years. While the Sorrento unit’s activities focus is on the sea, (two
Venturers are half way through completing their Scuba ticket),
they also take part in events which require, and teach, skills
in everything from welding to bush navigation.
Five peninsula Venturers units recently took part in the local
Construction Challenge, held at Joseph Harris Park in Mt Martha
over a weekend.
“The Venturers turn up, set up their camp, get a list of
materials - some relevant, some not - and build a nominated
project. This year it was a catapault, they had a day and a half
to research, organise, come together as a unit, design the
thing, construct it and make it work. On the Sunday afternoon
there was a competition to see which worked best. Their work was
judged on design, creativity and other points, then we all sat
back, had a bit of fun and fired these things.
In May there’s a Leadership course coming up at Mt Martha. Over
the weekend Venturers take on various problem solving
challenges. A similar course has a Management activities
structure.
It’s these sorts of activities that Peninsula Hot Springs
director Charles Davison and Gary have been talking about as
the basis for an ongoing presence at the springs. It’s envisaged
that the 42 acres of land in The Cups at Rye be used for various
seminars, camping weekends with guest speakers - and adventure -
as something of a learning and resource centre.
“The Venturers are coming away from these events, at a young
age, with the same qualities that a lot of employers want to
see, so they’re normally miles ahead to start with in their job
searching,” said Gary.
“Venturers’ activities teach them to respect others, appreciate
other people and different cultures. They learn from challenge,
and we’re about providing that opportunity, so that they
recognise their own capabilities. This builds self confidence
across a range of activities. They also learn ownership of their
own responsibilities.” |
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