The most wonderfully refreshing sunny Thursday greeted the trainees as they arrived for the Leadership Course. It was a huge contrast to the wild winds and flooding that the nearby Coromadel and Far North had been experiencing just 2 days beforehand. Everyone arrived between noon and 2pm (just!), and we were able to begin our programme on time. RLTC was shorter than it has been in the past, but it was still possible to cram in a large variety of topics and keep the 19 trainees on their toes with regard to assignments and subject preparation.
The Course took place this year at Totara Springs Christian Centre, and we were housed in the new Konini Lodge area. This was warm, comfortable (almost luxurious!) and very convenient. The bedrooms branched off each side of the Conference room so we were on hand for all activities.
The first session began with Games the how to, as well as some practical fun in team building activities. An assignment followed a regular occurrence on Training courses! Learning how to lead Bible discussion groups was next, followed by prep for the next morning’s one, a Memory verse lecture, preparing your own Memory verse for presenting later in the course, instruction on having our own daily devotional time with the Lord and introducing the need to keep a daily Diary over camp (it is marked!!), kept everyone busy well into the evening. After a wonderful sleep it was up early Friday for PT. No, it dont mean Prayer Time! It was a game of wall-ball to get the eyes open and the blood circulating. Considering this game was played at 7am with a heavy frost 1 metre away, there was not a lot of enthusiasm at the start! After a shower, personal time spent on our daily devotion and breakfast, we began the lecture and assignment cycle once more! We had Bible discussion groups, Rally devotional syllabus, Bushcraft, counselling (for salvation) and Safety & risk Management.
Then groups were chosen to work together on preparing a list of gear they needed for the overnight camp. 5 teams gathered and prepared the items needed, then carrying most of it (the rest went in a vehicle) we walked a round-a-bout route to the camp-site. Small hiker tents had been provided, but the teams had to practice their newly learnt skills by building a bivvy beside their tents. Fires were set and tea was cooked by trainees. It was dark by this time so all was done by torch & firelight. Then we had a games evening at the Auditorium each trainee taught the rest their game a wonderful fun evening. Back to the tents & bevy to sleep. Ice had already coated them so it was a freezing night. Sleeping bags didn’t prove to be as warm as expected! Saturday dawned clear, fine and COLD! But a hot shower back at the lodges restored spirits. Another Bible study group time, and then practical sessions presenting Memory verses, Rally syllabus Bible talks and counselling another person for salvation took most of the morning. Just before lunch there was time for canoeing theory sadly not for the actual paddling. Sigh!
The Hobbies lecture plus making a lovely snakes & ladders game, was followed by First Aid, CPR and a practical time of bandaging broken wrists and ankles. After tea it was learning how to plan a Programme and take Badges, both followed by the usual assignments! (see page ??? for trainees ideas on how to teach the Creative Badge Level 1. A late night for the instructors as they finalized marks and organized certificates. After breakfast Sunday the teams were set an initiative test where they had to treat a patient and carry them back to camp on a stretcher they had made. This was a practical way of reinforcing newly learned skills. After clean-up we had the presentation of Badges and Certificates.
Following are some of the comments from trainees- My most useful gain for Rally
- The experience of this camp!
- The memory verse ideas. am not creative so my Rally will wonder what Ive eaten when I do one next!
- Coping with the stress of RLTC! Especially Time management!
- Using the Rally syllabus.
- Ideas for hobbies, games, devotions, counselling & programme planning.
- Getting courage to stand up and speak in front of people.
- Gained confidence in leadership skills.
- My greatest lesson learned
- To check equipment before any activity! Prior preparation prevents poor performance.
- Trust God in everything.
- To be totally organised beforehand in all areas of Rally.
- To take relationship building with other Leaders & children seriously.
- How to use your time well & effectively.
- Time management otherwise you dont have enough!
- How to motivate children who sit back, and instead draw them out
- How to push myself mentally, keep going and do my best
- You CAN stop, and SHOULD stop activities if they get out of hand
- My greatest blessing/personal encouragement
- Being given a practical way of practising your counselling for salvation skills
- Givng all I could to the activities it was a real confidence boost
- Making heaps of new friends
- The benefits of really studying areas of the Bible
- Opportunity to experience public speaking
- I have learnt more of the Bible & our Creator
- Heaps! more confidence, how to counsel children, run a Rally night, prepare & run a Bible study
- Doing my 2 minute thought
- That our Leaders told us about this camp
- My greatest challenge
- Making a fire & sleeping in a tent. Actually putting up a tent!, and sleeping outside it was sooooo cold
- Coping with the stress of keeping up with assignments
- Counselling another trainee for salvation. Think you know how, but in practice you learn your shortcomings
- Cooking on a fire without getting burnt (failed!)
- Writing assignments IN THE HOLIDAYS!
- Standing in front of others and speaking
- My greatest regret
- Not taking more clothes & blankets for the overnight camp
- Not having others from our Rally attend
- Could have tried a bit harder & that would have gained me better marks
