September 2013, Rock Climbing

Took our group of young men rappelling and rock climbing. I consider it a success since it was their idea. We've been working with them to plan an activity they wanted to do for quite some time so when they said they wanted to go rock climbing, we jumped on it. Literally. It took some time to plan and coordinate everyone's schedule.

I also wanted to make sure we followed the right protocol and safety procedures.

But it was not as easy as they might have expected. Some wanted to give up so badly that they were yelling for us to let them down.

So I said "I will only let you down if I see you try!"

Waiting to rappel down

This is where we rappelled down and also rock climbed.

I guess it wasn't as traumatic an experience as I thought since these young men still let me be their adviser. They are already excited for our upcoming monthly camp out activity. They've already planned their meal for dinner-- ramen noodles with boiled hotdogs and eggs.At least they're showing ownership...

They are also excited about our February camp out over the frozen Strawberry Reservoir. They've been wanting to do it for quite some time now. I was never really confident in their camping abilities before. But now that we have had a year of camping under our belts, the trepidation is still there, but with a bit more confidence in these young men.

My responsibilities in my congregation gives me the responsibility to work and mentor the 12 to 13 year old boys. I've been working closely with them for almost a year now. I am really lucky to have a very diverse group of boys that are supportive of one another. Most attend the same congregation I do. There are some who attend different denominations and others who do not have any faith they subscribe to. They attend the same school which helps.

I can honestly say I will miss them when they move onto the next stage of their lives. For some of them, it's only a few months away. But it is good to see them start developing a greater sense of confidence. One of the young men I've been working with actually has shown more willingness to talk to people he does not even know! If anything, I can say that he is my success story. A year ago when we went to scout camp, he did not talk to anyone. Now I can't even keep him quiet! 


Here are other activities we've done this year. They are responsible for coming up with and planning each activity: