A Long Trek
Planning for the long term
by Brian Radcliffe
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To encourage us to consider how to approach the long haul of the year ahead.
Preparation and materials
- You will need to adapt the introduction according to your school’s involvement with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
- If your school is involved in the scheme, choose two or three participants to interview.
- If your school is not involved in the scheme, you may wish to research details of local organizations who offer it.
Assembly
- The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme has existed for more than 65 years. If you haven’t already heard of it, it’s a challenge scheme aimed at those aged 14 and over. There are three stages to the award: Bronze, Silver and Gold. You can choose to complete one, two or all three of these stages.
Each stage comprises opportunities to volunteer, physical challenges, learning new skills and an expedition. To earn the Gold Award, it is also necessary to go on a residential stay. Involvement in the DofE has proved to be a life-changing experience for many young people. The scheme aims to empower young people, supporting them as they learn new skills, overcome obstacles and build confidence and resilience. - If possible, invite two or three participants to talk about their DofE experiences, including the best and worst times, the gains and the commitment required.
- The DofE is not something that can be completed in a day, or even in a weekend. It is a long-term commitment, giving participants the opportunity to demonstrate planning, decision-making and stamina. Maybe it is best summed up in the expedition, which can take the form of a multi-day hike, a canoe trip, a sailing trip, a horse trek or any self-propelled mode of transport.
- First, participants need to plan a route, with stopping places and campsites.
- Second, participants must choose what to take with them. It may seem sensible to pack for every eventuality, but a rucksack that feels bearable for the first mile can soon weigh heavily on tired shoulders and hips! Participants have been known to discard unnecessary luxuries at regular intervals simply to lighten the load.
- Third, it’s crucial to create a good team because no one will be travelling alone. Any team needs a range of skills, so it’s sensible to choose members who can lead, encourage, set the right pace, pitch a tent or cook a tasty meal. However, the most important thing is for everyone to be committed to completing the task. There is little to be gained by doing only part of the scheme. The true satisfaction comes from reaching the end, having faced the ups and downs and overcome them all.
Time for reflection
Ask the students, ‘Does the end of the school year seem a long time away?’
We all need to travel through the autumn term, Christmas, the spring term, Easter and finally, the frustrating summer term, when the sun always seems to shine from Monday to Friday, but goes behind the clouds at the weekend! We have tests and exams along the way, and many obstacles to overcome. The school year is a long haul, just like an expedition. So, let’s treat it in a similar way.
First, planning: what is our destination this school year? For some of us, it’s the successful completion of GCSEs or A levels. Others may have objectives in sport, performance, public recognition or other qualifications.
If we don’t have a destination in mind, it’s rather like starting an expedition without knowing in which direction to go. We will probably end up going in circles and reaching the end of the school year with no achievements to show for the time and energy that we invested. We don’t all have to have the same destination in mind, such as aiming for good exam results. We might have in mind something specific and personal, possibly something that we would rather not tell other people. But let’s have something in mind, something to aim for, something that we hope to achieve. And let’s also remember that this school year isn’t a non-stop ultra-marathon; we also need to plan in times when we take a break.
Second: what will we take with us? When Jesus sent his disciples on an expedition, he pared things down to a minimum: no money, no rucksack, no spare clothing . . . and even no stopping to talk to anyone on the road! He was encouraging the disciples to depend on the good nature of the people in the villages they reached each evening.
For our expedition through the year, it’s advisable to be a little more pragmatic. What is essential equipment for us to reach our destination? This may be in terms of access to facilities, to the expertise of others, to a space where we can study or practise.
Time will also be important. It might be necessary to suspend some activities for a while, like leaving some luxuries out of our rucksack.
When packing a rucksack, the advice is to put the items you need most - like food, drink and first-aid equipment - in an easily accessible place. So, get yourself organized for the year!
Third, gather people around you who will help and support you - don’t try to go it alone. Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs. They could encourage one another when they felt down, and discuss decisions or dilemmas that had to be faced.
Let’s find a study buddy, talk to our friends and ask people to encourage us and keep us going. Hopefully, we can all be good for each other.
Here we are at the start of the school year. Let’s all see what we can achieve by the end of the expedition!
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for the challenges and opportunities of a new school year.
Please remind us of our aims, hopes and dreams when we drift off track.
Please help us to remain focused on our destinations.
May we all successfully complete the expedition.
Amen.
