2 Weeks to Go And We’re All Ready For a Challenge

One week ago today our team were completing our 4^th briefing weekend, and two weeks on Tuesday we’ll be heading down to Heathrow ready to fly out to Aruba – it’s all come around so quickly! Read on to find out more about our final preparations.

On Sunday 30^th July, each member of the team logged onto their computer to finalise our session plans and materials for the training we’ll be delivering in Aruba. But unlike our previous briefings this one didn’t involve any train travel – our 4^th briefing was held remotely with us each working on activities from the comfort of our own homes (and in my case, my own bed). Having talked through our ‘To Do’ list in the morning, we took the rest of the day to each work individually to get things done and regrouped at 4pm to talk through our next steps (lots of printing for Rachel!).

Now we’re starting to gather up resources, stock up on bug spray, and pack our bags ahead of our departure. This year’s other GOLD projects have begun to set out for the Maldives, Mexico, Oman, Rwanda, Zambia and more and as we wish our fellow teams the best of luck for their projects, the anticipation and excitement is building for our own adventure.

Our three weeks in Aruba will give us the chance to deliver training and intercultural exchanges with the aim of supporting the development and growth of guiding on the island, but it will also be a chance for each member of the team to take on personal challenges and to grow and develop ourselves. With this in mind, each team member has identified one particular (very serious) challenge they want to accomplish during our project:

•          Helen (Team leader) will concentrate on perfecting her handstand (potentially using a swimming pool as a good location to practice).
•          Laura (Photo and Video Co-ordinator) on the back of her marathon challenge is going to tackle another similarly lengthy challenge of reading an entire book.
•         Rachel (Training and Resources Co-ordinator) has been researching the local flora and fauna and will be in pursuit of a selfie with a donkey.
•         Amy (Treasurer) is stocking up on the sun cream in preparation for her challenge of NOT getting sunburnt whilst we’re in the Caribbean.
•      Pippa (Social Media Co-ordinator) has been tasked, by a guide leader who supporter her fundraising, to find an Aruban leader who attended the World Scout Jamboree in 1995 in the Netherlands.
•      And Bridget (First Aider)…has been challenged to learn some beach yoga moves with photographic evidence!

If you want to see how we get on facing up to these challenges and more, check back here after the 22^nd August when we’ll be keeping you up to date with what we get up to in Aruba.

Pippa