Staff and Leaders Retreat 2018
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During the crossover between January and February of this year, the staff and leaders of Youth Insearch met at The Collaroy Centre for the annual retreat. Located only 30 minutes north of the CBD, and with stunning views of Long Reef and the headlands, The Collaroy Centre offers versatile and modern facilities as well as access to a range of adventure activities and challenges.
The retreat was divided into two parts. Our staff started the retreat on Wednesday, 31st January and stayed for the whole weekend in which our volunteer leaders joined them on the Friday, 2nd February with the retreat concluding on Sunday, 4th February. The staff members met on Wednesday morning for a defensive driver training course to further their knowledge of their cars and to learn what to do in certain emergency situations. It was a day filled with laughter - although it was nervous laughter at times – questions and answers and a lot of stepping out of comfort zones for many people. Everyone did an excellent job through trying everything once and supporting each other through the challenging situations.
All day Thursday and Friday morning the staff spent time reviewing the last year and going through what is planned for this year through our strategic plan and each members’ personal plan and expectations of the year. On Friday afternoon, our youth and adult leaders arrived for the second part of the retreat. From Friday to Sunday, our wonderful volunteers and staff spent some time reminiscing over 2017, covering important changes in the organisation and participating in challenging activities. Some of the activities that challenged and pushed everyone to step out of their comfort zones included high ropes, abseiling, rock climbing and the dual flying fox. There were also some activities just for fun like laser tag, surfing, archery, trivia and games night.
Overall the 2018 Staff and Leaders retreat was a fantastic experience with everyone from three different states coming together to get to know each other through team building activities and celebrating the hard work that everyone puts in. It was great to see and meet other leaders who have been around for years and the ones who have just joined us last year. Thank you for all the amazing work you do and we look forward to next year’s retreat.