leader and 2IC,set off to hike,cross the lake(by canoe or raft), walk through a pitch black tunnel, climb and abseil, in order to place an "explosive" on a "missile site". The exercises provided a successful framework for leadership and group dynamics and an opportunity to evaluate the boys on personal and group levels. The course was rated as being extremely good by staff and pupils alike and our thanks must go to Andy Telfer and his "Spirit of Adventure" staff for a very professional and enjoyable time.Weare also grateful to the Kearsney staff and post matriculants who helped in the evalua tion,and to the mothers,LindaSanderand Val Blackman, who did an excellentjob with the catering. FORM 5:(Person-in-charge:Mr Knowles) Unlike the otherforms,the Form 5s remained at school, although their "school day" was considerably changed. The overall aim ofthe 5th form leadership week was to prepare them for their role as leaders of the school in their6th form year.Theday was divided into three com ponents.Firstly,the boys spenttime on leadership theory. This involved exercises in group dynamics, role play ing and simulation(and some real debate!)on the use of authority and some personal development. The second part of the programme was a combined in troduction to life skills and in involvement in school activities. The life skills included welding,bricklaying, woodwork,restaurantetiquette and drivereducation.The school activities was "a look behind the scenes" at Kearsney, including some painting, field maintenance and working in the kitchens. Other activities included a talk on sports'injuries,some basicfinancial skills(bank ing, budgetting and leasing)and a much enjoyed dem onstration by the Gillitts Protection Services. Finally,the evenings were spenton career education and guidance. Speakers were invited to address the boys on various topics and careers. These ranged from the pro fessions to the trades and included businesses and com merce.A pleasing aspect ofthis section was the number ofparents and old boys who volunteered to speak to the boys. Although the 5th form leadership week was not demanding in a physical sense(no hikes or abseiling!)it wasincredibly demanding in terms ofconcentration and "mental activity". The boys finished their days pretty exhausted - but the benefits were already clear by the end ofthe week,when it was evident that the form was more unified as a group-and hopefully more prepared for 1995! As we approach our 1995"Leadership Week" we must not lose sight ofour overall aims,which should act as a binding thread through all our programmes. These are that every boy participating will be given opportunities to: a) enjoy a break from school routine b) develop his own physical and cognitive skills c) acknowledge and confront his own weaknesses/de ficiencies d) learn the dynamics and benefits ofteamwork e) develop his own leadership skills and self-confi dence. Similarly, members of staff will be able to: a) see boys acting and interacting in a different envi ronment b) identify individual strengths and weaknesses not al ways apparent at school c) assess the boys according to a common set of crite ria d) identify potential leaders. Finally,one ofthe mostrewarding aspects ofthe course has certainly been the staffinvolvement.Not only have the various members of staff in charge of the specific forms designed and co-ordinated their courses with dedi cation,buttheir various helpers have assisted them with tremendousenthusiasm.I thank everyone very sincerely for their involvement. ROD DE VILLIERS UMTAMVUNA-FORM 1 At about 9.00 am we set out on the path. We got to a gate where the trail forked.Wetook the path named Fish Eagle trail. We walked up a hill and saw some trees in flower. Our guide told us they were called September bells, they smelt wonderful. Next we saw a paper bark tree, it looked like paper was peeling off the stem.A bit further up our guide said we must keep quiet because there were monkeys ahead of us. She said there were two types of monkeys, they were the Vervet and the Samango.Then we came across a tree which had roots around it. It turned out that there was a Strangler fig strangling the tree. After a while the tree will die. We also saw a tree with many holes in its trunk. Our guide told us it was the doing ofthe Long Hom Beetle. It eats the inside of the tree and the tree weakens and dies. We walked up the hill and got to a grassland.Grasslands must be protected from over-grazing. With over-graz ing the cattle eat out all the palatable grass and all the bad grass is left. We walked along the path and then in the sky we saw a crowned eagle which flew gracefully in the air. We walked along the Natal, Transkei border and in the distance we could hear chopping. Our guide told us it was the Transkei people collecting firewood. This is bad because it causes soil around the trees to loosen,then when it rains the soil gets washed way and soil erosion starts. Then we went back into the trees again where we came across a dassie toilet. This is called a midden.We walked for another 2km's then we came across a stream which flowed out of a vlei. The water was clean.A vlei is like a natural sponge, it gains water slowly and lets it out slowly. We had a break there. After 10 minutes we started downhill.Our guide told us the trees in Transkei are stripped of their bark for me dicinal purposes. We got down to the river and found out that there were fresh water prawns in the river. We had about I km to go and everyone was tired and thirsty. On the side of the path we found berries and they were edible.Weflattened them and the people at the back lost out.We also saw many butterflies which were very beau tiful.Atabout200m to go we made a dash for the combi. We were all exhausted. ANDREWSTOCKIL UMGENIVALLEY-FORM2 Just over four weeks ago most ofthe form 2's travelled to Umgeni Valley outside Howick for their leadership week. We were accompanied by Mr Nott, Mr van Zyl, Mr Richter,MrCrundwell,MrShone,Mr Willows,Mrs 68 Kearsney Chronicle 1994
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