Kearsney College’s Leadership Week was re-vamped for 2023, with the name being changed to Kearsney College Outdoor Learning and Experience Week, or KCOLE Week. This name change was made to reflect the purpose and what we hope the boys will gain from the week. Each grade has a theme, focusing on developing the individual while building a strong group through shared experiences. The Grade 8s followed the theme of “Know your Brothers”, with the focus of this week being to develop and bond the groups. Two venues were used – Bergventure and Nyala Pans. Both venues offered similar activities, where the boys had the opportunity to swim in dams and rivers, camp in shelters they had built themselves, complete obstacle courses as a team, prepare and cook some of their own meals, and spend a bit of free time just being boys. The groups arrived back at Kearsney tired but with new friendships having been formed and old friendships renewed. The Grade 9s had the theme “The value of others”. The whole grade went to Zingela, an environmentally focused camp on the banks of the Tugela River. They worked as teams, earning points for a mystery prize at the end of the week. Activities included kayaking on the river, guided game walks where they learnt about the environment and any animals they saw, fish tagging, bird ringing, abseiling and contributing to an anti-erosion and land rehabilitation project. The final team challenge was an early morning dip in the Tugela River –the coldest start to the day many had experienced at Zingela! Working as a team for the week meant that the boys had to rely on each other to complete each task and, without a doubt, had learnt the value of others. The Grade 10 group worked on the theme of “Knowing and extending your limits and the consequences of decisions”. Possibly the most different week from previous years, the Grade 10s spent five days hiking in the Cobham area of the Drakensberg. Being selfsufficient, carrying all their kit and having to make decisions on navigation, meals, and the team’s daily routine made for a very independent week, with a lot of time to consider the theme. It was a physically, mentally and emotionally different experience. Most boys found it challenging but came away with a huge sense of accomplishment. The week ended with a few hours of community service at Pevensey Place, a home for adults with Cerebral Palsy. The Grade 11 theme was “Harnessing the Inner Leader”. A week quite different from the rest of the grades, the Grade 11s were at Kearsney College and surrounds, where they spent time attending seminars and discussing the challenges they may face as leaders of the College in 2024. It was not all sitting and talking, though, with, among others, a ‘braai-master challenge’, a walk from the College to the Shongweni polo club and a ‘chain reaction’ task that had to be completed as a team. We thank the venue coordinators and their teams for their tremendous efforts in making KCOLE Week memorable for all the boys who participated. Mr Dougan Macdonald KCOLE Week coordinator KCOLE Week 2023
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