Interact Report - January, 2011

There is much that we have accomplished recently, and in that there is much that we need to thank other for. So as a thank you to Yellowhead Rotary, our Interact group has decided it is only right to let you know what exactly it is that you have helped us to accomplish.

            Starting with the training camp at Elkness that was the first weekend of October; this is where it all started for us Spirit Leaders. With the financial support of all three Prince George clubs; Prince George Rotary, Prince George Nechako and Prince George Yellowhead we were able to bring in students from all over the Central Interior of British Columbia.  There we played games, told stories, learned cheers, dances and more games. We made friends with other leadership groups from the region and were about to branch out to make this conference not about us but ALL of us. We had beautiful war paint for Mission: Impossible and even beautiful colouring for our spirit group signs. We survived a weekend with no cell phones or Internet purely because of each other, and that, right there, is bonding. We made memories  that will never go away while we learned to make the best memories for others.

 This video captures the energy that we learned to pass on at our "Train the Trainers" weekend at Camp Elkness in Prince George. Thanks all Rotary Clubs of Prince George!!

Just a few weeks later..... the B.C. Student Leadership Conference- the reason for our leadership training at Elkness. This is what he had all been waiting for. This was it-where all the hard work, sweat and tears (from laughing too hard) would pay off. We packed our war room at PGSS full of snacks, drinks, spirit group toys and markers, tape, paper and more markers. Between amazing training and Lauren manning the front desk with all our cell numbers, there was nothing the Spirit Leaders (dressed in green t shirts) could not do.                                    

            And then it happened! Six o'clock Friday, October 22, 2010...all 400 students arrived to register. It was crazy, wonderful, chaotic and fabulous we got less sleep that weekend than any other, but with simply the energy coming off the rest of the kids there, we were wired. We met and spoke to some amazing speakers - Susan Aglukark, Run 4 One Planet and Ian Tyson. We learned about Disaster Aid Canada and what we could do to help. We met and spoke with some amazing kids----ones just like us, who had to be amazing or else they wouldn't have been there. We were electric---quite literally in the chase of the charades group from BC Hydro. We were purple, or at least our pinkies were. We were so full of energy we could survive off just that for the rest of our lives.

This video will explain it all; the fellowship, teamwork and cooperation to pull this off took months of planning. We know everyone who sees this  and was in Prince George that weekend will recall it like it was yesterday.............and years from now.

  The event has long since ended, but we still see friends in the hall or at the mall, and immediatly break into song and dance in recognition of that weekend. So we know that even if that weekend can never be duplicated, the accomplishments and memories will serve us well as we prepare to leave high school and move onto bigger and better things.

             Having recently finished exams and now entering our second half of the school year, we are currently re-focusing on our other Interact obligations; two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill.