June 2012 - Lions Clubs New Zealand

June 2012 - Lions Clubs New Zealand June 2012 - Lions Clubs New Zealand

lionsclubs.org.nz
from lionsclubs.org.nz More from this publisher
13.07.2015 Views

I’m Rachael Foote and with Debbie Healy’s enthusiastic encouragement I joinedthe 2012 Havelock CACTUS program.CACTUS is the Combined Adolescent Challenge Training Unit and SupportProgramme and is a police supported course that I was very privileged to havebeen able to join.Sometimes you get days when you get up at five to a beeping alarm clock andturn up at the Havelock Hall to find a cactus full of thorns and then some daysyou wake up without the alarm clock and make your way to the Havelock Halland you find a thornless cactus.One of my favourite days was a thornless cactus day. We did trust falls wherewe had to fall backwards off the stage and rely on our team mates to catch us.This definitely required a lot of courage and trust and also responsibility inknowing that the person falling was relying on you to catch them and you didn’twant them to get hurt and you knew it would be your responsibility to keep themsafe.One of my misfortunes was having my most disliked activity as staff also knownas Dusty our trainer’s favourite. The jack jumps. They were my indication onmy progressing fitness as I realised 20 jack jumps wasn’t as dreaded as theywere at the start of the program.Another of the CACTUS mornings was a day where the cactus was full of thornsbut those thorns were loaded not only with physical demands but also fun, strategyand teamwork. That day was our last and longest 5 hour day. I enjoyed thelongest day because we were able to show our progress to the supporting Havelockcommunity. The best bit of the longest day was carrying a rope up to thewaterfall at the back of Havelock. I enjoyed this because it required teamwork asthe stronger people supported the rest of their team and took more of the weightso we could all achieve and work towards a self set goal of reaching the waterfallin 25mins. We did it in 17minutes. This challenge also required strategy asthe people at the front of the rope had to slow down until the end of the rope hadalso got through the muddy patch or whatever the obstacle was before theycould speed up again. This was important during corners otherwise the end ofthe rope would be pulled off the track.Another of the longest day activities that I enjoyed was the final activity wherewe towed a fire truck along the Havelock domain and through the motor camp.A different activity I disliked was carrying strainer posts on our shoulders. This16

was more of a teamwork activity and didn’t cause much physical demands butthe bouncing of the post on my shoulder caused much bruising which my shoulderscomplained a lot about when I needed to carry my heavy school bag.To fit CACTUS in a school day it was good that it happened close to home and Iliked the fact that Dusty was able to use the local resources to run the programsuch as carrying the iconic Havelock mussel float. Even though they have manyuses I would never have thought I would be carrying one up Lawrence Street atfive a clock in the morning.I enjoyed the team building activities because it helped me strengthen my friendshipwith the friends I already had and I made a couple of new friends along theway and I also got to know the Havelock community volunteers a bit more fromtheir never failing consistent breakfast. I would like to express my thanks to theHavelock Lions club and am very honored to be the one to have the Sid MeadMemorial Cup I trust my new skills will take me into many adventures aheadand I have no hesitation in recommending any future courses to others. Thankyou once again for your support.Rachael Foote.17

I’m Rachael Foote and with Debbie Healy’s enthusiastic encouragement I joinedthe <strong>2012</strong> Havelock CACTUS program.CACTUS is the Combined Adolescent Challenge Training Unit and SupportProgramme and is a police supported course that I was very privileged to havebeen able to join.Sometimes you get days when you get up at five to a beeping alarm clock andturn up at the Havelock Hall to find a cactus full of thorns and then some daysyou wake up without the alarm clock and make your way to the Havelock Halland you find a thornless cactus.One of my favourite days was a thornless cactus day. We did trust falls wherewe had to fall backwards off the stage and rely on our team mates to catch us.This definitely required a lot of courage and trust and also responsibility inknowing that the person falling was relying on you to catch them and you didn’twant them to get hurt and you knew it would be your responsibility to keep themsafe.One of my misfortunes was having my most disliked activity as staff also knownas Dusty our trainer’s favourite. The jack jumps. They were my indication onmy progressing fitness as I realised 20 jack jumps wasn’t as dreaded as theywere at the start of the program.Another of the CACTUS mornings was a day where the cactus was full of thornsbut those thorns were loaded not only with physical demands but also fun, strategyand teamwork. That day was our last and longest 5 hour day. I enjoyed thelongest day because we were able to show our progress to the supporting Havelockcommunity. The best bit of the longest day was carrying a rope up to thewaterfall at the back of Havelock. I enjoyed this because it required teamwork asthe stronger people supported the rest of their team and took more of the weightso we could all achieve and work towards a self set goal of reaching the waterfallin 25mins. We did it in 17minutes. This challenge also required strategy asthe people at the front of the rope had to slow down until the end of the rope hadalso got through the muddy patch or whatever the obstacle was before theycould speed up again. This was important during corners otherwise the end ofthe rope would be pulled off the track.Another of the longest day activities that I enjoyed was the final activity wherewe towed a fire truck along the Havelock domain and through the motor camp.A different activity I disliked was carrying strainer posts on our shoulders. This16

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!