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Following on from the learning, positive outcomes and amazing experience of previous years, the UR Retreat 4 Young Women 2008 was a huge success! This is more then just an annual event; it is a journey, a journey of transformation in the lives of young women. It is hard to describe the journey of the UR Retreat, from the energy and excitement to the Suga and surprises, from the challenges and tough times to the breakthroughs and breath taking moments, from the trials and tears to the smiles and laughs! Below is a outline, which I hope gives a real 'sense' of the experience. The 4 day journey! Monday morning brought feeling of adventure, excitement and anticipation of what was to come. After arriving at Alpine Ash Mountain Retreat we began with some games and it wasn't long before we were all getting to know each other, laughing and having a whole lot of fun! We followed a great day with an inspiring movie, Step Up 2! The second day kicked off our awesome workshops! The facilitators did a wonderful job interacting with the butterflies and providing them with many positive opportunities. - The Shine workshop incorporated activities to help the butterflies discover their real beauty within! - The Expression sessions provided a safe and non-threatening environment to discuss current topics young people struggle with. - The Depression workshop was an exciting new addition, in which the butterflies gained a greater understanding of the impacts of depression and also the support available within the community. - Butterflies had the opportunity to choreograph their own routine in the Dance workshop, which encouraged them to get active, be creative and have fun with their new friends at the same time! At the end of a jam-packed day, we decided to relax and enjoy another movie, a walk to remember, and what a heartwarming story it was! "The UR Retreat 4 Young Women was a great experience for me. I learned to respect myself and that we should never judge ourselves on what others say about us. Not only did I learn that I learned how to make friends, the kind of friends you make for life, and that was a very new experience, I am very glad I went!"-EmmelineDay three, bring it on! our non-stop program continued with the next set of fantastic workshops! - Body Think was a positive body image and self esteem focused workshop. The highlight being an activity where a mirror of negative comments was destroyed, symbolising the beginning of a new journey. This was followed with the creation of a mirror of affirmations written by the butterflies. - The Make up workshop provided education about safe application and more suitable colors. The butterflies didn't hesitate to get involved and be girly; spending the rest of the day with their creative faces on! - The Jewelery / art workshop was where their real creativity shined! With many budding artists and jewelers in the making! It was also a great time for discussion and reflection on their experience so far. - The Expression sessions once again provided the butterflies with a safe environment to discuss current struggles. - Our guest speaker, Author of 'Teen Talk' book series Sharon Witt, was awesome! Through a variety of fun activities and numerous touching stories she provided affirmation, encouragement and inspiration to all! " I was pretty nervous about going, but it was better than I expected and I met some awesome girls there. They each had they own story and each story was inspiring and heartbreaking. All the girls were so beautiful in their own way, even without knowing it, they are true hero's, dealing with problems you can't even explain, they are amazing! And the leaders there were incredible, the way the gave up their time to be with us. This camp was simply amazing and life changing :-) Words cannot express my thanks to them!" - Kelly
Our Special 'Dinner with the butterflies" on the final night was amazing! With our guest arriving at 6pm, along with some of the Bridge Builders Crew, we were set for an awesome night of building relationships, fun, laughs and a few very touching speeches by some of the butterflies, which brought tears to our eyes! A memorable moment for everyone present! It was now day 4 and after late nights, early mornings and a non-stop program, as you can imagine we were all exhausted! Little did the butterflies know what was about to happen next, we had left the best til last! We surprised them with a life sized activity, it was time to build an AFL sized banner!!! Over the next few hours, everyone creatively and excitedly worked together to create our first ever UR Retreat banner! After much hard work, the anticipation was over, we had created our banner and it was time for a group photo and the symbolic ending, running through the banner! Can you imagine 50 young women ploughing through piles of crepe paper and sticky tape?! Much like the emerging of a butterfly, the determined participants made their way through to the other side and what an experince it was! Our 4 day journey had now come to end, and it was time to head home. We packed our bags, jumped on the bus and took one last look around as we said farewell to the cacoon of our Toolangi State Forest Retreat! For me personally, one of the best parts of the whole experience was simply watching these precious young women emerge into beautiful butterflies over the 4 days. Ther started out shy, inside their shell and came with all the baggage of life. They moved out of their comfort zones, met new friends, discovered more about who they are and the quality assets they posses, gained courage, tried new things and most of all simply had the opportunity to be themselves and be inspired to acheive their dreams! Another personal highlight of the experience was watching the leaders put 8 months or planning and hard work into action! They were constantly on the go and di an incredible job, to the leadership team, I salute you! To all of the people who support the Retreat, I hope that you will feal a great sense of appreciation and fulfillment knowing that your contribution, however great or small, amde a difference in the lives of young women involved. Without your support, this wonderful experience would not be possible. On behalf of the beautiful butterflies, the amazing leadership team and Bridge Builders Youth Organisation I would like to truly thank you for your wondefful contribution to changing the lives of these young women. I look forward to continuing our relationship together as we strengthen, empower and build assets into the yougn women of the future! Beck Mitchell, October 2008. |
