Inside Out

From Fiona at the Institute for Outdoor Learning

The government today announced the suspension of the introduction of the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) pending the outcome of a comprehensive review which is likely to result in re-modelling and significant scaling back of the scope of the scheme. The scope of the re-modelling process is currently being finalised and will be announced in due course.

Although registration with the VBS (due to begin from July 2010) will not now go ahead, the ISA will continue to make barring decisions on individuals and to maintain the two barring lists.

For more information on the ISA, visit: www.isa-gov.org.uk.

To view the Home Office press release visit: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/press-releases/Vetting-barring-scheme

The new safeguarding regulations introduced in October 2009 continue to apply.  This is the current advice on the Independent Safeguarding Authority website:

• A person who is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults will be breaking the law if they work or volunteer, or try to work or volunteer with those groups.
• An organisation which knowingly employs someone who is barred to work with those groups will also be breaking the law.
• If your organisation works with children or vulnerable adults and you dismiss a member of staff or a volunteer because they have harmed a child or vulnerable adult, or you would have done so if they had not left, you must tell the Independent Safeguarding Authority.
  

In the meantime organisations are therefore recommended to continue to implement their existing safe recruitment processes, which should include CRB checks for relevant individuals and posts.

In 1965 Paul Petzolt, founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming used the phrase “Expedition Behaviour” for the first time.

For him it represented a series of principles which guide the decisions and behaviours of an expedition’s members in order to achieve the maximum across the team with the minimum of stress. By 1974 he’d refined the idea enough to write 17 pages on it in his seminal “Wilderness Handbook” and it continues to be at the core of NOLS courses today.

Expedition Behaviour means being prepared, on time, organized, flexible and humble; seeing the humor in everything; exercising a tolerance for adversity, uncertainty and discomfort; and putting the needs of the group and others on the same level or above one’s own needs. Some people do it instinctively, others take a while but eventually, given the reality that wilderness places in front of us, almost everybody gets it.

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“Always seems to me, that ‘Sorry’ seems to be the hardest word….”

-Elton John and Bernie Taupin

We all know it’s hard to say sorry. Even when we know we are wrong, or have wronged someone else, even when we know we should apologise, it can be the hardest thing in the world to do.

Maybe it’s the loss of face involved, the admission that we are failable. Maybe it’s the fact that we are making ourselves vulnerable to someone else, to scorn or ridicule. Even though we know that most apologies are accepted gracefully, we still have to find some inner strength to find the right words to say.

These Sorry Cards are designed to reduce the barriers to saying sorry. With groups of young people, I introduce them at the start of a course and let them know that they are available should the want them. If they need to apologies to someone they can come and get a card from me, no questions asked and give it to that person. If we have a base to work from I put them somewhere where they can help themselves.

By reducing the need to find the right words for the apology, and by turning it into a simple action, it reduces the feeling of exposing oneself to scorn, rejection or ridicule.

The have a number of different designs to let the giver chose a pattern they like, or think the receiver would like. You could of course create your own, or even get the group to create their own at the start of the course, in case they are needed.

Like all reviewing techniques it doesn’t work with every group, but if you have a fiery group where conflict is common, try it.

PDF: Sorry_Cards

Oil companies have a pretty shaky environmental record but most of them are at least coming to the realisation that they are not using an infinite resource. This 1962 advert shows that this wasn’t always the case (click on the image for a larger version)

Picture source unknown, let us know!

We’ve been in North Wales all day, whittling sticks, chopping wood and building shelters as part of a stone soup bush craft session based at Boulder Adventures. Everybody has brought along ideas and we’ve shared them, improving practice and making all of us safer. Claire (above) seemed rather attached to her shelter and didn’t want to come out.

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At a recent breakfast meeting, I had the opportunity to meet Mike Buss. Mike describes himself as a ‘World Record Breaking Endurance Athlete’.

A ex-soldier and Physical Training Instructor, Mike’s story was pretty incredible. After suffering hearing loss when a bomb exploded 20 feet from him in Northern Ireland, he was medically discharged and, struggling to adapt to civilian life, he found himself living on the streets of London.

An article on Paddy Boyle inspired him to sort himself out and he set out to break as many fitness world records as he could. He now holds more than 20 world records for fitness and aims to break at least 20 more.

Some of the records he holds are mind-boggling:

Fastest 10 mile road run carrying 40lb pack & wearing chemical warfare suit : 2hrs 42mins.

Longest time spent continuously cycling : 96hrs

Furthest distance covered on a treadmill carrying 120lb pack : 62km.

There is loads more information about his achievements on his website so go and marvel and, while you are there, think about donating to Help for Heroes, Mike’s chosen charity.

Right, I’m off to find my running shoes…

Bill Krouwel of Trinity College, Carmarthen has started a social network  for those of us working in Development Training who have an interest in Emergent Learning. In his words;

“For those who are uncomfortable with the fashionable idea that learning events don’t count unless they have tight, pre-set objectives.”

If you have an interest  in such things, please do come and join us or ask me for an invite.

Howies Brainfood

Howies not only make really good quality clothing but their blog “Brainfood” is filled with little snippets of information that are both interesting and informative. No long essays, just a drip drip drip of environmentalism, outdoor life, sports and clothing.

The Cleanest Line

Written by the employees, friends and customers of the outdoor clothing company Patagonia. Since it’s employees include Lynn Hill and Yvon Chourinard as well as some leading environmentalists and outdoor writers it is nearly always a great read.

Paul Deegan

Paul Deegan is a mountaineer, presenter and journalist who posts thoughtful views on living and working in the outdoors. He’s also a dreadful skier.

Life in the Vertical

Mark Reeves is a climbing instructor and coach based in North Wales. His blog is frequently badly spelled and some might find his choice of language offensive but it does provide a good insight into making a living in the outdoors.

Kit Up

Inspiration and information can come from the most unlikely source. This blog, subtitled “Warfighters, show us your gear” contains posts about equipment useful to soldiers. Frequently though, soldiers want the same as outdoor people, tough, light, effective gear that does the job. It’s worth keeping an eye on simply to see what our camouflaged brethren are using to do similar things.

Have you ever been lost? In the hills? In the city? Underwater? In your own mind?

Jamie Neal has. Christopher Columbus has. Macaulay Culkin has.

We’d love to hear your story, comment below or mail me.

On the Three Peaks event I ran for Evolution Services this weekend I spent some time talking to one of the participants about the feeling of achievement that comes from climbing a mountain. This feeling is very satisfying, often represents real learning and, importantly from a trainers point of view, impossible to fake.

There is no way in the world that moving some barrels and planks around on a patch of grass to cross a ‘river’ marked out with ropes can ever compare to building a pontoon to cross a real river. Read More »