austraLasia 771
AUSTRALIA-FIJI: Focus on youth leadership
through camps
MELBOURNE: 16th December '03 -- Held
more or less simultaneously, groups of young leaders led by Salesians and
members of the Salesian Family gathered at Dromana (near Melbourne, Australia)
and Pacific Harbour (near Suva, Fiji) to learn about and, in one case, put into
practice, leadership skills in the context of the annual summer camps. At
Dromana, around 50 leaders came together from around the Australian continent -
12 from Sydney, 2 from Perth, others from the State of Victoria. At
Pacific Harbour, 25 from around the Fiji Islands. In the latter
case, the leadership programme was immediately followed by the summer camp for
local boys and girls, around 50 of these.
At the Dromana leadership camp, the campers were joined
for a leadership discussion by Bishop Mark Coleridge, auxiliary Bishop of
Melbourne, and were also able to listen to and interact with Frs. Elio Capra and
Michael Court, both well-known and much appreciated speakers in Australia on
matters pertaining to young people. Fr. Capra is the Coordinator of the
RCIA in the Melbourne Archdiocese and also the Delegate for Youth Ministry in
the Province. Fr. Court is Rector, Novice Master and leader of the
Retreat Team for young people and adult groups at
Lysterfield.
The Fiji Camps, now in their fifth successful year, have
gone from strength to strength especially through the development of young
leaders by means of a Core Group which has been meeting and engaging in active
leadership through the entire year. The camp is merely a culmination of
this activity for them. Bros. Cyril Logo and Anthony Nansen, two young
Salesians just beginning their Practical Training in 2004 were the driving force
behind the recent camp activity dubbed' Go for Gold', a continuation for the
young campers of the South Pacific Games held in Suva earlier this
year.
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