The annual Prefect Retreat is an opportunity for the eighteen grade 12 students to spend time outside the walls of HTS bonding, testing their limits, coming together as a team and learning about their own individual styles of leadership as well as the collective strength of the group.
For over 20 years, the retreat has taken place over three days at Camp Kandalore north of Minden, ON. It is a combination of classic camp activities such as rock climbing, voyageur canoe, and low ropes to more unique activities such as team swing and blanket toss. Each activity is used to develop chemistry between the leaders and to apply leadership philosophies and lessons to scenarios back "home" at school.
Built into the program is a variety of additional leadership activities that Mr James Darling brings that have proven to enhance the already busy camp schedule. For example, each prefect is paired with a buddy they may not know as well and their objective for the entire retreat is to participate together and to get to know each other better. They go on team swing together which often takes them to new heights. They must perform a play about leadership around the campfire for others to interpret and apply to school life.
In addition, to all of this, the prefects play games like Sardines, Commandos, Electric Grid, Helium Stick, Rock'em Sock'em Robots, etc. as ways to further challenge their sense of teamwork and collaboration skills. One of the most powerful activities is a one-hour discussion that requires the group to come up with a three-word motto for their year that starts with each person picking three words and then pairing into larger groups until ultimately all eighteen must unanimously agree on three words. It is an amazing and at times difficult process designed to imitate the processes they will go through all year in terms of decision-making and consensus-building.
Finally, the prefects take moments and time to reflect and to dream. The first night is spent under the stars, star gazing on an island, sharing their hopes for the year. At the end of camp, before they all boarded the bus, the prefects all picked up a stone or pebble and tossed it into the lake as they made a wish or promise to themselves for the coming year.
It was a very busy and meaningful three days made better and more meaningful by being away in the woods, free of distraction, and focused on a common purpose.