Appleby College - Argus Yearbook (Oakville, Ontario Canada)

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E.R.: J school year. After that they return to the upper school campus, Corio, in Geelong, to finish their last three years. Not only are the students responsible for completing a full academic year but they must also meet the rigorous physical de- mands and community spirit that TIMBERTOP demands. The Campus, 1,000 acres of beautiful mountainous country, consists of 165 students, 45 of whom are girls. There is also a permanent staff of 25, plus a number of assistants (teenagers averaging 18 years of age, chosen from various parts of the world and from young people wishing to experience the Outward Bound flavour of TIMBERTOP.) This younger age group of students has one outstanding factor - a far greater enthusiasm and willingness to try anything. All students live in units of 14, in huts around the property; each unit is responsible for the mainte- nance, the cleanliness and the run- ning of their own hut (each con- tains a dormitory, living-room, study area, small kitchen, and run- ning water for toilets and showers, - the water being heated by wood- burning boilers). Consequently each unit becomes a closely knit group: unit lead.ers are chosen weekly, thus allowing for leader- ship development. Full academic studies are carried out in class- rooms during the week. All stu- dents are trained physically over a period of time, until they are all in excellent health and in top physical condition. 1 have never been in- volved in any academic institution that has their students in better physical shape. (Their final mara- thon in the summer term is 21 miles long over extremely rugged terrain). In 26 years of operation not one student has failed to com- plete this run, and this includes a boy with only one leg. Training and conditioning for mountain climbing and hiking is carefully prepared and developed. In- dividual unit hikes are organized Tuesday through Friday (one unit only, per week) with all units out climbing for the weeketjd. Each climb is scaled in difficulty, and the students build up accordingly. Ail the staff are heavily involved in

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perimentation of that period and clung to the British tradition of intellectual excellence, physical fit- ness and sound discipline. How- ever, they too realized that intelli- gent change was necessary to keep pace with a very demanding and practically minded student who felt that to be cloistered in hallowed ivy covered walls, no longer pre- pared them adequately. A viable alternative or adjunt to the existing system was essential that would, at the same time, maintain all the positive aspects of their system and yet fill this new growing need. During the early 1970 ' s the Minister of Education for Ontario, Mr. Wells, in a number of public speeches started advocating, edu- cation outside the classroom as well as in; this would create the practical training that students de- sired. Because the Independent System was not shackled by the Provincial Department of Educa- tion, it seemed a likely place for any pioneering. Across Canada a number of these schools had been dabbling with outdoor education as an adjunct to the normal acade- mic process: Public Schools began courses in environmental studies and practical field trips but neither system was willing to make a full commitment to this area. An English-German educator, K. Hahn in the 1940 ' s devised the Outward Bound concept in order to toughen up sea-cadets, create discipline and teach them practical skills essential to survival. This was so successful that educators felt that it could be intergrated with the formal academic programme. GORDONSTOUN in Scotland which Prince Charles attended, made it the keystone in its philoso- phy along with academic excel- lence. TIMBERTOP, the Geelong Grammer School ' s Outward Bound Campus in Australia, had begun its successful experiment in this area some 26 years ago. THE WORLD COLLEGE OF THE AT- LANTIC in Southern Wales had its birth during this time period and can now boast of two other such colleges: one in Singapore, the other in Western Canada. A chain of Outward Bound Schools now exist throughout the world, three of which are in Canada. These schools are based purely on the Kurt Hahn philosophy and are not connected with any Secondary School System. However a number of these schools offer courses that have creditation with various Uni- versities. THE KEREMEOS MOUNTAIN SCHOOL in British Columbia is the oldest Canadian Outward Bound School and offers year around courses of two weeks to a month to students and adults. I attended the Teacher ' s Prac- ticuum Course there and its intend- ed purpose was to show the rele- vancy and practical application of the Outward Bound Philosophy in the educational process. It was obvious from my visit to ATLANTIC COLLEGE and my recent sabbatical to TIMBERTOP that the practical application of the Outward Bound Philosophy to our educational system could be highly successful. It does, however, re- quire a total commitment by the institution concerned if it is to be of value. The book, TIMBERTOP - AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERI- MENT will prove interesting read- ing to anyone interested in this unique development. (Texts are hard to come by but I gather that with a new growing demand, a new printing will be out by next year.) The educators at Geelong felt so strongly about the positive effects of utilizing the out-of-doors in conjunction with academic ex- cellence that all grade 9 students, both boys and girls, are sent to its mountain campus for the complete

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the programme. Self-discipline, responsibility, community spirit, physical conditioning, leadership and outdoor skills are stressed in this way. During the Winter Term (June - September) students are involved in downhill skiing and Nordic ski- ing in the mountains. In the third term, their Summer, there is a re- turn to free hiking; and a new skill, white water Kayaking is add- ed. By the end of the third term Timbertop students have become mature, responsible and very capa- ble, young members of society. Beyond the above activities, as well as handling a full grade 9 aca- demic programme, the students are responsible for carrying out the day to day duties of the school: dining room, cleaning of class- rooms, garbage, laundry, wood collecting and splitting (Timbertop burns approximately 500 tons of wood a year.) as well as general re- pair and maintenance duties. All the schools I visited stressed co-operation rather than competi- tion; a sense of team-work and ini- tiative; a will to work together to get through; an ability to put up with the niggling little habits of others - and to recognize some of one ' s own. The old and well used Outward Bound term of mean- ingful stress , which brings out the best in people and which helps them work with others towards a common goal, is an essential part of all the Schools. No matter what age group, these Schools are basically concerned with young people ' s learning to live with, and relate to, each other. Returning to the Canadian scene, in 1972 the Headmaster of Appleby College, Mr. E.R. Larsen, decided that the time had come to make a firm commitment in this area. Along with the kind financial generosity of Mr. S.B. McLaughlin, this idea became a reality and a Northern Campus, called NORTHWARD BOUND was established on Lake Temagami, in the semi-wilderness of the North Arm, some 300 miles from Toronto. In order to ensure the importance of our project to students and education in general we decided to apply to the Depart- ment of Education for full credita- tion for the four year programme starting in grade 9. After two years of operation the Department en- thusiastically gave a total of three credits for the programme. This now meant that a student wishing to continue being involved in the Northern Campus, after grade 10, for the next two years, could train to become a Northern Instructor and at the same time acquire three Provincial credits towards his grade 12 matriculation. Anyone in- terested in understanding how our Northern Campus operates should read the article published in the CANADIAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL JOURNAL, by the Headmaster and Staff Committee, vol. 1, number 2, 1976, entitled, Appleby Northward Bound Pro- gramme . Appleby ' s Northern Campus is now in its sixth year of operation and has become an integral part of the College life. With this new, added dimension, Appleby has be- come unique amongst the Canadian Independent Schools. Other schools from the Maritimes to the West coast have been de- veloping the use of the outdoors as part of their educational process. Naturally this requires expert gui- dance - good leaders and excellent training at all stages of develop- ment. Last year ' s canoeing disaster in Quebec should not dissaude anyone from continuing their pro- grammes. It certainly should how- ever make all institutions, involved in this area, reflect and re-assess their training and safety program- mes. That trip was doomed from the very beginning as the Coroner ' s report indicated - due to lack of expert guidance, poor or non-existant training and a sense- less challenge for that age group. Consistent training, expert advice and common sense are essential for experimentation in the Outward Bound Philosophy. In conclusion it is particularly appropriate that we quote from Kurt Hahn. He has stated; I re- gard it as the formost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial and above all compassion . It is toward the achievement of these ideals that these schools shall continue to struggle. C. W. Noble Director, Northward Bound.