The CutterTREVOR’S JOURNEYOur outgoing CEO reflects on 14 action- packed years at the helm of Outward Bound.

SUPPORTING OTAGO’S YOUTHThe Otago Community Trust is helping young people unlock their potential at Anakiwa.

GET OB ON YOUR CVGraduate employers share their thoughts on the benefits of getting OB on your CV.

MARCH 2015 ISSUE KEEPING YOU IN TOUCH WITH OUTWARD BOUND

Cover image: Past CEO Trevor Taylor at an Outward Bound International event in Oman. This page (clockwise from top left): Wellington team Christmas croquet; Aspire Course 2010; Outward Bound 50th reunion; Team volunteer day at SoamesIsland; Best workplace of the year award 2007; Foundation pathway brick;

Cutter journey in Marlborough Sounds; Rafting the Clarence river with OB instructors; Team volunteer day at Zealandia; Batten Watch – Aspire C548; Aspire Course 2010; OB International event in Oman (centre image).

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

ONE HECK OF A JOURNEYThis month we say goodbye to Trevor Taylor – our CEO of 14 years. Here Trevor shares his reflections of his time at the helm.

As I sit here at my desk preparing to hand over the baton I have been reflecting on the many great memories and highlights of the past 14 years.

As one would expect there have been many, but it’s the skill, passion and commitment of the team that I have had the privilege of working with at Outward Bound NZ that stands out. They are the people that have enabled the Trust to design and deliver courses that meet the needs of our ever-changing social and ethnic landscape, continuing to provide exceptional course outcomes to a wide variety of New Zealanders. They are the team that have prepared the students, walking down the jetty at Anakiwa at the end of their course, for a future of challenges and opportunities.

Another memory is the post course letters and feedback I have received from students and parents over the years. They have been truly inspirational. They make all of us at Outward Bound even more determined and motivated to go that extra step to help our students find their true potential. Numerous times I have heard: “my course has been life changing”; “for the first time I am happy with who I am”; “I no longer say I can’t; as maybe I can, I just have to give it a go”.

Another is the natural beauty of Anakiwa and the Queen Charlotte Sound, providing such a magnificent playground and classroom for our students. For some when they step onto the jetty at Anakiwa, it’s like landing on Mars, being so different from their normal day-to-day surroundings. It is this special place that helps them understand what they are truly capable of.

The safety of our course participants has been and always will remain a focus of attention as it is paramount to the ongoing success of the Trust. However “safety” doesn’t just happen; it’s a result of an organisational culture that has been developed over many years, the skills of our delivery team and the extraordinary amount of time and resource put in by the Management Team, Board and the Outdoor Risk Management experts on our External Safety Advisory Committee.

A number of our courses also stand out for me: our Community Partnership programme which gives youth from low socio-economic backgrounds an opportunity to experience Outward Bound; our corporate programmes, which give the business sector a chance to genuinely develop their future leaders; our elite sports programmes which have helped 19 of our alumni wear the silver fern at the London Olympics; our disability sector courses that ensure that those with a disability can experience the benefit of Outward Bound; and our school leader course

which helps those chosen for school leadership roles prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead of them.

A key focus has also been on ensuring our courses are reflective of the needs of New Zealand’s rapidly changing demographics and cultural diversity. We at Outward Bound see cultural diversity as a community asset not a liability. A real highlight for me has been the success of the Southern Cross course, run in partnership with the Human Rights Commission, and Aoraki Bound, run in partnership with Ngai Tahu. These partnerships have been a real win/win - not only have they provided exceptional course outcomes but have helped us learn and grow as an organisation. We want our courses to be seen as a ‘must do’ by all New Zealanders, irrespective of their ethnic or cultural background.

Finally all of this would not be possible without the ongoing support of our loyal band of donors. You have made it possible for 54,000 kiwis to understand what they are truly capable of, helping make their dreams a reality.

Thank you. It’s been one heck of a journey.

TREVOR TAYLOR

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

Last year Shelley Houghton was funded by a R A McKenzie Scholarship to attend an eight-day Aspire course, fulfilling a dream she had since being a teenager.

By running before sunrise, traversing high ropes, navigating rock faces and sailing the Sounds, Shelley broke through many of the barriers she had developed over the years.

“At Outward Bound I truly realised that there are no barriers to achieving in life, only excuses, and that my perception of what is important hasn’t always given me the fulfilment I thought it should.”

Returning from Outward Bound inspired, Shelley held the belief more mature women should have the chance to enjoy a similar life-changing experience. Motivated by this belief, she donated the same amount of money she received from R A McKenzie to Outward Bound.

“I feel women give a lot in their lifetimes to support partners and raise families. But they often don’t have time for themselves. I really wanted to support another 40 something woman through an Outward Bound Course.”

Shelley’s donation provided the necessary financial assistance to help both Kitty Chiu and Gina Mortimer make their journey to Anakiwa last November.

Kitty experienced the 21-day Masters course as part of Shackleton 599, where she gave it her all and discovered how to stay in the present moment.

“I learnt to be mindful and enjoy every step of my life journey. I have a great life ahead. I feel contented and at the same time I feel nothing can stop me.”

Like Shelley, Gina had the lifelong dream of attending Outward Bound, which was fuelled by listening to her father’s Outward Bound stories while growing up.

PAYING IT FORWARD

This dream turned into reality when she went on the Discovery course as part of Batten 599. While in Anakiwa she developed a resilience that helped her overcome the daily challenges she faced on the course.

“Although I was totally out of my comfort zone and being away from my two children was very hard emotionally for me, I managed to keep the motto “Stay Strong” in my head to help me through.”

Shelley’s contribution to Outward Bound didn’t end with just her financial donation. She also volunteered her time towards the end of last year as a support worker for Activate, our course specifically developed for people with physical disabilities.

It’s this kind of support from our Alumni that helps Outward Bound continue to provide life changing experiences for New Zealanders of all ages.

Shelley Houghton8 day Aspire Course

“I really wanted to support another 40 something woman through an Outward Bound Course”

Alumni story

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

CHANGES ON THE WATER IN ANAKIWAOctober last year marked an end of an era at Outward Bound as the Resolution, the last clinker-built Cutter in Anakiwa, was sent to a new home.

With the help of local ship haulers, the Resolution was transported to The Small Boat Museum in St Arnaud, Lake Rotoiti.

Outward Bound Maintenance Manager Vic Koller said “I am thrilled we found a beautiful new home for the 38 year old lady. No doubt she will sail again sometime in the future, but this time on a lake.”

The Resolution, which was built in 1976 at a local boatyard, has allowed 1000’s of Kiwis to get their first taste of sailing while exploring the beautiful Marlborough Sounds.

However due to rising maintenance costs and safety concerns, the Outward Bound team decided to replace the older styled wooden Cutters with more robust fibre-glass versions.

Generous donations from across our amazing OB community raised enough money to replace all three of the school’s wooden Cutters with fiberglass models. The new boats are based on the old clinker design, ensuring the traditional Cutter look is retained, while improving capability and strength.

The last of the new Cutters, the Tōrea, was welcomed to Anakiwa in November 2014. Tōrea is the Māori name for oystercatcher. It was chosen because of the connection to Torea Bay and the proverb ‘Ka whati te tai, Ka pao te Tōrea’—‘as the tide recedes the oystercatcher strikes’. This proverb is a favourite among the Outward Bound instructors as it emphasises the importance of seizing the moment.

We are now embarking on a new fundraising campaign to upgrade one of the school’s launches.

Our launches travel with the students as they sail across the Sounds, and are a key part of their learning experience. They are also used for transporting students around the Sounds, including dropping students on their solo experience.

Our instructors currently use three launches, which consists of two 1990’s designed Tortugas and the Matakana.

The Matakana was an old life boat from the Wahine, which was converted into a support launch for Outward Bound in the 1970’s. After more than 40 years of service, the Matakana is now ready for retirement. The goal is to replace the Matakana with a tried and tested Tortuga launch.

See the back cover for donation information

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

THE MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCE

Devon Kilkelly21 day Mind Body Soul Course

“I realise that no dreams are out of reach”

Devon Kilkelly recently received a Sir Roy McKenzie Scholarship to attend our Mind, Body, Soul Course. We caught up with her after the course, to see how she found her OB experience:

What was going on for you before Outward Bound?Before attending Outward Bound, I felt like I was disappointing my family and teachers by not attending university straight after college. Therefore I made the commitment to challenge myself physically, mentally and emotionally on the course. Boy did Outward Bound deliver! The challenges I faced during the three weeks, individually and as part of a team, has made my life richer and has helped shape me into a more adaptable, considerate, strong and free-thinking person.

How would you describe your OB experience?This was the most amazing experience I have had in my life so far. There are no words to describe the impact that the Outward Bound course has had on me.

The friendships made within my watch group are stronger than a lot of the friendships I have at home. The experience I shared with these new-found friends has formed a bond that’s unbreakable.

Alumni story

What were your biggest challenges on the course?The biggest physical challenge I faced was continuing to tramp when I was physically exhausted. However, the team spirit and motivation from everyone kept me going. I was shown during this tramp that even though everyone was just as tired and hungry as me, no one snapped or gave up and everyone was trying to stay upbeat. This motivates me to keep a positive attitude, push through and never give up when facing future challenges in my life.

A mental challenge I faced was during the rock climbing activity. I loved going up, I even went up blindfolded, but I was not a fan of coming down! I held on for dear life at the top, and I was also listening to the thoughts in my head telling me of all the ways I could fall and splatter on the platform below. A trick I learnt from my instructors to overcome a scary situation like this is to ask myself “Is the risk real or perceived?”

What did you take away from your time in Anakiwa?I have come away with so many learnings, experiences, constructive criticism of myself, fantastic memories and what I believe will be life-long friendships. I realise that no dreams are out of reach, and I have learnt to do what makes me happy.

Plans for the future?This year I will be flying out to Malawi to work as a global volunteer for six months. I will be teaching English and Maths and helping out around the local village. Attending Outward Bound helped me realised that this is what I have a passion for. More importantly, it’s given me the confidence to follow it and speak with pride about what I am doing.

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

This improved confidence led Josh to apply for the College’s 2015 Head Boy position, which he was awarded. “After speeches, interviews and voting, I was announced as Head Boy— I really believe that without the experience of the Outward Bound course I wouldn’t have the self-belief to apply for this position. I’m rapt. Without the help of the Otago Community Trust, this experience would be out of reach for many people. I am truly grateful for the opportunity.”

Over the period of the partnership, almost $1million has been donated by the Trust for Outward Bound scholarships, helping more than 625 of the region’s secondary school students find their future direction at Anakiwa.

During the course, participants learn to step up and make the most of their final years at school, getting ready for the life challenges ahead. It’s a great opportunity to push through comfort zones, learn to work as a team, and take time to reflect on personal values and goals.

For over a decade the Otago Community Trust (OCT) has been providing scholarships for Otago secondary school students to attend our Mind Body Soul Course (MBS).

Students from across Otago apply for the scholarships through their school, and 25 pupils are selected each year to attend.

There is strong support for the initiative from the schools, who have seen their students experience huge personal growth, often stepping up as leaders in their community.

Last October, Josh MacMillan from Kaikorai College in Dunedin attended a MBS Course as an OCT Scholarship recipient. When Josh returned to Dunedin after completing the course, he was a changed person, with renewed confidence and self-belief. “I got a huge amount of confidence out of the course and believe everyone who attended benefited from the experience,” Josh says.

Community

SUPPORTING THE YOUTH OF OTAGO

Otago schools who received Otago Community Trust Scholarships for our MBS Course in 2014:

Kavanaugh College, Dunstan High School, East Otago High School, Kaikorai Valley High School, Otago Girls High School, Cromwell College, St Hildas Collegiate, Otago Boys High School, Waitaki Boys High School, Bayfield High School, John McGlashon College, Kings High School, Columba College, Waitaki Girls High School, Logan Park High School, South Otago High School, Maniototo Area School, Mt Aspiring College, Roxburgh Area School, Lawrence Area School, Catlins Area School, Queens High School, St Kevins College, and Taiere College.

Above: Otago students at Anakiwa

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

PINNACLE PROGRAMME HITS NEW HEIGHTSOutward Bound’s partnership with Hyundai’s youth leadership programme Pinnacle has reached the next phase. Three candidates are now ready to attend Outward Bound, with a further three to attend later in the year.

The Pinnacle programme gives talented young people from across New Zealand support and training, helping them to excel in their chosen field. In the first phase of the programme 20 talented young Kiwis were selected to participate in a 10 day Spirit of Adventure voyage.

The second phase is to select 10 of these original candidates to attend an Outward Bound course. Candidates emerging as leaders within the group will then be selected for a mentoring

programme and graduate the Pinnacle programme. To date six candidates have been selected to attend Outward Bound.

Pinnacle Brand Ambassador Bernice Mene says “It is exciting that we are embarking into Stage Two of the Pinnacle programme with Outward Bound. It has been difficult to select students due to the high calibre of applicants, however we believe we have a good mix of students from different disciplines – business, IT, film, art, sport and stage production. 21 days at Outward Bound I believe will develop these students further than they could even imagine. It is a fantastic opportunity for our future leaders.”

Kaleb Hapuku, Natasha Bishop and Nicholas Humphries are the first of programme’s future leaders who will get this opportunity when they attend the Outward Bound Classic course in February.

Natasha, currently studying a Bachelor of Screen Arts at Unitec, was selected for her exceptional talent in film animation. Her short animated film Arboraceous, which highlights humanity’s impact on the environment, has won a number of awards. Being an avid outdoors enthusiast, she is really looking forward to exploring the beauty of the peaks and valleys surrounding Anakiwa.

Kaleb, a born entertainer, gained his place on the programme with his huge talent for acting and the performing arts. His ambition is to perform in Shakespeare plays at the Globe Theatre in London and become a movie star. He recently became a cadet on the Spirit of Adventure and hopes to serve on missions with his church. Kaleb said “I’ve heard things about

Outward Bound but never imagined I’d actually be doing it myself. I am looking forward to the adventure, finding myself in places I’ve never been before, doing things that I’ve never done. I’ll be doing some of the things that my mum used to do in her childhood with her dad – he was the best adventurer. Outward Bound will help me learn some great life skills and see what I am capable of.”

Nicholas is a natural leader who is passionate about making a difference with his programming skills. He won the Smoke Free “It’s My Life” competition for an app he developed called the “Quit Toolbox”. He has also developed another app called the ‘Credit Watcher’ with his company Fivebuzz. This app helps students track their NCEA credits on their phone, input their timetable and keep track of their homework. Nicholas sees Outward Bound as a chance to be challenged, allowing him to learn more about himself and how to deal with the unexpected.

Top left: Nicolas Humphries in beautiful Fiordland. Bottom left: Natasha Bishop with Barrie Thomas winning an award for Arboraceous. Above: Kaleb Hapuku enjoying the water.

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

Last year Outward Bound attended the New Zealand Association of Graduate Employers (NZAGE) 2014 summit. The purpose of the summit is to provide companies with strategies to gain a competitive advantage in the graduate recruitment industry.

With New Zealand’s top graduate employers in attendance, Outward Bound enjoyed building new business relationships, catching up with existing clients and gaining new insights about targeting the all-important student demographic.

GET OB ON YOUR CV!

During the summit we shared information about our business courses with attendees. In true Outward Bound spirit we added an innovative twist to our stall.

Sparked by recent NZAGE research showing that employers now seek graduates with skills and experiences that stretch beyond school and university grades, we asked employers if Outward Bound would provide graduates with the qualities they are seeking.

Lisa FraserAuckland Council

Sam JohnsonStudent Volunteer Army

Sarah LockhartGrant Thornton NZ

Mary Jane RichardsJumpshift

“It shows that desire to go and push yourself, to do something different and extend yourself and to be adventurous.”

“I think that’s why Outward Bound is great, it encourages that sense of initiative, confidence and teamwork.”“Outward Bound puts

you in an uncomfortable situation — somewhere that you’re not used to. This really helps prepare you for the corporate world, which can be quite similar for a new graduate.”

“If there’s any way you can get yourself on Outward Bound it would speak volumes on a CV, that you’re the kind of person that’s up for adventure, up for a challenge and has self awareness.”

Graduate employers shared their thoughts on video, including what they look for in employees, and the value of Outward Bound on a CV.

We then created a series of short videos from the footage and shared them across our social media channels.

Employers were clear that Outward Bound offers graduates with a competitive edge in the job market. Great news for our Alumni!

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

New Zealand is changing –we’re growing more diverse every year. Since 2004 OB has partnered with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) to offer a course for young people from a range of cultures.

The partnership began when we realised several ethnic groups in New Zealand were not participating in our courses. We were keen to find a way to increase the cultural diversity of our participants – ensuring that Outward Bound really is available to all New Zealanders.

To overcome these barriers we worked with the HRC to develop Southern Cross, a 21 day custom designed course. The course runs once a year, and is for young Aucklanders of Maori, Pakeha, Pacific, Asian and other ethnic descent that have leadership potential and an ability to contribute to the development of their communities.

Over the years participants have come from the Afghani, Asian, Croatian, Fijian, Maori, Pakeha, Sri Lanken, South African, and Tamil communities as well as the Hindi and Bahai’I faiths.

The course provides an opportunity for personal development, team-work, and increased cross-cultural understanding through common goals and a positive group culture. Participants

CELEBRATING DIFFERENCE

experience the classic range of challenging OB outdoor activities, and have extra time to explore their own cultural identity, including how it impacts their everyday lives.

Southern Cross includes a shared cultural dinner. This celebrates the group’s diversity while helping cement the friendships that have been formed during their time together. The dinner is a real highlight– the local Anakiwa community is invited to attend, and the food and stories are pretty incredible! The group then catch up in Auckland after the course, giving friends and family a chance to hear more about their shared experience.

“I think our group is proof that friendship and fellowship transcends all our differences, and that cultural diversity is no obstacle to the development of a strong, solid team” says Southern Cross participant Yuan Wen.

Roshan Peri Suppiah, another past student says, “This experience has taught me to appreciate how beautiful New Zealand really is. The amazing scenery, beautiful environment, clear skies and waters, clean land and special cultures all contributing to make New Zealand one of the world’s most beautiful places”.

Southern Cross was formally acknowledged by the Human Rights Commission last year, winning the New Zealand Diversity Action Award. This award recognises our contribution to cultural diversity and race relations. Race Relations Commissioner, Dame Susan Devoy, said “Outward Bound’s vision of ‘better people, better communities, better world’ is also their legacy to the rest of the country.”

We hope that Southern Cross participants become positive role models in their community, and encourage friends and family to also take part in an Outward Bound experience.

Community

Above: Varsha Mistry enjoying her Southern Cross courseLeft: Governor General Sir Jerry Matapere, Outward Bound team member Alyssa Boobyer, and Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy with the OB New Zealand Diversity Action Award.

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Better People, Better Communities, Better World

We recently welcomed a new safety manager to the team at Anakiwa, Simon Graney. We took him aside for a quick Q&A

What sort of background do you need to get a job like this?Obviously plenty of years instructing is pretty useful. I’ve worked across all the different activities that we use at Outward Bound, and have gathered a few qualifications along the way – four NZ Outdoor Instructor’s Association qualifications at Level 1, and one at Level 2. I’ve also got a Commercial Launch Master qualification, which is pretty unusual for an outdoor instructor. I’ve spent most of my career working in NZ, but have also worked on a traditional sailing ship in Israel, and in Germany and Nepal instructing kayaking and other skills.

INTRODUCING…And what prompted you to leave? That sounds like an amazing place to live!It was, and will always be special to me. That was a great place for my kids to grow up, but also limiting in some ways. We’re now a bit closer to civilisation, and to more recreational choices like mountains and rivers. I’m also really appreciating working as part of a large organisation with an amazingly diverse set of people.

What are some of the important projects you’ll be working on as Safety Manager?Safety is something that is very fluid and dynamic. It’s never something you can pin down and say ‘job done’. Having said that, the biggest milestone over the next month or so will be ensuring Outward Bound meets the requirements of a relatively new piece of legislation, the Adventure Activities Regulations. Our systems are very solid, but there is some fine tuning to do, mostly focused around writing down how we carry out the safety-related tasks that have become second nature. I’m also very keen to get as familiar as possible with all of the areas we use – the rivers, the sounds and the bush.

Apart from instructing experience, what else do you think contributes to your skills in this job?I’m also a registered outdoor safety auditor. In fact I audited Outward Bound early in 2013, which was the first time I had spent much time here since my OB Classic course in 1991! I’ve worked in some other fields which I think all contributes in some way – in marketing when I first left university, in corporate training, and for an industry training organisation. Somewhere in the middle I spent a fair bit of time travelling and living out of a kayak, which certainly helped broaden my horizons.

So what did you study at university?Ah, I have a Bachelor Degree in French and Japanese, and a Masters in French and Marketing. I can’t say those are much use to me now! But the general skills you develop at university of analytical thinking, and expressing yourself well on paper, are always going to be useful.

Where have you come from most recently?I’ve spent the last six years working as the Centre Manager for OPC (now called Hillary Outdoors) on Great Barrier Island.

Safety manager Simon Graney and his daughter Petra, sailing around the Northland coast

Please return this form to: Outward Bound, PO Box 25274, Wellington 6146

For more info contact: Diane Leyten, 0800 688 927 or fundraising@outwardbound.co.nz

SEND US A LIFELINE.

For the past 50 years the Outward Bound Cutters have been sailing the waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound. They have been instrumental in helping over 50,000 New Zealanders unlock their true potential. To keep our students safe on the water, Outward Bound instructors shadow the Cutters in a launch.

The launch travels with the students as they sail across the Sounds, and is a key part of their learning experience. It is also used for transportation, including dropping students off on solo.

Outward Bound has three support vessels – two Tortugas and the Matakana. The Matakana, originally a life-boat from the Wahine ferry, was converted into a support launch for the school in the 1970’s. After more than 40 years of service, the Matakana is now ready for retirement.

So we’re asking you for your support, to help fund our next Tortuga, and continue to keep our students safe on the water for many years to come.

I’M KEEN TO HELP OUTWARD BOUND BUY A NEW TORTUGA SAFETY VESSEL!

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