Cebu, the Philippines, 24 June 2024 -- My spiritual director chose me to represent our parish at Salt Camp Extreme 2024 at Don Bosco Technical College, Cebu, which was a great opportunity. It was a 5-day event from June 13-17, 2024. Before the camp, I prepared everything I could bring. I was lucky that Senior Youth Leader Kuya Daryl Torreon messaged me in the middle of the night to follow up on what I would also bring. I was very excited when I arrived at DBTC, and even though I was 30 minutes late, I focused on my goal of improving as a Salesian Youth Leader.
On Day 1, Kuya Daryl and Ate Jayriel discussed “Knowing the Youth: Youth Studies; What is Youth Ministry?" They talked about how we can better understand our members or fellow youth if we know ourselves and our ideals better. After that, we had group sharing. At that time, I was very shy about interacting with others, but MJ invited me to join their sharing group with Sadie, where we discussed "Who are we?" and did a role-play showcasing our experiences in different settings. In the afternoon, Kuya Eduardo discussed “The Profile of the Youth Minister." He talked about the identity of a youth minister, which includes five elements: Personal Identity, Spirituality, Community/Membership, Formation, and Ministry. Before the Holy Mass, Kuya Daryl assigned each Don Bosco setting to give a Good Morning and Good Evening talk. I was assigned to give the Good Morning Talk on Day 3. Additionally, in the evening, after the Holy Mass, Kuya Buboy discussed “Planning” and how to create a plan for events in our different settings. He also provided a planning sheet to make the planning organized and systematic.
On Day 2, Ms. Arrianne, the CYM Executive Officer, presented the "Salesian Youth Movement Demographics," which were discussed during the National Assembly Days 2023. She covered segmentation types: Geographic, Demographic, Psychographic, Firmographic, Behavioral, and Benefits of a Salesian Youth Member. Each percentage presented highlighted the problems and needs of our members. As Salesian Youth Leaders, it helps us understand how to develop our members through our help and guidance. In the afternoon, Rev. Fr. Vince Michael Sabal, SDB, discussed "Salesian Youth Spirituality" and how the SYM moves with its foundational elements: Ordinary Daily Life, Optimism and Joy, Friendship with Jesus, Communion with the Church, and Responsible Service. Fr. Vince also discussed the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude of Salesian youth members that embody the values and spirituality of a youth leader. After the discussion, we drew our journey from youth members to youth leaders, followed by sharing. In the evening, our final session was conducted by Kuya Eduardo on the topic of "Activity Design Planning." We brainstormed to create a plan for a specific event based on the four elements of The Life of Groups assigned to every group: Formation, Worship, Fellowship, and Service. Our group was assigned the element of Formation.
On Day 3, we had an activity facilitated by Co-Link. Their icebreakers gave us excitement and energy. Afterwards, we, the Co-Link, were asked to create a team contract activity that embodied our behaviors as Salesian youth members: courageous, active, mindful, passionate, and optimistic. After the activity, Kuya Boo discussed the Alpha and Delta, where Alpha means “your own advantages in life” and Delta means “your vulnerability.” After the team contract activity, we shared our thoughts and experiences in organizing and participating in activities, followed by a summary of the collective ideas and experiences of our fellow participants. In the afternoon, they provided us with another icebreaker called Holey Tarp. The procedure required us to locate the ball by number in order and not let it fall through the holes. After the icebreaker, we gave feedback and shared our experiences using the experiential learning cycle: What? (experience), So what? (reflecting), and Now what? (applying). We also discussed the guide to conducting games: the name of the game, the goal of the game, the procedure, and safety. Every facilitator organizing a game or icebreaker must remind players about safety. Moreover, the Co-Link facilitators assigned us to groups to brainstorm and plan our icebreakers for Day 4. Our group planned an activity called “Empty Chair.” The goal of the game is for all players to pick a person to sit in an empty chair, symbolizing a personality trait they want to acquire. In the evening, we had our fellowship and played games like arranging colors in plastic bottles and charades. Before returning to our dorms, we were grouped into three to animate the new SYM-FIS theme song, and our group was assigned the song "Run."
On Day 4, we conducted our icebreakers not just for fellow campers but also for the facilitators. Everyone ensured the players' safety, although some minor accidents occurred in various group activities. After the icebreakers, Kuya Boo discussed the assessment and feedback tool for organizing events. He emphasized checking participants’ presence, equipment safety, the suitability of the environment, and the systematic process of the event. He also refreshed our memory on conducting games and discussed facilitation techniques. As the levels of facilitation techniques increased, we connected deeply with Kuya Boo's talk, sharing experiences of betrayal and healing from them. In the afternoon, we shared our Alpha with fellow campers, providing positive feedback and discussing how it impacted our lives as Salesian Youth Leaders. In the evening, we had another fellowship night with games like cup stacking and flour delivery using cards without hands. We concluded with our animated presentations of the new SYM-FIS theme song.
On Day 5, we reported on our event planning based on our assigned elements. Our group presented first, focusing on Formation. The panel, including Mr. Eduardo Empelis Jr., suggested making our title more specific and helped us arrange our objectives and budget considerations. I also listened to suggestions given to other groups to gain insights. In the afternoon, Ate Jayriel discussed PIE: Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. Planning involves organizing an event; Implementation includes knowledge, time-bound execution, and sequence/flow; and Evaluation provides feedback on the program's value and effectiveness. Implementation is further divided into analyzing materials and tools, identifying issues, and determining leadership competence.
The 5-day experience at Salt Camp Extreme not only improved my leadership skills and knowledge but also changed my life. I made many friends among the campers and facilitators, who helped me during the camp and made me happy. I especially appreciated our daily Holy Mass and Holy Rosary, which deepened our relationship with God. The camp also helped heal my trauma from betrayal. When I shared my experience, I was comforted by the empathy and compassion of my fellow campers. During a trust exercise, despite my initial doubts, I felt good when my fellow campers caught me as I fell, reinforcing the trust among us.
Overall, the camp was a great experience. I made many memories and hope to participate in the next Salt Camp next year without any scheduling conflicts. May this Salt Camp continue to help Salesian Youth Leaders guide their members on their journey to Jesus, embodying His character as the Good Shepherd.
“Do your ordinary duties extraordinarily well.” (St. John Bosco)
