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Published by St Alban's College, 2018-05-25 02:20:19

Letter #2 Journey 2018

Letter #2 Journey 2018

Tel: +27 (12) 348-1221 110 Clearwater Road
Fax: +27 (12) 361-1917 Lynnwood Glen
Twitter: @thegreyandblue Pretoria 0081

www.stalbanscollege.com  Private Bag X01
Email: [email protected] Lynnwood Ridge
0040
South Africa

24 May 2018

Form 3 Journey Letter #2

Dear Form 3 Parents

With our first Journey meeting taking place on Monday the 28th of May at the Form 3 Parent-
Teacher Evening, it is important that we communicate the following in advance:

Gear List

Below is a list of kit that is recommended for the Journey.

 Your own backpack (65 to 75 litres)  A dish cloth

 A tent between 2-3 boys is recommended.  A rain jacket / windbreaker

(Buy one from a reputable outdoor store!)  Means of waterproofing your backpack

 Sleeping bag and contents

 Light roll-up mattress  Toiletries (Bio degradable soap only)

 Hiking shoes that provide good ankle  Costume / baggies

support  Towel

 Sandals / strops (these MUST strap on to the  Two shirts with collars (long sleeves for the

foot, and are vital for walking in rivers) sun)

 A wide-brimmed hat  A pair of shorts

 UV protection spray / suncream  A pair of long pants

 Water bottles – minimum capacity of 2 litres  A t-shirt or two

 Headlamp with spare batteries  Two/three pairs of socks

 Writing paper, envelopes, pens  Underwear

 A novel / book to read  Some washing powder / soap for washing

 ± 5m of rope for a solo shelter, and team clothes

challenges  Matches / a lighter

 Eating utensils (i.e. plate / bowl; cup; spoon;  A whistle

knife)  Tin opener / pocket knife with tin opener

 MTB puncture repair kit

Please note that your son may NOT take a cell phone or ANY other electronic device (apart from
a camera) on the Journey. Items that have proven useful but are not mandatory are: some spices,
salt, pepper; a pencil; a bandanna or buff; a lightweight hiking towel; sunglasses; a pair of long
pants; needle and thread; spare shoelaces; ziplock plastic bags; a camera; a hand fishing line with
necessaries; a tennis ball; a leatherman; some clothes pegs; long woolly hiking socks; a watch.

St Alban’s College students and parents can contact Mike Pollock, St Alban’s College parent and
distributor of First Ascent and Cape Storm apparel, for gear ranging from tents and back packs to
protective clothing. For a product catalogue and pricing, please contact Mike at the following
address, [email protected] or on 083 628 6964.

The College will provide: bicycles, rafts, safety equipment, food, toilet paper, first-aid kits, tools,
maps, black bags for litter, dish washing liquid, material for a solo shelter, a student’s handbook
and an A5 hardback journal.

It takes a school with vision to prepare a young man for life

Medical and Safety
This kind of activity will always have risks – and, to a degree, that is part of what the Journey is
about. However, we have done everything we can to ensure that it is as safe as possible for your
son. We will compile a medical card for each boy which he will attach to his pack. The information
we use will be taken from the Adam system, so please ensure the information is up to date. Adult
leaders will also have a copy of each boy’s details so that, in the event of an emergency, personal
information is available and the best treatment can be secured. Along the route we notify the
local hospitals of our schedule and ensure that they are ready to receive us immediately should
any emergency occur.

We have an emergency medical response team (Adventure Medics) on the route for the duration
of the Journey. They are familiar with the route and activities on Journey and will have a copy of
the medical information for each boy. Each group will be accompanied by 2 adult leaders. The
adult leaders are qualified in First Aid and will carry cell phones with them as well as satellite phones
for when there is no cell phone signal.

The boys will be briefed on various safety issues during the months preceding the Journey. Topics
covered will include: water safety, snake bite prevention and treatment, what to do in case of
lightning, cycling safety, and basic survival techniques.

The Form 3 Journey Bicycle Project
Community Service is not only our civic responsibility but it is also an integral part of the learning
that prepares our young men for life. Last year we made a real lasting difference with the
introduction of the Journey Bicycle Project, when we donated the bicycles to the students of
Ubuhle Christian School.

5 Simple reasons to volunteer
1. It’s good for you. Experts report that when you focus on someone

other than yourself it interrupts tension producing patterns and
relieves stress
2. Volunteers gain professional experience and this offers the
opportunity to test out a career.
3. It brings people together, uniting people from diverse
backgrounds to work towards a common goal.
4. It promotes personal growth and self-esteem. Understanding
community needs helps foster empathy and self-efficacy.
5. Volunteering strengthens your community.

It takes a school with vision to prepare a young man for life

I am excited to continue with this project and it gives me pleasure to share with you the following
grade level community service initiative for our Form 3 year group for 2018.

Buffalo Bicycles are made of heavy gauge steel
tubing, steel rims, puncture resistant long wearing
tyres and a weather durable coaster brake. They
are the true African bicycles and can often be
seen in our rural areas – where they are the main
mode of transport – loaded to the hilt. Needless to
say, they are durable and inexpensive to
maintain.

This year we will purchase 18 Buffalo Bicycles.
Each bike is to be numbered and assigned to 6
specific riders (1 rider from each of the 6 groups)
who will then take responsibility for the care of that

bike throughout the Journey.

We will expect from the boys to help raise 50% of the purchase price of these bicycles, amounting
to R240 per person. This can either be done by means of a group effort such as selling popcorn on
a civvies day, organizing an inter house bike race, or perhaps through a personal fundraising
campaign where your son may ask for a rand per kilometre sponsorship on the Journey from a
company or family members. Detailed instruction will follow in the coming weeks with the
necessary support and guidance. To be clear, this is not intended to increase the cost of Journey
per family, but instead to give the boys the opportunity to buy-in and become investors in what we
believe to be a truly great community service project.

Once the Journey has been completed, we will then hand the bicycles over to the students at
Ubuhle Christian School as a donation and help to improve the lives of those families.

Some fast facts from Qhubeka Buffalo Bicycles:
1. A child’s commute time to school is reduced by 75% with a bicycle.
2. Schools where children ride bicycles see attendance rates rise by 18%.
3. Marks improve by an average of 25% for children who ride a bicycle to school.
4. A bicycle increases a person’s carrying capacity by five times.

Our aim is that the boys will take ownership of this project through personal investment and realize
the connection between a tough cycle day on Journey and the reality of people who are less
fortunate and travel long distances each day with bicycles as their only means of transport.

Could you help?

Here is a list of what we need to hire, build, purchase, borrow or source. Your help in securing any
of these items for free or at reduced cost will be greatly appreciated. If you are able to help in
some way, please contact me as soon as possible at the cell no. or email indicated at the bottom
of the letter.

1. Food:
We spend ± R200 000 on nutrition, ranging from muesli to marshmallows, that can be packed in a
box and stored for a month. Could you arrange a discount or sponsorship on anything - fresh
vegetables and meat for potjies or braais; fresh fruit, bread, eggs etc.?

2. Support:
Volunteers to pack food boxes. This will be discussed at the parents’ meeting on the 28th of May.

3. Miscellaneous:

It takes a school with vision to prepare a young man for life

Thank-you gifts for host families / farmers and support crew; (cases of wine with which to coax
farmers and land owners!).
Should you have specific questions or concerns, please click on the link below and submit your
question(s) by Sunday 27 May. I will then address the most common questions during the Journey
Discussion time at the Parent-Teacher Consultation evening on Monday the 28th of May.
http://tinyurl.com/journeyquestions
Any queries and comments thereafter can be emailed to: [email protected]. Thank
you for your continued support and trust in your son’s education here at St Alban’s College. I look
forward to being part of your son’s growth through this life-changing experience.
Yours sincerely
Des Turton
HOD Outdoor Education

It takes a school with vision to prepare a young man for life


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