Adjourning, Adjourning, Adjourning

Adjourning....Adjourning...Adjourning..

I was a part of a great organization called "Anytown" and now called "Camp Lead."  The group was comprised of college graduates who had all once participated in the program as delegates and now counselors.  They were amazing people, and we all worked together very well to make an exciting week for more than 80 young adults who were rising juniors and seniors in high school.  Seeing the young kids grow intellectually, spiritually, physically and mentally was a rewarding experience as an instructor.  For those two weeks of living in a small community, we built strength that could get us through even the toughest of days.  The hardest part of leaving/parting away from the group at the end of the session, was the absence of unity and harmony, outside of the program.  The group had a focus and it performed and it meet its requirements and then some, each season for more than 7 years. 

                The type of closing rituals that I have experienced are:  round table communication, camp fire reflection the night before, and hugging session where you thank each person verbally and with a hug.  I have never left there feeling empty, except for the fact, that life outside the group, was different and not so scheduled nor sheltered.  I think leaving this group of colleagues here at Walden will be hard, but okay, because it will hopefully mean we participated and completed another chapter in our lives and so if nothing else, we will have friends that we can communicate with, beyond this program.  Adjourning in my opinion is a vital and essential part of teamwork because it bring closure at many levels, and it exhibits growth, failure and reflection.  Without adjourning, I believe that it would be difficult to evaluate and adjust.