Camp Friedlander Leadership Training Weekend

A weekend of team trust activities, fishing, rock wall climbing, rappelling and rope courses; Boys Hope Girls Hope knows how to do leadership training right!  For two days, the Boys Hope Girls Hope staff and scholars participated in the third annual Buenger Leadership Training.  It was held at the Dan Beard Council/Boy Scouts of America’s Camp Friedlander in Loveland. The training contained different levels of C.O.P.E activities:  Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience.

The weekend started out with a series of activities, each one presenting a problem intended for a group solution.  Teamwork, communication and trust were crucial aspects for successfully completing the tasks.  In addition, some people were mute or blindfolded during the challenges.  For example, View Place scholar Sam was blindfolded as the other scholars lifted him and passed him carefully through a web of “deadly lasers” (ropes). 

That afternoon, staff and scholars climbed or rappelled down the rock climbing tower and fished in the nearby pond.   Everyone spent the evening barbequing and making Smores around the camp fire.  It was a perfect time for us to enjoy the wilderness and relax after a challenging day. 

Sunday morning brought the most exciting C.O.P.E activity of them all:  The high ropes course.  This course consisted of climbing a giant ladder, army crawling across a rope, and walking a tight rope 25 feet from the ground!  The course ends with a fun ride down the zip line.   Many scholars and some staff finished the course successfully.

The weekend at Camp Friedlander was challenging yet fun-filled.  All of the staff and scholars enjoyed engaging in the C.O.P.E. course.  We look forward to visiting Camp Friedlander in the future.