Team Building at FLOC

  Friday April 3, 2009 ten of us traveled to our friends at For Love of Children's Outdoor Education Center. FLOC is situated on over 350 acres of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where we had the opportunity to take part in one of their many outdoor vertical challenge courses! We were lead by their outstanding facilitators, and one of our current part time outstanding staff members, Shane Hovatter (commonly known 'round here as Buckwheat) and Todd McKinney.

  We began our morning with 3 activities- Sword Fight, Trust Circle, and Magic Carpet. Sword Fight was a competitive match similar to thumb wrestling, only you lock hands, stick out your index finger, and try to "sword" your opponent on the leg, without being "sworded" first! Next we circled up, and "passed" each team member around a circle of hands, while the person in the middle completely let go of his/her own balance. 

Lastly, we embarked on the "Magic Carpet"

challenge, where we vertically lifted each team member from lying on the floor to lying on our hands over our heads!

  Next we traveled to the Climbing Wall where we were faced with the challenge to get all team members over a 16ft wall. If that doesn't sound "easy" enough, we were also given several limitations to make the task at hand even more difficult. With a little brainstorming, strategic thinking, and a lot of muscle, not only did we succeed, but were applauded by our facilitators for successfully completely a challenge which would traditionally defeat many teams.

LAST, but certainly not least, we found ourselves high about the forest floor in the canopy of the ropes course! Team members surpassed personal goals and fears, as well as supported one another in individual challenges. At the end of the day, we were all a little sore, and mildly exhausted, but walked away with a sense of accomplishment as well as new camaraderie found among the rain, mud, tree tops, and Sword Fights of our Spring Event.

A HUGE THANKS GOES OUT TO: Our friends at FLOC for hosting and facilitating our event. Angela "Mama Hen" Cogle for the "special" lunch (I owe ya big tyme). Our Office and Administrative staff for making it possible for us to leave home and take the day "out". And to everyone who came out to make the event possible: Matt, Ben, Kym, Bill, Ed, Catfish, Anthony (I need a reminder) Dumps,Gennell, Nick Fridge C., and Frinfrock.

I'm sure I can speak on behalf of each one of us when I say it was nice to sit back and be the guest for the day:) In exchange for our team building program with FLOC, we will be hosting their staff for a development program on our Shenandoah white water rafting trip. Check back after Friday May 8th for the story to come. More pictures coming soon!