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4-H Adult Leadership Training Program
Adult Leadership Training Participants & Guides 2006
Rite of Passage is an exciting new addition to 4-H programs and we are thrilled to offer training for those adults interested in learning how to facilitate this powerful experience.
How to become a 4H Rite of Passage Guide
About 4-H Rite of Passage Leadership Training
Level I Training: The Adult Rite of Passage
Level II Training: Assisting at Basecamp
Level III Training: Mirroring Workshop
Level IV Training: Co-leading a 4-H Rite of Passage
Equipment and Accommodations
Reading List
FAQ
How to become a 4-H Rite of Passage Guide
To become a 4-H Rite of Passage Leader, potential candidates must join 4-H, complete the Adult Leader Rite of Passage (Level I), assist at basecamp for one trip (Level II), attend a 3-day Mirroring Training (Level III), co-lead a trip (Level IV), complete First Aid certification and become familiar with 4-H programs and philosophy. Participants must also demonstrate knowledge and skills required to be an effective Rite of Passage guide. See the requirements: Leader Certification Checklist
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About 4-H Rite of Passage Training
Culturally appropriate rites of passage from adolescence into adulthood are critically important. Without accepted and honored ceremonies, adolescents are initiating each other into adulthood using the symbols of “maturity” that they see as the privilege of adults around them: alcohol, drugs, violence, and sex. The 4-H Rite of Passage Program offers an alternative: a culturally appropriate rite of passage through a vision fast in the wilderness. We prepare initiates for a 3-day fast alone without shelter or company in the natural world. The vision fast process involves 3 phases: severance from the world that they know and will leave behind, threshold or time alone, and incorporation into their new life and life status as an adult. The benefits of this work at the individual and cultural levels are many and include: self knowledge (both strengths and weaknesses), leadership skills, self-esteem, self-confidence, sense of responsibility for self and community, fuller access to emotions, feelings an spirit, respect for self and others and a deep honoring of the natural world that supports us all.
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Level I Training-The Adult Rite of Passage
The 4-H Adult Rite of Passage parallels the format of the 4-H Youth Rite of Passage with the additional task of learning the role of the facilitator. Each adult will experience a three day and night fast in a wilderness place and go through the same steps/processes as the Youth. However, throughout the preparation, threshold, and incorporation phases of the training, the trainee must wear two hats: apprentice to the initiatory process and the one who is being initiated. Warning: It is not always easy to wear both hats!! This training gives the participant an understanding of how the principles of the vision fast can be applied within the 4-H community.
On the first day of the training (the training is one week, including both surrounding weekends), we convene at a wilderness basecamp. The first three days are given over to preparation (severance). Morning and afternoon meetings are the norm. Instruction includes: the mirroring dynamics of elder’s councils; screening and preparation of candidates in four areas: physical, psychological, mental, and spiritual; the four shields of human-nature; the sacred and the profane; the dynamics of fasting; self-generated ceremony; the power of taboos; the “death lodge,” the “purpose circle,” the mirror of nature; and the shaping and confirmation of intent. Trainees go out looking for a place to fast and set up communication stone piles with their “buddies” during this severance time. On the fourth, fifth, and sixth days the trainee lives alone and fasts in a wilderness place (Threshold). On the morning of the seventh day, the fasters return from the wilderness to basecamp and a celebratory feast is held in a nearby town (Incorporation). On the eighth and ninth days, each story is told in the council of elders. The elders witness, mirror meaning, and empower intent and then we look at the process that has just unfolded from a training perspective. Trainees are encouraged to learn the form and process of the traditional Rite of Passage, and then to give it their own unique expression within life and work.
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Preparation (Severance)
Your vision fast begins as soon as you decide to do it. The more thoughtful and honest you are with yourself, the more you will get out of the experience. Spend time thinking about why you want to do the vision fast. Write in a journal or talk to a trusted friend about your intentions. It is highly recommended that you complete the Day Walk described in the Handbook. You may also want to read The Book of the Vision Quest and The Roaring of the Sacred River by Stephen Foster and Meredith Little.
Questions to consider as you prepare for your vision fast:
from John Davis and Nancy Jane of School of Lost Borders
What is the purpose, intention or focus of your fast?
What do you hope to gain; what are you willing to give up?
What transition are you going through at this time in your life?
What “old skins” or self-images is it time to shed?
What previous transition, not fully completed, needs to be completed now?
With what do you need to reconnect?
What do you seek at this point in your life’s journey?
What is the greatest gift you could give yourself during this vision fast?
Who are your people; whom do you feel called to serve?
What is the greatest gift you could bring back for your people and your place?
What inner tools and resources do you bring on this quest?
What are your strongest fears or resistances; how might you sabotage your journey?
What am I going to mark, claim, celebrate or confirm? What is my intent? Who will benefit from my training? Who are my people?
Threshold (Solo Time)
The traditional 4-H Rite of Passage Solo is based upon the following guidelines (taboos): no company, no food and minimal shelter. Within these guidelines leaders will assist you in planning for the solo experience that meets your needs.
Incorporation (Return)
Your guides will assist you to authentically mark what you have done on your Rite of Passage. You will return immediately to civilization to have a celebratory feast in a nearby town and then return to the wilderness to tell your stories to the elders council and begin to prepare for the return to your new life.
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Level II Training: Assisting at Basecamp
After you have completed your own 4-H Rite of Passage, your next step is to assist in basecamp. You can do this during either an adult or a youth trip. Assisting in basecamp includes participating in all components of the trip with additional training during the three days the fasters are on their solos. It is a great opportunity to see what happens behind the scenes during a 4-H Rite of Passage trip.
Level III Training: Mirroring Workshop
At least one time each year, a 3-day Mirroring Workshop is offered to those who have completed the Level I Training. The 3 days will be spent in a mixture of teachings, exercises and stories. You will learn to mirror for intent and empowerment, to elicit personal “mythos” through the expression of story, to utilize the “elder’s council” as an incorporation tool for self and group empowerment, and to listen and respond to the four personas of human nature, that is, to mirror. There will be times alone in nature without food or shelter that will envoke in you and your fellow trainees the stories and myths of your, and our collective, true natures.
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Level IV Training: Co-leading a 4-H Rite of Passage Trip
Co-leading a trip with an experienced leader is a chance for you to apply all the skills and knowledge you have gained. You will be responsible for all aspects of the trip including logistics, recruitment of fasters, set up and flow of the week, screening individuals for safety, mirroring etc. This is an important step on your path and is a critical chance for you to get a true feel for what it means to be a 4-H Rite of Passage Guide.
Equipment and Accommodation
The trainers make no provisions for meals or accommodations. Participants are responsible for their own meal preparation including cooking/eating utensils as well as a tent, sleeping bag etc. Download the suggestions for what to bring here:
4-H Rite of Passage Equipment List
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Adult Training Program Reading List
Required:
4-H Rite of Passage Technical Manual and Leader Guide
4-H Rite of Passage Youth Handbook: Coming of Age in the Wilderness
Available upon registration from Sue Lerner: Susan.Lerner@METROKC.GOV
Highly Recommended:
The Roaring of the Sacred River by Steven Foster and Meredith Little
Suggested:
The Book of the Vision Quest: Personal Transformation in the Wilderness by Steven Foster and Meredith Little
The Four Shields of Human Nature by Steven Foster and Meredith Little
Betwixt & Between: Patterns of Masculine and Feminine Initiation by Louise Carus Mahdi
available through School of Lost Borders Press
Related Links for Leadership Participants
School of Lost Borders- The homepage of the School of Lost Borders founded by Steven Foster and Meredith Little in 1977.
http://www.schooloflostborders.com
John Davis, Ph.D Homepage The website of John Davis, faculty at Naropa University and School of Lost Borders and a wilderness guide since 1984. It has useful links and articles relating to Rite of Passage work.
http://www.johnvdavis.com/wild/vf.htm
Wilderness Guides Council The website of the organization dedicated to healing work in the wilderness. We support this council and recommend joining and attending a conference.
http://www.wildernessguidescouncil.org/wgc/index.cfm
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take for me to become a guide?
This will depend somewhat on the trainee’s skill level and will vary based on how often Rites of Passage are held, how many times the trainee is able to attend and whether or not the trainers feel the trainee is ready. Starting with the 4-H Adult Rite of Passage, the entire process generally takes about two years.
Can couples participate together?
Yes, we have had couples take the training together, however, remember that the solo time is meant to be done alone.
Can I bring my dog?
No. Although dogs are great companions, they tend to be a distraction to this intense training.
Is there communication in the event of an emergency?
We have a cell phone in basecamp in case of emergencies.
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