Community

You Are Not Alone. You Are Part of the Story. Rites of passage are a unifying story for renewing and strengthening community.

Rites of passage can provide the necessary elements that foster a sense of connection and support for youth coming of age.

You have a vital role in the community … as an Educator, Youth Development Specialist or Youth Worker, Parent/Guardian, and an essential “Village Elder”, such as a Funder, Policy Maker, and Community Leader.

A successful community’s story of youth & community development through rites of passage links education and all youth development approaches across the traditional spectrum of service delivery.

The only way to change our story to get our future right is if we do it with and for the children and each other. No one group can change the story by themselves. We all need to work together in order to soar!

The Goose Story

Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in a “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 70% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going.

When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

It pays to take turns doing hard jobs.

The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

An encouraging word goes a long way.

Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by a gun shot and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with the group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

The only way to change our story to get our future right is if we do it with and for the children and each other. No one group can change the story by themselves. We all need to work together in order to soar!