Seeking Words of Wisdom for a Youthful Group

[Silvio Sirias]

Greetings, Fellow Pilgrims:

My wife and I arrive in Sarria on Thursday, March 26 in charge of a group of ten students, ages 14 to 18. The students attend an international school in Panama, where my wife and I teach, and they signed on because they are greatly interested in walking this portion of the Camino.

The students are admirable young people—fully bilingual in English and Spanish—who are sure to behave maturely and responsibly.

I would love it if veterans of the Camino could offer some words of wisdom so that our group can make the most of the experience.

I will happily pass on your counsel, and thank you very, very much.

 

[dougfitz]

who are sure to behave maturely and responsibly

How unfortunate. No doubt they will be well behaved, but they are at an age where they should be exuberantly enjoying their youth. They will face the realities of the world quickly enough without demanding maturity and responsibility too early in their lives.

 

[Davey Boyd]

Hey Silvio! As a first timer myself I can't offer much in the way of guidance, but I'm sure the good and experienced people on this Forum will be happy to help you!

I just wish you all a Buen Camino! Enjoy!

Davey

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Silvio,
I have encountered many groups of young people walking with their teachers, mentors, etc. For the most part they are joyful and well-behaved and add a lot of energy to the ambiente. Coming around the counter and encountering a group singing is a great pick-me-upper. You will find lots of people interested in your story and interested in talking with the kids. Lots of Spanish schools take groups (much larger, up to 50 or so) on the five day walk from Sarria, it would be great fun for everyone if you met up with some of them.

You will know better than I, but if these students are mature, I can think of no reason why they couldn't walk alone or in small groups, rather than single file behind the leader. You can all set out at the same time in the morning and say -- see you at the albergue/pension/hotel! If they have all the info on stopping place and if they can follow the arrow, they will be fine. It would give them the opportunity to take charge of themselves in this environment. There is such a huge difference between being on your own and just following the leader. On your own,you have to fully engage; following the leader you kick back and go on auto-pilot. The Camino is so safe and has so many people walking, I think that if the leader has a phone and the students have the phone number, they will always be able to connect in case of emergency because of all the bars and pilgrims with phones available. But however you do it, buen camino, Laurie

 

[hecate105]

~Don't be too eager - start the day slowly - remember the hare and the tortoise!
Always have something to eat and some water on you.
Wear a hat.
Walk at the slowest person's speed - that way you all get there. And you learn that life is not a race - the idea is for everyone to get to the line!
Bon Camino to you all...

 

[Silvio Sirias]

How unfortunate. No doubt they will be well behaved, but they are at an age where they should be exuberantly enjoying their youth. They will face the realities of the world quickly enough without demanding maturity and responsibility too early in their lives.

Unfortunate? Not at all, Doug. These kids know how to have fun. Yet, at the same time, my wife and I are sure that our group will not elicit the complaints of excessive noise and littering I keep reading about on this forum--particularly about the young. But fun . . . yes . . . that is our main goal.

 

[Silvio Sirias]

I can think of no reason why they couldn't walk alone or in small groups, rather than single file behind the leader.

Thanks, Laurie. Our plan is to let everyone walk at his or her own pace and we meet up for lunch and then again at our destination for the day. The benefit of our students being responsible is that we can absolutely trust them.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I can think of no reason why they couldn't walk alone or in small groups

Child Protection specialists would counsel against walking alone, and probably would ask that there be double-deep adult leadership for the group or any sub-group. Children should not be alone with an adult that is not the parent. The Boy Scouts of America have thousands of groups each year walk for two weeks at Philmont Scout Ranch, often co-educational groups. Groups stay together; no one strays ahead or behind. If one person stops, all stop. It helps to put the slowest walker in the front as line leader. It may be an abundance of caution, but it protects the minors and the adults. Any adult who has been accused of abuse will understand. Any child who has been abused will understand. It is not about lawyers; it is about prudently protecting everyone in the group.

 

[jsalt]

Greetings, Fellow Pilgrims:
My wife and I arrive in Sarria on Thursday, March 26 in charge of a group of ten students, ages 14 to 18. The students attend an international school in Panama, where my wife and I teach, and they signed on because they are greatly interested in walking this portion of the Camino.
The students are admirable young people—fully bilingual in English and Spanish—who are sure to behave maturely and responsibly.
I would love it if veterans of the Camino could offer some words of wisdom so that our group can make the most of the experience.
I will happily pass on your counsel, and thank you very, very much.

Hi, 12 in a group is a perfect number. Small enough to keep control of, and not large enough for the group to split into separate sub-groups. The group as a whole can only go as fast as the slowest walker, so either you or your wife must “lead” from the back. The person at the front (either you or your wife, or any other member of the group) must agree to prearranged places to stop and wait for all the stragglers to catch up and re-group, say, every 2 hours or so. This allows for the fast walkers to walk fast if they want to, and for the slow walkers not to get stressed that they are being left behind. And there is always at least one straggler in a group of 12. Buen camino! Jill

 

[Silvio Sirias]

I appreciate Jill's and Falcon's concerns. I guess I exaggerated about letting students walk ahead. We have been hiking together on weekends for a couple of months now--about 15 kilometers each outing--and the group has really bonded and learned to walk at a pace that seems to satisfy everyone. The truth is, we enjoy one another's company and I don't foresee anyone breaking away from the pack. Also, my wife likes to walk at the front while I'm a natural caboose, making sure no one is left behind. The point is, after being an educator for close to thirty years, this particular group will be a pleasure to walk with. I've traveled with other groups that needed to be supervised round the clock, but like I said in my original post, the group going on the Camino truly want to be there and they are guaranteed to follow the ground rules. So, I promise, any stray students you find will not be ours.

 

[David]

Silvio, Hi - so "who are sure to behave maturely and responsibly" ah, so you aren't parents yourself then! (I cannot imagine any parent of teenagers saying that).
They are not adults, so although they may act maturely and responsibly when they are in front of you once they are out of your sight they will revert to being teenagers - and good for them!

Thing is - it is illegal, in the UK at least, to allow minors to romp around by themselves on any sort of outing. You have a duty of care that says they must be accompanied by a responsible adult ... I am sure that you are working on this, as I am sure that you are all excited about your Camino.

I wish you well - enjoy - but do count them on a regular basis

Buen Camino!

 

[kellyz]

Hi Silvio,
How exciting for you and your students! You and your wife know your students best--especially after hiking with them already-- and I think you will find what works for your group in terms of pacing and grouping, as you go. Are you going with a travel company or on your own? If it is on your own, it certainly would not hurt to check your school's liability policy and make sure you and your wife are covered as school employees should a student be injured. But this is not what you're asking about...
-Something I've noticed is that younger people don't always have the endurance of older people, and they often don't have a high tolerance for physical discomfort. Anyone who has walked the Camino from Sarria among school groups has probably heard the occasional young whiner. Long day hikes are good confidence builders, but the students may still be unprepared for day three (or four or five) of long-distance walking (walking without sleep, walking with blisters, walking with sore feet), etc. If you can talk to them about this aspect ahead of time and prepare them for the mental toughness this may require, it may make your journey better.
-You might ask them to each reflect ahead of time and set personal goals that they are going to work on while walking--something to meditate on at least once every day during the walk?
-Have they learned the history of the Camino?
-It might be cool to give groups of two or three students a stage that they are in charge of researching ahead of time and making a guide book page for that day--and then those students can be "in charge" of guiding the group that day.
-Encourage light packs both for the ease of carrying, but also for the experience of having to live with the minimum. Will they be washing out their clothes each night? That in itself will be such a great experience for them.
-Will you have a technology policy? Can they bring phones/listen to music, or must they be unplugged?
-Will access to alcohol be an issue for the older students?
-Since it's a short walk, it might be a good idea for them to bring their favorite energy bar/snack with them.
I guess I still answered your question. This is more a list of my thoughts as a fellow high school teacher than words of wisdom to your students. But I hope you can find something useful in here.
Kelly

 

[Kiwi-family]

No words of wisdom, but I would encourage your group members BEFORE THEY LEAVE to consider what they already know of the Camino, to formulate some questions to research and to think about what they might expect.
ALONG THE WAY I would encourage them to journal - paper and pen type journal and even with some watercolours if possible. If they are stuck for ideas a list of starters might help eg what did you learn today? what did you see that surprised/amazed/annoyed/intrigued you? did you overhear any conversation of interest? did you engage with someone in a way you might not in everyday life? was your sense of smell assaulted today and if so, explain! did anything happen today that you want to remember forever? did anything happen today that you think you'll never forget? who did you talk to today? what did you think about today? etc

 

[Rebekah Scott]

tell them that groups like theirs are responsible for a very large percentage of the litter they will see around them. Give them each a carrier bag each morning and ask them to pick up some of the trash in the first hour or two, a way to be mature and care for this monument to human will. Give them extra credit for a full bag.

 

[Silvio Sirias]

Thank you, everyone, for your excellent suggestions. We are travelling through WORLDSTRIDES, a company that has arranged many of our school trips. For teachers outside of Spain, I recommend them highly. A bit pricey, but they take care of all the logistics, provide excellent and experienced guides--in fact, our guide on the Camino is joining our school for the third time and will later be walking the Camino Frances from SJPDP with his wife in August of this year--and insurance coverage.

Our school is one of the elite schools of Panama. Since they come from family of means, teacher-organized trips are offered every year. Our students have traveled throughout the Americas. In the past three years they been to Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, England, and Spain. In other words, they are experienced travelers.

When the Camino first called me, the thought occured that the Camino may also call some of our students. I gave a brief talk on the Camino and ten responded. Thus, in essence, the Camino has called them as well. WORLDSTRIDES is particularly interested in our journey because we are the first group ever to request a Camino event.

We've been reading up on the history of the Camino, watching documentaries, and reading a few books. The ideas you've provided--setting daily personal goals, taking turns as guides for the day, keeping journals (YES!), and picking up trash--are all wonderful and will be put forth for group consideration. As I stated in the original posting, the students on this journey are truly remarkable persons who are traveling all the way from Panama to walk a historic trail for five days. They consistently demonstrate that they want to help make the world a better place--as attested by the many social projects they undertake in less privileged communities of Panama.

And, more importantly, in this case, my wife and I are convinced that they too have heard the Camino's call.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Hopefully this trip will just whet their appetites for more!

 

[Silvio Sirias]

Hopefully this trip will just whet their appetites for more!

That is exactly my hope!

 

[Silvio Sirias]

Greetings, Pilgrims,

I just want to let folks know that the student trip went marvelously. We have a Facebook page you can visit.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/382645531918520/

As for myself, well, I learned a painful personal lesson, but the kids were absolutely wonderful and they all say they'll do it again sometime in their lives. You can read about the experience in my blog.

http://ssirias2.blogspot.com.es/2015/04/trials-tribulations-and-joys-of-would.html

Hugs to all,

Silvio

 

[C clearly]

Glad to hear it went well! As you prepare for your next time in September, you can follow people here on the forum who are dealing with injuries as they prepare, but are determined to go ahead to the best of their ability - Al the Optimist and Robo, in particular at the moment.