There were many sounds to be heard throughout the LMCLP Opening Retreat at Billabong Ranch on the 24th and 25th February. Birdsong and horses hooves, laughter, engaging discussions, silent reflection, splashing in the pool, the crackle of the campfire and even balloons popping! What a way to start our year together as 29 participants embark on their LMCLP journey.
Uncle Rick Ronnan offered a beautiful Welcome to Country followed by the sharing of stories and artefacts with the assistance of Uncle John Jagamarra. Many participants were deeply moved by what they learnt about Australia’s history, with a few tears shed amongst the laughter and stories.
The group then had the opportunity to get to know each other a little better and to reflect on their own strengths, learning styles and what they bring to the group. The spaghetti challenge saw team building in action as well as some competitive streaks and group dynamics come in to play!
Mayor of Campaspe Shire, Adrian Weston, shared his leadership journey with the group, providing many take home messages about relationship building, leading from behind, understanding your own values and using diversity as a strength.
Participants worked together to determine their group values and had the opportunity to find out more about how the program works and what lies ahead. Events Director Melinda Mann ran a great session on community projects with the inspiring participant experiences of Elaine Hamilton (LMCLP 2014) and Shandel Keele (LMCLP 2014) which got everyone thinking about what they would like to achieve with their project.
An insightful personality workshop from Bob and Heather McNaught on ‘Understanding Ourselves and Others’ was a highlight of the weekend and left many in the group in tears of laughter!
Such a busy and fun filled weekend gave everyone the chance to connect, learn and share and left us all feeling excited for the year ahead.