Sojourn pronunciation [soh-jurn]

- noun: a short stay at a place; a brief period of residence. From the root word 'Journey'.

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Table of Contents

Sojourn Foundations……………………………………………………….. 1

Ropes Course Overview…………………………………………………... 4

Processing the Experience…………………………………………………6

Debriefing Techniques……………………………………………………….9

Staffing……………………………………………………………….…………….12

Guidelines for Effective Leadership…………………………………..14

The Power of Choice…………………………………………….……………25

Policies and Procedures…………………………………………………….29

High Elements……………………………………………………………………34

Knots…………………………………………………………….……………………41

Equipment………………………………………………………………….……...43

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PART 1 –Sojourn Foundations

Sojourn pronunciation [soh-jurn]

- noun: a short stay at a place; a brief period of residence. From the root word 'Journey'.

The word “Sojourn” originates from the word Journey. A Sojourn is a temporary stay in a place while in the midst of a larger journey. This is a great metaphor for what takes place here at Sojourn Adventures. Our desire to allow groups to Sojourn from the journeys that they find themselves in, whether this journey be with a career, discipleship group, sports team, school, short-term missions team, etc... At Sojourn, it is our desire to provide a safe and fun environment for individuals to step away from these various life journeys for a brief period of time in order to reflect, gain new insights, and enter back into their journeys with new perspective.

On a deeper level, the term Sojourn also serves as a great metaphor to illustrate our deepest desire as a ministry. We believe that every person on this Earth is on an eternal spiritual journey, whether they choose to recognize this or not. Our desire is to provide a venue at each Sojourn event for people to recognize that this earthly life is simply a short “Sojourn” in a larger spiritual journey. Through the process of interacting with our staff, our church, and with heart-level questions during each event we desire that people begin to recognize this larger journey and perhaps progress in their personal spiritual walk.

Sojourn Adventures is a ministry of Perimeter Church and operates under the umbrella ministry of Camp & Sports Outreach here at Perimeter.

Camp and Sports Outreach – Perimeter Church Our Purpose: CSO exists to contribute to the fulfillment of Perimeter Church’s vision – To make and deploy mature and equipped followers of Christ for the sake of family, community, and global transformation.

Our Mission: We create extraordinary environments that discover, develop, and deploy Lifetime Disciple Makers.

Our Vision: To become truly world-class in bringing about mission-minded transformation.

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Our Values: Right Focus

Truth that compels us to a devotion to God’s word, an intimacy with Jesus, and obedience to his commands found in the Bible. (John 8:31-32)

Gospel that propels us to proclaim the power of God for salvation in all places we serve (Romans 1:16)

Right Heart

Love that leads us to meet the needs of others unconditionally. (John 13:34-35)

Integrity that leads to authentic and trusting relationships. (Proverbs 11:3) Faith that leads to action. (Galatians 3:11)

Humility that leads to sacrificially serving others without a need for recognition. (Phil2:3-11)

Enthusiasm that captures the attention and encourages the enjoyment of God, his people, and our environments. (Psalm 150)

Right Tools

Discipleship that motivates us to see and ever-expanding company of dedicated people reaching the world with the gospel. (Matt 28:18-19)

Empowerment that leads to the maturity of Godly leaders. (Ephesians 4:12-13) Right Actions

Teamwork that leads to greater Kingdom impact. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

Creativity that brings life to what we do. (Gen 1:26-28)

Excellence that leads to world-class experiences. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Our Desired Outcomes: Lifetime Discipleship Makers (LDM’s)

A Lifetime Disciple Maker is someone who is committed to living out the Gospel in their daily life by:

1. Regularly spending time in scripture reading and prayer that leads to a deeper relationship with Jesus. 2. Consistently obeying the word of God that leads to Christ-likeness. 3. Embracing their unique design which leads to greater Kingdom impact. 4. Becoming a member in a gospel-centered church that leads to continuous growth and accountability

within a covenant community. 5. Actively sharing their faith through word and deed which leads to an ever expanding company of

believers. 6. Investing their lives in others that leads to the formation of new Lifetime Disciple Makers.

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Standards of Leadership Excellence…what we do

1. My primary motivation for ministry and service will be to encourage others to seek to know God, His Word and to follow Jesus as His disciple. I will remain true to our mission on and off-site.

2. As I serve, I will strive to embody our values. Regardless of my role I will serve with humility.

3. I will assist others by stepping out of my primary role to effectively provide service to my guests.

4. It is my responsibility to identify and correct defects in any area before they affect a guest’s experience. Even if it is not my fault, I will take responsibility. I will ensure that the “stage” is immaculate, safe and represents excellence.

5. I will proactively recognize the needs of our guests. When a guest is within 12 feet, I will stop what I am doing to offer assistance with a smile. I will put myself last and the guest first.

6. I will strive to exceed the expectations and needs of my guests. I will deliver service with enthusiasm and warmth.

7. In order to serve and respect our guests I will choose to use words such as “good morning, good afternoon, absolutely, ma’am, sir”.

8. I will take pride in my appearance by exceeding grooming and dress requirements in order to convey a professional, respectful, and safe image.

9. I will be knowledgeable of the key programs and offerings at Perimeter Church.

10. I will strive for efficiency in the processes of my job in order to steward the resources of the ministry well.

11. I will work to create memorable and world-class experiences for all guests by planning ahead and bringing my best daily.

12. I will love my co-workers, honor their dignity, and treat them with respect. I will guard my tongue, speak highly of others, and remain a trustworthy teammate.

13. When I am “on stage” my cell phone will be put away and I will have an approachable posture inviting questions and interaction with my guests.

14. I will lovingly encourage my teammates to remain true to these standards. If, at any time, I find myself unwilling or unable to remain true to these standards, I will immediately bring this to my supervisor’s attention.

15. I realize that I am always under authority and will choose to willingly submit and respect that

authority as unto the Lord.

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PART 2 – ROPES COURSE OVERVIEW

What is a Ropes Course?

A ropes course is a series of personal development and team building activities which consist of high and/or low elements. The terms “challenge course” and “ropes course” can by used synonymously and you’ll hear it referred to by both names occasionally. Low elements take place on the ground or only a few feet above the ground. High elements are usually constructed in trees or utility poles and require a safety system of harnesses and ropes for security.

Sojourn Adventures follows the guidelines promoted by the Association for Challenge Course Technology

(ACCT) and works closely with Signature Research, Inc. to maintain these standards.

ACCT

The Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) is recognized as the leading professional resource for those who create safe and effective challenge course programs that facilitate learning and positive change in individuals, groups and communities. They have published standards for our industry. These standards were written to promote the quality and consistency for the installation, inspection, operation, and ethical practices of challenge courses world-wide. The standards are written as the minimum requirements to be followed by all challenge courses. We strive to maintain our facility and policies within the standards set by ACCT and our key staff members are certified ACCT facilitators. For more information on ACCT visit www.acctinfo.org

Signature Research Inc.

Signature has been the builder, inspector and primary trainer on our course since 2001. They adhere to the standards published by ACCT and have had a long term role in developing these standards through service on Standards Committees and by being a Preferred Vendor Member (PVM) of ACCT. Signature offers Level 1 and Level 2 Practitioner and also Challenge Course Manager Certification on behalf of ACCT. Additional information about Signature Research can be found at www.SignatureResearch.com

Current Trends and Continuing Education

An important responsibility of any facilitator is to keep current with industry standards and trends. This can be accomplished by attending Sojourn trainings and looking for other opportunities to gain new insight into the industry. Opportunities may include attending the annual ACCT International Conference and other workshops related to the industry. Reading publications and online resources are also a valuable resource. Annual staff refreshment trainings and workshops to keep up with current industry standards are also necessary.

Types of Ropes Course Activities

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of ropes courses across the United States, but most ropes courses use a few key components that are consistent regardless of where you are. Here is an overview of these key components that you will see consistently – Warm-ups & Games, Group Initiatives, Low Ropes, and High Ropes:

Warm-ups & Games

Over the years, Challenge Course practitioners and other similar organizations have developed literally hundreds of warm-ups, games, and movement activities. Effective use of warm-up exercises helps set the tone for participating in a supportive, cooperative atmosphere.

The actual sequence of warm-up activities varies because of differences in the length and goals of individual programs. However, introductory activities should, where possible, be used to achieve the following goals:

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1. Development of trust between facilitators and the group: Using activities that are fun and break down barriers can build emotional trust and openness between the participants and the facilitators. This is critical as activities require participants to take more and more risk.

2. Learning names of other group members.

3. Development of trust within the group. This builds the foundation for riskier activities later in the program and ultimately for relationships that carry on beyond the program.

4. Development of group cooperation: The ability to cooperate in a fun and engaging way is a theme of many effective warm-ups, and in turn, reinforces the trust level and problem solving skills of the group.

Dozens of Warm-ups and Games are available on the staff portion of the Sojourn website at www.SojournAdventures.org/staff

Group initiatives

These are typically problem-solving activities that are accomplished through the combined effort of a group of 8-12 participants. Each group initiative is designed by the facilitator to accomplish a particular objective or group of objectives. Objectives might include increased self-confidence, increased trust in others, cooperation toward a common goal, communication, teamwork, group building, and/or the development of problem-solving skills.

While facilitating, it is imperative that the facilitator place total responsibility for its completion on the group. The group members should discuss the activity and then decide the "what’s" and "how to's" of completing the activity. Throughout the activity, the facilitator's primary responsibility is risk management, and they should understand the inherent risk with each activity. Although the group is supposed to accomplish the task unaided by the facilitator, he/she must address any risk management issues that arise. The facilitator should encourage the group to take ownership over the responsibility for risk management; however, safety is ultimately always the facilitators responsibility.

Dozens of Group Initiatives are available on the staff portion of the Sojourn website at www.SojournAdventures.org/staff

Low Elements

Low Elements can be defined as any ropes course structure that does not require participants to go above 10 ft. off the ground. Low elements are facilitated no differently from group initiatives. They simply have a different name because they are not portable and must be facilitated in the area where that particular activity is constructed.

Descriptions and directions to all Low Elements on Perimeter’s course are available on the staff portion of the Sojourn website at www.SojournAdventures.org/staff

High Elements

The high elements on a challenge course are usually the most dramatic and are therefore perceived as being the most dangerous activities on the course. Although there are perceived risks, actual risks are minimized if the course is operated under the proper policies and procedures set forth in this manual and through the training received. If risk management protocols are not followed, serious injury or death could occur.

Basic Procedures for high elements are listed later in this manual. Specific protocol for each element will be covered during hands-on training.

Note: Sojourn encourages facilitators to vary programming, within safety guidelines, for initiatives and low elements to meet the needs of your group, however a facilitator should never lead a high activity differently from the way he/she is trained.

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PART 3 – Processing the Experience

Why Experiential Learning?

Challenge Course programs are a part of the larger field of Experiential Education, through which people are motivated to venture out into unfamiliar and challenging territories of life experiences. Growth and learning take place when people become willing to face the unknown, make an effort to accomplish something new, and often take some personal risks.

There are many ways that people learn – through seeing, hearing, reading, observing, etc… but studies have shown that the more we are immersed in the learning process, the more we will retain long term. In fact, it has been documented that we forget 90% of what we hear in a classroom setting within 30 days. If however, we have the opportunity to have a hands-on learning experience, and ideally teach others the things that we learn, we are able to retain up to 90% of the information put forth.

Experiential Learning is basically “learning through doing”. It is a process through which individuals can gain knowledge, learn new skills, and develop values from direct experiences. The ropes course provides us with an amazing venue for this type of learning to take place. The process of experiential learning occurs when individuals engage in activities, discuss what happened during the activity, think about and reflect on the experience, and develop some positive learning that can be transferred in other areas of life. This process incorporates a variety of learning styles, helps to instill a sense of ownership over what is learned, adds to the interest and involvement of the participants, and most importantly contributes to the transfer of learning. The ultimate result is that individuals learn better by accepting responsibility for their own learning and behavior, rather than relying on someone else to assume that responsibility.

It is important to understand that experiential education is more than simply hands-on learning; reflection is a key component, but true experiential education begins before and continues long after an activity has occurred. The key to effective experiential education is in the transfer of knowledge and ultimately a change in mindset leading to changes in behavior. This transfer may occur on its own, or from presented instruction, however it is more likely to occur through a facilitated process.

Learning by doing using the Ropes Course

There are many forms that experiential learning may take, but here at Sojourn we’ve chosen the avenue of using primarily ropes course activities as the medium for experiential learning. We feel strongly about this avenue of learning because on the ropes course each participant is asked to attempt a series of activities involving various physical and emotional risks. As they deal with the successes, failures, inner feelings, and self-image then an altered sense of self often begins to develop. Our ropes course programs are intentionally designed to offer a high degree of challenge for the individual and/or the group in order to expand their perceived personal limits and go beyond the arena of pure excitement.

Ropes courses are great for this because participants are challenged in a non-competitive, non-judgmental environment to take risks as they face uniquely unfamiliar experiences. It is difficult to find arenas of life where an entire group can enter into a situation together where no one has previous experience at that particular thing, but ropes courses are often able to provide this type of environment. It is also challenging to find group activities that are, by nature, non-competitive. Again ropes courses are able to provide a great platform for this type of activity. Finally, ropes courses are able to provide a setting which can simultaneously challenge individuals while building strength with a team.

Participants are often able to learn how to function meaningfully and productively in a group setting. As the group plans and works to complete an assigned task, its success or failure depends not only on the effort and contribution of individuals, but also on the ability of group members to work together in a cooperative, mutually supportive atmosphere. However, success is measured not by how much the group is able to accomplish, but by the dynamics of the effect on individuals within the group as they work together in the effort to succeed.

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In the learning process success is determined by, how well individuals or groups perform and the extent to which they are willing to try something new, and work together to accomplish the goal. As group members interact in a supportive and caring manner in their attempt to solve a group initiative, or offer moral support to a fellow member facing an individual initiative, team building, individual growth, and camaraderie take place.

The Experiential Learning Cycle:

The challenge course offers growth opportunities, using primarily experiences, and this is explained in the Experiential Learning Cycle. This is a cycle that represents the way we learn in both individual settings as well as in group settings. Helping people understand the Experiential Learning Cycle can turn any experience into a learning opportunity.

Experience - This can be a planned experience (i.e. ropes course) or an unstructured event that occurs in

an individual’s life.

Discuss – For intentional learning this is a critical, yet often missed, piece of the process. Ask open ended

questions pertaining to the experience and have participants discuss, communicate, and learn from each other and the experience. This is a time to exchange reactions, observations, feeling, thoughts, and/or problems from the experience.

Reflect -This is an ongoing process in which individuals and groups look back on the experience, the

debriefing, and how it applies to them personally as members of the group. In the ropes course environment, this often happens throughout the ropes program as we reflect back on previous discussions and goals that may have been set.

Apply - After debriefing, reflecting, and learning from the experience, the individual then applies the

knowledge to other similar situations and the cycle starts over.

We experience examples of the Experiential Learning Cycle taking place in everyday life, but may not label it as such. When we begin to understand the cycle it can help us to intentionally learn from situations that occur day to day. Examples of this could be:

You get into an argument with a friend. The argument itself is the Experience. Following the argument you spend some time discussing your feelings and reasons why you were hurt by the situation (Debrief). After the discussion, you spend some time thinking about what was done/said (Reflection), and how you will react the next time you are in a similar situation or experience. As

Discuss

(what?)

Reflect

(so what?)

Apply

(now what?)

Experience

(activity)

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you commit your will to acting differently in the future, this is the Application to what you’ve learned.

You are a part of a sports team and you’ve just lost a big game (Experience). Following the game your coach pulls the team together for some discussion, and perhaps some yelling, about his observations from the game (Debrief). Note: This could be a healthy or unhealthy debrief. On the ride home you spend some time processing what the coach has said and what you personally could have done differently in the game and in preparation for it (Reflection). The following week at practice you make some changes to the way you work-out and interact with other players to push for better results in the next game (Application).

Where have you experienced Experiential Learning in your own life? _______________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

What are some key benefits you see to using Experiential Learning? ________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

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Part 4 - Debriefing Techniques Processing the experience is commonly considered the most important aspect (after risk management) of challenge course programs as discussed with the experiential learning cycle. Helping groups to debrief the experience involves discussing how the group performed and felt during and after a component activity. These post-activity discussions can be a valuable tool for helping group members understand the individual and group dynamics that were evidenced as they dealt with the problem and interacted.

As the group participates in different elements, various issues may surface. The facilitator should note these issues for discussion (mentally or on paper if desired) during processing. Issues that might arise during or as a result of an activity include: Stereotypes, Roles, Success, Failure, Communication, Trust, Comfort, Discomfort, Support, Teamwork, Frustration, Patience, Control, and much more.

The facilitator should carefully observe what is going on as the participants work through each activity so that you are prepared to lead conversation on relevant topics following the activity. You should be engaged in constant observation about the group experience all throughout the activity. This is often difficult work, but following the experience the facilitator will begin to process the experience by asking open-ended questions and allowing the group to dialogue.

This processing time should take place at the end of most activities but may also be appropriate during activities and games as well. The needs of the group and not those of the facilitator must govern the level of intensity of the discussion. The participants may have undergone a very demanding experience (physically, mentally, or emotionally) and they may need to share what is going on inside of them. The facilitator needs to create an atmosphere in which it is easy for them to do so.

As the facilitator it is typically best to allow the group to control the direction of the conversation. Ask an initial question, if you have to, and follow their lead to continue directing the conversation. As we discussed earlier in the section on experiential learning, participants will typically learn best from what they are able to bring up from personal experience and observation rather than something you, as the facilitator, may point out from your own experience.

3 Steps to Debriefing:

1. What?

What just happened? Have your participants talk about the activity itself and what they did during it. What were some of the feelings you experienced? How did it feel when ____ happened? Specific questions to launch into the debrief include:

What did you guys think about that activity? / How was that experience for you?

Share with me some of your observations about what just happened?

2. So What?

After you have gathered some initial observations about the activity, what are some possible applications of the things that were shared? What are some Spiritual parallels? Often these observations will be very theoretical or intangible. (Ex: We could work better as a team. I realize that I get impatient when I have to wait on others. Etc…)

3. Now What?

How do these things we’ve just shared actually apply to my life? How will this impact me next week at school or work or the next time I experience that same feeling? What are some specific situations where I am going to need to be a better communicator, be more patient, or trust someone that I am working with more? – The key here is to push people beyond the theoretical and have them get personal.

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When debriefing it is generally important for you to know where you want the group conversation to end up. While observing the group in action, there will be issues which arise that need to be dealt with. Those things should be brought up in the debriefing, but if possible, by the group members rather than you. Ask leading questions that allow them to be successful in bringing up new things for the group. This will not only give them confidence, but by coming from another group member, it often carries more weight with the group than if you, an outsider, bring it up.

10 Helpful Debriefing Hints:

1. Circle up! - Stand or sit in a circle so that everyone can see and hear everyone else in the group. If someone stands/sits outside the circle, invite them in.

2. Be aware of your non-verbals - Standing communicates “this will be quick”. Sitting indicates “it may be a while…” Other examples are crossing your arms (rather than an open stance), wearing sunglasses (rather than making eye contact), looking at your watch or phone (appears disinterested), etc…

3. Ask open-ended questions - Avoid questions that necessitate “yes/no” responses as much as possible.

4. Involve everyone - Feel free to call on individuals or ask everyone to respond to a specific question. Note: The facilitator should honor “challenge by choice” during debriefing as well, but seek to involve everyone as much as possible.

5. Address all negative comments - If you observe any put-downs or negativity, don’t ignore it. This is not only unhealthy for the group, but will quickly erode any trust that group members have in you.

6. Silence is golden - After asking a question, silent time is often when individual reflection may be taking place. Don’t assume “I asked a stupid question” if no one responds immediately. Give it a bit of time and someone usually speaks up.

7. Avoid distractions - If there are other groups around or other distractions, try to locate a secluded area before diving into reflection time. (Note: don’t transition so far away that the group loses focus)

8. Celebrate Victories – We often discuss areas where improvement is needed, but don’t forget to discuss accomplishments and encourage those areas of success!

9. Take the Heat! - If you are standing in a sunny area, arrange the group so that YOU are looking into the sun and a majority of the group is not.

10. Set your Expectations correctly - Depending on the age of the participants, your debrief may look very different. Children do learn from experience, but don’t be surprised when they are ready to skip the “talking” and move on to more “fun”. (See specific suggestions for kids in “Variations on Debriefing”.)

Examples of good open-ended questions you could ask:

What did you enjoy about this activity?

Where did you experience success?

Talk to me about how the group communicated?

When ____ happened, how did that affect you?

What did you learn about other group members?

Where could the group have improved?

Did the group keep everyone safe? How? Did you feel safe? Why/Why not?

What principles can we draw out of this?

What would you carry on to the next activity?

What is one takeaway you will carry with you from this?

How do these things apply to life outside the ropes course?

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During all activities the entire group should be involved as much as possible. On high elements when not all are participants are physically active they should be kept involved other ways such as being supporters or permanent members of the belay team.

Variations on Debriefing:

It is often helpful to vary the way in which you debrief with groups. The most common form of debriefing is to have the group stand in a circle to discuss their experience with the whole group, but if you have the same group for multiple debriefs or you have a group that is not responding well to that particular format then there are many alternate ways to process the experience. Remember that the purpose of debriefing is simply to help your participants reflect on the experience and gain some applicable learnings for their life/group, so don’t feel locked in to 1 particular method. Here are some alternative forms of debriefing:

Form several small groups of 3, 4, 5 people

Partner up and talk / Walk to next activity in pairs

Individual Reflection time / Individual journaling

Reflection Cards with questions

Question Ball to toss around

Closing Debrief for the program:

At the conclusion of your day, you will typically lead a closing debrief from the entire experience to help participants reflect on all their experiences from the day. This closing debrief can take many forms, but here is a suggestion of what this could look like…

“We’ve had a great day with a number of different experiences. I’d love to briefly hear from each of you about what you will be taking away from today. I’d like for each person to answer 3 simple questions:

1. Today I learned…. (something that is going to help you in your work, school, team, etc….)

2. The Lesson I learned today was…. (this was a valuable learning that impact the way I see myself, someone else, or the world)

3. The last thing I want to say is…. (completely open-ended)

Make a list of some good debriefing questions you could ask after an activity: ___________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

What excites you or makes you nervous about leading a debriefing session with a group? _________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Tips to Active Listening:

1. Make eye-contact

2. Be aware of your non-verbals (frowning, rolling eyes,

closed posture)

3. Repeat their words back to ensure understanding

4. Don’t think about your response while they are talking

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Part 5 - Staffing

The Role of the Facilitator

General Responsibility:

The primary role of the facilitator is to manage the risk of the group and ensure their safety throughout the experience. A secondary goal for the facilitator is to help meet the goals and objectives of the client.

Reports to:

Site Director

Specific Responsibilities for all facilitators:

Maintain responsibility for the physical safety and emotional well-being of the participants involved in the program.

Model Godly character to participants at all times.

Work under the supervision and authority of the site manager assigned for that day

Conduct SEE inspections of all elements before each use (Structure, Environment, and Equipment)

Teach, model, and monitor proper use of equipment

Provide opportunities for the group so that each individual participant experiences success during the program

Report all incidents, close calls, and accidents to the site manager

Maintain your personal challenge course portfolio

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Facilitator Levels:

Facilitator in Training - FIT (non-paid)

Age requirement = 15 years of age.

As a facilitator in training you are in the process of becoming a facilitator for Sojourn. In order to become a full Facilitator for Sojourn, you will need to:

Begin attending training sessions to get equipped (fill out your checklist as you go)

Shadow at least 3 different Sojourn events (ideally with different facilitators)

Read this manual

Pass Facilitator written exam

Pass practical skills test

Start your ropes course portfolio OR

If you have previous ropes experience documented from another organization it may be possible to ‘challenge in’ as a Facilitator.

Facilitator (paid)

Age requirement: 18 years of age.

As a full Facilitator you are able to facilitate a small group alone at many Sojourn events. In order to become a Lead Facilitator, you will need to accomplish all of the things listed below.

To remain a Facilitator you must facilitate 20+ hours annually.

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Lead Facilitator (pay increase)

As a Lead Facilitator you are able to facilitate a small group alone at basically any Sojourn event.

Document 100+ hours on the Perimeter ropes course in facilitation and/or training. Up to 50 hours can be during Camp All-American. - Hours can be retroactive if you are able to document events worked.

Receive your ACCT Level 1 certification (provided by Sojourn annually)

Pass Lead Facilitator written Exam (at time of ACCT certification)

Complete Sojourn University

Be able to facilitate pretty much all activities on the course (see Facilitator Check List for specifics).

To remain a Lead Facilitator you must facilitate at least 50+ hours annually and maintain all necessary certifications.

Sojourn Site Director (pay increase)

As a Sojourn Site Director you are able to be the sole person on site and facilitate individual groups from start to finish and manage large group events with multiple small groups.

At least 200 hours on the Perimeter Course working or in training. Up to 100 hours can be during Camp All-American. - Hours can be retroactive if you are able to document events worked.

Receive ACCT Level 2 certification (provided by Sojourn annually)

Receive and maintain CPR certification

Learn rescue systems and techniques on all activities on our course

Attend annual ½ day Sojourn Site Director training (offered as needed)

Pass Site Director written exam.

To remain a Sojourn Site Director you will need to facilitate 100+ hours annually and maintain all necessary certifications.

Additional Opportunities:

Laser Tag Leader – As a laser tag leader you will be able to lead a laser tag event from start to finish including set up of all equipment, briefing the group, managing game play, and proper storage procedures of all equipment.

Bricks Climbing Wall Leader – As a Climbing Wall Leader you will be able to instruct in harness and belaying procedures. You will also be in charge of equipment maintenance and knowledgeable in how to work on the rock wall and manage a team of belayers.

Hosting- As a Sojourn host you will be able to set up tables, drinks, water coolers, meals, etc.... for various Sojourn groups. You will also be in charge of final clean up after the group service is done.

Sojourn Backcountry Leader – Sojourn occasionally leads off-site trips for rock climbing, rappelling, and hiking. These off-site adventures require additional training due to the alternate environments

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Part 6 – Guidelines for Effective Leadership

Group Ownership

It’s not about you! A critical rule for a facilitator to always remember is that this is the group’s experience and not the facilitator’s.

Your role as a facilitator is to provide a safe environment for participants to have the opportunity to experience growth and for groups to have a shared experience which leads to healthy discussion. Your role is to be a catalyst for change but for the experience to never become about you.

It is also important for the facilitator to realize that he/she cannot totally change, in a short period of time, the fears, lack of self-confidence, or dysfunction that have taken years to develop. The greatest opportunity will be to plant seeds in people in the hope that they will grow into healthy plants in the future. This is accomplished by providing safe, supportive, non-judgmental environment for the participants to move beyond their own personal expectations and limitations. The facilitator should not limit the group by giving them "the answer" to the activity. It is their responsibility instead to provide the environment within which the group or individual participant may succeed while leaving the outcome of success or failure to the participants.

Ethics on the ropes course

An important part of facilitation is ensuring that we always earn the right to share and invest into the lives of the participants that we encounter on our course. If we engage in any activities that lack integrity then we will immediately erode any trust that has been built with the group. There are many areas where we need to be careful to remain above reproach when dealing with our participants. Some specific areas to be aware of are:

Always respect participant confidentiality, never sharing with others personal information about participants or what went on within a group that may be embarrassing or demeaning except as required by law. This also includes medical information that you may be aware of through a release form. This information should never be openly disclosed to the group unless the individual willfully chooses to share it.

A facilitator should always work within their competencies, using only activities and elements that they have been trained to facilitate. This is extremely important in dealing with high activities. A facilitator should never lead a high activity in any manner differently from the way he/she has been trained.

Facilitator should understand that each participant is distinct in his/her physical and emotional abilities, and not expect each participant to be able to do the same things in every way as other members of the group. Always remember “Challenge by Choice” (discussed in detail in the next chapter).

If a person in your group has a disability, as a facilitator you should make accommodations to or use activities and elements that make that person part of the group. There are many ways to adapt activities and elements.

List a few ethical dilemmas that might come up on the ropes course: __________________________________

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Sojourn’s process before a program:

In order to facilitate a successful program for a group there is a lot of pre-work that is necessary. As a facilitator, you are typically not responsible to gather any information before a program begins, but it is helpful to be aware of the process that a typical group walks through prior to their arrival on site for a program.

A typical group will have a designated group leader who works alongside a Sojourn program designer to design the appropriate program for the day. The group leader and Sojourn program designer will work together to complete a full needs assessment for the group. This needs assessment includes the following information:

Details about the group (number of participants, ages, how well they know each other, previous ropes experience, contact info for leaders, physical or emotional limitations, etc..)

Details about group expectations (desired date, desired length of time, type of activities desired, spiritual content?, etc..)

Questions to identify purpose of the group (desired outcomes, fun vs. learning desired, what does success look like?, etc…)

In addition to this needs assessment process each participant in the group will fill out a medical release/waiver form on which they should inform us if they have any medical conditions that could limit them.

Before any Sojourn program takes place it is necessary for us to know the purpose of the group, how we can meet their goals, and any medical safety concerns that could affect the group.

Planning your Day:

Sequencing is an important skill in facilitating a quality program. Sojourn facilitators will often be given the group goals and a specific amount of time to lead activities. Sequencing is the term we use to describe the order of activities for a particular group. Our desire is always to use the most appropriate activities or elements in an orderly manner to meet the goals of the group. To know which activities and elements to use, the facilitator must be aware of what the group is trying to accomplish before the day begins and then assess the group as the day progresses. The facilitator is assessing the individual and the group’s physical abilities, readiness, and behavior then choosing appropriate activities in order to challenge the group. The sequence of desired activities is prepared ahead of time, but there is ongoing assessment and adjustment is throughout the entire program. A facilitator should always be ready to alter the plan if necessary to meet the needs of the group.

It is important to start with activities that are appropriate for the physical and emotional readiness of all participants. You never want to begin with the most difficult event of the day. By using an increasing level of difficulty as the session progresses a number of things happen:

1. The group is able to build more confidence by experiencing success at simpler tasks.

2. The group is able to bond as they work together to attain increasingly more difficult goals.

3. You, as the facilitator are able to assess the group and better chart a course to help them reach their goals.

4. You, as the facilitator gain trust from the group and may earn the right to encourage individuals to stretch themselves further.

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A few tips on Sequencing:

Always have a written plan on what you expect will be best for the group given the needs/goals they expressed. Have your plan handy so you can reference this during the program.

Always have additional activities ready in case the group proceeds quicker than expected or in case you determine that an alternate activity could better suit their needs during the program. To do this well, it’s necessary to continually evaluate yourself, individuals in your group, the group as a whole, and the timing of your day to know how to best proceed.

Be ready to backtrack on the sequence in order to maintain the safety of the group. If the group is goofing off or not taking things seriously enough, then you should never proceed to riskier activities.

Begin with activities where there is not much physical contact between the participants and slowly insert “closer-contact” activities as the day goes on. For example, don’t start with all-aboard, nitro crossing, TP shuffle, magic carpet, or similar activities unless the group already knows each other very well.

Until you’ve had an opportunity to observe the group in low impact situations and assess their readiness, avoid activities that require lifting one another, blind folds, or other key emotional challenges.

Teach in Simplicity & Apply in Complexity – It’s ideal if you can teach your participants skills in simpler activities that they carry with them into more demanding activities. For example, if you help participants learn an effective way to communicate in 1 activity that they can recall and utilize in a subsequent activity, then they are learning from their past and reinforcing a new, positive behavior.

Gradient:

The gradient scale below is a helpful tool to help you recognize when the group may be ready for a more difficult challenge OR to scale back and participate in something easier.

High

Skill

Leads to

Boredom

Leads to

Sense of

Accomplishment

Low

Skill

Often an

appropriate

challenge Leads to Stress

Low

Challenge

High

Challenge

Gradient should be taken into account Physically, Emotionally, and Cognitively for groups. Some examples of potential challenges in each of these areas are listed below:

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Physical: Lifting other participants, climbing, swinging on ropes, etc….

Emotional: Blindfolds, Being asked to speak in front of the group, pressure of failure. Anything that would require a participant to ask “Can they lift me?” “Will they drop me?” “Can I say this?”, etc..

Cognitive: Thinking, Planning, Decision making, Strategizing, etc…

It’s common that 2 or more of these challenges can be included in the same activity. Think about an activity like ‘Spiders Web’ or ‘OUT’ that involve problem solving (cognitive), the need to lift some individuals in the group (physical), and the emotional challenge some will face in being lifted up or with the possibility of causing harm to the entire team by making a personal mistake and touching a string.

When leading a group of participants and determining your ongoing sequence of activities, you must always be asking yourself “What is the appropriate level of challenge for this group to experience the growth that they need towards their desired outcomes?”

Success vs Failure:

The reality is that all activities will end in one of two places – Success or Failure. Both can be equally as valuable to an individual or group. As a facilitator, you never want to “set them up for failure” in order to prove a point, but it may be appropriate to give the group a challenge to strive for, uncertain of whether they will succeed or not. Sometimes the best thing for a group may be to induce stress as long as you also intend to create a safe environment to process that stress following the experience.

Keep in mind that that success and failure are moving the group towards different destinations – Success can be used to build confidence. Failure, if responded to properly, can be used to build endurance and resilience.

“A Reliable Sequencing Plan for a program”

Intro for the day

A Name Game and/or Fun Activity

Group Initiatives and Low Ropes (progressing in difficulty & processing throughout)

High Adventure Activities

Closing Debrief/Processing Session

Practice sequencing the following groups. Write out what activities you would choose and in what sequence you would plan to lead those activities.

1. You have 2 hours to spend with a group of 10 high school students. They have asked for some challenging low elements that will help them develop good communication. The students have known each other for years:

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2. You have 4 hours to spend with a middle school girls soccer team. They have just come together recently and their goals are to get to know one another better, have a fun bonding experience, and discuss team work:

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3. You have a full 8 hour day to spend with a corporate group of men and women. There are 8 people who know each other well but only from an office context. They desire to have a fun day but also want to have some healthy discussion on trust and how to better utilize individual gifts and talents of each person:

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4. You are a Camp Counselor. You have 1 hour block on Monday at camp with 8 brand new campers. They do not know each other, but you will all be spending the entire week together during specialty time:

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Display a Confident Demeanor

The facilitator should always display confidence and have solid knowledge of all elements they use, never practicing outside the boundaries of their competencies and industry standards. The group is looking to you as the expert, and it’s important that you maintain a confident posture throughout each program. Having said this, a facilitator should never attempt to operate in a manner that is outside the scope of their training and experience. If at any time you are put in a situation to lead an activity where you are not comfortable, it is your responsibility to talk to the site director to work out an alternative plan.

In addition to portraying confidence to participants with your own actions, it’s also important to maintain a unified front when working with other Sojourn staff. A facilitator should never question another staff member in front of the group unless an imminent safety concern is present. This can cause the group to doubt the facilitators and lose confidence in them and their knowledge. For instance, if a facilitator introducing an element leaves out an important safety piece, the co-facilitator should say “let me add ____” , rather than saying “you forgot ____”. It shows professional courtesy and good teamwork for facilitators to work together and build each other up in this way instead of cutting a fellow facilitator’s authority in front of the group. One exception to this rule is when there is an imminent safety concern present. A facilitators primary responsibility is always the risk management of the group first and foremost.

Pre-event talk:

As each Sojourn program begins we will always gather the group together to talk through basic details for the day. Key points that should always be included in this pre-event talk include:

1. Welcome!

2. ‘Sojourn’ overview

3. Expectations for the day

4. Challenge by Choice

5. Spiritual Intro

6. Logistics for the day (restrooms, water, phones,…)

1. Welcome –

Just like it sounds, we just want to greet people in a friendly and enthusiastic manner to let them know that we are glad they are here. The script for this portion of the intro might sound something like this…

“Welcome! We are very excited that you guys have chosen to spend the day with us here at Sojourn. We’ve been working with (group leader) to line up the plan for today and we have a great afternoon planned for you!”

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2. ‘Sojourn’ overview –

Most people have no idea what the word Sojourn means and many are curious, so we like to tell them up front. Describing what this term means is also a great intro to expose them and even to educate them a bit about what they can expect for the day. You might say something like this….

“Does anyone know what the word ‘Sojourn’ means?... It actually comes from the root word ‘Journey’. A journey is simply when you are traveling from one place to another. A Sojourn is ‘a short stay in a place while on a larger journey’. You can think of it as a layover in an airport for example. Your group is on a journey to _____ (through your season, with your co-workers, as a d-group, etc…) and today is going to be a Sojourn from that journey. You will be spending a short time with us here today, very likely doing some different things that are not part of your normal routine. It’s our desire that you gain some new insights today about yourself and/or your group to enter back into your larger journey with new perspective.”

3. Expectations for the day –

Although the amount you share with each group may vary depending on their goals for the day, it is typically a good idea to give people a broad overview for the day to help set expectations accordingly. Below is a quick snapshot of what this might look like for a normal 3 hr. program….

“How many of you have been on a ropes course before?.... It’s typical with most groups that there are some people with experience and others with no experience at all, so wherever you are on that spectrum, don’t worry! On the rope course there are low activities and high activities. Just like they sound, low activities typically take place on or near the ground and will give your group an opportunity to work through some challenges together. High activities, just like they sound, typically take place up off the ground and will give you an opportunity to challenge yourself and perhaps overcome some individual fears if you choose to do so. - Throughout the entire experience we will be stopping from time to time to process what you are thinking, what you are feeling, and how some of these things might apply to life outside the ropes course.”

4. Challenge by Choice -

There is a full chapter in this manual titled “the power of choice”, so this section is simply intended to give you an overview of what you might say to a group regarding challenge by choice. We do make it a point to talk to every group about this concept before the day begins. This involves Emotional Safety, but we also want to educate them about Physical Safety and the medical risks associated. Here is a potential script for you….

“I mentioned that you would each have an opportunity to participate in high activities if you wanted because here at Sojourn we operate under a philosophy that we call ‘Challenge by Choice’. This means that we DO want for you to challenge yourself today, but it’s going to be up to you to choose the level of challenge that is appropriate for you. At any point today you have the opportunity to opt out of any of our activities if you feel the need to do that for any reason. This is true of our high activities as well as our low activities and could be for emotional or for physical reasons. Our Sojourn staff are not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do and we ask that you all enter that agreement with us to not force anyone else to do something that they don’t want to do. Sound good? You should also be aware that today is going to involve some Adventure and, by definition, Adventure is not always safe. Be aware that if you have any Cardiac, Respiratory, or other physical limitations, then you should seriously consider what is wise for you to do today. Please let myself or your facilitator know if there are any medical issues that we should be aware of prior to your involvement and then just make good choices for yourself today.”

5. Spiritual Intro –

Our ministry exists to introduce and expose people to God, His people, and His word. That is why we do what we do. We currently work with groups from all sorts of backgrounds. Some are excited about our ability to share Christ through our programming and others are adamant that we do not share, so each situation is a bit

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different. We want to bring up the opportunity for spiritual discussion with both, but we approach different groups in different ways. For a Christian group, we want to briefly share the gospel with every group. For the non-Christian group, we want to give a safe invitation to investigate. Below are sample scripts for those 2 different types of groups:

Christian group…

“I expect that you are all aware that you are on church property right now. Sojourn is a ministry of Perimeter church and many of our facilitators are members here at Perimeter. All of our staff are Christians and, although we work with many non-Christian groups, we love to work with Christian groups. For us, as believers in Christ, the term Sojourn takes on special meaning because we believe that the life we spend here on this Earth is simply a ‘Sojourn’ on a much larger spiritual Journey that goes on for eternity. It’s our desire to use every program as a way to either help people investigate Christ or as a way to remind people that the most important question we will answer on this Earth is regarding how we respond to Jesus Christ. We worship a God who saw us in our sin, and stepped down to rescue through Jesus. We recognize that we have a right standing before God ONLY because of the finished work of Christ. - Our hope that today is a day of rejuvenation and refreshment for each of you from a spiritual perspective!

Non-Christian group…

“I expect that you are all aware that you are on church property right now and I wanted to acknowledge that for a couple of reasons. First, because we often get questions about the church during programs so we always like to bring this up from the start. All of our Sojourn staff are Christians and most are actually members here at Perimeter, so if there are any specific questions you have about Perimeter or spiritual matters in general we would love the opportunity to talk with you about that. In my experience, most people wrestle with questions about life after death, if there even is a God, and is there really any purpose in life? Our goal today is not to answer these questions, but simply to make you aware that we love to discuss these things if you have a desire to explore; just know that this is a safe place for that. The second reason I bring this up is because we recognize that this is not a Christian program today. If you are nervous about being on a Christian church property then I want to set your mind at ease and let you know that unless you bring it up, this will be the last spiritual conversation we have all day.”

6. Logistics for the day –

Finally, there are always a few details that need to be discussed with any program, so make sure to mention to the group specifically about…

Restroom locations

Lunch details (if applicable)

Where do I put my stuff (cell phones, keys, etc…)?

This whole talk will typically take 3-5 minutes and then you’ll be jumping into your first activity!

3 Parts to every activity

1. Briefing –before the activity begins

2. Activity

3. Debriefing – after the activity concludes

Briefing - Before You Begin an Activity

It can be tempting to begin an activity or even an entire day without saying much other than the rules for the next activity. But resist the temptation! A critical part of the process with a group is setting up your day and then each subsequent activity to help the group accomplish their goals. There are three basic components that it’s helpful to include in each briefing:

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1. Instructions - The rules and objectives of the activity you are about to play

2. Safety – Point out any safety concerns about the activity that the group needs to be aware of. This could include the activity itself, the environment, the equipment, etc…

3. Goals – Have the group remind you of any goals/objectives they’ve established for themselves previously in the program.

This briefing should directly relate to the upcoming activity, but ideas and information learned from past activities should always be built upon as the day progresses.

Story - A fun story to help describe to the rules and parameters of the game. The story is get the group excited about the activity. Try to get them out of the immediate environment and start thinking abstractly. Get their brain actively involved to start finding connections from the activity to real life. 4 Elements of Every Activity: In every game or activity there are 4 basic elements that provide the setting and structure: 1. The People who play / participate 2. The Objects you play with 3. The Environment you play in 4. The Rules by which you play If you change any of these 4 elements, you change the activity all together. (Example: A baseball game can be turned into a foreign activity if you run the bases backwards, play in a swimming pool, partner up with one partner blindfolded and the other with hands tied behind their back. What if you replace the ball for a rubber chicken?) The possibilities are endless if you are just creative and stay flexible to meet the needs of your group. As the facilitator you are encouraged to change the way you facilitate games, group initiatives, and low ropes activities in order to meet the specific needs of the group. You should feel complete freedom to adjust the rules, goals, and parameters of each activity as long as you never compromise safety in doing so. Remember that your primary role as a facilitator is the risk management of the group, but as long as you are being safe then alter whatever is necessary to help the group accomplish their goals. Note – This is only true for low activities and not for high adventure activities. Facilitators should NEVER operate a high activity in any manner aside from the way they are trained.

During the Activity

As the activity is underway, the primary role of the facilitator is to observe what is occurring within the group. There are 2 primary reasons for this. First, by doing so you are able to manage the risk of the group to address any necessary issues. The physical readiness and make up of participants SHOULD influence the way you facilitate each activity as well as your decision making about additional activities. It’s important that you, as the facilitator perform ongoing assessments of yourself, individuals, the group, and the environment throughout the program. Secondly, by paying careful attention to individual’s responses and group interaction you are able to gain valuable insight to be used during the debriefing time following the activity. Below are few key tips that will help create an environment for healthy activities.

Keep participants engaged

In a typical group there will be a few people who choose not to participate in various activities for various reasons. Sometimes this may be based on a physical limitation and other times it is based on fear or another emotional barrier, but either way our desire to keep people engaged at some level. There are plenty of ways for individuals to play a supportive role on the course without having to dive off 40’ foot platforms in the trees. As we’ve explored, It is important to respect their choices and also to give them positions of usefulness in other areas. Examples of how to keep people engaged include:

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Low Activities

Spotting teammates

Giving verbal instructions

Encouraging teammates

High Activities

holding the rope

anchoring a belayer

encouraging teammates

helping with harnesses/helmets

Observations vs. Perceptions As a facilitator it is good to get into the habit of sharing your observations with groups rather than your perceptions about those observations. There is a big difference. Observations are things that we actually see. Perceptions are things that we believe based on what we see. For example, most people are familiar with the trust fall activity where 1 participant falls backwards off an elevated platform into the arms of other group members. What if I were to ask you to share some observations about this activity from times where you’ve seen it before…. You might respond with things such as 1. “I’ve seen people get really scared”, 2. “I’ve observed some people getting distracted and losing focus during the activity”, or 3. “Sometimes people trust their group members a lot.” While all of those things MAY be true, none of them are things that you actually observe, but are instead your perception of things you’ve observed. Your actual observations about each would be 1. I’ve heard people say I’m afraid or I’ve seen them physically shaking before falling, 2. I’ve observed people looking away from the faller consistently, and 3. I’ve observed people stepping up and falling back very quickly or I’ve heard them say how fearful they were and yet they still fell into their teammates arms.

This may seem like a minor thing, but as a facilitator it’s important to recognize how our perceptions may plant seeds that were not originally present in the minds of those who hear. If I assert that someone was afraid or angry or frustrated when they were not, then I’m simply pushing my assumptions upon them even though it may not be true. This can subtly begin to erode the trust you have with group members.

As often as possible, make it a point to point out only your observations. If you perceive there is an issue behind the observation then you can begin to dig into that by asking questions rather than making assertions. For example, rather than saying “Bob, it seemed like you got really angry during that activity”. I might simply ask “Bob, I observed you getting very quiet half way through that last activity; can you tell me what you were thinking and feeling?” If Bob is willing to open up about his feelings then the same outcome that I was seeking may be obtained, but it’s been brought up from Bob himself which is both more helpful to the group and allows Bob to take ownership of his actions.

Something Strange or Wonderful:

This is an excellent tool for any group. Every time you do a course, you are faced with the problem of what to do if a player breaks a rule, falls off a beam, steps out of bounds, etc... It makes for some frustrating times if each time a mistake is made, the group has to start over again. ‘Something Strange or Wonderful’ allows you to be creative in “penalizing” those issues. This can be anything that you want it to be from blindfolding participants, to giving some participants opera voices, to giving someone a free pass to the end, to carrying a member through the game, etc… This fun little tool can serve to make activities more fun for your participants and also allow you to vary the difficulty level for the group in the middle of the activity. If they are doing really well and you need to make the activity more of a challenge, this is a way to do it. Likewise if they are really struggling and you feel that the group would benefit from experiencing some success then this is a great excuse to help them

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out. Here are some Strange or Wonderful ideas:

Penalty Ideas

o Speak in Opera Voice, or cowboy voice, pirate voice, etc…

o Speak only in song lyrics or movie titles

o Speak only in foreign language

o Cannot Speak at all (1 person, multiple people, or whole group)

o Can only use 1 arm or 1 leg

o Blind (use a blindfold only if it’s safe)

o One person or entire group starts over

o Choose another group member(s) to receive a penalty

o Carry another person through the activity

o Two group members must stay connected for remainder of activity

Wonderful Ideas

o Someone reaches the end early

o Penalized person chooses 1-2 other people to finish early

o Remove a rule to make the activity easier for the group

o Let them “earn” a benefit by saying something that would be beneficial to the group (memory verse, company mission statement, everyone else’s name, etc…)

If you have the time, another option is to prepare several “strange” and several “wonderful” things on cards before the day begins for participants to draw from a hat. This can be a great tool to illustrate that not all mistakes turn out to be bad. Occasionally, a mistake can lead to a wonderful discovery in life. Remember to debrief and talk about all the things that come up during these crazy scenarios!

Teachable Moments:

Always be on the lookout for teachable moments. Continually try to foster an environment for participants to grow in their personal character, faith, and spirituality. You have a unique opportunity to guide participants on this journey of learning from their experiences. Always be receptive to opportunities to capitalize on things that you see taking place within the group. Many times you may observe something good/bad happening during an activity that can wait until the activity concludes to process, but sometimes it may benefit the group to “pause” the activity at the moment when a teachable moment occurs to process it at that time. Either of these options is appropriate – just use your judgment to determine what you feel would most benefit the group at that time.

Debriefing - After the Activity

Debriefing is the time of processing that generally takes place after an activity has occurred. The goal of a debrief is to get the participants to talk openly about their experience and develop key “takeaways” that will benefit them at a later time. There is a full chapter in this manual dedicated to processing experiences.

Sojourn’s Process Following a Program

After each Sojourn program is completed there are a few steps that are taken. Most of these do not apply directly to facilitators but it may be helpful for each facilitator to be aware of the process.

Immediately after the program we take some time to debrief the full program to determine if there is anything that needs to be done to follow up with the group, the physical course or equipment, or as individual facilitators. The process used for this is called an After Action Report (AAR). There are 2 different types of AAR’s that we utilize to capture all the necessary information.

1. Master AAR – This report is filled out by the site director and should document any notable issues from the day including actionable items for the course, anything necessary to follow up with the client, and

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a list of activities completed in case the same client returns in the future.

2. Individual AAR – This report is filled out by each individual facilitator and serves to document specifically what activities your group participated in that day as well as help all facilitators to self-evaluate personal learning’s from the day. These will also be filed away for each facilitators personal documentation for tracking events worked and for individual portfolios.

Ropes Course Portfolios

Each facilitator should maintain a personal portfolio which details trainings attended, programs worked, and other pertinent ropes course related work that adds to your credibility as a facilitator. This portfolio is the responsibility of each individual facilitator. Sojourn does not maintain this for individual staff. A portfolio is a requirement if you intend to receive ACCT certification at any point in the future (note – that to become a Lead facilitator or Site Director, you are required to have an ACCT cert). There is a sample portfolio available on the Sojourn Staff website at www. SojournAdventures.org. Our recommendation is that you download this sample portfolio on your home computer and keep it updated with your information on a regular basis.

Things that go into your portfolio include: Facilitation hours, including time setting up and breaking down the course / Training hours / CPR & First Aid / Any sort of outdoor activity where you are leading groups of people

Note: If you are just beginning your portfolio but can track down past trainings, courses worked, etc… you are able to document those events retroactively.

Finally - Remember that it’s not about you

This chapter began with the words “It’s not about you” and we want to end with the same thought. Whether you are leading low activities with a group or sending participants off of the zip line, there are lots of ways that you can subtly draw attention to yourself if you are not careful. The experience belongs to the group and our role is simply to facilitate this experience for them.

A few specific things to be careful of are:

Excessive time spent trying to encourage individuals to participate. This can be a positive thing, but you must continually ensure that you are not encouraging someone to satisfy your own ego.

Turning debriefing sessions into “teaching time”. While there will be opportunities for you to share insight during processing time, remember that individuals typically retain more if they bring things up, so focus on asking good questions rather than talking.

Avoid participating in most activities. Ropes course activities are fun, but this is about the group, not the facilitator. In general, you should avoid participation, particularly high adventures activities or competitive games, such as laser tag, where you could give an advantage.

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Part 7 - The Power of Choice

In our lives we each make hundreds if not thousands of small choices every single day. Examples of these include…. Do I get out of bed now or push the snooze button? What clothes do I put on? What do I have for breakfast? Do I eat breakfast? What route do I take to work? Etc… The list goes on and on. There is a great little saying that ‘Choices determine our habits, habits determine our character, and character determines our legacy’ (author unknown). There is great truth in the fact that the “little choices” we make each day end up playing a significant role in the quality and the impact of our lives. - What if we, as facilitators, could begin to help people understand this concept and begin the process of making wiser choices in their day to day lives?

On our course we operate under a philosophy we call “Challenge by Choice”. This is something that we communicate to every group that comes to our course. We typically only take a few moments to discuss this with group members, but the concept of choice is such an integral part of what we do that it’s necessary to dive into this topic in much greater detail to provide all facilitators a foundation from which to lead groups.

At the simplest level “challenge by choice” means that every participant is always able to select the level of challenge that he/she is willing to experience. While we do want to encourage our participants to move beyond their personal comfort zones, it is never our place to force someone into something they are not willing to experience. Having said this, each person’s choice to engage or disengage in a particular activity is always rooted in something deeper, whether that deeper issue be a past experience, a current circumstance leading to doubt, or a fear of what may occur in the future. Depending on the timeframe of the particular program, we have a great opportunity to help people engage with their feelings and explore the reasons why they make the choices that they make.

To help illustrate our goal as facilitators, it’s helpful to think of the activities that we lead fitting into 1 of 3 zones for each individual, as illustrated here:

Comfort Zone – This is something that a participant is very comfortable with and does not really stretch them at all. If we leave participants here, there is really no opportunity for growth or life change to occur.

Stretch Zone – This is our target. We desire to move participants to places where they are experiencing appropriate challenges that are causing them to push themselves beyond their personal comfort zones, but without putting them into a situation where they panic.

Panic

Growth

Comfort

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Panic Zone – If something stretches too much it will eventually break… We never want to push someone to a breaking point where they enter a state of panic. Once a person reaches this point then a facilitator has typically lost trust with the individual, at best, and perhaps even played a role in causing mental or emotional harm to the individual.

Our goal as facilitators is to encourage all participants to be actively involved and to be stretched in every activity that we lead. The tricky part of this is that no 2 people are the same and no 2 people will be challenged appropriately in exactly the same way. For some individuals it will be a challenge to attempt a high element like a zip line or giant swing. Others will find these experiences enjoyable and may not be challenged by even the scariest high elements. Some may be stretched by being asked to speak up during a debriefing session while others may be most challenged by being asked to remain quiet. Some people may be challenged by blindfolds, while for others it’s being asked to stand very close to others during activities. There will be extreme reactions by participants as well as every variation in between. As you can see, facilitating a group well while being attentive to the needs of the individuals present is hard work!

What would be some specific observable signs that people are in each of the 3 Zones?

Comfort Zone - __________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Stretch Zone - __________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Panic Zone - __________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Lasting Change often requires a catalyst

Research has shown that post childhood, the primary way that adults experience lasting change in their lives is when a significant event occurs that proves to be catalytic experience igniting the process of change. On the ropes course we have a great opportunity to provide catalytic events with the ability to begin the process of true change in people’s lives. While there are often life events leading to change that are not chosen and occur completely outside of our control (death of a loved one, loss of a job, traffic accident, etc…), the challenge by choice philosophy dictates that we only challenge people to the point they are willing to choose for themselves at any given moment.

Internal vs. External Motivation

When making choices it’s important to recognize that there are two radically different forms of motivation that are being exerted upon us. First there is the internal motivation that comes from within. Internal motivation consists of the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that we experience when making decisions. This can be based on our current or past circumstances as well as our thoughts and feelings about how this choice will affect the future. The second form of motivation is external, and this involves things that are coming from the outside that cause us to feel pressured in our decision making. This external pressure can take on various forms. One form is direct pressure from peers, a boss, a teacher, our parents, or a facilitator on the course. A second form of external motivation may simply be from an implied goal of the way an opportunity is presented. For example, on the 60’ climbing tower, there may be an implied goal for many participants that they must reach the top in order to be successful. Even if the facilitator does not frame the activity in this manner it may be understood to be the case by participants, particularly if other group members are achieving this standard. Our

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role as facilitators is to help our participants recognize the internal pressures that they are experiencing and deal with these honestly while seeking to minimize the external pressures.

We can help participants honestly evaluate their internal motivations by asking appropriate questions before, during, and after activities. We should be aware of signs that participants are uncomfortable with various situations and then seek to explore what is at the root of this lack of comfort.

There are several ways that we are able to minimize the external pressure placed on participants throughout the program. First is through properly framing their experiences before activities begin. This starts at the very beginning of the program when the ‘challenge by choice’ philosophy is introduced. This should then be reinforced and expanded upon throughout the program when needed. Secondly, facilitators should always seek to remain aware of the relational pressures that may exists within the group from peers, bosses, teachers, etc… If there is pressure being placed on a participant by another group member then it’s appropriate to address the issue in a straight-forward manner, reminding the group about challenge by choice. Third, facilitators should try to remain aware of the implied goals that may exist in each activity and frame those activities in a manner that empowers participants to choose the level of involvement that is appropriate for them at that moment. Below is one example of how this can be accomplished:

A proven tool for decision making

A simple, yet powerful, tool that can be used to help people learn to make choices is to circle the group up at the appropriate time during a program; this could be at the beginning of the day or immediately before your first high activity of the day. Once people are circled up, you can affirm the challenge by choice philosophy and then have everyone in the group identify 3 specific things about themselves.

1. What is one thing that will be very comfortable for you? (Examples could be – putting on a harness, climbing to a specific point, getting pulled up to a specific height, etc…)

2. What is one goal you want us to encourage you towards? (Examples could be – going to the top of the swing, going to the top of the ladder, intentionally encouraging every other person in the group, etc…)

3. What can the group do to support you? (Examples could be – verbal encouragement, very specific instructions about what to do next, or please stay quiet and let me focus, etc…)

Once everyone has identified these 3 areas for themselves then you can lead them in a time of sharing these 3 areas with the group. Once the activity begins you, as the facilitator, now have the information you need to encourage each person appropriately. If they stop short of their goal, you can encourage them to it because this is a choice that they have made for themselves. If they desire to continue beyond their stated goal then that is great, but you should not choose to encourage them further or allow other group members to do so. This is coercion to push someone beyond the goal they have identified for themselves at any given time. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that YOU know what is best for them, but simply honor the choice they’ve made and celebrate the success of reaching that goal.

If they choose not to meet the goal they set for themselves, then you have gained their permission to encourage them to the goal they personally set. If they would like to change their goal, this is acceptable, but make them own that decision. Either way, this becomes a great processing tool once the activity is over and you have an opportunity to talk through the choice(s) that were made.

Saying “NO” can be a great choice

On the ropes course it’s easy for a situation to be seen as failure when someone fails to reach a certain goal. On the contrary, this situation can be used in a positive way and can even become a defining moment for an individual or a group. The bottom line is that it takes guts to stand up and say “No. I’m not comfortable with

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this.” In reality there are probably many times in our lives where we end up saying “yes” to things when we should have said “no”. Saying “no” can be a great choice! Think about how often teenagers are asked to make choices involving alcohol, drugs, sex, cheating, etc… These are situations where we would agree that “no” is the appropriate answer and yet it’s easy to get pressured, internally as well as externally, into doing things that are inappropriate. As adults, how often do we choose to say “yes” to things simply because we are afraid to stand up and say “no”? Examples range from simply agreeing to things that take our time when they are not the most productive to situations that may be immoral and/or illegal.

As facilitators, when our participants choose to say “no. I’d prefer not to do something.” This can be a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the choice that was made and lead into a discussion about what it looks like to make wise decisions in day to day life.

Balancing Challenge by Choice with group time constraints

A very real issue with many programs is dealing with a desire to encourage participants to stretch themselves while also watching the clock. In a perfect world we would continue to work with each individual as long as necessary, but in reality, a vast majority of our programs have a component of time that must be honored with the group. If someone is close to pushing beyond a personal barrier it can be very difficult to say “oh well. Time is up!”, so how do we deal with this tension? The bottom line is that this is always a judgment call on the part of the facilitator. The facilitator should not give up too soon when an individual is experiencing difficulty, but should continue, within reasonable limits, to challenge him/her to press on to the goal they set for themselves. To rescue too soon provides an easy way out that some participants seek. To continue too long can create ill feelings, resentment and even panic. Remember that your primary goal as a facilitator is to manage the risk of the group and this includes emotional risk.

Depending on how much time is left in the program, you may have to make a difficult call to have someone stop short of reaching their personal goal in order to provide others with an opportunity to participate as well. If you find yourself in a situation where you are short on time, here are some tangible ways to address this with the group:

Talk to the group about it. Many times simply bringing up the issue of time will cause people to move in a quicker manner.

Set a time limit on each participant. If necessary, you can simply implement a “5 minute per person” rule for the activity. It can become a revised goal to see how far each person is able to progress within the time period allotted.

Revise the day’s schedule. If the activity you are participating in is not the final activity of the day, you may choose to forego the following activity in order to fully experience the one you are on.

** This is noted in the acknowledgements as well, but its worth noting here that much of this content on “Choice” was developed and taught by Tom Leahy, Leahy & Associates, Boulder, CO

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Part 8 – Policies and Procedures Proper Attire for Participants

Closed toed shoes only (No Sandals, chacos, flip flops, 5-finger shoes)

Remove jewelry. Pieces that dangle and could get caught in any equipment are particularly dangerous, but even rings and watches can get caught on equipment and could lead to injury. Don’t be afraid to have them remove things that could endanger them, tie their hair back, or make other adjustments to maintain safety on the course.

Participants should be appropriately dressed for the weather.

(We communicate to participants to wear loose fitting clothes that they do not mind getting dirty and a pair of tennis shoes.)

Proper Attire for Facilitators

Closed toed shoes only (No Sandals, chacos, flip flops, 5-finger shoes)

A Sojourn shirt should be worn when facilitating Sojourn events. As a facilitator you will receive one t-shirt, if you need additional t-shirts you can purchase those or additional long-sleeve apparel. (note: we sell high quality apparel at our cost to staff, so we don’t make money off this!)

All Sojourn staff should take pride in their appearance by exceeding grooming and dress requirements in order to convey a professional, respectful, and safe image.

Note: At summer camp, we defer to the Camp All-American dress code for all counselors and staff.

Cell phone policy

The site director on duty is required to have a cell phone in the woods during all activity in case of an emergency.

Cell phones should not be used in the presence of a group unless the usage is directly related to that group and you notify the group of what you are doing. Acceptable uses include: using your phone as a stopwatch for an activity, coordinating meal drop off with a caterer for the group, collaborating with another facilitator on the course if absolutely necessary.

Aside from the legitimate uses outlined above all phones should remain out of sight and not used for calls, texts, or any other uses while in the presence of a group.

Note: At summer camp, we defer to the Camp All-American cell phone policy for all counselors and staff.

Operating Procedures

There are 2 different types of operational procedures on any ropes course. There are Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) that are in effect for every ropes course world-wide and there are Local Operating Procedures (LOP’s) that vary from course to course based on site-specific needs.

SOP’s - Standard operating procedures are things that should be in place on all courses in all places and these standards are set by ACCT. Examples of these are the use of helmets on high activities, the use of only locking

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carabiners to clip participants in, and mandatory course inspections. ACCT has published the minimum standards that should be effect on every course and typically the LOP’s for an individual course are going to go above and beyond the overarching SOP’s.

LOP’s – Local operating procedures are in place on individual courses because there are many variations in ropes course facilities, participant populations, and specific requirements that are needed from site to site. On our course some examples of our LOP’s are that we always use auto-locking carabiners to clip participants into high elements, the fact that we perform in-house quarterly inspections on our course, and our specific procedures for running our zip line. Facilitators should be familiar with and use LOP’s as a guide in operating the challenge course. There is not one document that contains a list of all LOP’s but they are contained within the manual as well as the practical training that you receive to facilitate on our course.

Waiver of Liability:

Every participant must turn in a waiver which releases Perimeter, CSO, Sojourn, and all facilitators from liability. If the participant is under 18 years of age, this waiver must be signed by a parent/legal guardian. Without a properly signed waiver, no one is allowed to participate in any ropes course activities. This agreement is not acceptable if any additions/deletions have been made by either the participant or the parent.

Summer Camp: Participants have already signed these and turned them in before arrival through our online system.

Sojourn Groups: All participants should turn these in prior to beginning activities for the day. The site director is responsible to collect waivers and pass on any necessary information to facilitators.

Medical Screening Process:

Sojourn Groups: Due to HIPPA laws we are not able to ask participants about pertinent medical issues. Our waiver and release of liability clearly states “I have no physical limitations that would keep me from participating on the ropes course today.” We trust that people read the waiver and are taking responsibility for themselves. In addition, the Site Director for the program should discuss challenge by choice and mention the inherent risk these activities, therefore encouraging people to act responsibly. If there are medical issues that you become aware of, you should only let that information be known to other pertinent staff who need to be aware (for example: a Site Director for a large program should inform the participants direct facilitator of a medical issue so that they can provide quality care, but should not inform all facilitators of an issue regarding 1 specific participant.)

Summer Camp: Forms are screened by our camp nurses for any medical limitations that may exist. Counselors should be notified of any special concerns regarding campers in their group.

NOTE: As part of our ethical responsibilities on the course it’s critical that all medical issues be kept confidential and are shared with appropriate staff only on a “need to know basis”. It is never appropriate for a facilitator to share 1 person’s medical conditions with the rest of the group OR to ask an individual to openly share about their medical condition. If a participant chooses to share freely, that is fine, but this should not be requested by a staff member at any time.

Course Inspections:

Routine inspections of our course are designed to assess the condition of the course environment, all constructed low and high challenge course elements, and all equipment. Our course is inspected annually by a qualified Challenge Course Professional (documented), twice each year by Sojourn staff (documented), Each day the course is in use as elements are being set up for the day using a visual SEE (Structure / Equipment / Environment) inspection (documented).

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Emergency Action Plan:

The best way to avoid emergencies is through always following the policies and procedures in place, however, we know that accidents do occur and we need to be prepared to deal with them when they do. This section is intended to prepare each member of the team for their role if/when an emergency does occur.

Each time the ropes course is in use, the site manager should:

1. Have the First Aid kit in the woods OR have a nurse available on radio (camp)

2. Have a cell phone on them

3. Open the gate beside pool for vehicle access to woods.

Note: In the event that a vehicle could not reach the woods (snow, ice, etc...) the course is off limits.

Inclement Weather:

Rain: It is fine to participate in ropes course activities in light rain as long as there is no lighting involved, however you should not use any elements requiring participants to walk on a cable because they get slippery and dangerous in wet conditions. We trust the discretions of facilitators to determine when it would be wise to move inside.

Thunder / Lightning: At the first sign of thunder or lighting the woods should be evacuated immediately. If any participants or facilitators are up on an element, they should be brought down immediately in the fastest way possible, including using a rescue bag if necessary.

Tornado: If at all possible you should get into the church and then proceed to the basement; this is the safest place on the property. If time does not permit, move into the pool house basement and line up along the back wall where ropes equipment is stored.

Note: The Atlanta Athletic Club across the street has a siren that will sound if there is a storm approaching. This siren is NOT specifically a tornado siren, but simply intended to alert golfers that they should begin moving to the clubhouse. This siren is a good guide for us to be aware of, but wait for instruction from the site director before trusting the siren alone.

Incident Report:

In the case of any incident we require that one of these forms be filled out and turned into the site director on the same day that the incident occurs. These forms are available in a folder in the pavilion where the ropes course equipment is kept.

Definition of an incident: “Any unplanned for, unintended, dangerous, or potentially dangerous occurrence or condition that results in injury, illness, property damage, loss, or a near miss. “

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Medical Emergency:

Call 911

o Be prepared to share basic details + the church address

o Our policy is “safety first”, so if you are not sure whether or not to call 911, then call. We would rather deal with the consequences of being too cautious than too lenient.

Begin appropriate care for victim

o CPR trained personnel should stay with victim

o Never move a victim if you suspect neck or back injury

Call for assistance from other staff

o Sojourn – Call verbally, send a group member, or use cell phone.

o Camp – Call a “Code Red” using radio.

Contact Perimeter Security at: 678-405-2208

o they will remove barricades in parking lot if needed

Send 1 person to parking lot to direct ambulance

Designate 1 person to supervise the group (if needed)

o Have another staff member move the group away from the victim if possible

Gather Information after the incident is complete

o Take photos of the scene.

o Get names and pertinent information from witnesses

Debrief the situation

o Debrief situation with the rest of the group

o Debrief situation with all staff

o Write up an official incident report with Site Director

Church Address in the case of an emergency:

Perimeter Church

9500 Medlcok Bridge Road

John’s Creek, GA 30097

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Spotting

Spotting is actively ensuring that other participants on the course are safe. Spotting is generally done by one or more “spotters” for one “climber” involved in the element who is either actively falling or will potentially fall.

Good spotting greatly enhances team building. Each participant should feel secure placing their safety in the hands of the group, in turn each participant must be willing to provide the same care for their team members when they are in a spotter position. Bad spotting will erode trust very quickly….

Spotting Stance:

1. Get into a good “athletic stance” with feet placed about shoulder width apart with one foot back and the other forward.

2. Knees should be slightly bent

3. Hands up in front with palms open to climber (spoons, not forks)

4. Arms should be ready to absorb the force is climber falls

As the facilitator you must be sure that there are always the optimal number of spotters in the correct positions on each element. If possible, allow them to establish this on their own as a team building exercise, but in the end, you are ultimately held accountable for their safety on the course.

Spotting Commands

When teaching a group about spotting, it is also beneficial to introduce spotting commands. This helps to not only maintain safety during the current activity, but begins to reinforce the need for effective communication throughout other activities that the group may participate in, including high elements.

The traditional commands for spotting are for the active participant to ask the question “spotter(s) ready?”, followed by a response of “ready” if indeed the spotter(s) are ready. The active participant would then announce what they are about to do, whether this be “climbing” (onto an element) or “falling” (off of an element or platform). On our course, we do not have a standard set of commands that you must lead each group through. Instead, what we enforce is that each facilitator must ensure that the group is communicating well with other group members in a safe manner.

Spotting tip – When participating in a cable activity, such as the Mohawk walk, it can be helpful to set an expectation that each person has 2 spotters and it’s the responsibility of the person stepping onto the cable to always have 2 spotters before they step up. If you see someone stepping up without spotters then simply treat the situation as a broken rule, just as if someone fell off the cable and give the person/group a penalty. Once they receive a penalty or two, spotting will typically become quickly engrained into that group!

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Part 9 - HIGH ELEMENTS

This section is intended to provide a basic overview of common things each facilitator needs to know in order to facilitate most high activities. This manual is not intended to replace training but only to support proper hands-on training. A significant amount of practical hands-on training is necessary to safely facilitate high activities on the course.

Before a program begins

The High and Specialty Elements should be completely ready for use prior to the arrival of the participants. All belay equipment, ladders, etc. should be made ready for use by the facilitators at this time. If any high component needs to be set up prior to use, two facilitators, working as a team, should carry out this procedure. Working together also allows set-up procedures to be checked and double-checked. High elements should be accessed by proper methods using approved fall arrest systems such as: a cable grab, L.E.A.P. anchors, crab claws, or belayed. Note: Cable grabs should always be used with a Zorber to help lessen the force on your body if a fall were to occur.

4-H Check

1. Harness - Check all straps and buckles on the harness to make sure they are correct and tight. Ensure the waist strap is above the hip bones. - If applicable, check chest harness as well (ensure buckle is doubled-back on chest harnesses)

2. Hardware - Check the participants hardware (carabiner, knot, other hardware) AND your hardware.

3. Helmet - Make sure it’s on correctly and securely.

4. Heart - Make sure that the participant is emotionally prepared for the activity. (Good time to ask for personal goals!)

Belaying

The word belay literally means “to secure”. In rock climbing and on the ropes course we use this term to refer to a variety of techniques that exert friction on a climbing rope so that the climber does not fall very far. There are multiple types of belay devices that we use on the ropes course including ATC’s, Gri-Gri’s, and JRD’s. All of these devices simply put friction on the rope to make the weight of the climber more manageable for the person operating the belay device.

3 Rules to Belaying (for personal belay devices)

When using a personal belay device such as an ATC or Gri-Gri, we have 3 simple rules that, when followed, will ensure the safety of our participants.

1. Always keep all the slack out of the rope.

2. Always keep at least 1 hand secured to the brake end of the rope

3. As often as possible keep the brake end in locked position.

The basic method that we teach for belaying is the “up, down, slide, slide” method, however, as long as you do not break any of these 3 rules then there are alternative methods that are acceptable.

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Procedure for using a JRD / Pole Belay Device

A JRD/Pole Belay Device is simply a different form of putting friction on the rope to safely control a participants descent from an element. When using a JRD, use the following rules:

1. Always keep all the slack out of the rope.

2. A facilitator should always be in the primary (first) position behind the pole.

3. The rope should always be in Butt Belay position

4. Always keep at least 1 hand secured to the brake end of the rope

5. As often as possible keep the brake end in locked position.

Note: If facilitating an adult group where participants have demonstrated trust and good judgment, it’s acceptable to allow 3 or more adult participants to belay other participants using the JRD’s. In order to do this, simply have them stand behind the pole, each having both hands on the rope at all time. This should only be done under close supervision of the facilitator.

Commands before Climbing

Before any participant climbs on any belayed element, the responsibility of the facilitator is to ensure that participants are communicating with their belayer/belay team. Rather than going through formal commands that the average participant doesn’t understand, we simply want to ensure that there is a clear line of communication created that is followed with each participant. A dialogue before climbing might sound something like this:

Facilitator: “Sarah, are you ready to climb?”

Participant: “Yes, I’m ready to climb Jenny.”

Facilitator: “Ok, go ahead and climb, Sarah.”

Note – It’s a great idea to use first names as much as possible when giving commands. This not only helps the participant to be more comfortable, but also ensures that communication is clear when there are multiple groups climbing in one area.

Before a participant climbs, all of the following should be true:

1. You have completed your 4H check on the participant

2. All the slack is removed from the rope

3. You, the facilitator, are in the primary belay position behind the JRD or the belay device.

4. There is clear communication between the belayer and participant.

Before a participant is lowered to the ground after climbing, all of the following should be true:

1. All the slack is removed from the rope.

2. You, the facilitator, should have the rope in a locked position where you can receive the full weight of the participant before beginning to lower them.

3. There is clear communication between the belayer and participant.

** The participant should be lowered only as fast as they can walk, and never faster.

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Leading Edge Climbing:

Leading Edge climbing is a term used to describe when an individual is climbing while setting their own fall protection. As you participate in leading edge climbing you are responsible for setting your own anchor points or, in the case of a ropes course, securing yourself to acceptable anchor points as you climb. When participating in leading-edge climbing using a static belay system, such as crab claws, you will often have to make choices about where to clip in.

Below is a list of acceptable clip in points for life support:

1. Belay Cable (includes a vertical cable for a cable grab)

2. Back-up loop on a belay cable (IF the back-up loop has 3 clamps or 2 swedges)

3. Wrap the tree/pole

4. LEAP anchors

Locations that are NOT acceptable to clip into include staples, activity cables (with 2 or less cable clamps or 1 swedge), or portions of the actual element.

Note that when participating in leading edge climbing on a ropes course, a facilitator should always use a shock absorber, commonly referred to as a Zorber, on the cable grab or on crab claws IF there is a possibility that you will be clipping in below your waistline. It is always wise to clip into points as high as possible in order to minimize the drop if you were to fall and when at all possible, you should avoid clipping in beneath your waist.

Night and Low Light facilitation

For certain groups the course will be used in the evening or at night time. During these courses several steps must be taken to ensure that we are operating within the standards set by ACCT.

1. There must be light at the entry point, take off area, and landing area for each activity used. (Example: for the triple zip there must be light at the net entry, the top platform, and the ladder).

2. There must be personal light or reflective material on each participant.

3. There must be sufficient emergency lighting available to facilitate evacuation in the course of an emergency or rescue situation.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

High Element Activity Procedures

The instructions below are intended to give general guidelines for the procedures for various types of high elements on our course. Specific procedures may vary slightly from element to element.

Leap of Faith / Power Pole Facilitation

Follow all instructions outlined above for 4-H checks, etc…

Ensure the participant is clipped in appropriately (rope attaches to BOTH loops on their back (seat & chest harness).

Ask the participant to wait until you give the appropriate commands before climbing. Once you have them on belay using the JRD, go through your commands for them to begin climbing.

Coach the participant to the top, count down, and have them jump.

As they jump, you should take a giant step back to remove as much slack from the rope as possible.

Slowly lower the participant to the ground.

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Climbing Activities

Follow all instructions outlined above for 4-H checks, belaying, etc…

Do not allow anyone to be at the base of the wall while someone else is climbing. Where ‘helmet only zones’ are available, all participants should remain outside that zone while someone is climbing.

The Facilitators attention should always be directed to the participant climbing (if you are the primary belayer) or to the belay team and the climbing participant if you participant belays are being used.

Top of Zip Line Facilitation

Once the participant reaches the platform with you, greet them warmly (remember they may be nervous). Make sure they stay attached to their belay rope or safety lanyard until you transfer them.

Transfer them to the lanyards on the top of the tower and then unhook them from the belay rope or safety lanyard they used to access the platform. (If applicable, lower the belay rope to the ground).

Have the participant move to the launch platform underneath their respective zip. Attach their pulley (and back-up lanyard if applicable) to the zip cable and to the participant, checking their harness, helmet, and hardware.

Repeat this process for additional participants on adjacent zip lines.

Look down the zip corridor to ensure that the area is clear (Visual Confirmation OF the ground)**

Call down to the bottom “Zip Line Clear?” (Verbal Confirmation FROM the ground)**

When you hear the response “Clear”, Double Check their harness, zip pulley, and all carabiners again and then detach the lanyard securing the participant to the top of the tower. At this point they are now attached to the zip cable only. NOTE: You never un-clip the participant from the tower lanyard until you have both verbal and visual confirmation that the bottom is clear.

Give the participants the necessary instructions for zipping: o Where to hold on (on trip zip, participants should hold yellow lanyard only). o Don’t go upside down. o When I count down, all you have to do is step off the edge.

Call out “Zipping 3” or “Zipping 2” (total # of people zipping down). (Note: It’s not uncommon that we will send 2 people off the trip zip, so you need to communicate the total number of zippers to the team at the ladder.)

Once you receive the response “Zip On” from the ground, count down and send the participant(s) off.

** You ALWAYS get both visual and verbal confirmation before sending anyone off of a zip line.

Bottom of Zip Line Facilitation

See section above for commands and communication with the person working the top

It is imperative that you always keep the zip corridor clear of all participants and maintain responsibility for the ladder.

Each time a person Zips down, your responsibility is to get the participant off the zip line. The safety of the participant is always your priority.

After the participants have zipped by, bring the ladder to the take-down zone under the line.

If necessary, toss up a haul rope to the participant and pull them back towards the ladder GENTLY. It’s imperative that you NOT pull them back too fast. If they have momentum and let go of your rope, they can collide with the ladder potentially injuring themselves and the person on the ladder.

Release the tension on the cable and remove the zip pulley, then have the person carefully come down off the ladder. (For Double Zip, toss a second rope over the zip cable and have a second person pull down to release the tension in the cable.)

Climb up the other side of the ladder and remove the entire pulley.

Have the participant climb down the ladder and then carry the pulley back to the tower

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Giant Swing Facilitation

Follow all instructions outlined above for 4-H checks, etc…

Have participant(s) climb the ladder and clip their harness(es) to the cable/bar. (If applicable, secure the swing seat to the bar underneath participant.) Note: The participants are ALWAYS connected to the swing BEFORE the haul rope is attached to them.

Secure the haul rope to the participant and show them how to pull the rip cord once they are ready. o Giant Swings – haul rope attaches to BOTH loops on their back (seat & chest harness). o Lil’ Swing – 4 to 1 pulley system attaches to the black bar

Remove the ladder

Instruct all other participants to begin pulling the rope, hoisting the swinger(s) into the air. Once the swinger(s) reach their desired height, they should say “stop here”. All participants on the ground should hold the rope, but stop walking.

o Lil’ Swing – The 1st facilitator should be holding the rope as participants pull it. Their primary responsibility is to ensure the participants continue to hold the rope once the once the swingers say “stop here”. The 2nd facilitator should be holding on to the Retrieval Rope on the 4 to 1 pulley system. Their primary responsibility is to ensure the Retrieval rope is not entangled with the swingers.

o Giant Swing – The facilitator should be assisting in pulling the haul rope so they can carefully monitor the group.

The swinging participants should count down and then pull the rip cord to begin swinging.

Participants on the ground should drop the rope, so that you can pull the haul cord and retrieve the pulley which was released by the swingers.

Walk over and slow down the swingers by gently tapping their feet as they swing by.

Once they are stopped, raise the ladder on the platform and help the participant(s) down.

Static Course Facilitation

Walk the participants through GROUND SCHOOL o In addition to harness and helmet instruction, team participants how to attach crab claws

o Explain “ABC” to participants – “Always Be Connected”

o Using the practice station. Teach participants:

1. How to open snap hooks and clip onto a cable

2. Clip snap hooks in opposing directions

3. Use only 1 hand in transitioning snap hooks

4. Always ask permission form a buddy, using names, before transitioning

5. Teach the buddy what it means to say “yes”. Must have visual confirmation.

o Have all participants practice on the practice station, making at least 3 transitions.

One Facilitator will remain on the ground to perform 4-H checks as each participant enters.

One facilitator should always be the first person in the air to greet participants as they arrive.

All facilitators should carefully watch each participant as they transition, particularly for the first time. Their buddy should also be giving them permission every single transition which means they are being watched by staff and a peer while in the air.

Exit Options: o DEUS

Clip participant to one end of the DEUS rope and remove all slack Ensure the ground is clear and double check participants harness and carabiner Unclip participant crab claws from belay cable and re-secure them to their harness Have the participant step off the edge Hold the rope away from the participant during descent to avoid entanglement

o Rappelling Teach participant the basics of rappelling (typically on the ground beforehand)

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Ensure both ends of the rappel rope are on the ground Attach the rappelling device to the rope, then attach it to the participant Communicate with the ground safety belayer that they are “on belay” Unclip participant crab claws from belay cable and re-secure them to their harness Have the participant step off the edge and rappel down.

Rappelling Off a High Element as a Facilitator

At the end of some programs or after morning set-up it’s common that a facilitator may desire to rappel down rather than climbing down. This is acceptable, but this is statistically the most dangerous thing that we do on a ropes course. There are more serious injuries to facilitators during rappelling than any other area on the course. We therefore have strict guidelines in place to ensure we are minimizing risk with this scenario. If planning to rappel down, facilitators should always:

Use only an approved belay device that you’ve been trained on

Pull up your rappel rope and tie the ends together (this ensure that you can’t rappel off the end)

Drop the rope and ensure that both ends of your rope are sitting on the ground

Attach your belay device to the rope and your harness

If at all possible, call to a second facilitator on the ground who can visually check your work and perform a “squeeze check”

If at all possible, have a second facilitator on the ground give you a fireman’s belay as you rappel.

Sit into your harness to feel that you are secure and remove your crab claws with one hand while holding yourself in locked position with your second hand.

Rappel down SLOWLY – you should rappel down no faster than you can walk.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rescue Procedures

Static Course Rescue

If someone is in need of a rescue for emotional reasons, the steps to follow are:

1. Talk to the person in efforts to calm them down. If unsuccessful,

2. Go the person (taking a rescue bag with you) to continue talking and give them physical assistance to continue IF they choose to be assisted. If unsuccessful, perform a rescue as outlined below…

In the event of a physical emergency or an emotional rescue that progresses to the point where someone needs to be lowered to the ground, follow the steps below:

1. Alert your ground facilitator of the situation so they can prepare to assist.

2. Stop all activity on the course.

3. Remove the 4 to 1 rescue pulley system from the bag and attach the 1st Triple Auto Lock Carabiner to the belay cable directly over the participant. (The carabiner attached to the bag)

4. Remove the Etriae (rope ladder) and cutting tool and attach them to your own harness

5. Attach the 2nd Triple Auto Lock Carabiner to the participants front loop of their harness.

6. Yell “Rope” and drop the rescue bag to the ground (2nd facilitator will receive the bag)

7. The 2nd facilitator on the ground will get into a Butt Belay position and remove all slack from the rope (If necessary the 2nd facilitator will call for additional assistance and utilize additional butt belays)

8. Call out “On Belay” to the ground facilitator.

9. After hearing “Belay is On”, remove the participants crab claws from the belay cable and secure them back to the participant.

10. Call out “Lower On” to the ground facilitator, and then assist the participant down through any parts of the element that could cause entanglement.

11. The ground facilitator will respond “lowering” and then proceed to gently lower the participant to the ground.

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12. Once the participant is being lowered, the top facilitator should return his/her attention to the group.

13. After the participant reaches the ground, they are cared for by the ground facilitator.

14. The top facilitator will pack up the bag and re-secure it up top in case it needed to be used again.

15. Depending on the severity of the incident, either stop use of the element and get all participants down (using the closest traditional exit point), or continue with the group if the rescued person is ok.

Triple Zip Line Rescue

In the event of a jammed or dislodged pulley on the line, follow the steps below:

1. Communicate with the following people:

a. Ladder team - “Participant is stuck on the line.”

They move/don’t move the ladder accordingly

b. Ground Facilitator – “I need assistance.”

Immediately harness up and begin climbing the net to join you at the top

Ensure no other participants begin to climb the net

c. Participant stuck on the line – “Stay calm. We’re coming to help”

d. Other Participants on the tower – “Stay calm. Stay put. Don’t touch anything”

2. Grab the rescue bag and get prepared to go out on the cable to rescue the participant:

a. Attach the Etriae (rope ladder) to your

b. Attach the pulley assembly to the zip cable and to FRONT metal loop on your harness

c. Put the rope bag in the center of the platform and wrap the rope around the pole creating a “90 degree angle” for the rope to slide across (do not fully wrap the rope around the pole or friction will be too great). - Clip the rope to a SIDE metal loop on your harness.

d. Put on the gloves in the bag

3. Once your ground facilitator arrives, they will :

a. put on the gloves from the bag

b. secure the rope using a Butt Belay on the platform

c. visually check the pulley and carabiner the first facilitator set up on the cable

4. Top Facilitator asks “On Belay”, after response of “Belay is On”, unclip from your crab claws and the second facilitator will belay you out to the participant on the line.

5. Upon reaching the participant on the line, reassure them that things are ok, talking them through the steps that are about to occur.

6. Communicate with the ladder team that the person will soon be zipping, so keep the line clear.

7. Assist the participant in creating some slack in their lanyard so that the pulley can be re-engaged on the zip cable. It will likely be necessary to use the Etria for this step – often clipping the Etria to your own harness to get it low.

8. Once the participant has created slack in their lanyard, simply re-engage their pulley and set them free to zip down the line. (Note: If the pulley was actually broken. The only difference would be swapping out the broken pulley for a new pulley in this step.)

9. Depending on how far down the line you are you can either get pulled back to the top platform OR wait until the zip line is clear from the participant and ladder, communicate with the ladder team, and zip down. (Note: If you zip down, ensure that you clip the rope to the zip cable so it can be pulled back up rather than dropping it).

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Part 10 - Knots The primary knot that we use on our course is actually 2 knots. It is the bowline on a bight knot with a back-up (fisherman’s) knot. We will tie this knot, attach a triple auto-locking carabiner to the knot and clip this to participants.

Bowline on a Bite: (primary knot)

Back-up Knot: (Fisherman’s knot)

The “Perfect Knot” for our usage on the ropes course is a bowline on the bite that is…

1. Dressed Correctly

2. Loop should be large enough that you can fit your hand through, but not your entire fist

3. The safety knot should be as close to the primary knot (bowline) as possible

4. There should be 2-6 inches of tail following the safety knot

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Additional knots:

All of the pictures above were copied from www.AnimatedKnots.com

This is a great resource to see how to tie knots.

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Part 11 - Equipment

All equipment on the ropes course should only be used according to manufacturer’s specifications. Equipment manufacturer’s instructions, recommendations and guidelines should be considered a baseline for use and operation of all equipment on our course.

How much weight can our equipment hold?

All fall arrest and life support equipment on the ropes course must have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 lbs. This is true for all belay cables, carabiners, harnesses worn by participants, pulleys, and ropes.

Kilonewton (kN)

A kilo newton is a measurement of force that is equal to 224.8 lbs. When we see a number stamped on the side of a piece of gear in Kilonewtons (kN), it gives us a measurement of what kind of force that gear can withstand. A piece of life support gear needs to read at least 22 kN in order to be used as life support on a ropes course.

Note: Although an accurate conversion of 5,000 lbs to kilonewtons would be 22.2 kN, it is important to acknowledge that manufacturers of many pieces of equipment publish a rounded-off strength rating of 22 kN when the strength is actually 5,000 lbs. ACCT considers a published rating of 22 kN to be equivalent to and complying with the 5,000 lb strength standard. (ACCT standard I.3.1.4.)

Carabiner

Must have breaking strength of at least 5,000 lbs. (22.2 kN) and a locking gate. Participants should always be clipped in using a carabiner with an auto-locking gate.

We use both steel and aluminum carabiners on our course and there are multiple types of each.

Retirement: Significant wear resulting in loss of 10% + of circumference, cracks, distortions, improper operation of gate/locking system, or if it takes a significant fall onto a hard surface.

Steel should be used rather than aluminum in any application where the carabiner will be moving across another metal surface, for example when traversing a wire cable.

Rope

Must have breaking strength of at least 5,000 lbs (22.2 kN)

We use both Dynamic and Static rope on our course. Our rope is called Kern-Mantle rope because it has an outer layer, called the mantle or sheath, which serves to protect the inner portion, called the kern or core of the rope, where the true strength of the rope exists.

Dynamic Rope: 7-10% stretch and is therefore used on any belayed element where the participant may take severe falls. Typically brighter, softer, and has 3 or more colors.

Static Rope: 1-2% stretch and is therefore used on elements where we desire stability and very little stretch in the rope. Typically stiffer and more bland than dynamic and contains 1 primary color with a band of another color running through.

Retirement: When specified by the manufacturer (Generally 3-5 yrs from manuf. date) OR significant wear, cut, distortion, glazing, stiffness, excess softness, inconsistency, change in diameter, or unknown history.

ATC Belay Device

ATC stands for “Air Traffic Controller”

All Belay devices use a mechanical advantage to provide friction on the rope so that the load of a “climber” may be easily managed by another person.

Retirement: Significant scoring or wear resulting in loss of 10% of the diameter of the device, sharp edges, cracks or distortion

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Figure 8 / Rescue 8 Belay Devices

Another belay device used on our course. This device is most popular for rappelling. A rescue 8 is also used on our static course rescue bags.

Retirement Significant scoring or wear resulting in loss of 10% of the diameter of the device, sharp edges, cracks or distortion

Gri-Gri Belay Device

A belay device made by Petzl that is designed to automatically lock when a participant falls. It also allows for slow, smooth lowering of a participant if used properly.

This is the belay device we use most often on our course due to the auto-locking feature.

3 cautions about using the Gri-Gri

1. Can teach poor belay technique if a belayer gets lazy.

2. Very dangerous if loaded improperly.

3. The lever must be pulled very slowly when lowering.

JRD Belay device

All Belay devices use a mechanical advantage to provide friction on the rope so that the load of a “climber” may be easily managed by another person.

The rope is attached to the JRD by starting at the top hole and running the rope through the series of holes in a Z fashion. The end result is that the belayer can hold onto the rope on the opposite side of the pole from which it was inserted and easily look at the climber as they belay.

Pulley

Must have a breaking strength of at least 5,000 lbs (22.2 kN)

If used on a steel cable, the pulley wheels must be steel.

All pulleys used for life-support purposes must be backed up with a second bolt or an additional sheath over the pulley wheels.

Used on our Zip Lines, Giant Swings, and Dynamically belayed elements on our static course.

Helmets

Helmets used on Challenge courses must meet UIAA standards, carry the CE mark, or be approved by the manufacturer for use on challenge courses. We have several different types of helmets on our course.

This helmet has adjustable wheels to get a good tight fit

Retirement: When specified by the manufacturer, cracks or distortions on the shell, straps are unable to be latched.

Personal Harnesses

In order to use a personal harness on our course it must be approved by a site-director prior to each use OR left on our course with our equipment once it’s been approved.

All harnesses must be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

If using a personal harness, all belay ropes must pass through several points of webbing on the front unless the harness has 5 or more stitch plates in the belay loop.

Most personal harnesses contain buckles that must be double-back prior to use.

Seat Harnesses (Robertson = manufacturer)

Designed specifically for challenge courses.

Blue loops on the front and the back are rated and can be clipped directly into

All buckles are automatically doubled back

Most important safety tip with the harnesses is to make sure that the waste strap is tight and that it’s

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above the hip bones. Seat harnesses ARE NOT intended for going upside down in alone, but in the event someone did flip upside down, it’s the hip bones that hold you in.

Chest Harness (Head Wall = manufacturer)

Used to turn a seat harness into a full body harness

NOTE: These are the only harnesses that we have that must be doubled back!

Color coded by size: Purple = extra small / Gray =small / Red = medium / Blue = large / Black = extra large

Used on the Power Pole, Leap of Faith, Single person giant swings, crate’r mountain, and cargo net climb

Crab Claws

Made from multi-line rope

Each rope is adjustable to fit various lengths of elements

Secured to the harness using a girth hitch

Each rope contains 2 snap hooks (OSHA approved devices that only open using opposing pressure and automatically clip into a locking position when released) for securing to cables

Crab claws should be used in conjunction with a Zorber/Shock Absorber in the event that a person would be clipped into an anchor point below waist level.

Used on the static course and for set-up/break-down on additional elements

Rescue Bag (Static Course)

Used to bring someone down from the static course in the case of an emergency.

Contains: 1 Static Rope, 4x1 pulley system, 1 etriae, 3 steel auto-lock carabiners, 1 retired carabiner for bag

Rescue Bag (Zip Line)

Used to retrieve someone if trapped on the zip line.

Contains: 1 static rope, 1 etriae, 2 steel carabiners, Kong zip pulley with lanyards, gloves

SRD (Shear Reduction Device)

Shear is simply the degree of bend that is placed on the rope. The sharper the bend, the more

pressure is being put on the rope at any given point. A shear reduction device therefore exists to

reduce the amount of shear that is put upon the rope.

SRD’s are used at the top of most of our climbing activities like the tower, vertical playpens, and

dynamic elements.

Cable Grab

Used on a vertical cable to safely travel up while protecting from a fall by locking down on the cable in

the event of a sudden drop

Based on manufacturers recommendations, cable grabs must always be used with a shock absorber or

Zorber.

Cable grabs are used on our course only by staff.

Zorber / Shock Absorber

Designed to attach to a cable grab, lanyard, or other life support device to absorb the shock caused by

abnormal force.

Inside the Zorber pouch are 2 layers of webbing woven together. It’s designed to tear apart in the

event of a significant fall, absorbing the shock that would normally be transferred to the body.

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Zorbers are used on our course only by staff. They are necessary any time a cable grab is used or

when a facilitator may be climbing with crab claws in which they may be clipped to an anchor point

below waist level.

Acknowledgements:

You should be aware that there is very little original thought contained in the pages of this manual.

The content within has been gathered from a number of sources over the years including trainings,

conferences, books, workshops and conversations with far too many people to note. Below is a list

of some key people and organizations that have significantly influenced or contributed to this

document.

Winshape Wilderness, Rome, GA - Much of what we do here at Sojourn is based on the

original learning gained at Wilderness and they continue to be dear friends and a

phenomenal resource of information.

Signature Research, Douglasville, GA – Signature has built pretty much everything on the

Perimeter ropes course and allowed us to be a part of the construction process. In addition

to this they’ve also led numerous trainings and certification testing for our staff over the

years. Special thanks to Dan, Ben, and Scott.

Tom Leahy – Tom is the founder and President of Leahy and Associates based out of Boulder,

CO. Much of the content on choice has come directly from Tom. His knowledge through

trainings and workshops has also aided significantly to our processes for facilitation, so much

of his though is reflected throughout this manual.

ACCT – This probably goes without saying, but the standards contained within were

developed over years of practice and discussion by The Association of Challenge Course

Technology.

Others who deserve a mention here as well include Karl Rhonke, Jim Cain, Michelle

Cummings, the folks at Experiential Resources Inc., Project Adventure, and Mike King with

the B.O.L.D. program.