This week was Crew Young’s turn to perform routine community service around the school site sporting colourful day-glow tabards and gloves, wielding litter pickers and plastic sacks. Needless to say with the strength of the wind this proved a very challenging task in itself, for no sooner having deposited a stray piece of litter in the plastic sack was it turned inside out or blown open and the contents left to blow away in the wind. Who would have thought that litter picking could be so much fun?

Still, it gave us the opportunity to laugh at ourselves, let off a little steam, and blow away a few metaphorical cobwebs of our own during a really challenging week of Passage Presentations. So far I have been hugely impressed with how our Crew have risen to the challenge, the sense of purpose with which they have approached this crucial entry into the next phase of their education. I am proud of each and every one of them. Well done, Youngsters!

In an attempt to explore the social, moral, spiritual and cultural reasons behind rites of passage practised by communities throughout the world, we spent Crew time this morning studying the Apache and Fulani tribes. It quickly became apparent that Crew Young were largely ignorant of the term “rites of passage” and its significance in E24 Year 9 at XP East.

We watched Dashina, of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, prepare for the trials of womanhood, by enduring four days of ancient tests of strength, endurance, and character before taking her Apache woman name of “morning star feather”. We saw two adolescent boys of the Fulani tribes of Benin, Western Africa engaged in a whipping trial to prove their strength and courage before tribal elders.

We then considered the similarities and differences between these two cultures and made a connection between these rites of passage, and “passage” that is being planned for this term.

It was the French anthropologist and folklorist Arnold van Gennep, who coined the phrase rites of passage in 1909. In 2020 at XP East our students’ preparations for a more academic “passage” are well under way.

It’s fair to say that this week Crew Young have needed reminding of why the XP Trust sign: “above all, compassion” greets them as they enter the school premises. We decided to re-boot our concept of Crew as a result of recent issues involving relationships within our group. Starting with a focus on our character traits – courage, integrity, craftsmanship and quality, respect and compassion – we considered where students have exhibited these in sessions and around school, and, remaining with the latter we contemplated the guiding question: “what do we want compassion to look, feel and sound like in Crew?”.

Following a silent conversation protocol, we collated our ideas:

• using kind words and empathy
• being sensitive towards others
• being able to feel comfortable in Crew
• feeling that everyone is there for each other
• supporting others when they need it, e.g. Crew can support someone subject to reflection

This is a work in progress, and it’s likely that we’ll need to return to this character trait and develop our ideas further after the Christmas break, but at least for now we’ve started the ball rolling.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

This morning Ella kindly led a Crew session by sharing her experiences, skills and knowledge about being a St. John’s Ambulance Cadet. Although she might have received some sideways looks as she arrived in her official full green overalls, the quality of reflection, delivery of her presentation, and the way that she checked Crew Young’s understanding of her voluntary work with this organisation were all exemplary.

In great appreciation to Ella for volunteering to deliver her session, and to Crew Young for being a quality audience, showing respect, and for their intelligent and thoughtful questions about Ella’s work afterwards.

What a lass!

Last Friday Crew Young started their bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award skill section with a spot of gardening – or rather seed propagation. The sowing of seeds and harvesting of crops is rather limited by the time of year, although we still aim to grow cress, parsley, basil and oregano. One of these plants, we learned, has strong medicinal uses in some parts of the world….and was even used as a cure for snake bites!