Cactus teens set to learn new skills
They will spend weeks getting up at the crack of dawn to take part in a gruelling series of military style challenges.
But the 36 students from Hato Pa¯ora and Feilding High Schools hope to come out of the arduous eight-week Cactus course with more confidence, leadership and respect for others in the community.
In their first week on the grind, Royal New Zealand Air Force trainer Brodie Taylor had the teens facing off in a beep test and push up competition.
Although, for a lack of discipline and respect Taylor was forced to penalise the group with copious sets of shuttles.
‘‘There is a lot to learn from this course,’’ he warned them. ‘‘Don’t come in laughing and giggling or being stupid. That was five minutes [of shuttles], only five minutes.’’
Taylor, who has spent the last five years training personnel at O¯ hakea, has a long history with the Cactus programme, having run similar courses in Picton and Nelson. ‘‘It’s quite classic military training.’’
Natural leaders would come to the fore later in the course throughout specific challenges.
‘‘We’ll get people to take over the session as leaders without them actually knowing.’’
With the new year came a new crop of school leaders and Hato Pa¯ora student Amara Haeata hoped the course would give him the tools to take back to school.
‘‘A lot of younger students are stepping up to help lead. This is giving us discipline and an awareness of other people.’’
Haeata said the group would start to gel as they became more familiar with each other.
Other students, like Kate Wasley and George Alabaster, wanted to test themselves against their peers.
‘‘It is quite difficult. I wanted to give myself a challenge and get some self confidence,’’ said Wasley, a student at Feilding High School.
Alabaster was sold as soon as he heard the word ‘‘fitness’’. The Taihape boy plays rugby, basketball and is an avid snowboarder.
‘‘I loved [the physical session]. I love fitness and saw an opportunity to gain leadership skills at the same time.’’
Feilding Constable Alan Mclean took part in the beep test, something he hadn’t done since his rugby days.
‘‘The idea is for us to be hands on for the students to see.’’
Following the hour-long physical session, students have breakfast, where a guest speaker talks about their job in the community.
The course’s first speaker, detective Sergeant Conrad Tamati, spoke about his 25 years putting away Manawatu¯ ’s offenders.
‘‘It will hopefully keep them motivated and the students might inspire to be them,’’ Mclean said.
‘‘It is quite difficult. I wanted to give myself a challenge and get some self confidence.’’
Kate Wasley