A Workshop for High School Boys at Copper Ridge
February 9 to 11, a group of high school boys gathered at Copper Ridge Conference Centre for a weekend workshop. The theme was “Life After School: God has a plan for everyone. What about my professional life”?
After a night of board games and snacks, Saturday started with a meditation on our universal call to holiness through our ordinary work that is done with a spirit of excellence and becomes a fitting offering to God. This was followed by Mass and a hearty breakfast which provided the energy we needed for the next few hours of presentations.
First, we had a lively and engaging talk on the trades; how the industry has evolved with its new challenges and promising rewards. We then heard how to navigate career options while considering our talents and challenges, the importance of starting to save early in life and the perils of uncontrolled phone and social media use. The morning was closed with a third guest-speaker, from St. Mark’s College, who told us about the value–both material and spiritual–of a post-secondary education in the liberal arts, and the need society has for more knowledge of the humanities.
This left us all with full minds but empty stomachs, so we had a wonderful and well-earned lunch before continuing the workshop. The day continued with an activity on goal-setting, determining a personal goal and breaking it down into “smart” steps. Many participants found it to be a good exercise to refine their desired objectives.
Another useful exercise was a personal inventory to self-evaluate how well we know what we want to do after school and how we are doing in other areas of our lives. Both activities will lead to important follow-up conversations in mentoring, which many participants receive on a regular basis.
In the end, we all had lots of food for thought to go forward in our lives. But everything–no matter how good–comes to an end in this life… It’s just that the end was also thrilling and stimulating: the Super Bowl LVIII. Regardless of whose team won, the weekend was, without a doubt, a win for all.