This was exactly the sort of enthusiasm that Jen Band was hoping for after the opening retreat weekend of the 2009-2010 season. And from the looks of it, the year started off perfectly.
The PFO Retreat Weekend was planned around the last weekend in September and took place mainly at Whitehead Manor, a beautiful conference facility in South Charlotte. As the teens arrived, older, younger, some new, some returning, they were sent to meet in small groups to get excited and pumped for the thrilling weekend ahead. The first night was all about introductions as Mike Whitehead, owner of the Manor, advised the teens to “let down their filters” and not judge quite so quickly. At the end of the night, the teens were initiated in a fun, star-lit ceremony.
From there on out, the retreat quickly became about community in all its forms. Of course, Playing for Others is reaching out to the community as an educational tool and also a non-profit aiming to enrich and inspire. Another major benefit of the retreat was that the teens themselves formed a community of excited, hyper, and generally happy retreat-goers who sucked up information and fun like sponges.
Perhaps the most interesting communities of all formed on the third day when the teens learned which committees they would be on for the year. In a big reveal involving paint, sponges, and colored flags, chairs, secretaries, advisors, and teens alike quickly realized that they would have to work together as a team to succeed. Committee wars, an annual race to see which committee can win the most points, and eventually a prize, was announced as well as the purpose of each colored committee. Publicity stunt, silent auction, winter ball, set, costumes, and photography are the titles, and each teen and advisor immediately took to the challenge that the committee entailed.
Through the breakdown of the teens into their committees, Playing for Other’s power to unite was revealed. Teens who had never met bonded, advisors became mentors and friends, and through a series of fun, dance-filled routines, the committees successfully came into their own. It was a beautiful sight to behold and something unique to Playing for Others.
As the retreat wound down on the fourth and final day, the committee community and the PFO-as-a-whole community became one. Hugs were exchanged, as well as email addresses and phone numbers, and teens left with a sense of excitement for the year to come. Over the four days, business was crucial and taken in by the teens, and of course the fun that is expected from a Playing for Others experience was fully experienced.
Reevie Walton, another new PFO teen, said that she “felt like a brand new human being that sees things differently in a way some people can’t imagine.” This summarizes the true power of Playing for Others: a feeling of community leads to changed lives through a little bit of business and a lot of fun.
Written by Joe Ehrman-Dupre, Teen Executive Member
