Feature: St. Peter Parish Shrine Choir in Infanta-- Summer Outing & Team Building Activity

An organization should conduct an outside activity at least once or twice a year to give its people a break.  This is one good way to de-stress and to recharge the members (or employees) physically, mentally, and emotionally; and at the same time relieve them from the grinds of daily events. The leaders should consider this kind of activity in able to refresh the people and re-orient them about their purpose and goal within the organization.

Our church choir, the St. Peter Parish Shrine Choir has just had a Team Building Activity last May 16-17 at Infanta, Quezon. It supposed to be the usual summer outing for the group. But we (the Team assigned for the Outing) thought that it would be better if we’d have something more than just the swimming and fun; something that would benefit the group; something that would strengthen the bond; and would make the members re-assess their purpose and responsibility to the group. It was the first time that the choir made an excursion in a place as far as Infanta. For the past years it was usually held in a private pool resort within the Quezon City. The members couldn’t help but be excited when the officers approved the outing. The budget was the main part of the struggle but thank you to our generous alumni and member-sponsors who made it all possible. The members were just asked to prepare php 350 for the van and php 180 for the cottage rental. The rest was answered by the big-hearted people who believed in the beautiful objectives of the activity.

We gathered in St. Peter Parish at 8PM of May 15 and set for Infanta at around 8:30PM. The second batch travelled at 1AM since most of them had a night shift work up to 12MN. We (1^st batch) arrived to JRL Beach Resort at 1AM. We just took few hours of sleep and got up to prepare the breakfast for the people. There were 36 attendees in all and they were divided into 3 teams.

In conducting a team building activity, you can either hire someone to facilitate or give the task to someone in the group who is capable. In our group, since we were the team assigned and it was our idea after all, we took the responsibility of organizing and facilitating the team building. We were four in the team –seven actually, but the three weren’t able to come – nonetheless, thank goodness we still managed it.  We met week before the activity and designed a one-day team building that aimed to promote fun, instil learning, and motivate the members to re-evaluate their performance, values, and perspective to the organization. It wasn’t really hard to facilitate a Team Building event; you can use various activities in which you can incorporate your set objectives. I’d be happy to share with you some of our activities that you can apply to your own team building. It will save you a lot of money rather than hiring someone to facilitate the activity to your group; also, it’d better if the facilitators know the group so they can directly address the concerning group issues:

WARM UP / UNISON EXERCISE:

Before the real activity we made sure that they are physically warmed up. We made them do the unison exercise where they formed their selves into a diamond shape. The four corners were asked to lead the choreography through the tune of Papi by Jennifer Lopez.

ACTIVITIES

TITLE: KNOW ME MORE

The group form a circle and sit altogether in the sand. The facilitator gives the people 5 minutes to look for a single thing that best represents them. In a fast pace round, each will explain their object and on how it represents them. At the end of sharing, the facilitator gives the group another 5-8 minutes to combine those things and form a single structure or object that best represents the organization.

Objective: To help the members re-assess and know themselves better; to make them realize that they are all a significant part of the organization.

TITLE: THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

The group stays in the circle formation. Each has a yellow paper and a pen with him/her. Divide the paper into two columns. Write “First Impression” on the top of the first column and “Short Message” on the second column. Write your name to the left top corner of the paper. On cue of the facilitator, pass the paper to the next person to the right. Give 1-2 minute for the people to write his/her 1st impression and short message to the person who owns the paper. Pass it again to the right and so on until your own paper get back to you.

Objective: To make the people realize how the people see them as individual and as co-member; to point out the positive and negative traits as they are assessed by their co-members.

TITLE: CHEERING COMPETITION

The members go to their respective teams. In 10 minutes they need to prepare a cheering/yell and perform it in front of everybody. The facilitators judge the best cheering performance among the three teams. Corresponding points will be given.

Objective: To develop unity and motivate the members contribute ideas under time pressure; to encourage the people enjoy the activity and have great fun.

TITLE: TUG OF WAR

Prepare a long rope. Assign the first two teams that will play. Draw a line in between to mark the territory of each team. On the cue of facilitator each team will join forces to tug the rope to their direction. The losing team will then have to play with the remaining team. Afterwards, the two winning team face each other for the final ‘Tug of War’.

Objective: To develop coordination among the members and motivate them to work towards a unified goal. ‘Tug of War’ is a physical game; it instils to the members that they have to be physically fit so they can function properly at whatever task or activity they are assigned, in and outside the organization.

TITLE: NO TOUCHING THE GROUND RACE

The facilitator sets a distant from the shore to the chest-deep part of the water. Each team will have to line up in the shore. One member is sent to the water. One by one, the member needs to travel the distance WITHOUT his/her feet touching the ground. The members can carry him/her all throughout the round trip. More than one team mate can go with the travelling member. The travelling member should neither swim the water nor lay feet on the sand. This will be done until all the members have travelled around. When a member’s feet accidently touch the sand he/her should start again from the beginning.

Objective: To develop good strategy; camaraderie; and to understand that in a team there are times that one would have to support and assist the others.

TITLE: SNAKE GAME IN THE WATER

The two teams position themselves in the knee-deep part of the water. They will line up, with each member holding to the waist of the person in front of him/her. The person at the back end of the line should have a handkerchief tied to his/her sleeve (you can put it in any part you’d like). The goal is for each team leader (the person in front) to snatch the handkerchief of the other team. Line should remain connected all throughout. Once the team members get separated or the line is broken, the other team is proclaimed winner.

Objective: To develop strong unity; to teach them the concept of holding on to one another.

TITLE: FILL ME UP

Each team has a 1.5 L size plastic bottle. It is placed in the sand out in the reach of water. Each team lines up in the shore where their plastic bottle is located. A team representative walks to the chest deep part of the water. Each member has to race their way to that distant and then back to the shore. They would have to squeeze the water from their clothes to the team’s bottle. A hole is punched at every inch line of the bottle’s height. The goal is to finish the race in the fastest time and to fill up the bottle as many water as possible.

Objective: To motivate the member set an objective for the team; and to develop good strategy in achieving their set goals.

TITLE: BUILD ME A TOWER

Facilitators prepare materials and distribute them to teams in equal numbers. In 15 minutes each team needs to build a tower that is high, strong, and beautiful. Every 3 minutes, the team needs to surrender two members to the cage set by the facilitators. At the end of set time, the facilitators will judge which is the highest, the strongest, and the most beautiful.

Objectives: To develop strategy; encourage team works and leadership; to motivate them to set their main goals and develop ways to achieve success in what they are doing.

BONFIRE & AWARDING!

It was a whole day filled with so much fun. Most of them ended with bruised arms and sore muscles but the pains were easily washed away by the thoughts that they were spending the good times with their second family: the choir ministry. We took a break at 5PM to give time for the dinner preparation. By 8PM we made a bonfire and announced the winners. To reward the people for their cooperation in the activity, we prepared special awards and prizes for them such as: The Wagi Team, Most Organized Team, Most Energetic Team, Leadership Awards, Best in Recitation (those who were active in the assessment), Body Shot Award, Body Builder Award, Best in Swimwear, and the PG Award (gluttony award :P).

We had an open forum around the bonfire. The activity is meant to address the issue of misunderstanding, tampuhan, and the hindrances that keep us from serving actively in the choir. Afterwards, our choirmaster Kuya Eds, led the closing prayer and we all give thanks to the Lord who brought us all together and kept us safe throughout the activity.

The next day, we spent most of the time taking picture and swimming in the azure water. Before we left, Nanay, the owner of the resort requested a song number for us. We happily performed to her one of the songs we are singing in the mass “The Lord Bless You”.  She was moved and teary-eyed after; and we were glad to touch her heart in that way.

Unforgettable weekend it was! We arrived at QC at around 5PM, went to each own home and rested. Another bunch of good memories were then added to our treasure box. Now everybody's looking forward to the next summer! :)

St. Peter Parish Shrine Choir sings in the St. Peter Parish Commonwealth at 5-6PM and 6-7PM mass.