Modern day youth group starts in Sunbury, Macedon Ranges

A NEW youth group billing itself as “Scouts for the 21st century” has started in Sunbury and Lancefield.

TAS_MER _NEWS_DARKMOFO_23JUNE14

A NEW youth group billing itself as “Scouts for the 21st century” has started in Sunbury and Lancefield.

The Field Trip founder Paul Kooperman said the impact of Jewish youth movement Habonim Dror more than 30 years ago inspired him to set up the group.

While the Field Trip is non-denominational, the Lancefield man said he had often thought of emulating the environment he found as a youth in Caulfield, based on harnessing creativity and providing leadership opportunities.

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Four concepts define the Field Trip — adventure, invention, initiative and unity — with weekly meetings held by leaders aged from 17 to 20.

These “Drivers” are paid to facilitate sessions for younger people including “Diggers” (who are aged from 10 to 12), “Dreamers” (aged 13-14) and “Doers” (aged 15-16).

Mr Kooperman said the branches would determine what activities and events they would like to be involved in.

It could include camps, exchanges or setting up youth-specific activities in their communities.

Already early brainstorming has envisaged events around National Youth Week, the inaugural Lancefield Megafauna Festival, Macedon Ranges Sustainable Living Festival and Mother’s Day.

Last weekend’s SunFest event featured 25 mentors training as volunteers, while next week they will undertake more training alongside a 10-year-old buddy where they learn how to interact and engage them.

“I’ve been a chief executive, and done amazing things like run festivals and even had a whirlwind career in Hollywood where I was a screenwriter and I put that down to my experiences in a youth group where I learnt leadership,” Mr Kooperman said.

“There is Scouts but it has an older connotation to it — I wanted to do something which is more of a 21st century Scouts movement.”

While Mr Kooperman is set to establish the model, each branch of the Field Trip will be co-ordinated by youth committees.

Other branches in Melton and Melbourne are also expected to begin.

Weekly sessions of the Field Trip are expected to begin at Sunbury Neighbourhood House and Lancefield Mechanics’ Institute in late April.

“There is Scouts but it has an older connotation to it — I wanted to do something which is more of a 21st century Scouts movement.” — Paul Kooperman

Details: online