ICONZ Extreme joins ICONZ Adventure and ICONZ 4 Girls
Bushcraft, raft-building, ANZAC history, bonfires, education, values and fun—ICONZ has been running for almost two years in Golden Bay and has a devoted and growing following.
The programme is a subsidiary of the NZ Boys and Girls Brigades, the oldest interdenominational Christian youth organisation in the world, and extends young people by creating exciting, challenging though safe activities run by dedicated volunteers. The local unit is run under the auspices of the Church of Christ, and is one of over units 50 nationwide.
ICONZ Extreme, the latest addition to the local programme, aims to provide adolescent boys with “an anchor away from home and stability outside of the home” while pushing the boys’ boundaries and fostering self-worth and confidence, said pastor David Thorpe.
David said the programme incorporated Christian values, faith and worship yet was available for all young people. A spiritual environment nurtured a healthy mind and provided a positive motivating force, he added, by giving unconditional love, core values, faith, hope and joy.
“We had really good feedback from the mums, the boys enjoy it and they are more settled at home. We will push them past their edge and we sometimes have the boys in tears, but they work through it. We work on the premise that we create a perceived danger in a safe environment and we give them a challenge and they work on it as a team,” he said. “Underneath all this ‘doing the men thing’ is the theme of power and control, and the biggest thing is to learn to control ourselves, to learn self-control and self-discipline,” the committed pastor continued.
“Around the teenage years they start pushing the boundaries and that’s where traditionally uncles would have come in who carry the same love for them as their parents. Acceptance, encouragement and belief in someone works, whereas shame and condemnation don’t work for the betterment of the person.”
There are currently three units run here by Christ of Church volunteers. These include ICONZ Adventure for boys aged 8 to 11, and ICONZ 4 girls aged 8 to 12, and ICONZ Extreme for boys aged 12 to 15. New members are always welcome.
All three units meet on Fridays during the school term from 6pm onwards. ICONZ Adventure for boys meets at the Kahurangi Function Centre, Tukurua, and ICONZ 4 girls at the Church of Christ in Takaka. ICONZ Extreme is a mobile unit travelling to wherever their event is held.
The next Extreme term is based around anything to do with wheels, construction and maintenance of anything that has an engine, and ICONZ is looking at forming a boys’ group based around rock music.
Contact David Thorpe for ICONZ Extreme on 525 5933, Steven Marshall for ICONZ Adventure on 525 8182 or Michelle Thorpe on 525 9448 for ICONZ 4 Girls.
Ina Holst
