I'm
happy to answer any questions or give advice. If you
have some ideas or experiences you would like to share,
consider submitting and article for publication on the
site. You can contact me at info@slinging.org.
Incorporating
Slings Into Group Activities - Phil Chandler
This
past summer I had the opportunity to participate in a
leadership training/team building event with 26 young
men (ages 16-18) of a local church group. We spent three
days in the beautiful Uintah Mountains of north eastern
Utah.
The most popular activity was entitled “Slaying
the Goliaths in Your Life”. We had an instructor
lead a discussion about the biblical story of David and
Goliath. We then drew parallels of how we could apply
David’s experience to our day-to-day lives, and
difficult challenges we may face.
To
cement the ideas we had discussed, we constructed slings,
based on the ideas and help we received from Chris at
Slinging.org. We used elk skin and parachute cord. When
the slings were finished, we went outside for a friendly
competition.
Fearing the potential hazards that are associated with
a bunch of beginners (teenagers no less), we started with
marshmallows. Once they had the basic motion down, we
moved on to rubber balls. When we determined that everyone
had the general feel for throwing we had a volunteer (with
full body armor) act as a Goliath.
One
thing that they learned was that David must have had plenty
of practice. With the exception of a few near-hits, most
shots were way off target.
Despite the bad aim, we did accomplish our purpose; to
teach a valuable lessen (there is a cause worth fighting
for – 1 Samuel 17:29) and have fun at the same time.
A big thanks to Chris for an incredibly informative website
and some much appreciated advise through the days leading
up to this event. We couldn’t have done it without
his help.
I’d be happy to offer my assistance to anyone interested
in trying an activity like this. I can be reached at philchan@msn.com.
