Perse Exploration Society
What is the The Perse Exploration Society?
The PES is a new Enrichment activity set up to supersede both the Outdoor Pursuits option and the Perse Explorer Scout Unit. Members of the club meet on Monday enrichment afternoons and Field weekends to prepare for an international summer expedition.
How will it work?
The PES is open to all members of the senior section of the school who can choose to apply on a yearly basis. However, by the end of the first field weekend in October, all of it members must commit to joining the summer expedition. In the exploration tradition, members of the society are sub-divided into 'Fires' for team-building and organisation purposes. The structure of the Fires is shown in the diagram below.
The Fire leader from each of the Fires forms an executive body to oversee the running of the expedition, the programme and the fundraising. However all members of the group have the opportunity to impact on the training programme and responsibility for the successful and productive running of the training programme and the expedition. Weekend survival, hiking and climbing trips are run during Field weekend and members of PES are invited on an Easter sailing trip to the Norfolk Broads.
Benefits
Members of the PES have a dedicated and unassailable time during daylight hours in which to train and plan for a major expedition as well as dedicated staffing, premises and resources. With the end goal of an expedition and regular, well attended meetings, the Fire structure enables excellent leadership opportunities and the morale and sense of purpose of the group benefits from the regular attendance and shared goals of all its members.
Ecuador 2008
The society is planning a 4-week expedition to Ecuador and the jungles and volcanoes of the Amazon. The group will spend time working on conservation projects before embarking on a challenging programme of mountaineering and whitewater rafting. This follows on from recent Explorer Scout Expedition to the Himalayas, Romania and Iceland.
