CENTURION - Innovation, play, Mokawk…
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The Centurion, which unfolds each Summer in Grass Valley, California, is sort of an underground “cult” adventure workshop. Holly Baade first mentioned the Centurion to me in April. The details of this gathering she kept rather vague. Now I know why. Would you show up to a conference where there is no agenda other than at some point over four days there would be a food fight and a freezing ice plunge?
Holly did tell me was that Karl Rhonke runs the conference with his best friend Adrian Kissler (who I hadn’t met yet) and that people like Chris Calvert and Sam Sikes would be there playing with the best of them. One tool in Seeking True North I refer to in times of decision is the Prax Factor. In this context, this means that if you want to hav
e a certain attribute in your life, consider those that have those qualities, and SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THEM. Well, if there is any one “Grandfather” of experiential education, it would hand’s down be Karl Rhonke. I first met him in Jackson Hole some 15 years ago and he remained an icon and model for experiential learning for me. He wrote the foundational books on experiential learning including Silver Bullets, and is a model for play as a modality for learning. http://www.karlrohnke.com/
Say no more - lets just show up and see what unfolds.
Well, the first “ice-breaker” activity involved me plunging into a freezing cold vat of ICE water - double emphasis on the ICE to see how long I could hold my breath. Why? FUNN! Functional Understanding Not Necessary. This is a favorite acronym of Karl’s. Which says you don’t have to understand the why.
Give yourself permission to be a little wacky sometimes. Laughter, doing something completely different, and just because. Play.
Well a couple hours into the conference the clippers came out and people’s heads started being shaved. I went all in and next thing you know I had a MOKAWK. Well - its three weeks later and i still have it! Although something tells me I should shave it off for my upcoming work at Harvard and for the television appearances with Hugh Downs!
SO - What happened? In brief, we created, played, shared, jumped, raced, laughed, connected, tricked, supported, questioned, networked, challenged, jammed, thought and well… had FUNN! We invented new games and initiatives and yes, had a massive food fight! Playing a new dice game with Adrian and Karl was just hillarious. The love and caring energy was ever-flowing.
At the 16th Centurion, just passed, there were nearly 25 attendees. People came from Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and from all over the US. All who came, came to give. To give of their knowing and innovation and laughter. Often times, when going to a conference, the point is to “get your money’s worth.” Not so in this workshop. This week was about “giving as much as your money’s worth,” – or perhaps giving what money cannot buy – synergy. The synergy that can emerge between people, great people, when they are all working towards a common goal. Even if the only goal they have in common - is to have FUNN.
Thanks, Holly, for the invitation!
