Operation Flinders

has nothing to do with medical procedures (or the hospital in this state) and everything to do with helping young people between 13-17 become better and more confident people.

It is a relatively new "operation" I suppose. It was set up in 1991 by the late Pamela Murray-White. She was an army officer who eventually went back to teaching troubled teenagers and offering them experiences "in the bush" where they were challenged to develop a wide range of survival and social skills. Now it provides for groups of high school students and groups of troubled teens who do not know one another to go on eight day treks.

I do not know as much about it as I should but I do know something because a former neighbour was involved in actually taking these groups out. He was also a former army officer. He spent hours in conversation with the Senior Cat about what was going on and what they hoped to achieve. This was in the early years of the organisation. The program was still developing. They were adding ideas, taking things away, trying things out, raising issues - all the things you do when you are trying something new and are determined to make it work. Eventually the neighbour moved to another location and, while we did not lose interest in the program, we heard only what occasionally appeared in the news. 

I hope there will now be renewed interest in the program because the Police Commissioner and his wife have asked for donations to the program in memory of their son. The Commissioner is on the board of the organisation and Operation Flinders benefits from the support of the police force in general. 

I support the idea too. My nephews did not do the school program but their own school did, and still does, something similar. Both my nephews still mention it from time to time and the experience of needing and not just wanting to be responsible has had an impact on their adult lives. 

For trouble makers it can be the difference between a life of crime and something far more useful. I have met several young men who were somewhat reluctant participants, who went with a "yeah, if we have to..." attitude and came back with a "hey, it was so cool...I want to go do it again" attitude. I have yet to meet any of the girls but I suspect there might be similar changes.

It won't work for all teenagers and there are enormous risks and challenges in the program but it has many positive outcomes. It is unlikely that anyone reading this will want to donate anything to the program but if you would like to know more then please have a look at   <https://operationflinders.org.au/> . Perhaps we need more of this sort of thing.