It's been about 18 months since I and 3 other "young" men started an elder internship process at GRACE, so it's time for a quick update. Overall, it's been a very positive experience. I've learned a good deal about perspective, the culture of a team, and decision making. And what a heavy responsibility being an elder is - really, that's been one of the biggest insights.
You should also know, especially if you are a GRACE person, that the 4 interns have been fully engaged for these 18 months. This has not been a 'you sit and watch' process, rather, we've had every opportunity to voice opinions and interact with decisions - which has been great. A few weeks ago, we presented some quick observations about elder life. The following weekend was a mini retreat and the whole team revisited roles, responsibilities, team culture and tasking. Moving forward, we are working to refine those concepts. The official internship will continue to last through the next few months as we try to close out on these latest refinements. There is then an elder confirmation process, if we choose to move on. And all of this takes place under the context of a group of men that really strive to do this in community - that's a pretty cool dynamic.
Passing leadership to the next generation is messy. More on this later....
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