TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

June 6, 2003

In this week’s issue:

Connections

(1) A Goal Leadership Academy, Eleanor May Brenneker

Quote

(2) Barbara Bush

Editors’ Notes

(3) Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

CONNECTIONS

(1) A Goal Leadership Academy: How teenage students from

California, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela achieved their

Ambitious Target with team leader Francois Moll, Dir. TOCFE

South Africa

From Eleanor May-Brenneker MA, Netherlands

Last year’s play, performed at the TOCFE International Conference in

Nottingham by the A GOAL ACADEMY and directed by Francois Moll, was

such a resounding success that the delegates at the 7th TOCFE Conference

in Florida this May had set their expectations high. Quite rightly so!

The team’s goal was to write, rehearse and stage a play within three days,

using TOC tools. The first thing I noticed was that the teenagers were

frantically involved in getting rid of obstacles on their list by interviewing

some adults with questions such as: “What would you like this year’s play to

be about?” or “What theme should feature in our play?” On another

occasion, delegates were kindly and assertively admonished to submit

information about TOCFE history and present state of affairs in their home

country and “funny” things that had happened through or with TOC.

All this information gathered by a half dozen students ended up in a melting

pot in which Francois dipped to write the script in 24 hours. That left only

Sunday to rehearse the play…

At 6 PM that night all the delegates were present to witness a spectacular

performance in four parts, featuring the past, present and future of TOCFE.

The main character was Kathy Suerken, brilliantly performed by Ana Maria

Conde, who related in a hilarious way the birth of TOCFE and the subsequent

conquest of four continents by Kathy. This conquest covering thousands of

air miles was not without hiccoughs, mistaken identities, Asian chickens

under floorboards, African safari animals prancing around, all superbly

enacted by the students and humorously narrated by Francois, who also

functioned as light and sound engineer.

There was a serious aspect to the play as well—the teenagers acted out real

life scenes illustrating teens’ problems and how to successfully solve them,

using TOC tools such as The Cloud, Logic Branch etc. Very moving was the

last act, entitled Future, where the young performers quoted sayings by

their peers worldwide, for whom TOCFE has made a difference to their lives

or in which hope for a better future was clearly expressed.

Every actor/actress had a personal message for us too:

“I think the future of TOC is made because TOC was born when Jesus gave

us the Earth.” —Estefania Arevalo (6 years old)

My personal goal is to learn more about TOC to solve my problems and

invite my friends to use the tools to solve their problems.” Luz del Carmen

Spinola

“We will reach many other countries, involving kids in all of our projects,

teaching them all the tools to improve their communication and relationship

with others. —Ana Maria Conde

We are going to:

1. Improve the kids’ TOC tools.

2. Take the TOC tools to other countries.

3. Teach the other kids that we CAN change the world.

4. Learn more about TOC tools and teach others.” Carolina Spinola

“TOC can help the future by helping us make better choices. I think TOC

can help my future and the way I think about things.” —Cera Beltran

The world is a mess right now and I don’t want my children to live in a place

where the only stories on the news are suicide, war, terrorism, drugs and so

on. I want that to end… and we have the tools. But we need to spread our

knowledge so the people, the youths, the future parents know the tools and

know that war, guns, or terrorism is not the solution. The world is a mess

and we have to be the cleaners.” Arturo Garza Gonzalez

After the play the tables were going to be turned when I interviewed the

cast. I asked each of them what they had got out of setting this Ambitious

Target to stage a play together in three days and achieving it. They were

unanimous in their findings that although they were teenagers from

different countries, background, age levels (13-16), they got on very well

indeed and they had become great friends, supporting each other and looking

after little Estefania wonderfully. They had learned to express themselves

clearer and better. They also found that they had the TOC language in

common, which made communication easier. All of them had become more

confident and competent. By using the Ambitious Target to stage the play

they had understood that particular tool much better and they would want

to use it immediately once back home. The Cloud and Logic Branch, which

formed part of a scene in the play, had also made more sense to them.

When I asked them about their interaction during the conference with

adults of so many nationalities, I learned that adults had regarded them not

as kids but as equal delegates, making them feel adequate, appreciated and a

pleasure to be with. One observation was, “I’ve noticed these days that kids

can be adults.” (I hasten to add that it was fun for some adults to be like

kids too!)

All teenagers were keen to learn more about the TOC tools and to put them

into practice in their daily lives personally and with friends. Cementing solid

friendships came up trumps!

I would like to thank the A GOAL ACADEMICIANS and Francois Moll for

having provided us with a top quality demonstration of teamwork and team

spirit. The parents and guardians of these 6 youngsters, Francois—the team

leader cum director—and all the spectators, who marveled at the

competence with which the play was performed and who heard the TOC

message that was loudly and clearly transmitted, can rightly be proud of

teenagers like these, who ARE our future.

QUOTE

(2) Believe in something bigger than yourself.” —Barbara Bush

The young people of AGOAL Academy are putting meaning to these words as

they work together to complete the necessary actions to achieve their very

ambitious targets. What they will achieve will be bigger than all of them and

all of us. —Cheryl A. Edwards

EDITORS’ NOTES

(3) Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

Feel free to share with us. Send your responses, applications of the thinking

processes, lessons, announcements, and etc. by mail to: Cheryl A. Edwards,

2253 S. Hill Island Rd., Cedarville, Michigan 49719, USA. Or send hyperlink

to cedwards@cedarville.net or bucknek@earthlink.net.

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site at www.tocforeducation.com. Click on “What’s New.”