Travelling with group - Themes
Submitted: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 18:34
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Tim
Hi guys
I will soon be embarking on a trip up north with 6 other friends. We will be on the road together for about 3 weeks and all of us love a laugh at our own expense.
I am thinking that maybe we can have theme nights and ongoing "competitions" to make the trip a bit more enjoyable.
Has anyone got any ideas or things they have done before?
All of us guys in the group have done some pretty silly things on previous road trips so a "Dumb @ss award" will be on the cards and I am hoping we can add to that.
Thanks
Tim
Reply By: Crackles - Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 22:30
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 22:30
We had the "Neville award" presented each night to the individual that complained the most that day. A box of tissues was passed on as the prize.
A "seargent of arms" works
well for large groups & is very funny going over the days events fining people for indescretions & vehicle breakages etc. Money collected went to the Flying Doctors.
Group meals are also good for a theme where everyone cooks & desses up in Mexican for example.
But the favorite by far has been "Morning Tunes" where each car takes it in turn to play the wake up music (very loud around 6.30am). At the end of the trip a cd was burnt of all the songs.
Cheers Craig..............
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Reply By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 08:02
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 08:02
Tim,
Why are you travelling? If the trip itself doesn't provide the enjoyment you want, stay
home and party! It'll be quite a party if everyone contributes what would have been spent on the trip!
In my experience travelling with groups, the last thing you need is competitive people trying to outdo each other. Keeping a group of this size hanging together happily for 3 weeks isn't easy, no matter how close the friendships are before departure. Even the most trivial competitive element can become an irritation.
One activity I've seen work very
well is an all-in debrief session at the end of the day. Every member of the group has an opportunity to put forward - WITHOUT INTERRUPTIONS AND BEING TALKED DOWN - what they see as the day's high points and low points. Any interpersonal niggles can be raised in this open
forum, so that niggles don't build into animosity and each person's preferences become generally known.
HTH
John | J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein
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Follow Up By: tim_c - Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 12:44
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 12:44
Some good advice there
John. Perhaps you would be good to travel with, or share a
campground with.
These "theme nights" sound like a lot of fun for those willingly involved but could wear very thin after three weeks. Depending on how noisy the theme nights are, they could also wear very thin on any other groups you may be sharing campgrounds with.
Having said all that, I haven't travelled in a large group for a long time. There is something to be said for having a little light-hearted fun which can sometime ease tensions. I note that tourbus groups might issue a small fine (ie. $2) to a different person each day for something silly they've done during the day (at the end of the trip, the money might buy a present for the driver/trip organiser, or goes to charity). Spending 3 weeks crammed into a bus with 40-50 strangers has enormous potential to cause tensions so it is important to 'diffuse' them in a light-hearted manner.
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Reply By: farouk - Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 18:57
Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 18:57
Hi,
travelling with such a large group CAN be fraught with problems unless you have had a get together and discuss all options like as in " what time are we going to hit the road in the morning" There are early risers and late risers and nothing is more irritating than all are ready but one and if it happens repeatably friction WLL occur.
The same as in "time on yout own" do not intrude on your companions space after the night meal, some people want to have a bit of time out on their own away from the crowd.
This post may not be exactly what you are looking for but thought it was worthwhile to add it in in the interests of keeping the friendship alive and
well. In 20 years caravanning we have seen so many couples leave
home the best of friends and parting ways along the track because of irritation with each others thoughtlesness Farouk
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