Relationship/Trust Building Exercises?

EL410 · #1 03-11-2010, 11:40 PM

My sorority has been having some inner turmoil and I'm trying to figure out some trust and relationship building activities/games/exercises that we could do, to bring us closer again.

I found a couple online but there don't seem to be too many for groups.
Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks!

ree-Xi · #2 03-12-2010, 12:17 AM

Everyone stand in a circle. Someone says out loud something along the lines of "I am-----" or "I have (done this)" or "I feel ------". For example, "I am Italian", or "I have bungie jumped" or "I feel lonely sometimes even when I am in a group of people".

Then all the people in the circle who share the experience/feeling/etc. step into the circle.

They then go back to the circle and the next girl makes her "I" statement.

The point is to show everyone that there are others with common experiences, feelings, etc. It's rare that there is only one person standing there alone, but the times that I have witnessed this, it made everyone else aware of something that they might not have known or paid attention to (in one case, it ended up in a group hug). It can be superficial or very personal. The spectrum is usually everything in between. The point is to share with your sisters, learn more about them, and discover what you have in common. Yes, you are making yourself vulnerable, but without taking risks, we'd never have a lot of the things that are most important to us.

Gusteau · #3 03-12-2010, 12:29 AM

Have everyone stand in a circle (they all seem to start out in a circle, don't they?) with a pillar candle in the middle on a table. Each member holds an unlit taper. The first person to start takes the pillar candle and chooses a person. They light this person's candle saying, "I am proud you are my brother/sister because..." and return to their place in the circle. Continue until everyone's candle has been lit - no repeats, everyone hears something nice about themselves that a brother or sister values in them. (If the person who is lighting someone's candle already has a lit taper they should use this instead of the main pillar candle)

Senusret I · #4 03-12-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gusteau

Have everyone stand in a circle (they all seem to start out in a circle, don't they?) with a pillar candle in the middle on a table. Each member holds an unlit taper. The first person to start takes the pillar candle and chooses a person. They light this person's candle saying, "I am proud you are my brother/sister because..." and return to their place in the circle. Continue until everyone's candle has been lit - no repeats, everyone hears something nice about themselves that a brother or sister values in them. (If the person who is lighting someone's candle already has a lit taper they should use this instead of the main pillar candle)

I love activities like this.

ForeverRoses · #5 03-12-2010, 11:11 AM

^^ similar to what has already been posted, but you could also do a pass with one of your sorority symbols- such as a stuffed animal or a flower. whomever has the item can talk and everyone else stays silent.

Depending on the size of the group, you can also break down into smaller groups of 10ish and then come back together.

If your sorority is having specific issues, write down some of them, put them in a bowl then have each group pull one slip of paper. Then have them brainstorm for 10 minutes on how to solve the issue. then each group presents to the larger group.

My last suggestion is going on one of the outdoor trust retreats. They do cost money, but usually include things like "the wall" (a 10ft wall that you have to figure out how to get everyone over) the trust fall, and other physical challeneges that require teamwork.

33girl · #6 03-12-2010, 12:20 PM

Sit in a circle (duh) and everyone has a strip of paper. Pass around a stapler and as everyone gets it they make their strip into a link. As they staple it to the other links everyone says why they are a strong link and why they are a weak link in the chain. At the end you see that with all our strengths and all our weaknesses, we are still unified.

ree-Xi · #7 03-12-2010, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

My last suggestion is going on one of the outdoor trust retreats. They do cost money, but usually include things like "the wall" (a 10ft wall that you have to figure out how to get everyone over) the trust fall, and other physical challeneges that require teamwork.

As part of my school's exchange program, I was one of the "ambassadors". The entire team went to a woody retreat for 2 nights. We did this as part of our training program. It was an amazing experience, one I will never forget!