Bead strapping

    V E R N O N   N O E L

    

I got into social work after encountering some young people at a secondary school whilst working on a computer project as a systems analyst in the mid-1980’s. Their habit of coming to me to share their problems and worries motivated me to change my career to be a qualified social worker to meet the needs of young people in my community.

I have enjoyed my training and my experience of social work over the past 24 years. I decided early on that unless I was working for myself, I would purposely change my substantial working environment or job every 2 years so I can be refreshed regularly and not burn out quickly. This I have successfully done for 21 years until I started my own independent social work service. I believe that I have become a truly eclectic social worker with a purpose – picking up nuggets of wisdom as I travel around the world to impart to others, including new social workers. The first two years following my qualification as a social worker in the UK, I travelled to the USA to work with a company called VisionQuest.

VisionQuest’s history is rooted in American First Nation culture. In American First Nation traditions, the vision quest is a rite of passage that marks the transition from child to adulthood. VisionQuest has adopted many First Nation traditions over the years to help troubled teens and their families grow together. One of these traditions formed VisionQuest’s Senior Professional Staff leadership commitment.

 

I chose my Bead strapping because …

… in the Crow First Nation tradition, there were members of the community―called “Bishkewalakai”―who were so committed to their community that they would stake themselves to the ground by the knee in times of trouble to demonstrate that they would not desert their families and tribe. Following this tradition, the Senior Professional Staff wear a VisionQuest pin/badge (or a colourful strapping of beads) on their left knee to represent to their fellow staff members and the youth that they are willing to make a four-year commitment to the youth, the program, and the company. The Senior Professional Staff are expected to step up when things get difficult, and to work out issues that arise, whether they are internal with other staff or with youth.

Since my contract with VisionQuest was for a fixed period of two years, I made a commitment to work with children and young people for my initial two years with VisionQuest and the other two (or more) years somewhere else. My ‘more’ years has lengthened and has reached 22 years to date!

I chose my object as my Bead strapping (Senior Professional Staff pin / badge) to demonstrate my commitment to the children and young people that I continue to work with over the years. I was given my Senior Professional Staff pin / badge after six months with VisionQuest and symbolically continue to wear it.