From 1,300 meters to sea level—the story of a group of friends committed to experiential learning through adventure

A Letter to Parents

Hello. I’m Wes, and I manage the QBE website and its social media. I’m an American, which explains why the website is in American, not British, English, even though the Leadership School is a European not-for-profit run by a Scot.

This entire enterprise is a labor of love that had its genesis 40-something years ago on a mountain in the Alps. I was a young student at a Swiss international school. Will Sutherland, the QBE director, was a new teacher—the youngest member of the faculty. The school was Aiglon College. Today it is one of the best-known international schools in the world. Back in the day, it was an intimate community that few people had ever heard of—a small school next to a ski lift. The school founder and headmaster, John Corlette, was a staunch advocate of experiential education. He had worked for Gordonstoun headmaster and Outward Bound founder Kurt Hahn in the ‘40s and embraced many of his learn-through-experiences methods. In fact, J.C., as he was called, believed we learn in three ways: through instruction and reading, through various experiences, and through meditation (and prayer). Every day started with a meditation and every term was packed with experiences—cultural trips, Alpine expeditions, and all sorts of other activities, including sailing.

Will eventually became an expeditions master at Aiglon, as well as the school’s sailing coach—and soon discovered he had a knack for “teaching people the ropes.” His teams competed at Cowes for a number of years and usually won. They never placed lower than second place. He was pretty good in the classroom, too. I recently spoke to an alumna who told me Will was the best teacher she ever had.

Fast forward several decades. Will was still working with youngsters and consulting when he ran across two beautiful pilot cutters for sale. It was love at first sight. But they weren’t inexpensive. So Will got on the phone to see if somebody would help him acquire them. (He believes sailing is one of the most effective experiential learning platforms there is—even better than mountaineering, hiking, or cross-country skiing.) The boats were not only beautiful, they were exactly the size he wanted: large enough to be extremely seaworthy, but small enough for teens with minimal experience to sail all by themselves. Will wants his crew members to make ALL the decisions on the boats after an orientation, even if it leads—as it has on at least one occasion—to getting lost!

In fairly short order, Will found a former student in St. Kitts who loaned him the money he needed. He was off and… er, sailing. Since the Leadership School’s early days, several other Aiglon alums have stepped up to provide financial support. Others have sent their children on QBE expeditions. Many others have provided much-appreciated encouragement. And then some of us have contributed our time. The common threads are a strong belief in the transformational power of outdoor experiential learning and a high regard for Will’s ability as an instructor and mentor—a latter-day Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Let me give you one short example of Will’s teaching methods on the boats (I’m paraphrasing):

(Will, pointing to a coiled rope:)
—Tell me what you see.

(Crew member, studying the rope:)
—It looks like a rope.

—Tell me about the rope.

—Well, it’s blue… and it’s coiled.

—That’s right. Can you guess why it’s neatly coiled?

—I guess you’re going to tell me…

—It’s coiled so that if we need it in a hurry, it won’t get tangled. That could be a serious problem. Everything on this boat has its place. You’ll see that we keep everything where it’s supposed to be and in good working order. No job is complete until all the equipment and tools required have been put away. People who live in disorder are typically people who don’t finish what they start. Their messes give them away, Around here, you’re going to finish your tasks, including tidying up. And I hope you’ll take that lesson home.

I know it’s a reach to ask parents so send their children overseas to a program they’ve never heard of. (My grandmother freaked out when she learned I was going off to some small school in Switzerland. Friends told my mother she was out of her mind.) I understand that reaction—I was just 15. Apart from anything else, parents wonder if their children will be safe. As the father of four, I certainly get that. For the record, Will has never had a serious accident or incident. More people have serious accidents skiing than coastal sailing. Some kids do get homesick. Some get seasick (although there are things you can take for that). But the great majority have a blast. And it really looks great on a college application when a youngster from, say, Arkansas says he or she loves to sail. “Oh, and look at these pictures I took of a white hedgehog on Alderney…”

My own great adventure into the unknown changed my life. I loved my time in Switzerland. And it was all the magical experiences that made it so special. When I returned home, I thought I could do anything. Right out of college (at Vanderbilt, in Nashville), I broadcasted the Grand Ole Opry live by satellite to Europe, the first and only time it’s been done. I then went on to publish foreign-language materials for intermediate learners of French, German, Spanish, and Italian. My life has been one interesting project after another. And it all started with a gamble to go to high school half a world away, on the side of a Swiss mountain. My involvement today with QBE (Qualified By Experience) is my way of showing some gratitude to the special people who made me climb mountains and, as a result, showed me my possibilities all those years ago.

If you’re looking for some fun in the sun—a little snorkeling and SCUBA diving with exotic fish—you should check out the programs operating in the Caribbean. Everybody looks like they’re on spring break and having a fabulous time! But if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, something a little less like camp, and something a WHOLE lot less expensive than a good Swiss school, you should get in touch. Any teen could benefit from this sort of program, particularly those who spend much of their time sitting in front of a television and/or playing video games. I know from my own experience that ambitious adventures cannot be simulated; they have a unique power to speak to the soul with—to borrow from St. Paul— “groanings that cannot be uttered.” And so they have the potential to convey a special grace that changes the trajectory of young lives.

I wish every parent could send their teen off on a great adventure before college. Of course, some can. Some can’t. If you’re casting about for a great summer enrichment program, and willing to entertain out-of-the-ordinary options, I think you’d do well to consider the European Leadership School. But whatever your choice, I hope it turns out to be a terrific fit. Good luck!

Best regards,
Wes Green
wg@elsleaders.com