Photo caption: Senior student Australian Air Forces Cadets in the 2024 Anzac Day Ceremony, Flinders Sports Centre
Thirteen boys in Year 12 at Matthew Flinders Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast will participate in a three-day ethical leadership retreat in the Darling Downs over the Anzac Day long weekend, from 25-27 April.
The retreat is the first event in the ‘2025 Leading Men at Flinders’ program, a leadership and mentoring initiative launched in 2024 by the Flinders Discovery Institute to guide senior boys in stepping up as role models of positive masculinity.
The program features a series of experiential events for boys at Flinders in Years 10, 11 and 12. The events are guided by high-performing role models and designed to be fun, challenging, practical and positive, with the goal to address concerns in society about ‘toxic masculinity’, violence, matters of consent and respectful relationships.
Over the three-day retreat, the students will first participate with their College community in the Anzac Day March in Buderim on Friday 25 April and then travel to Mt Russell in the Darling Downs to be hosted at a 3000-hectare broadacre agricultural property. The property is run by Ash and Kirsty Butler, third-generation farmers and owners of the Yambeen Farming Company.
The boys will be mentored by Ash and Kirsty Butler as well as Flinders staff, including the Head of Senior School, Mr Duncan Greenbank, and the Director of the Flinders Discovery Institute, Dr Louise McCuaig.
Students will also learn from visiting guests, including Spencer Lavers, a squadron leader in the Royal Australian Air Force, and Tom Healy, the Improvement Process Manager at Pinata Farms, the largest pineapple producer in Australia.
One of the first retreat activities is a hike to the Mt Russell World War II memorial, which commemorates the 32 soldiers from the Mount Russell area who served in World War II.
The students will then be challenged with activities across the agricultural property to learn about the role of machinery and technology, sustainability and water, agronomy and drones, and business and future markets.
Panel discussions will invite the mentors to open up to the students about the challenges and issues that men face and have faced - including the ANZACs - in their roles, careers and relationships. The discussions are an opportunity to consider how to embrace change, get comfortable with risk and discover new interests.
The mentors will share their experiences of grappling with risk and embracing change in intense ways, such as working with the economies of scale and volatile factors in farming and, for Mr Lavers, as a fighter pilot and fighter combat instructor in the Royal Australian Air Force with over 1,500 hours flying jet aircraft.
Research Reveals the Importance of Healthy Role Models for Young Men
Dr Louise McCuaig, Director of the Flinders Discovery Institute which facilitates the program, said, “The Leading Men at Flinders program aims to elevate the number of young men who are inspired to be positive role models and provide quality leadership within and beyond the Flinders community.
“Research tells us that young men’s decisions about life, learning and leadership are typically informed by a complex mixture of social myths and socioeconomic, academic and cultural factors, along with observing how other men navigate these dynamics,” Dr McCuaig said.
“We want to connect our boys with authentic role models so they can understand what leading men actually look like, to support them at this crucial time of their journey into adulthood when they are establishing their identity and exploring their place in the world.
“Our mentors on retreat have incredible insights to share from their diverse life experiences, and are eager to challenge our boys to explore ethical questions and set goals for themselves to become positive role models.
“It’s proven that a core group of strong young leaders who demonstrate integrity, fairness, empathy and respect for others can have a powerful positive impact on their peers and set a standard for how students should treat one another; that’s the culture we seek to develop at Flinders.”
Students Learning About Healthy Development to Adulthood
College Principal Michelle Carroll said the Leading Men at Flinders program was based on research that recognises the importance of leadership skills and positive self-identity to the healthy development of young men.
“There is no doubt that boys are navigating complex times and that schools must play a proactive, positive role in guiding them through,” Ms Carroll said.
“At Flinders, we are determined to support all students in learning how to lead their own lives in healthy ways while contributing respectfully to society,” she said.
“The Leading Men at Flinders initiative empowers our boys to ‘stand out from the crowd’ in positive ways so they can grow as connected, caring and motivated young men.”
Following events include a visit to the Queensland Supreme Courts in May for a guided tour with Honourable Justice David Boddice, followed by a dinner and panel at the University of Queensland with inspiring academics and researchers.
On Thursday, 4 September, the students will design and lead the program’s culminating event, the 2025 Father’s Day Breakfast, featuring inspiring capstone speeches by two Year 12 leaders to share their personal learnings through the program.
