The biggest Wilderness Week change in 25 years?

That’s what I wondered as I spent a week with Class XLV a little more than a week ago.

Class XLV is back now. We gave them the advice handed down from generations of Fellows before them. YOUR classes. That advice? Re-entry is real, so take it slow. After all, it was an epic week of bonding and summits.

And the most significant change in 25 years? The Fellows asked me all week, expecting some grand wisdom. To be sure, the curriculum and the experiences have evolved over the years—every era is distinct. My answer: it’s the LATRINES!

In 2000, my XLII classmates, Ronnie Lott and Ajay Shah (mostly Ronnie Lott, tbh), moved logs and dug a huge hole, eventually constructing a four-sided privacy shelter—real digging, real lifting, real building. Today, there’s this pop-up potty shelter with a cute seat and plastic bags. It’s so much better.

In all seriousness, for many of us Senior Fellows, Wilderness Week was the glue that bonded our classes, perhaps a pivotal moment in the overall Fellows Program journey. For some, it was a transformative experience both individually and collectively—something that’s becoming increasingly rare in a world where division and disconnect are common themes.

Whether it was the bonds we formed, the discussion circles, finding our personal summits —or the latrines—it’s likely that some part of the ALF Wilderness Experience left an imprint on our ALF (and personal) journeys. If so, please consider helping to ensure future generations of senior leaders can experience it for themselves by donating to ALF Silicon Valley today.

Thank you.

David Yarnold
Interim CEO
ALF Senior Fellow, Class XII