HCYP's newest Intergenerational and Educator Advisory Board members gathered in August at Hui Mālama o Ke Kai for a day of learning, reflection, and shared hana. While the retreat introduced board members to their new roles and responsibilities, it also invited them into a deeper exploration of leadership, pilina, and what it means to ʻauamo kuleana together. Throughout the day, participants were reminded that leadership is not simply something we talk about in meeting rooms. It is something we practice through relationships, shared experiences, and the ways we choose to show up for one another.
"As awesome as four walls are, and they do serve their purpose for us mere mortals against the elements, this is not where community is."
Rather than remaining indoors, board members stepped outside to begin the day together. As they planted native species, shared tools, and worked alongside one another, conversations unfolded naturally. It became an opportunity to contribute to the place that was welcoming them while beginning to build relationships through shared work. As Kumu Maile reminded the group, "The learning is in the doing."
Before discussing board roles or reviewing agendas, participants were invited to introduce themselves differently. They reflected on where they call home, where their roots run deepest, and someone they wished to bring into the space with them. Kumu Maile explained that this practice of hoʻolauna reminds us that identity is shaped not only by who we are, but by the places and relationships that continue to form us.
"You are where you come from."
Throughout the introductions, participants were reminded that there were no right or wrong answers. Instead, the invitation was to arrive as whole people, carrying with them the experiences, communities, and loved ones that continue to shape their journeys. From the very beginning, the retreat established that meaningful leadership starts with knowing one another beyond names or titles. It begins with pilina.
As the day continued, conversations returned again and again to the idea of pilina. While the word is often translated simply as "relationship," participants were challenged to think more deeply about the difference between knowing many people and being truly known.
"We know 1,000 people, but how many people do we actually know and know us?”
Rather than asking board members to immediately become a team, the retreat focused on creating the conditions where authentic relationships could begin to grow. Through conversation, reflection, and shared work, participants experienced firsthand that trust cannot be rushed or manufactured. As Kumu Maile shared, "A really great way to build pilina is time and sweat."
That simple idea echoed throughout the day. Whether deciding where a plant belonged, sharing a shovel, or helping one another complete the work, participants discovered that community often develops through ordinary moments of collaboration rather than extraordinary events.
As the retreat shifted toward the work of the Advisory Board, the conversation expanded from relationships to leadership. Rather than describing leadership as a position to be earned, participants were invited to consider a different perspective.
"Think about leadership as…more of a contribution than a position."
Throughout the discussion, board members reflected on how each person's gifts strengthen the collective. Sometimes leadership means stepping forward to guide a conversation. Other times, it means stepping alongside someone to offer support or stepping behind to create space for another person's strengths to emerge.
"Sometimes leadership means making space rather than taking space."
For HCYP's intergenerational board, this perspective offers an important foundation. Youth, educators, community members, and organizational partners each bring different experiences, knowledge, and perspectives. Leadership grows not from one voice carrying the conversation, but from creating space for every voice to contribute.
Throughout the day, conversations about leadership continually returned to pilina. Kumu Maile reminded participants that kuleana is not simply a list of responsibilities to complete, but something carried within community. Being invited to serve on the board is both a privilege and an act of trust, grounded in the belief that none of us carries that responsibility alone.
Near the close of the retreat, participants reflected on why the day's work had felt so meaningful. The answer was not simply the plants that had been placed into the ground, but the relationships that had begun taking root alongside them.
As HCYP begins another year of learning together, the retreat offered far more than an orientation to board service. It established a shared foundation rooted in pilina, contribution, and ʻauamo kuleana. The pilina that began growing that day will continue to shape how this board listens, learns, and leads together in the months ahead.
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