Where Chivalry Meets Strategy: Quaternity in Cuiabá

By Wes Jamroz

October 2026

Located at the geographic center of South America, the Brazilian city of Cuiabá is often described as a threshold city. It stands between savanna and wetland, between old colonial Brazil and the modern world of agribusiness, between urban life and wilderness, and between intense heat and river culture.

The monument in Cuiabá marking the geographic center of South America

Now, through Quaternity, the city is preparing to cross another meaningful threshold: one between the ideals of medieval chivalry and the demands of a twenty-first-century mind-sport center.

In Cuiabá, a new training program based on the Quaternity methodology is being introduced as a practical tool for developing leadership, self-knowledge, cooperation, and strategic decision-making. The program is designed to work in harmony with the structure, values, and traditions of the Order of DeMolay, respecting its history while expanding its educational possibilities.

The first phase of the Cuiabá program will focus on training facilitators. Through the Quaternity methodology, participants will develop strategic and socio-emotional skills, prepare young facilitators to lead cultural activities in public spaces, and help make innovative educational practices accessible to young people from different backgrounds.

As an initial step, 30 young participants will be selected for the free program through public channels. To qualify, applicants must be between 15 and 30 years old and must either be attending high school or have already completed it.

The project will be carried out through eight bi-weekly in-person meetings. Each session will follow a cycle of instruction, gameplay, and reflection. After each game, participants will take part in discussion circles guided by Quaternity instructors, sharing insights about movement, strategy, emotion, and decision-making.

In this context, the game becomes more than recreation. It becomes a laboratory for decision-making. Participants are invited to experience complex situations directly, test their choices, observe consequences, and reflect on uncertainty, adaptation, and strategy.

Through this process, Cuiabá’s identity as a city of thresholds gains a new dimension. It becomes not only a meeting point between landscapes and histories, but also a place where tradition and innovation can work together to prepare young people for the challenges of a changing world.