|
 |
Welcome to the November/December 2008 edition of the LeadAmerica Alumni Newsletter! A
MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER
I hope that you will join me and hundreds of other LeadAmerica alumni in Washington, DC from January 16th to the 21st for the Presidential Youth Leadership Conference and an opportunity to witness this historic Inauguration, first-hand. In addition, the PYLC participants will be immersed in an exciting and challenging simulation that focuses on the challenges facing a new president and his (or her) administration during its first 100 days. We all know that President-elect Obama has a lot of work ahead of him, and you and your teams will be tackling many of the same issues. I look forward to seeing you in our nation’s capitol in January! November is more than just election time, however. It is during this month that we officially usher in the holiday season. With Autumn upon us and Winter around the corner, we look forward to Thanksgiving and more holiday festivities in December. These are times to spend with friends and families and are happy times for so many of us. It is important, however, to remember those less fortunate than ourselves and those for whom the holidays may not be joyful. Many people and families have the greatest need at this time. Some may need assistance to be able to provide gifts or meals for their families; others may not even have the basic necessities of clothing or food or shelter or even a warm blanket. And yet there are others for whom the holidays may bring painful memories of the loss of a loved one or who may have sick family members or who may be deployed overseas in the military away from their families for long periods of time. Regardless of the need, there are many things that you – each of us – can do as leaders of integrity and purpose. Whether it involves starting or working in a food drive, at a shelter, collecting toys, providing a gift for an unknown child or just offering a friendly face and listening ear, find a way that you can make this holiday season special for someone else. It is through giving that we receive in return the greatest gift and at that moment we can experience the joy and sense of satisfaction in knowing that we have made a difference in the life of someone else. I wish each of you and your families the very best this holiday season and I look forward to the many exciting and new things that 2009 will bring for each of us and our nation! Presidential Youth
Leadership Conference For more than two hundred years, America’s citizens have witnessed the Inauguration ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the United States. From the first Inauguration of George Washington, in New York City, in 1789, to today, as we prepare for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration, the swearing-in ceremony represents both national renewal and continuity of leadership. This January, LeadAmerica Alumni are invited to attend the Presidential Youth Leadership Conference at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, DC. Held every four years during the inauguration of the President of the United States, the PYLC gives you the chance to experience aspects of one of the greatest events in politics and government. No matter who is sworn in as president, this is certain to be the ultimate political event and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience first-hand the excitement of the Presidential Inauguration and to attend Inaugural events such as the Presidential Oath of Office and the Inaugural Parade. Visit the Presidential Youth Leadership Conference to learn more.
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK Dr. Sikorsky has generously volunteered his time on various occasions. Currently he serves as a consultant to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Crime Lab assisting with their advancements in DNA identification. Previously Dr. Sikorsky has spent time judging state science fair competitions and has worked with the West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on proper processing of clandestine burials. “Now What? Living the LeadAmerica Way” Raise your hand if you had difficulty determining the presidential candidate’s major action items going into this November’s presidential election? It seems that we are inundated with media focused on pointing out the inadequacies of the opposition versus outlining the foundations for ‘change.’ In fact, there are many that implied the ‘mudslinging’ of this year’s presidential election went beyond reasonable boundaries. In a recent political commentary, Darrell West wrote: “Attack ads broadcast in recent months have twisted the truth, lied about personal background, taken statements out of context, and clearly sought to manipulate voter sentiments1.” Factcheck.org, a ‘nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics,’ posted an article highlighting some liberties both candidates took with the other’s views/materials2. With all of these ads seemingly littered with misinformation, how was the American public supposed to make an ‘informed’ decision? Rather than focusing attention on discussing the shortcomings of an opponent, each candidate would have been better served discussing their personal values and how they planned to incorporate these into their presidential platform. Our mission at LeadAmerica is to ‘transform our next generation of leaders by inspiring, educating and instilling ethical and principled leadership values, attitudes, and skills.’ LeadAmerica was founded on the belief that we can change the world through our youth: that we can foster a world in which people - their ideas and their personal and cultural differences - are valued. We believe that we can effect change by creating a generation of dedicated, courageous, visionary, and inspirational leaders. During our conferences, we expose students to the concept of developing personal leadership profiles – kind of a road map to ensure you’re holding true to your leadership development objective(s). Part of this profile includes establishing a personal set of core values principles to use as a guide for decision making. In past years, we’ve even gone as far as suggesting some as a way of shaping the process. These, of course, are the ‘L.E.A.D. A.M.E.R.I.C.A. W.A.Y.’ Loyalty, Enthusiasm, Attitude, Diligence, Aptitude, Motivation, Excellence, Respect, Integrity, Communication, Accountability, Work-together, Action-oriented, and ‘Yes we can!’ Individually we must define each of these principles and rank them by order of importance in our own core belief system. Collectively these form a solid foundation for a sound, principled decision making model. To create a more informed voter, it would be nice if our future leaders would identify and explain which of these principles are important to them and how they would plan to hold true to the fundamental nature of values-based decision making as the next President of the United States (rather than wasting valuable energy alerting the voting public to the criticisms about their opposition requiring the most attention). As the next generation of leaders charged with advancing this great nation through the 21st century, I challenge you to form your own views, leadership vision, and core values. Rather than trying to tear down any opposition in your path, rise above the fray and convince others your views are the right ones – ones worth following. By doing so, you’ll begin a principled journey down a lifelong path of values based leadership. 1 West, Darrell M. (September 2008). 2008 Campaign Attack Ads Hit An All-Time Low. Special to CNN. Retrieved November 2008 from http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/15/west.negative/index.html 2 Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania FactCheck.org. (October 2008). McCain and Obama Accuse Each Other of Falsehoods, and Both Have Good Reason. Political Fact Check. Retrieved November 2008 from http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sadly_mostly_true.html
Kayla Staley is currently a sophomore at Porter-Gaud School in Summerville, South Carolina. Kayla spends her extracurricular time with her church youth group, playing sports such as volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, and participating in track and field activities. In addition, Kayla thoroughly enjoys being a part of a community service activity called “Bouquets of Cheer”.
Kayla has volunteered for this project for nearly two years and is not planning to quit any time soon. “All we are doing is spending half of a day, twice a month, on the project- yet we can all tell that we are making a difference in someone’s day! For most of the patients, this is the highlight of their day- so why would you want to stop doing a good thing?” While Kayla continues to make a difference, there are individuals that have an impact on her as well. In particular, Kayla recalls a patient at St. Francis Hospital who left a lasting impression on her. “I gave a flower arrangement to this one patient, and she was so overwhelmed by the random act of kindness that she began to cry. This really touched my heart because we thought we were doing something so small and yet it had such an overwhelming effect! Everyone can get caught up in the value of ‘things’ and we forget the real happiness we have in life through service. If I know that I can make someone else happy, I shouldn’t hesitate to go out of my way to make that happen.” Kayla has attended the LeadAmerica CSI: Forensic Science program and the Law & Trial Advocacy program; however, her true aspiration is to become a doctor. “I have a desire to help others, and [participating] in this community service activity has given me a desire to become a doctor or a surgeon so I can continue the act of giving.” Thank you Kayla for your work with this creative community service project and for your efforts in bringing joy to others. ***** Would you like your
leadership and service activities profiled
in the LeadAmerica Alumni Newsletter? Send
us your news! LeadAmerica wants to build
on the belief that teens are capable contributors
to society with valuable ideas and the
energy to become involved in their community.
Each month, one student will be spotlighted
for his or her outstanding achievements
in their school and community. Become a
LeadAmerica Student of the Month! Send
your story to alumni@lead-america.org.
We want to
know what you think! What should be done
about the penny dilemma? Read on to learn
more… Last month, the United States Congress passed an unprecedented $700 billion dollar bailout bill aimed at easing the current strain on the US financial system. The $700 billion dollar price tag is equivalent to the government purchasing around 3.5 billion iPhones or every Super Bowl commercial time slot through the next 3,888 years! One thing is certain - the enormous dollar amount has people talking. Despite Congress passing this bailout Bill, the current depreciation of the U.S. Dollar has made it impossible to imagine something worth a penny anymore—not even the penny itself! Did you know that the copper-zinc alloy used to make a penny actually costs more than the face value of the coin? On March 11, 2008, U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy testified in Congress that it costs the government around 1.67 cents to mint each penny. Due to this, several new organizations have begun to lobby for the retirement of the penny. In response, the House of Representatives passed a Bill on May 8th of this year that would call for pennies to be minted out of less expensive copper-colored steel. The Coin Modernization and Tax Payers Savings Act that outlines these proposed changes has since moved on to the Senate Banking Committee for further review. We want to know what you think! What should be done about this penny problem? Should the penny be left alone as it is an important patriotic symbol? Should a less expensive mint be used to reduce the cost of manufacturing the penny? Should the penny be replaced with a 2 cent coin? Or should the penny be retired altogether? To cast your vote on the LeadAmerica online poll and view last month’s poll results, visit www.lead-america.org/alumni. To learn more about this topic you can review the Coin Modernization and Tax Payers Savings Act Bill, read the Washington Post article, or visit Retire the Penny web site.
BOOKS IN REVIEW George Washington
on Leadership From the pen of one of the foremost authorities on America’s Founding, comes the much anticipated study of leadership through the lens of George Washington. Though Washington is the model par excellence, Brookhiser resists the urge to deify our first President. Indeed, this understanding of “Washington as human” is central to the argument of the book. Brookhiser is careful to note that Washington had a tremendous learning curve and he learned from every challenge, even those that bested him. Through case studies of Washington’s actions and interactions with people, Brookhiser offers insight into the extraordinary effectiveness of Washington’s leadership skills. The central argument of the book is that effective leadership results when an individual leader both understands themselves and the people around them. Simply, effective leaders understand human nature. Most importantly, effective leaders are self aware. They accept their own limitations while also recognizing their own talents. In Brookhiser’s argument, Washington was an effective leader because he was willing to honestly assess himself. This assessment does not only include talents or skills, but recognition of character deficiency as well. This honest assessment enabled Washington to not only develop his leadership skills but to also draft a strategy to achieve his goals. As Brookhiser aptly demonstrates, a utopian view of one’s own abilities and character will frustrate the achievement of personal goals, since the individual does not properly understand themselves, the essential resource at hand. Effective leaders like Washington also grasp a central truth; challenges and the solutions to them are incarnated, accompanied by and ultimately solved by humans. In order to lead effectively, individuals must therefore recognize that human beings are entities of both passion and reason. Appealing to passion and reason are legitimate skills for leaders, but knowing which one to use and when to use it results only from a clear understanding of the people around the leader. Fittingly, Brookhiser closes his tome on Washington by stating simply, “A leader must know who he is, and who he is dealing with; and then he must lead.” Though some may consider the volume overly philosophical, Brookhiser’s testament to the legacy of George Washington is fraught with common sense and will prove to be a tremendous addition to the library of every young leader. Ultimately, Brookhiser reminds us that, like Washington, effective leaders are those who embrace and understand the limitations of their own humanity.
Are you looking for better ways to serve your community? We have a few ideas for monthly service projects. Try some of the following for the months of November and December; send us your group’s photos or the story of your success and you may be featured in the LeadAmerica Alumni Newsletter. In addition, remember to review the last newletter’s Leading in Your Community column which has even more suggestions for community service activities this winter season! National
Family Week: November 23rd – November
29th, 2008 For the past 30 years, the week of Thanksgiving has been designated as National Family Week with the help of Alliance for Children and Families. During this week, families are able to participate in local, state, and national activities that are organized by businesses, universities, schools, non-profit organizations, and other community organizations. Families are able to become stronger and launch relationships with the community by participating in activities that support local community issues and services. What is your local community or school doing to celebrate National Family Week? Ask a teacher about what your school can do to promote National Family Week or gather fellow classmates and their families to participate in local activities – this would be an excellent time to work with families in the community to support the local soup kitchen or food pantry during the holiday season. No matter the activity, it will be a wonderful opportunity to bring families together! For more information about National Family Week and local activities, visit http://www.nationalfamilyweek.org/. Tell Someone
They’re Doing a Good
Job Week: December 14th – December
20th, 2008 To start, speak with an educator at your school about getting your school involved – and making sure everyone has a brighter week! Some ideas for kick-starting Tell Someone They’re Doing a Good Job Week include sending encouraging notes to classmates, creating special awards to recognize outstanding leaders throughout the school, recognizing someone for something positive in front of their peers, or simply giving someone a pat on the back or high-five when they do something well. You can spread this idea throughout your local community as well by sending cards to the nursing home, police department, fire department, or troops from your area that are fighting over seas. For more ideas visit 100 Ideas for Kindness and good luck! Toys for Tots The Toys for Tots program was created by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in order to collect new toys for children in need. This year, assigned local community organizations and Marine Corp League Detachments have already begun collecting toys and donations for the 2008 Toys for Tots campaign and will continue collecting through December 22nd. Distribution of the toys will occur on December 23rd and 24th. It’s not too late for you to get involved! Contact your local Toys for Tots community branch and find out how you and your school can give the gift of happiness to a child this holiday season. For more information, visit Toys for Tots. A Few Service
Project Reminders…
Ambassadors Abroad: Costa Rica Spring Forward to
the National Leadership Summit For 6 days, you will immerse yourself in the environment of Washington, D.C. – analyzing and debating policy, examining our nation’s political structure, and more importantly exploring the leadership qualities and skills necessary to lead at a national level. Also as a part of the National Leadership Summit experience, you will hear from guest speakers and experts in their respective fields and tour the famous landmarks of Washington, D.C. You will ultimately leave the National Leadership Summit inspired, motivated, and prepared for a lifetime of leadership and the exciting challenges ahead, ready to make a difference in the world and all around you. We look forward to seeing you this spring!
ALUMNI
REWARDS PROGRAM As an added bonus, by sharing your experience you have the opportunity to earn a scholarship to a future LeadAmerica program while encouraging your peers to consider LeadAmerica as an option to enhance their personal leadership skills. To ensure their eligibility to attend, all they need to do is complete a LeadAmerica Merit Application online at www.lead-america.org/application/ and provide a teacher recommendation. To view the program guidelines and access the article and presentation templates, visit www.lead-america.org/alumni.
NOMINATE
A FRIEND!
|
||||
 |
||||||
The election is over and after nearly
two years of campaigns, debates and media
coverage, the people of the United States
have elected their 44th president. Regardless
of who your candidate of choice was, this
is truly a historic time for our nation
and a time of many firsts. But even beyond
that, this is a historic time because every
four years when we witness the seamless
transfer of power from one presidential
administration to another, we are witnessing
our democratic process at work and we are
exhibiting a peaceful transition for other
countries of the world to emulate. What
an amazing country we live in and what
an amazing experience! 
“Bouquets of Cheer” is
an activity generated by students who
found an opportunity to turn recycled
flowers into bouquets for local hospitals
and retirement homes. The students meet
once every other week to gather flowers
from churches and other locations around
the area and work together to build the
recycled bouquets. After delivering the
bouquets to local hospitals and retirement
homes, the group enjoys mingling with
the residents and serving refreshments. 
