Re: Leadership Conference
Amick Robert (amick@spot.Colorado.EDU)
Fri, 14 Feb 1997 15:29:28 -0700 (MST)
Perhaps I can answer some of your questions:
On Fri, 14 Feb 1997, Susan Wilcox wrote:
> Question: Is the national leadership conference someplace you go to learn
> leadership skills? Is there something like Junior Leader Training for
> Explorers?
The Explorer Advanced Leadership Development workshop is designed to be
taught concurrently to advisors and explorers and is about a five to eight
hour training program depending on how it is conducted.
Council Exploring Training Chairs can facilitate this training for you if
you haven't previously taken it. It is one of the best training programs
for explorers and advisors jointly since they learn about team building,
leadership, communications skills, and program planning all in one
setting. It gives everyone an excellent edge on running a highly
effective post program. We will not let new posts start up without taking
the training early in their formative stages. It is not just for elected
officers and advisors. All Explorers should be encouraged to take it.
The National Explorer Leadership Conference (NELC) is held every two
years, the most recent being held in Flagstaff AZ at Northern Arizona
University. It is held in conjunction with the National Law Enforcement
Explorer Conference (NLEEC). NELC attracts around 1200 explorers and
NLEEC attracts around 3500 and is always "sold out." The NELC is designed
to attract Explorers of all specialities and interests other than law
enforcement since they have their own. It is a competition based event,
largely because the Explorers at previous conferences asked for it to be
so. Scholarships and prizes are part of the benefits of participation.
There are some excellent leadership seminars and training programs
available at both conferences. Among the highlights of NELC are biennial
election of the National Explorer President, and campaigns leading up to
that event. Opening and closing shows are usually fun and motivational.
Dances are held each night, and fun events such as the "wacky olympics"
attract many explorers. An Explorer Expo provides opportunities for
Explorers to demonstrate their specialites in booths or exhibits, or
demonstrations, and is a great way to share ideas and learn about other
posts and opportunities.
Among the competitions are firefighters, prehospital/ambulance rescue,
health careers, outdoor high adventure, law mock trials, science and
engineering, and many others. Explorers can compete either individually
or as teams, or can join teams with explorers from other posts. They may
compete in virtually any competition they feel comfortable with or
interested in whether it is in their area of specialty or not. We had
Explorers from just about every specialty competing in our Wilderness
first aid scenario and even if they did not win, they had a great time
competing and learning about first aid in the wilderness.
Side trips always are popular to area attractions, such as the Grand
Canyon and Phoenix last June.
As noted the NELC/NLEEC will be at the University of Maryland in 1998.
These events continue to get better each time, and are increasingly
popular for Explorers. In a sense they are similar to a Jamboree, but
tailored to meet the interests and needs of teenagers in the program.
One of the best opportunities our Explorers enjoyed was just trying out
some of the activities and opportunities provided by other specialites.
We are outdoor/high adventure, but the Explorers went to law enforcement
seminars, search and rescue/medical, firefighting, etc., just to learn
more about what others do and see if they were interested. So the
opportunities are boundless.
>
> I attempted to put $500 a year into our budget to send our president to this
> conference. I learned that an individual explorer may not attend. S/he
> must be accompanied by an advisor. Also that it was mostly team
> competitions and an individual wouldn't be able to do much.
This is not entirely true. While it is preferable to have members of the
post attend as a Post as part of the fun and comraderie, if only one
person can/will go, they can be linked with another post and post
advisors, or they can sign up on staff and go independently as noted in
the following paragraph.
Staff opportunities are also available. We attended as a Post, but most
of our members signed up for staff positions, in outdoor high adventure
and we conducted the Wilderness First Aid accident competition as well as
served on rappelling and SCUBA staffs.
Our advisor
> thinks it isn't a learning place but like an explorer jamboree - mostly
> fun.
Unfortunately, your advisor apparently has not had the advantage of
attending an NELC, and is thus not aware of the tremendous benefits of
participation. Leadership Development is certainly not limited to only
"classroom settings." In Scouting "fun" is what enhances learning.
While there will be advanced leadership
development workshops and seminars at the conference which are very
worthwhile, there is probably more "learning" from the experiential
participation in events and competitions that greatly enhance leadership
skills. Most of all the motivation and enthusiasm that will ensue from
participation in the conference is immeasurable, and much of what
exploring is about is based on enthusiasm and interest in the program by
the Explorers, so it is money extremely well invested.
The Conference will contribute greatly to leadership in many intangible
but positive ways. If you talk to the Explorers and advisor who have been
to NELC/NLEEC they consider it a "mountain-top" experience and are very
anxious to return to the next one. Just the opportunity to come together
with Explorers from throughout the country provides opportunities to make
new friends, share ideas, see how the rest of the "exploring world"
operates, and to enjoy the fun and social activities and competitions will
contribute immeasurably to the "esprit de corps" of your post. There is
little that can be done locally that will compare with the experience of
an NELC. Re: your comments on the $2K trip cost, I am not sure where the
#2000 figure came from. The conference fee is
$275. Transportation by air with supersaver fares even from the west
coast probably would not exceed $400 per person. Miscellaneous expenses
for food/tour/side trips, souvenirs, etc., could add a few hundred more,
but certainly not #2000.
If the council is putting the package together with that kind of a price
tag, you may want to question what the costs actually are. You can also
go indepedently as staff and they are eligible for a reduced fee of around
$225 which includes food and housing/insurance, etc.
With this much advance notice, the opportunities for fund raising are very
good. Many posts will start doing fund raisers now to send the whole post
to the conference, and it is very much worth the effort.
You can discuss this in more detail with your council Exploring
Executive/Professional Staff, or with members of the National Exploring
Division such as Bill Evans, Conference DIrector or Bill Rogers, at (214)
580-2000 (ask for Exploring Division).
You may also want to check with your Western Region Youth Chair David
Nieglos for more background on conferences and Exploring. He is a student
at the University of Puget Sound in Washington, and can be reached at
dnieglos@mail.ups.edu
Let me know if you have more questions.
Best wishes,
Bob Amick, Explorer Advisor, High Adventure Explorer Post 72, Boulder, CO
Council Exploring Training Chair, Longs Peak Council
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