5.1

CAMPUS

The Norwich Guidon
Nov. 13, 2003

Future Leader Camp provides lessons for all participants

By Stephanie Tavss
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

The lessons learned at this year's Future Leader Camp weren't just for the participants who signed up for the adventure. The leaders and teachers left with a renewed self understanding as well.

"It's valuable things that you learn at that camp, whether it be direct leadership or management, it ends up helping you, especially in the Corps of Cadets," said Zackary Knoebel, 21, a senior business management major from Northfield, Vt.

The Future Leader Camp (FLC) is a recruiting event for Norwich University which utilizes leadership development and adventure training to develop leadership skills within the participants.

"At the same time, it was also a leadership laboratory for the cadets who participated as staff members, and the nice thing was, they got paid for it," said Skip Davison, Director of Corps Recruitment and FLC Camp Director.

"The goal of FLC is to instill the basic principles of small group leadership techniques, leadership ethics, teamwork, problem solving and effective communications, while enhancing in each participant a sense of confidence, self-respect and self-discipline. This is accomplished using a combination of adventure training, group discussions, teamwork, physical fitness and revolving leadership positions," according to the Norwich website (www.norwich.edu/flc).

During the summer, 10 cadets were responsible for achieving that goal. There is an extensive selection process where the cadets had "to submit a resume, a cover letter, and sit for an interview," Davison said. While almost 20 people were interviewed, only 10 were selected.

"We just picked who we thought would be the best group," Davison said. "We had all types of personalities and character types, and because of that, it made the camp that much more fun. Everybody had their strengths and their weaknesses."

The FLC counselors had their work cut out for them. This was not cadre week. This was six continuous weeks of non-stop work. The first two weeks consisted of preparing classes, writing lesson outlines, preparing training materials, getting the training sites set up and ready for running two two-week camp sessions.

"And we started on day one, when the first group came, with 80 participants showing up, ... with orientations and issuing uniforms, and drill, and it went hard for 14 days. Graduate them, and turn around the next day and pick up 80 more individuals," Davison said.

The counselors were busy from the second the first camper got there to the second the last camper left.

"I oversaw all their day-to-day activities and maintained their safety," said Jonathan Sweirat, 20, a junior studies on war and peace major and FLC counselor from Hopewell Junction, NY., explaining that they "made sure they worked together as a cohesive unit and developed some sort of team identity and some sort of teamwork and unity."

Although the FLC is designed to train high school students to be better leaders, Davison said that the counselors "learned even more than the participants did because of the experience."

Being a counselor at the FLC affected each person in a different way. They were able to "test out various leadership styles on the spot, like dictating, delegating, participating with the kids. Seeing which ones would work best," said Melissa Luciano, 19, an international studies major and FLC counselor from Seoul, South Korea.

"I found it to be more of an experience in management instead of direct leadership," Knoebel said. He explained that as a counselor he had to "step back and evaluate their performance. It's more of, you tell them what needs to be done, and they make it happen," he said.

Some FLC counselors also found that working for the camp gave them the opportunity to hone the skills they needed to become cadre in the Corps of Cadets.

Sweirat liked the fact that he was able to work with "a captive audience." He said that it allowed him to experiment on "a group of individuals who couldn't go anyplace.

"If something did not work, or something did not agree with somebody, they weren't forced to live with it for an entire year," he said.

While the counselors felt that they were just "experimenting" with their leadership styles, the campers thought that they hid their uncertainty very well.

"The counselors led by example," said Henry Clark-Huggins, 19, a criminal justice major and FLC camper from South Kingstown, RI.

An important aspect of the camp is that it's not just a summer camp; it is an important recruiting tool for Norwich University.

"They come to the camp, and they see how the cadets here train, and their impression of the counselors is going to be their impression of the school," Luciano explained.

The counselors were able to take the lessons that they learned at Norwich and in their personal experiences and pass those examples on to the campers.

"There was a lot of stress on teamwork and respect and listening to everyone," said Clark-Huggins.

"We knew if we messed up, it was okay; just get back on our feet and just start over again," said Matthew Crane, 18, a political science major and FLC camper from Braintree, Mass. "They just told us to do our best."

"When a leader learns something, it's a leader's duty to pass on that knowledge to somebody else," Crane said. The FLC counselors have fulfilled that statement.

"It's a life change and something that I think everyone should experience," Knoebel said.

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.