Amongst the 150 or so students invited to attend this year's Rotary District 6290's Life Leadership Conference were two incoming seniors from Comstock Park High School. This is the 65th year of this program that brings some of the best and brightest students from around the Rotary District together. Joining in the conference were students from Canada as well as exchange students from Brazil, Denmark, Lithuania and other countries. Sponsored by the Comstock Park Rotary were Ethan Carpenter and Noah Kibbe. The two will be attending a future Rotary meeting to share their experiences at the conference.
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| Ethan Carpenter (left) and Noah Kibbe at the Life Leadership Institute |
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| Some of the 150 students in attendance at Friday night dinner |
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Mariah Gregurek and McKenna Inglis from Shelby Michigan were two of the students who shared the dinner table with Comstock Park Rotary President Alex Arends and his wife Marilyn
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Local motivational speaker and author Johnnie Tuitel captured the audience with his presentation Friday night. After his presentation there was a musical presentation and talent show
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Enjoying the week were Aaron Geyer from Traverse City and Carl Rasch (right) from Boyne City, who believes his ancestors originally settled on the Ridge in Alpine Township
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(Condensed)The 65th Life Leadership Conference is history now, but what a great slice of history it is, for our District, and for the world. The presentation by Director Chuck Bell of the LLC Rotary Wheel, long symbolizing our conference connection to Rotary, to Howard Oesterling, Director Emeritus of the Life Leadership Conference, who celebrated his 50th year with LLC.
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• 10 key staff speakers who contributed tailored messages to conferees on the nine leadership elements we explored and much more. Their expertise and daily efforts at all levels brought continuity and purpose to the entire conference, expertly led by Director Chuck Bell.
• excellent participation by our Canadian clubs, their sponsored conferees, and volunteer staff contributions this year from Doug McChesney, Sault North Rotary.
• superb contributions from 18 Rotarians from Traverse City, White Cloud, Sault North, Muskegon, Petoskey SR, Fremont, Holland, Cadillac, Stanton, and friends of Pinky McPherson from Lowell, to serve as Rotary Resource Persons all day on Friday.
• sponsorship assistance from the Grayling and Lowell Rotary Clubs for two International students needing tuition assistance. This was much appreciated, thank you!
• an outstanding International student composition this year, including students representing Peru, Finland, Poland, Brazil, Lithuania, Honduras, South Korea, and Kuwait.
• a message of affirmation to each conferee that built from the very moment conferees arrived and culminated in an emotional and riveting presentation on Saturday with speaker Laurie Stewart about Being Real, Being Respectful, and Being You.
• a charge by Director Chuck Bell to all conferees to go out and "be the sermon" to others that seemed to bring everything together for the conference as it adjourned.
What did this conference mean for the 149 who participated? Hopefully, you will know in the coming days, months, and years of their lives. We have already heard from many who say this was life-enhancing and life-changing for them. Over and over again, we hear that students appreciate the chance to grow and learn where they are welcomed, not judged, where there is diversity, where they are treated like adults with much to offer, and where the Four Way Test holds sway.
Conferees are ready and willing to make a presentation to your club and be a part of your club's mentoring, Interact, or Rotaract plans in the coming year. For many, this was their first exposure to Rotary.
Rotary is doing much that is right and always need to get our message out to a changing leadership environment.
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said "You hit what you aim at, and if you aim at nothing, you''ll hit it every time!" We have a target already appearing for next year and I promise earlier action and sustained effort to fill our conference with 160 or more conferees next year, hopefully with a waiting list of alternates lined up and ready to go before May 1. I ask all District Rotarians to lend a hand to help us reach this goal.
Knowing that we have positively impacted and helped 149 young people take a big step forward, all who helped in any way in this regard should take great pride and comfort. But, our work is never really done, because we are Rotarians who want to make this world a better place.
Thank you to all who decided to engage in and with Rotary to make this LLC a beacon of light in our District and, yes, in the World. I also offer special thanks to the 10 member District LLC Committee, representing 7 different clubs this year, for your guidance and support for LLC.
Our District website, www.ridistrict6290.org will soon have an updated photo gallery and other information.
Sincerely, John Noling District Life Leadership Chair