HOBY At Christmas Time!

HEY HOBY! It’s the most wonderful time of year; not just because of seeing family, eating great food, or getting that special present. It’s the joyous time when the HOBY Staff applications are delivered to our e-mail boxes, and Ambassadors are turning in paperwork! For those of you who don’t know this year is already shaping up to be the best in Kentucky HOBY History!!! Last time I spoke to Dawn we are roughly 35 ambassadors short of capping for the upcoming seminar. Also this year we are bringing back a theme styled atmosphere to Kentucky HOBY. This year’s seminar will be based off of the hit reality television series Survivor!

To those of you who are HOBY Staff members I highly encourage all of you to volunteer to a program that has given so much too so many.  Please fill out your application paper work and send it back to Ryan as soon as possible so he is less stressed and able to participate more in planning for this year.

To those of you who are Ambassadors getting ready for this summer, I will have to admit you are in for a treat! I have been with the HOBY program since 2005 and would have to say this upcoming seminar will blow all previous ones out of the water! The lessons learned and friends gained from just a few days with the HOBY program last a lifetime.  The HOBY Experience is all inclusive:  participating in a touching community service project, learning how to apply to college and meet with admissions directors, find friendships that last a lifetime, go to a rocking dance, and much more! The most important aspect is to grow as a person.

So while you open your presents, and eat your favorite holiday dish please remember a few things this holiday season: Please remember those less fortunate than you, this is a perfect time of year to log a few community service hours. Also remember what you are thankful for; your friends, family, and health. Finally, remember that you are fortunate enough to participate in the HOBY program and inspire others to achieve greatness.  You could even be a nerd such as myself and use a countdown clock on your computer growing ever closer to that special time of year in early June.

In closing I look forward to seeing you this June and together we can have the best seminar in Kentucky HOBY history. Happy Holidays and HOBY HUGS To all!!

-James Kyle Hill

Please Check Back To This Blog Periodically For Updates in the Blog and HOBY News!!

 

Ryan’s WLC Blog

Hey HOBY!  Kyle has asked me to blog about the 2008 HOBY WLC.  This will be my first ever blog so hopefully it will stay on point!

 

Abbreviated Background: I am Ryan Vicini, Director of Staffing for KY HOBY and WLC Facilitator.  Way back in the year 2000 I represented Cumberland High School at the KY East HOBY Leadership Seminar (there were two seminars in KY then) and I have been hooked ever since.  So now, here I am, 8 KY seminars as a volunteer and 4 WLC’s later.

 

After an insanely successful KY HOBY this past June, we had five ambassadors sign-up to represent our state at the World Leadership Congress in Washington, D.C.  They were joined by nearly 500 more high school sophomores from every state and 16 other countries.  I find it absolutely impossible to put the “WLC experience” into words so I’ve decided to just share with you some of my favorite outtakes from those incredible 8 days.

 

“Pin Trade”

One of my favorite activities at WLC is the pin trade.  All the ambassadors and volunteers bring pins or other items that represent their home towns/states/countries to trade with everyone else.  Over the course of WLC you try to collect as many different pins as possible.  Besides the obvious that the pins make great souvenirs, what an amazing ice breaker!  It’s intimidating to hop off of a plane and have to immediately start conversing with 500 of your peers from around the globe.  The pins give you an automatic conversation starter.

 

“Capitol Hill”

For the first time in the four years that I’ve volunteered at WLC we got to meet our state Senators.  I had the pleasure of taking the five ambassadors from KY to see Senator Mitch McConnell.  Sen. McConnell is the Republican Leader of the Senate and took time out of his busy schedule to meet with us.  We got to tour the Senate offices and the Capitol and got a great photo-op with the Senator.

 

“Dunk-a-Roos”

One day while having lunch at the National Mall with my group, Team Alumni stopped by to give us an afternoon snack.  Ah Dunk-a-Roos, a snack-sized box that contained kangaroo-shaped cookies and either chocolate or vanilla frosting used as a dipping sauce.  I was so excited for this snack that I hadn’t eaten since I was a small child that I told my group that my mother used to pack them in my lunch box when I was little.  Emily from Georgia then responded “Wow! They had those when you were a kid?”

 

I had never felt so old or as out of touch with today’s youth as I did at that moment.  My mouth dropped open.  I had no idea my group perceived the difference in our ages to be that drastic.  It was shocking and painful.  I don’t think I’ll ever eat another Dunk-a-Roo in my life.

 

 

“Sizzle”

It seems every year there is one cheer that the ambassadors want to do over and over and OVER.  This year was definitely the year of the sizzle.  It’s a call and response cheer with its own dance.  The ambassadors were so enthusiastic about this cheer that the Ohio delegation, while on Capitol Hill, decided to bust it out when they saw Senator Hillary Clinton come down the hall.  I’m not quite sure how Senator Clinton responded to the crazed mass of youth in red t-shirts sizzling on the Hill but Zac from Ohio sure was proud to tell us about it when he got back to the group.  Below are the words to the cheer, you’ll just have to imagine the movements.

Call: Hey HOBY!

Response: Hey what?

Call: Hey HOBY!

Response: Hey what?

Call: Can you show me, show me, how you sizzle, sizzle?

Everyone: First you tick it, tick it. Then you roll it, roll it.  Then you bounce it, bounce it. Then you  SIZZLE, SIZZLE!  SIZZLE, SIZZLE!

 

“Born to Be Wild”

With Washington D.C. as the host city for WLC, it’s no surprise that we get important political figures to come and address our ambassadors.  By far, my favorite this year was Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas and 1971 HOBY Alumnus.  After giving his keynote address, Governor Huckabee picked up an electric guitar and started jamming with the house band.  His rendition of Born to Be Wild brought the house down!

 

“HOBY to the right please!”

The first things we have to explain to the ambassadors each year are the unwritten rules for properly traversing Washington D.C.  Our group of 600 people could easily clog up intersections, sidewalks or the metro if we didn’t practice the rules of the city.  My favorite unwritten rule of the city is for escalators.  There are two types of people on escalators, those who stand and let the escalator move you from point a to point b and those who treat the escalator like a regular set of stairs and walk up and down them.  In D.C. you must either stand on the right side or walk up the left side.  If you forget and stand on the left side, you’re likely to get shoved out the way or cursed at by one of D.C’s residents who are just trying to hurry home after a long day at work and don’t care why you aren’t following their rules.  That why we always reminds our ambassadors “HOBY to the right please!”

 

“Amazing Race”

There was a new addition to the program this year: Amazing Race D.C.  Each group was given a map and a list of tasks to complete and we were sent out on our own to explore D.C.  It was exciting, educational and unbelievably fun.  I hope to do Amazing Race Lexington at our seminar next year.

 

“World Food Programme”

Each year at WLC the ambassadors and volunteers get to participate in really cool service projects.  There are usually around 8-10 different projects and we all get to go to different ones and then come back together and reflect.  In the past I have planted trees, led summer programs for elementary school aged kids and cleaned up city parks.  This year when I heard about my groups assigned project, I must admit I was a little underwhelmed.  I didn’t know anything about the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) and was told we would be sitting at a computer taking vocabulary quizzes.  I was like “How in the world am I going to spin this to my group when they know about some of the other ‘cool’ projects their friends would be completing?” Turns out, I didn’t have to spin anything.  The WFP people that were leading our project did an amazing job educating us about world hunger and really helped us to see how these vocabulary quizzes directly put food in starving people’s mouths.  It’s simple.  WFP has commitments from big corporations to donate 20 grains of rice for every correct answer.  All you have to do is go to www.freerice.com and click the right answer.  Every answer equals 20 grains of rice and it adds up fast.  Not to mention, it’s perfect for high school students because its great practice for the SAT.  This is such an easy way to help with little effort on your part.  Please spread the word about this great program!

 

“Nelson Mandela”

I know Kyle always leaves you with a quote so I thought I would share one with you that I shared with my group at WLC.  I came across an article in Time Magazine about Nelson Mandela.  It was “The Secrets of Leadership: Eight lessons from one of history’s icons.”  We were together for eight nights and I shared one of Mandela’s secrets with the group each night.  Here is my favorite:  “Courage is not the absence of fear – it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.”

 

HOBY hugs,

 

Ryan

 

Hall & Oats with Leadership…A Perfect Combo!

Hey HOBY! A few weeks ago I did an analysis of Duran Duran’s hit song ‘Hungary like a Wolf.’ This week I plan to continue reviews of 80’s songs that derive a leadership lesson, this week Hall and Oat’s Classic ‘You Make My Dreams Come True.’

You may recognize this song from several movies including, The Wedding Singer, and most recently Step Brothers. If this song is a throwback for you please trade in your 8-track, or mix tape and please download and listen to this song.  I won’t lie, this song appears on my Ipod workout playlist, and it puts a little hop in my step when I am running.

The first line in this song is

                                “What I want, you’ve got and it might be hard to handle.”

                Every single person looks for approval, either in an idea they may have or in an opinion on a particular subject. This is part of human nature and we all strive to find approval for actions that we may or may not take. In most instances people don’t approve of the action you are taking or plan to take, leading to several potential problems. These include: ridicule of your idea, downplaying your role in situation to not listen to your idea, and most commonly criticism of your idea. All of these lead to more than you had bargained for and more than you can handle, when simply looking for approval.

 

                                “But like the flame that burns the candle, the Candle feeds the flame.”

When you receive criticism of your idea you need to remember your burning desire that inspired you to first seek approval. At the first sign of discontent, most people get so caught up in whose idea is right and who is wrong. The real reason for the idea becomes lost in the conflict. Is it just me or has this been the underlying problem with politician’s since ancient Greece?

It takes a truly high caliber person to realize that through criticism and comprise that the best ideas are formulated.  Lest we forget the Bluegrasses State’s most shining political statesman, Henry Clay, or the Great Compromiser. Clay ended up the upsetting the opposing political party as well as his own, resulting that he would never become President, all just because he saw past party politics and tried to achieve what was best.  To be a truly successful leader you must understand the concept that everything in life is a two-way street. Also take nothing personally when working with colleagues to accomplish a common goal, people get a little fired up, remember you are all there for the same reason.

 

                                “What I’ve got’s full stock of thoughts, and dreams that scatter.”

 

This line refers to the fact that before you draw any conclusions you must have all aspects of any plan, proposal, or argument fully thought out. The best thing my mother ever taught me was to place myself in another person’s shoes. You should always look at anything you do in your personal and professional life from an outside perspective; this is how the world see’s you and your actions. You must always have a full stock of ideas and thoughts about anything you decide or say, that way when hacking out the details with critics and opponents you can come to the best solution when compromising.  Once you have thought out each angle of your idea and are ready to not only defend your position but compromise as well, then your dream can fully scatter across your peers as desired.

“You pull them (your dreams) together, and how I can’t explain. But you make my dreams come true.”

 

This follows closely with the previous passage about your final dream or idea that had been compromised with.  Sometimes, things you expected in life to be difficult: ideas that would never work in a million years, or an idea that nobody would agree with. Get appraisal and approved in a heartbeat. More often than not when these occur you cannot explain how these things happened. If you have ever had this thought or feeling before, you need to work on self confidence. Usually when you tell someone to work on self confidence, it is taken negatively. However look at the situation I presented, you are looking from a person or group. Obviously you know these people well enough that you need reassurance or approval for whatever action you took or are looking to take. I challenge anyone to say they have not had a feeling that something would never work out and later to find everything feel into place working out in the end. You don’t have to take my word for it, but I believe that confidence is the essential element to leadership. Not an overbearing, cocky confidence; but a confidence in your appearance, actions, and motives.

 

In review lessons to be taken from this song include:

-We are all looking for approval, be aware that more often than not you will receive some criticism along the way.

-Be willing and able to compromise, but still stand firm in your idea. The best ideas are those that are worked out together by opposing viewpoints, remember Henry Clay.

-Be sure to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Look at what you want approval on; is it acceptable from the outside perspective? If not, why?  Be sure to be as honest with yourself when analyzing your situation.

-Be confidant in your ideas, opinions, and feelings. Never be afraid to express your opinion responsibly and accept challenges head on, knowing that in the end your goal will be achieved along with others through compromise.

 

Thought of the week: How did some of your dreams come true? Did you stumble upon your dreams or did you have to work through them? Are you as confident as you think you are in daily situations? What does this quote mean to you? How do you feel about communication?

Quote Of The Week: “ The Purpose of this communication is a heads-up.”

                                                -By John Oates

 

A long overdue Hello!

Hello HOBY!

First off I would like to apologize, this post is LONG overdue! As most of you would know heading back and getting settled in for another year of college is quite the tedious task.

I had mentioned that we would be kicking off a series of servant hood in leadership in my past two entries. I really thought about that issue and it quickly dominated my whole thought process of the direction to take this blog. I came to the conclusion that only having a three part series could not do what justice to this core principal in leadership.

Albert Switcher instilled servant hood in leadership into Hugh O’ Brian; who, in turn created this OUTSTANDING program. In my personal opinion it would be extremely irresponsible of me to commit only a three-week program into something of such great importance.  That is why I hope to touch on this issue for the rest of my posts.

So, once I decided to take a new avenue with the servant leadership issue, I felt it was time to overhaul the whole image of this blog. I felt it was time to throw in a few stories, try to derive a lesson, and then ask you (the reader) of your stories and thoughts. I don’t find it surprising that some of the most amazing people I have ever met have been involved with the HOBY Program; to have people outside the HOBY program hear our stories can only promote, empower, and further educate everyone.

I remember when the first weekend I was home from the 2005 World Leadership Congress (WLC); it feels just like last week. The Kentucky seminar put that “burning desire” in my heart, but the WLC dumped 100,000 gallons of fuel on that fire and made me want to take on the world.

Just think of how expensive that fuel was, with fuel at $3.72 a gallon that was over $372,000.00 on just my little fire!

Once back home in Northern Kentucky I looked up all the ambassadors that lived in my area and together we tried to create a hybrid HOBY program. (You notice I am on an energy theme right now-fuel, hybrid).

While our program only ran on a budget of $45.00 and used a “hand me down” digital camera, and 98 Toshiba Laptop, we had a blast and were looking to change the world.  Our group managed to get several big name people to seek for our crowd usually between 8-10 people.  Speakers included: Sandy Berlin Walker-President/CEO of YMCA of Greater Cincinnati; Kentucky State Senator Jack Westwood; Even Kentucky Secretary of State Tray Grayson.

Our group also managed to do many projects with local retirement homes, schools, and The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. In comparison the Northern Kentucky Leaders program could not hold a candle to the HOBY program but it felt like a necessary step in the journey of leadership. Since our small program would not last beyond our small group’s graduating members, I got the program picked up by the YMCA, United Way, and Boys & Girls Clubs. This led the program to be transferred to these different groups and still continues to this day!

Now, I am devoted more than ever to the HOBY cause and am continuing my work throughout the year to promote the program.  My goal is to instill that burning desire in as many young teens as I can so that they may take proactive steps to their future as I once did. 

This is where I am curious, I would love to know more about my audience and their HOBY stories.  Please feel free to post on this site or the blog email and share your story. Examples being: meeting a HOBY Alumi in a business situation, remembering something from a HOBY seminar that helped you in real life, meeting a panel member later for a job interview, Ect. I will be taking all stories and views and posting them throughout the week. Please write in and share, I look forward to hearing from you.

In closing, I look to get back on the weekly schedule I had set earlier and promise to adhere to it. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

Quote of The Week: “Success is how you bounce, once you hit rock bottom.”

-General George S. Patton Jr.

Thought of The Week: Do you agree with this quote? Has anyone ever said they just have bad luck, if so are there things they can do to change their fortunes? Has there been a time when you hit rock bottom and thought things couldn’t get worse, but then suddenly things took a turn for the better? If Yes how many times has that happened?

 

Facebook & Leadership / Upcoming Series & Ryan at WLC

This week’s installment will be much shorter than the last. First we will look at social networking sites and the implications on leadership today. Then, I will introduce our upcoming three part series in the next few weeks.

Last week I started to look into how Facebook, Myspace, Spacebook, MyFace, or anyother social networking site play in leadership. Last week in the news, 20-year-old Joshua Lipton was sent to court with Facebook pictures showing this teen partying after committing a crime in which he looked “unrepentant.” This is just one of many stories that have involved social networking sites to spell the end of a career for many young Americans.  I  know first hand how Facebook can put an impression on any person.  I am working with a state wide political campaign, every day it seems we get teens or young people to ask to help with the campaign.  Using Facebook we can track these people to see if we would like to associate the name of the campaign with these volunteers. I have also helped with my Fraternity’s annual scholarship at Western Kentucky University. I have poured over countless profiles this summer looking for anything that may lead to less than desirable results. Here are a few key things that we look for that send up a red flag on Facebook Profiles.

1.)  Excessive Applications- To much clutter on a page shows you may be disorganized & spend way to much time online instead of working or doing something else.

2.)  Suggestive slurs or meanings in anything you list in your Profile information such as interests, music, ect.

3.)  Your pictures- this shows who you are in and out of school/job situations and can spell disaster for anyone. Untag yourself with any pictures of drinking or anything else you don’t want people to see.  A good rule of thumb to ask yourself is “Would I want my grandma to see these pictures?” If you answer no then untag them. If you are unsure about any picture then it is a good idea to untag it right away. Also look over ALL your pictures once in a while to make sure there is nothing out on the internet throwing out a wrong impression.

Finally, the best thing for EVERYONE is to make your profile private!!!  Every site offers security options and I suggest you limit how much people can see that are not your friends. One last bit is that if you are applying for jobs make your profiles inactive until you secure your job so nothing gets through to cost you the job of a lifetime. I hope that these tips can help you in your quest to become better leaders.

 

As most of you know Ryan Vicini is currently in Washington D.C. with the World Leadership Congress (July 25- Aug 2).  When Ryan returns he will be writing about his trip and OUTSTANDING experiences he has had while in Washington!

Also Ryan’s blog will be part of a three part series on “Servanthood & Giving Back.” I look forward to hearing about Ryan’s trip and I hope you do too! See you all next week!

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

 “The High Density Of The Individual Is To Serve Rather Than To Rule.”

-Albert Einstein

 

 TASK/THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

Do you think it is better to rule or serve people? How do you rule people in your life? Do you serve people in your life? How can you better those around you more by ruling or serving?

 

LOOK FOR YOUR ANSWERS OR THOUGHTS IN NEXT WEEKS BLOG!!

RESPOND TO THESE QUESTIONS AT Kyhobyblogspot@gmail.com

 

Hungry Like A Wolf?/ Duran Duran’s Classic Meets Everyday Life!

As promised here is the next installment of the KY HOBY blog.  I hope after reading my first blog you have a better idea of the HOBY program and the angle I am coming from. I received some feed back on my email, not with answers to the quotes/question of the week but more so for anticipation of this weeks main focus. Last week I promised to tie Duran Duran’s famous song “Hungry Like A Wolf” to everyday life.

So without further delay here is the much-anticipated “Kyle Hill’s Six Degrees of Separation from tacky 80’s songs to leadership studies. “

Before I can even start anything, please first listen to this song right now! Go ahead please take three minutes and twenty-seven seconds to rock out to this tacky, big haired, tight clothes, 80’s masterpiece.  Go onto I tunes and pick this one of a kind song dating back to a time when popping your collar was actually cool.

Now that you have listened to the song, I will now try to attempt to tie this song, to your life.

This song is EXTREMELY repetitive, I am actually only going to use one verse in this song to make my point.

            “Burning the ground I break from the crowd,

              I’m on the hunt I am after you.

            I’m lost and I am found,  I smell like I sound.

             I am Hungry like the wolf.”

 

The first part of this is extremely easy to analyze. “Burning The Ground I break from the crowd.” If you attended the HOBY program you were selected as the one outstanding individual’s in your school to attend separating you from the rest of your peers.  In my honest opinion anybody could become a leader. However, it takes an extremely special breed of person to be a great leader.

The first step to defining your leadership skills is to separate you from the rest of the crowd. This is accomplished in many ways either by taking on a special project, or asking your teacher or boss for more responsibility.

An important side note to separating you is that you still must be accessible to your peers, you do not want to seem arrogant or more important than anyone else.  You always have to remember who exactly you are trying to lead and never forgot those people.

The next line in the song is “I’m on the hunt down after you.”  Once you have separated yourself from the rest of the crowd you need to set up goals. One of the best ways to effectively set up goals is the letter system.  You need to come up with three goals

1.     Short Term 1-3 Weeks From Now

2.     Medium Term 1-2 Months From Now

3.     Long Term 1-2 Years From Now.

You need to be honest with yourself and tackle these three goals with in the time you allotted to complete them. REMEMBER TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR GOALS! Once you have set up your goals write each one on a separate sheet of paper and seal each separately in an envelope.  On the outside of each envelope be sure to write down if the goal is short, medium or long term and the timeline in which it is to be completed.

Then find a folder in your desk or somewhere where you will not lose your goals and be sure to open them on time see if you completed your goals. (Another way to do this is actually mail delay them to yourself when the task is supposed to be completed.)

Completing your personal and professional goals on time is something you have to continue the rest of your life.  You are constantly: “On the hunt down after your personal goals.”

The third line in the verse is, “I smell like I sound, I am lost and I am found.” This verse is in respect to your Personal character qualities and appearance.  Your personal character qualities will never change the rest of your life. These are the things that people see in you such as: being nice, outspoken, well-mannered, responsible, honest ect.

On the other hand your appearance is constantly changing. From how you dress day to day to how you feel. I am a firm believer that every person has positive character qualities, some people choose to highlight them more than others.

Your appearance is something that only you can change on a regular basis, from how you dress to the emotions you show. If you truly want to become a leader it is important to regulate your appearance. Take care for personal grooming,  & dressing appropriately.  The visual appearance of person is usually the first impression you give. So be sure you are presenting the correct image. A personal saying of mine is, “Dress for the part you want in life.” I am not saying if you want to be a police officer dress like one. But dress in a mature manner that still expresses yourself but does not detract from your persona as a leader.

The final line in the song is “I am hungry like the wolf. “ This is the core to any person as a leader in society.  If you truly want to be a leader or are one, then you are hungry for something in your life. Maybe it is the chance to prove yourself, or to better the situation or people around you.  This is something that each person must figure out. I challenge you to try to figure out what you are hungry for in life.

In conclusion, I hope that using this 80’s song as tool for teaching some basic leadership skills has helped you this week. All of these steps combined will help you in the long run.

1.)  Separate from the crowd.

2.)  Set Up Personal Goals

3.)  Known your Personal Character Qualities / Maintain Personal Appearance.

4.)  Find what you are hungry for in life, and fill your self with success.

 

For the upcoming week we will be looking at Facebook and Myspace and how they affect leadership today!

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

 “And I am Hungry Like A Wolf”

–Duran Duran

 

TASK FOR THE WEEK:

What are you hungry for in life right now? With the presidential elections going on what are you hungry for the new president to do while in office?

 

LOOK FOR YOUR ANSWERS IN NEXT WEEKS BLOG!!

RESPOND TO THESE QUESTIONS AT Kyhobyblogspot@gmail.com

 

Welcome/HOBY Story/Boris Yeltsin??

Well here it is the first Kentucky HOBY Blog! For those of you searching the Internet in the wee hours of the morning and somehow stumbled on this blog then let me fill you in.  You most likely read “HOBY” and assumed it was and acronym for something to remedy your boredom, such as “Humor/Highlights Of Boris Yeltsin”.  Unfortunately this has nothing to do with the Cold War or Russia. (FYI: If you are searching for blogs about Boris Yeltsin I hate to break it to you, but you might as well be playing D&D watching Star Trek.)

HOBY stands for Hugh O’ Brian Youth Leadership Program! Now if you are like me you are wondering why it’s not called HOBYL? I will tell you why, because if you ever mention HOBY in a conversation 99.9% of people have never heard it before, and most likely assume you have had a convulsion.  I can only imagine if you called it HOBYL they would think you were speaking Arabic, and you would Homeland Security knocking on your door.

The Hugh O’ Brian Youth Leadership Program was founded by the Actor Hugh O’ Brian. He played Wyatt Earp In many westerns during televisions golden age. In 1958 he received an invitation to French Equatorial Africa to meet with Dr. Albert Schweitzer. Schweitzer was missionary/theologian/musician, truly the last Renaissance man.  Hugh O’ Brian spent the next nine days with the Nobel Peace Prize winning Dr. Schweitzer learning that they shared a common concern about global peace.  Exactly 50 years later Hugh O’ Brian has built one of the most prestigious leadership programs for teenagers in the world affecting, 14,000 tenth graders every year.

I would think this is much more interesting than discussing Russian economic transitions in the mid 1990’s.  I am a KY HOBY alumni from 2005 I represented Beechwood High School.  I went on to attend the 2005 (WLC) or World Leadership Congress and learned of my “burning desire” to change the world.  I am the Team Alumni Director at the Kentucky Seminar site.

Now my goal is to inspire and continue to educate former HOBY ambassadors about life after HOBY and to continue to grow and become a leader.  As a famous Chinese proverb says,  “ A single conversation with a wise man is better than ten years of study.”

I am not by any measure calling myself a “wise man” but I have been called a variation involving another name for a donkey. I have made plenty of mistakes such as but not limited to: putting ultra instead of unleaded gas in my car before, diving into the pool while my cell phone was still in my pocket, being in to much of a hurry to tie my shoes and eventually falling flat on my face…the list goes on and on.

I hope that you have found my first blog to be interesting and hope that you will continue to read up on them. For next week I plan to do the impossible! I am going to compare the 1980’s Classic Song “Hungry Like A Wolf” By Duran Duran to everyday life! I will see you next Monday.

 

Quote Of The Week:

 

We don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. Freedom is like that. It’s like air. When you have it, you don’t notice it.

-Boris Yeltsin

 

TASK FOR THE WEEK: Do you agree with this quote? What freedoms do you express/witness everyday? How do freedoms play into your role as a leader?

 

LOOK FOR YOUR ANSWERS IN NEXT WEEKS BLOG!!

RESPOND TO THESE QUESTIONS AT Kyhobyblogspot@gmail.com