James returns from leadership tour
James Phelps of Brisbane Water Secondary College, Woy Woy Campus, has returned from his youth leadership tour in the United States.
The tour incorporated an inter-student council bus tour across the eastern coast of the United States, a four-day inter-student council conference at Lancaster High School, and a five-day camp at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Twenty-one Australian year 11 students participated in the tour.
The Australian students were accompanied by 90 students from Pennsylvanian student councils for the initial bus tour.
"The (bus) tour was about cultural learning and getting to know the kids from the councils.
"We learnt that the American student councils are completely different from ours and that every American school has youth leadership classes.
"Their leadership skills far surpass ours," James said.
The Australian students were accompanied by 2500 US students for the conference.
James said that "self-discovery" was an important element of the conference.
"The US students assumed that their values and wants are universal but not everyone is after the same thing," he said.
The conference also treated leadership themes.
"We discussed the theme that leaders have to do the right things to be followed."
Every Australian student was required to present a workshop at the conference.
James spoke about the International Student Representative Council to be held in Edmonton, Canada, in 2004.
"I outlined what will happen at the International SRC.
"The conference went really well.
"All the students that listened will be applying to go.
"The American students thought it was cool to hear Australians speak.
"They kept saying 'G'day mate'," he said.
The Youth Leadership Tour culminated in a five-day camp at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where the Australian students were accompanied by 120 students from various parts of the US.
The camp entailed self-leadership and self-discovery themes and activities.
"The tour as a whole was amazing ... life-altering," James said.
Con Orfanos, July 24.