Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
At the May 2 luncheon meeting of the Monticello-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber recognized 17 students who successfully completed this year's Junior Leadership class. Volunteer leader Floyd Faglie explained that the Chamber-sponsored program offered monthly meetings this school year involving both classwork and outings, with the goal of teaching leadership skills while also demonstrating to the youth the many ways to have a good life in a small town.
Faglie thanked guest speakers Teri Naylor, Ryan Pavlik, Nicholas Pellito and John Lilly for for volunteering with him to make presentations about their work and share wisdom from their experience. Some of the local businesses and agencies who welcomed the class for field trips included Simpson Nurseries, Florida Georgia Citrus, The Appel Shop, North Florida Wildlife Center, 5 Rivers Adventures, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Monticello Police Department and Monticello City Hall.
“Our mission statement this year is 'becoming a person of significance in my community,'” said Faglie. With this theme in mind, the class had studied The Generosity Factor by Ken Blanchard, S. Truett Cathy and others, about being generous with your time, talents, treasure and touch. Later in the program, some lessons focused on the role that change would have in students' future careers and what skills to have in their toolbox to be ready for change. The curriculum also included the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.
As Faglie presented the certificates of completion, each student the opportunity to talk briefly about a meaningful portion of the class or tell about their future plans.
Regarding future plans for the class itself, Faglie said, “Next year, if you want to participate, if you are a business owner or maybe you're just someone who likes to talk about stuff, maybe teach some curriculum or just spend an hour telling kids what you think they should be doing with their life, I have an opportunity for you. I'm looking for teachers for next year; I'm looking for businesses to tour; I'm looking for volunteers to just hang out and help. So if you're interested, let me know.”
Faglie also asked those in attendance for their help in encouraging students from the local public school and the homeschool group to apply for next year's class when the opportunity arises again in August.
For information about participating in next year's Junior Leadership Class, either as a student or a community leader, contact Faglie at (850) 997-6300 or the Chamber's Executive Director Katrina Richardson at (850) 997-5552 or email info@monticellojeffersonfl.com.