Reminiscing

Working with the kids at the Boys and Girls Town has been a rewarding experience.  It has been amazing to see how the kids grow as people over the course of a year, and how our presence as well as other volunteers affects them in a positive manner.  Not only was this experience rewarding for me to see how the kids changed, but it was also a beneficial experience for me.  I learned how to work well with children and with other volunteers.  As the community contact, I also learned how to contact the organization and coordinate events, which will be a helpful skill in the future.  The most rewarding part of this year was seeing how I changed.  At the beginning of the year I was quite shy and reserved when it came to meeting new people.  However, that quickly changed over the course of the fall semester because of how friendly the people were that I met; meeting people that were so welcoming helped me to be more confident in similar situations in the future.  I am very glad that I was able to be a part of such a meaningful service project here in the community.

Will

Learning about Boys and Girls Town

Over the course of the school year, I have grown to learn many things about the community of Springfield and the surrounding area through our group service project at the Boy's and Girls Town. As a college student, I was not often exposed to the issues that exist within the community until I was given a first hand experience at the Boy's and Girls Town.  The Boy's and Girls Town is a program that is built to help children through difficult situations in their home lives and in some situations with foster care children.  The most important thing that I learned is that these kids are no different than any other children.  They have endured things that I have never had to experience, but in the end, they are still kids who want to act and play like kids should.  I realized that the best thing for the children that I could do to help was to be a positive role model, and just to give them attention.  It was amazing to see how our Summit group affected the children and left a positive lasting impression.  

Will

Final Thoughts

Well, the end of the year is here at last. After 9 months of servicing the community of Springfield and gaining valuable experience as a both a leader and a member of a team, I can safely say that I have come away from it all with a new outlook on multiple things.  I have a new found respect for the boys in Jones cottage at Boys and Girls Town, I have greater confidence in my leadership abilities, and I have improved my problem solving skills by completing a project with a team that I had to live with (which was definitely a challenge, at times).  I would like to think that apart from these successes, our group has been a positive influence on those boys that may or may not have had many of such influences in their lives.  Whether the time spent with these young men was life-changing or not, the laughs that we shared will always stand as proof of success in my memories.

Ryan

Final Blog

As this Leadership course comes to an end, I try to remember what exactly I expected and felt at the very beginning. I was anxious to meet the boys who I thought would constantly display evidence of their troubled pasts. They have a long way to go and it is truly incredible to see people take care of them day after day as their jobs, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were as rambunctious and annoying as other kids who have been lucky enough to have a safe growing environment. I learned as a leader how important it is to be on the same page when two different groups are trying to communicate with one another. We had a couple of transparency issues along the way, in which the intended message was not the same as the received message. I will strive for more diligence in my communication skills, for the few errors we made could have been avoided or easily corrected had we been a little more 'on the ball.' The importance of speaking your mind was also highlighted during the course of the year. It is difficult to live with the people that you are having a project with...conflict will always arise. If however, a healthy dialogue setup is created where we can speak to each other clearly and directly, without being rude or raising any tone...then there is no reason to shy away from conflict but use it as a medium during the few times a conflict arises, to be more in sync with one another. I enjoyed this project very much and I do not believe I have played with the kids from Boys and Girls Town for the last time. 


Pedro

How I Changed

We really enjoyed working with Boys and Girls Town this past year. When we started this project our primary goal was to create relationships with these kids and let them know that we wanted to be a part of their lives. I think that our group accomplished. We always enjoyed getting to go over there and hangout with them, often just doing whatever they wanted to do, but all the while sharing experiences which helped our relationship develop. We also got to take the kids to several different events that they wouldn't normally get to go to and watching them having a good time was always rewarding for us. Also, I kept realizing that each time we were with them we were reminded as to how fortunate and blessed each of us has been and that it is our responsibility to help fill a void that other people have created in the lives of these kids. I think this realization helped to change me a person by not only helping me recognize but also truly appreciate the things that I have in my life. It also helped me to grow and understand the many different ways that I can help others and make a positive difference in my community. Another thing I realized was how important community service is to a community. People need to take a stronger initiative and go out to the places around them because there is so much that the we can offer to these non-profit organizations. I hope that in the future I will get an opportunity to continue my community service in Springfield because it has been one of the most enriching and rewarding experiences I've had during my college career.

New Perspectives

What I have learned from our project working with the kids at Boys and Girls Town is gaining a new perspective on the wide breadth of circumstances that can lead to a troubled home. Coming from a privileged upbringing in an impoverished country, my thoughts and conclusions on the cause for a broken home would go directly towards social inequity and social classes. However, seeing kids here suffering undeservedly and horribly during the first stages of their childhood have led me to open my eyes that what I though as the 'absolute truth' of causes for suffering is merely one of many reasons that a child is not receiving at least the minimum quality upbringing that any human being deserves. We played many games and interacted in a few conversations with these kids, and though overall they acted as normal, hyperactive kids, their personal issues would surface during times where they would go too far and be called out or reprimanded. Not responding well to authority, because the authority that they have previously known has been very abusive, is a major obstacle to break in the hopes of redirecting the lives of these kids. We were as a group very happy to see them enjoy the basketball and baseball games this semester which further proves that they are as normal as the kid sitting behind us with his family, and though there are some major barriers and obstacles to overcome given their marred past, it is through the collective work of their supervisors, volunteers, and other parties that these kids have a real shot of leading a wholesome life and not repeating their past.  Pedro

Looking Back

The thing that I think I have most come to realize through working with Boys and Girls Town is how vital and important family is. Each time you see these kids who, very often through no fault of their own, find themselves in this place where they are separated from their family. Their parents for whatever reason have put themselves in a situation where they are incapable of taking care of their child. This can create a situation where the child feels abandoned and alone because suddenly they no longer have any dependable family in their life. I cannot imagine what that feeling is like but I do know how important the workers are that give their time to these cottages. These people really do have a positive impact on the lives of these kids and help show them what it means to grow up and become a man. My time with Boys and Girls Town has been a reminder of how important the family unit is and also reminded me to always appreciate it and never take it for granted.


Jordan

What I've Learned

After spending the time with boys from Boys and Girls Town, I have really started to come to grips with what life is like for these young individuals.  They aren't all parent-less, unloved, troubled children that can't handle themselves in public like some people may jump to believe.  In fact, nearly all of them are quite "normal."  That is not to say that they don't have some problems that most of us are fortunate enough to avoid throughout our lives, but that is what Boys and Girls Town is for.  The people there help these underprivileged children through their more fragile years into a time in which they can begin to live independently.  Without places like Boys and Girls Town, these young men could be falling into a less honest means of making their living and developing habits from a young age that could quite literally rob the community of its economic and cultural potential, both directly and indirectly.

Ryan Coleman

Learning to Effectively Communicate

I learned that many factors go in to good communication between groups members.  Everyone must play their fair share in communicating so that we all can understand what is going on. I feel that strong communication skills are a necessity for our group to work well together, and to work well with others.  As long as we are open about our feelings and open to understanding others, we should have few problems within our group. I feel that I am good at listening to others and taking there opinions into consideration.  My greatest weakness is that I do not always confront people about situations that I am uncomfortable with.  Throughout the year our summit group has hardly had any issues, but one thing that we could improve is how we coordinate with each other regarding our duties for our project.  Sometimes we don't all know the plan regarding what we are doing with the kids until a night or two before we go.  Perhaps if we communicated better beforehand, we would all be up to speed and ready to go. 


Will Stone

Learning to Communicate

In our Summit class in February we learned about communicating with others and how to effectively address issues that we might face while working together as a group. I thought it was very interesting to learn and see how other people approached conflict and dealt with problems. After taking a survey I found that I was in the "Turtle" group which was the type of person that tends to internalize their conflicts with others rather than talk about them. I felt that this really described me and the discussion we had helped me realize that this is an important part of my personality that could use a little work/development. Fortunately, our Summit group tends to get along really well so we haven't had to really deal with any significant conflicts. Still, I know that it is important that I continue to learn how to convey my opinions and disagreements with others so that we can all achieve our common goal in the best way possible.

Jordan Mason

February 17th Class on Communication

Our Summit meeting on February 17 largely discussed communication and conflict resolution.  After taking a few diagnostic surveys, I came to discover that I fell into the turtle category.  Turtles are avoiders of conflict, which is very accurate to the way I handle conflicts that I find myself a part of.  I tend to duck into my shell and wait for the worst of it to blow over, hoping that I won't have to deal with it if I don't have to.  It is not exactly the most effective means of facing conflict, and I must admit that I do find myself avoiding situations that I may know to be important to face.  There have not been many times that this has happened in our Summit group, as we get along pretty well.  If I hope to improve myself as both a leader and a member of a team, however, I know that I must make an effort to express myself in a situations even if it may make me a bit uncomfortable.  A mere lack of conflict is not always the best option, for conflict is a great catalyst for growth.

Ryan Coleman

Conflict Resolution Reflection

My greatest communication strength is that I do not shy away from conflict, so I always try to speak my mind in the best manner possible. I consider this my greatest strength because even though there are times where I have good intentions but am not able to communicate the message I wish to transmit, I always try as opposed to letting things pass. By shying away from conflict, you are giving up on potential solutions by succumbing to someone else's ideas when you might have something to bring to the table that might yield a better solution or perhaps a compromise. By not shying away from conflict, though there are times where I do not have the best disposition and have to work on that, I allow for the opportunity of a multifaceted solution. My greatest weakness is that I tend to think that I am right unless proven otherwise and this attitude borders on arrogance (and sometimes it crosses the line) and I will not listen to my teammates or do so in a non-receptive manner. I do not always give people the benefit of the doubt and listen to their ideas or suggestions in a rather defensive manner, which hinders the resolution process. I have worked with teams my whole life and have had bad experiences with teammates that do not pull their own weight, but it is unfair for me to judge my present and future teammates with grievances not committed by them. What I can do better to communicate with my Summit team is be willing to hear all of their ideas and be in a much more receptive manner. In the next conflict that arises within our group I will try to voice my opinion clearly and simply, and be completely open for any criticism or reform that I may encounter it. I will seek the opinions of my teammates to improve or substitute my ideas, rather than seeking mainly their approval of mine. A good leader knows when and how to listen, and I have been lacking in both.

Pedro

Last Summit Class

The last Summit class focussed on diversity.  The guest speaker had an interesting style of showing us how diverse we are as people; we played a game where the speaker read aloud certain situations or facts and if they pertained to you, you were to walk across the room to the other side.  Some of the information became pretty personal, but people were still willing to let the others know these things about their lives.  It is important to feel comfortable about these things that set you apart from others because it is what makes you unique as an individual.  I feel like I can use this information that I learned from this exercise to help me to relate to the children at the Boy's and Girl's Town by understanding our differences and learning to accept them as a positive influence on our lives.

Here is a link to their site: www.bgtm.org/

Reflecting

What I enjoyed most of from our last Summit class was the "Cross the line" activity and the one-on-one conversations we had with a member of our own group, and with a member of another group. The interactive activity helped me remember that we are presently a product of our past. Losing a parent, coming from certain socioeconomic class, being raised in Republican/Democrat household...these socializing agents shape the framework with which you and your mind confront challenges and obstacles that will arise. In an increasingly "fast" and "digitalized" world, we like to have sound bytes and short term solutions for a problem that merits more time. If anyone is having a problem on a given day, we quickly search for a reason or distraction to entertain them with, rather than hear them out and try to be there, completely, for them. I think this reminder of the importance of having real, genuine conversations will help me in our community service project with some of the kids at Jones Cottage, because I suspect many of them have never truly been heard by someone, and they deserve to. After the activity, it was refreshing to get a conversation going with one of the members of my own group, with whom a genuine friendship has flourished, where we could talk about what we had just witnessed. 

Pedro

New Insights

Our first Summit class of the spring semester really got things started off in a unique way. In learning about diversity, I think each one of us learned something new about each other, even the people that we live with. I think the activities that we did really brought to light how diverse even just our class did. I think it helped make me a better leader because it reminded me to never assume that people always share the same opinions that I do. It's our experiences in life that make us who we are and it's very important to respect that as we grow in our relationships with others. I also think that it will help our Summit group be able to connect with the kids at Boys and Girls Town more as long as we stay patient and let the kids develop and be who they are.

The link to the Boys and Girls Town is http://www.bgtm.org/index.htm and their mission statement is:
"To reshape vulnerable lives through a community of partners, teachers and leaders, giving children and families the confidence to create bright futures."

If you want to get involved with this great organization and meet some of these great kids we really encourage you to visit: http://www.bgtm.org/donate/waystogive.htm
These kids really can benefit from anything you are willing to give and we all believe it will make a positive difference in their lives.  

Jordan Mason

First Summit Class

The first Summit class of the semester got things started quite well.  I'm sure we all left the class with new insight on both how we treat others as well as how we've been treated throughout life ourselves.  The speaker did a wonderful job of making us feel comfortable and open with each other before lining us up for an activity called "Cross the Line."  This activity was not nearly as light-hearted as I was expecting going into it.  Things got very personal very quickly, and sometimes forced people to step out of their comfort zone when it came to matters very close to their heart.  Although it was not necessarily a pleasant experience, the point of the activity came across quite clearly.  We are all much more similar than may be obvious in day-to-day life.  Every one of us has felt pain, just as every one of us has felt triumph.  Walking away from the presentation, I feel as though it is much easier for me to understand that people's actions are based on too many internal factors for one to judge outright.  We are all human.  We all make mistakes, we all feel pain, and we all have brought someone down when we could have lifted them up.  It's about time we start rethinking how we look at ourselves and others.

Ryan Coleman