Nominate A Community Leader or Yourself - A future Community Leader to Participate in Leadership North Country
Katharine Eneguess, President of White Mountains Community CollegeBefore electronic communications, people did most of their social networking by meeting face to face. That changed when Alexander Graham Bell called his assistant Thomas Watson from another room and said, "Watson, come here, I want to see you." Though messages by that time could be telegraphed back and forth, it wasn't the same as having an actual conversation. The invention of the telephone changed the world.
What didn't change, and still hasn't changed, are the networking advantages of meeting face to face. What hasn't changed is that those who take on active roles in their communities, whether they serve on a local planning board, or get a team together for the Special Olympics' Annual Penguin Plunge, tend to be good networkers. They know the people they need to go to in order to make things work, and they know they can rely on those people to come through for them, no matter what the task.
Over the past five years we have put out calls for applications for Leadership North Country, a program based on the statewide Leadership New Hampshire and sponsored by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and Public Service of New Hampshire. We have explained how the program works, how the nine monthly sessions are designed to give participants a broad overview of the various sectors that make up the North Country community, from business and industry, community stewardship, education, environment, the arts and humanities, human services, law enforcement, healthcare, government, politics and the media. Think of this program as a large, but very useful rolodex to put into your Blackberry! You will meet in places you have never been to, and ask questions that you have always wanted answers for. White Mountains Community College works hard to connect you with the "go -to network of people" from throughout the North Country.
The program is looking for participants again, for the sixth Leadership North Country class, slated to begin this fall. NOW is the time to apply or nominate! Applications are being accepted through June 15. Fifteen to twenty applicants will be selected for the program. The cost is $750, but don't let that deter you from applying. In the past, businesses have helped their employees with the cost. If that doesn't work out for you, apply for a Leadership North Country scholarship. If you are currently attending college or are thinking of attending college, you can also get college credit for this program.
So what is a leader anyway? You may not think of yourself as a leader but maybe you are someone who wants to network and do something for your community, know what is going on. To be nominated or apply yourself all you need to do is have the desire to be involved in the North Country, and have a curiosity about what is going on around you. Meeting and networking with your fellow participants and session presenters will broaden your horizons, giving you all sorts of ideas on how to exercise your leadership skills for the benefit of your community, your region, and your state.
One Leadership North Country graduate who enjoyed the program noted that she found the first session of her program well-suited for its purpose. "The icebreaker for the group was traveling to the top of a symbolic monument together and sharing that experience. This was great because ‘breaking the ice' is a tough challenge for new groups, but forcing them to engage with one another through interviewing and introducing, then creating a common activity by climbing to the (Mount Washington)weather tower formed a basis for the members of the group to connect as we moved forward," wrote Laura Jamison of Berlin.
If you have a desire to connect with leaders, or up and coming leaders in the North Country, nominate someone or you apply to the Leadership North Country Class of 2009/2010. For more information or to request an application call Gloria Tremblay at White Mountains Community College in Berlin, 752-1113 or email her at gtremblay@ccsnh.edu.
Our collective future relies on the next generation of community leaders throughout the region! Think of someone you look toward to get things done. I look forward to welcoming our next class on top of Mt. Washington in September!
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