Youth Leadership Camps Canada

Stu-Pendous Blog - Archives for September 2009

These are the thoughts of speaker, author and camp director Stu Saunders.
For Stu’s original blog, you may still access his archives here.

• MAXimum leadership

  Sep 21, 2009

  The other night I was at the local fall fair and the kids I were roaming around trying to find some healthy food choices, besides yummy Corn Dogs. We noticed the big show that night was the actual North American Touring cast of Disney’s High School Musical Summer Celebration. Right away the children looked up with their best Puppy Dog eyes… “PLEASE!!!!”

  Tickets were $30 each… four of us would be $120!! I said sorry but no. It’s ok to say no to children (big lesson for some parents and children).

  We continued to wander around when a young child, around 8 years old, tapped us on the shoulder.

  “Excuse me miss, would you like these?”

  Ange my partner, looked down to see this young leader holding out four tickets to that night’s musical production, fifth row!

  “Can we give you anything for them?” asked Ange.

  “No, we can’t go and we want you to have them!”

  Then he and his mom smiled, turned and walked away into the hustle and bustle of the fair!

  Max, this young man, demonstrated selfless leadership. Giving without taking. We must have said thank you 5 times. He just smiled and said “No problem!”

  What do you do on a daily basis to give without receiving. Wouldn’t the world be better with more of that? I think so!

  Side note: Thanks for the comments on the video’s, you are to kind. Here is the link for Day two of the video journal http://bit.ly/3O9tYY

  In leadership,

  STU!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Sep 21, 2009 at 8:31 am | Permanent Link | Comments (2)

• Goodnight but not goodbye

  Sep 2, 2009

  Hello leaders of the world. I am so sorry about not posting for almost two months. I was away, home every night, gone most days and dreaming deeply each night. I had the opportunity to see the future, to contemplate the past and live gloriously in the present. Yes I was at summer camp!

  This summer over 1000 campers came through the gates of Youth Leadership Camps Canada. They came from a dozen different countries and varied backgrounds. They came to learn, to lead, to laugh and to share themselves with each other.

  It was a banner summer. The best in the 17 years that YLCC has been in operation. There were many tears on Saturday as campers left for their homes and sunday as most of the staff went their separate ways. The rewards that are given to the staff are endless. It’s up to them and the campers to continue to share in the lessons learned.

  I want to thank everyone, the staff, campers and parents that made the camp so successful. A few summers ago a former staff member quit saying the camp wouldn’t be successful without them. They were the reason we were success. Since they left the camp has more then tripled its size and now has two locations. I am not saying anything negative about that person but the one thing I learned this summer is that YLCC is a success because of a larger group of people that work SO hard together to make the magic happen. One person alone can not succeed without the help of others.

  Terry Fox had to have someone drive the van. YLCC doesn’t succeed because it’s located in Oro-Medonte (Orillia). It succeeds because people care.

  We are already planning for the 18th year of summer camp. It will be a success again. It will grow some more. I will have less to do with that success. It will be a family that works together to Dream, to dare and to do and that is the magic that is YLCC!

  
  

  Posted by Stu Saunders in Leadership on Sep 2, 2009 at 12:54 pm | Permanent Link | Comments (1)

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