KLA Cadets Hear About Leadership From IllingworthLEESBURG - Secrets to being a great leader were revealed Thursday night.
Kosciusko Leadership Academy guest speaker J. Davis "Dave" Illingworth Jr., president of Toyota Warsaw, told attendees at the KLA graduation what those secrets are.
Another secret also was let out of the bag during the graduation celebration - the winning team of the 2010 Northenor Award.
Illingworth said leadership is a matter of the heart. A good leader must have a positive heart, persistence and a trusting heart, a heart that trusts God. To illustrate each attribute, Illingworth told a story.
For a positive heart, Illingworth reiterated how Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed and conquered Mt. Everest in 1953. They were able to conquer it, Illingworth said, because they knew it took physical fitness and a positive attitude to get it done.
Abraham Lincoln was not well received in his lifetime. However, because of his persistence, he not only became the 16th president of the United States, but also a well-admired man long after his assassination.
To illustrate a trusting heart, Illingworth told the story of a boy in the early 1900s who went into town every week to go to church. He was emotionally and physically abused by his parents. One week in Sunday school he learned to remember the 23rd Psalms with his fingers.
On his way home, a blizzard kicked up. His teacher became concerned about the boy and went out to the boy's home to find him the next day. His parents waived the teacher's concern off. On the way back to town, the teacher found the boy frozen to death. However, the boy's hands were locked in the position in which he remembered the 23rd Psalms.
Illingworth said some people will tell you there is no God, but there is. "Trust God with all your heart," he said. "Acknowledge him in all his ways." God is the only hope for humanity.
Illingworth encouraged everyone to be a leader in their home, their community and at work.
KLA Advisor Emeritus Jean Northenor announced the winning team of the 2010 Northenor Award, which comes with $1,000 to help get the White Paper Project started.
Northenor said the judges this year for the award, Suzie Light and Brad Bishop, wanted to give the prize to a project that was doable, had community impact and is sustainable.
While all the projects were good, Northenor said, she announced the 2010 winner as the "Interactive County Recreational Map." Members of the team include Pat Brown, Krista Hepler, Mike Newell, Bryan House, Matt Boren and Diana Macnak.
According to the project's executive summary, "This tool will provide users with the ability to discover some of the recreational treasures hidden throughout the county. Research has been done by members of this time to uncover some of these areas of recreational interest. The research has been limited to pedestrian activities, in other words, all of the included sections can be performed without the use of substantial equipment. Information has been derived from groups, committees or clubs within the county that specialize in these areas and have a vast knowledge of routes or locations that provide users with the most beneficial activity experience."
During the graduation exercises, the new executive committee was ratified. Members will include Allison McSherry as president; Jenna Campbell as vice president; Cameron Plew as selection director; Kathy Stutzman as public information director; Becky Moreno as secretary/treasurer; Amy and Jeff Bowman as curriculum directors; Shelly Fraley as alumni and special events directors; Allyn Decker as moderator; and Jean Northenor as advisor.
