BILLS BLOG-Editors Note: I am nearing a year of Blogging on my programs, and have appreciated the comments that I have received from so many of you. The purpose of this blog is not so much to tell you the reader what I speak about, topics or content I cover in my programs. It has been my experience that in order for you to get a feel for what goes on in my programs you "kind of  need to be there." The purpose of this blog is to give the reader an idea of where I have been, the kinds of audiences that I reach and the types of programming I do. As you scroll through the places I have been over the year my hope is that you would find something similar to what you are trying to create in your community, school or business and then inquire more about it so we can hopefully find a program, keynote, or curriculum that might work for you.  I also want to provide links to key people I have met, and organizations I have reached so that they may become a resource for you. So scroll through, click on the links find out what others are doing and if you have any questions email me at bill@billcordes.com .

5-14-07: In Mid-Move

For those of you who don't know we are moving to Lawrence, Kansas. There are a lot of reasons for our move, but it is mainly to get me closer to a major airport. We have always enjoyed the community of Lawrence and since Josha is a freshman, soon to be sophomore at The University of Kansas, it seemed like a good time. This move has been in the works for a long time and it is hard to believe that we are so close to moving day. Our plan is to move on Saturday, but we have been busy changing our address, setting up services at our new house, finalizing details, packing boxes, and arranging the move for a long time. It seems to me it doesn't matter how much you prepare....moving is a major challenge. It re-arranges every part of your life, it is a time to reflect, a time to be optimistic, a time to be sad, a time to be joyous, a time of curiosity about what lies ahead and a time of stress. I think we are dealing with it all pretty well and taking it all in stride. Luckily we have had some great people to work with because our real estate agent, and builder have been awesome! It has made a challenging event very exciting. Special thanks to Rod Donovan, our builder and John Esau our real-estate agent at www.lawrence-realty.com It has been a joy to work with both of you and we are looking forward to being your neighbor. To all my friends in Great Bend...I have spent the past 17 years here and I have developed many close relationships. I will miss all of you, I will miss Great Bend. It is a wonderful community and we are sad that we are leaving, but hope that our new adventure will lead to new connections and new horizons for our Great Friends of Great Bend. If you didn't have a Lawrence connection before...you have one now! We will be back to visit and to share stories and until then we wish you all the best! Thanks again for the best 17 years of my life so far! Stay posted...my next blog will be from Lawrence, Kansas!

5-6-07: Kiowa, Kansas YES Leadership Banquet

On Saturday afternoon with storms still crossing our part of the country I headed down south to Kiowa, Kansas to speak at the YES program for their middle school students. I will still a bit nervous because of all the weather and a tornado was actually in my path but thankfully I was aware of the storm coming through and waited it out in St. John, Kansas. I arrived, had a great evening speaking to the middle school students and their parents. We passed the hat and raised $595 for Greensburg. It was so cool to see such a small group of people raise such a large sum of money in such a short time. Thanks Kiowa!

5-5-07: Home and a challenging evening

Because of my delayed flight I didn't get home from Virginia until Friday afternoon, on Friday night we watched the weather roll across the country. Our first report was that Greensburg (it is about an hour southwest of us) had lost 60% of the homes. It wasn't until the next morning that we realized that the whole town had been wiped out. We watched the weather almost all night on Friday evening and the storm skirted Great Bend, but hit many parts of our county. We had a lot of flooding, and some tornado damage but nothing like Greensburg. I did my very first all-school assembly at the high school that is no longer there. We were devastated by the loss, as a product of southwest Kansas I understand their challenge and for those of you who think that they shouldn't rebuild let me just say that the residents of their communities "out here" have a very strong identity with their towns. I think this link kind of sums it up... http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2864787 . How about LPGA golfer Mi Hyun Kim, It seems like she really understands! Go to http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2864018 . This was impressive and we are so thankful for her generosity!

5-4-07: South Boston, Virginia - Teen Leadership Conference

Yesterday was a great day, and a great opportunity to meet with Loretta and Irene with the South Boston Mental Health Association. These are two of my favorite people because they have such a strong desire to be "proactive" and make a difference in the lives of high school and middle school students from  their county. It was a quick trip in but the students were great and the students led me in a very profound direction. We worked with our relationships with our parents and it was exciting to see so many teens who had a strong desire to make their relationship better even though many have struggled with their relationships in the past. The ability to recognize that you play a role in the quality of the relationship is a very powerful thought that led to some personal breakthroughs for me as well. I hope to blog more about this in future, but just know that my day there was a great breakthrough for me as well. My flight back was delayed and I missed my connection from Dallas to Wichita which led to some very introspective thinking and I had the opportunity to "donate" a video Ipod to someone on the flight after me. I hope they enjoy my selection of music!?

4-29/30-07: DECA National Conference/Senior Management Institute: Orlando, Florida

I arrived in Orlando late Saturday night after a hectic day of travel and was picked up at the airport by Phil Boyte www.philboyte.com my co-facilitator for the Senior Management Institute. For those of you who don't know DECA is a National Marketing Organization the exists in high schools across North America and its purpose is to provide hands on business marketing and leadership experiences for youth. It is an amazing organization that makes a huge difference in the lives of high school students.  The national conference hosts 14,000 youth from all over North America, and  for the past six years under the direction of Shirlee Kyle, the DECA High School Division Director, Phil Boyte and I have facilitated the Senior Management Institute. The mission of the Senior Management Institute is to provide key leadership skills for high school seniors so they can transition into life after high school with a passion for leadership opportunities so that they may in turn give back to their community when they complete their formal education. Our program began with an opening keynote and then we prepared the students for the Executive Mentorship Program. In the Executive Mentorship portion of SMI corporate executives from all over the country flew in to talk to and work with high school seniors in round table discussions. Each round table discussion consisted of the executive talking about their experience, and then a question and answer session followed. It is a simple formula but has powerful results. It was amazing. We were in a huge conference room with over 500 students sitting at  round tables with one space open. Then the doors open, the students stood and cheered and in came the executives walking in as the students cheered. They each chose a table and the mentorship process began. The students then would switch tables about every 15 minutes and the mentoring would continue. A very powerful experience! Phil and I spent the rest of the day and the next day on the SMI Leadership Curriculum. It was a great chance to meet some incredible leaders and get to know some awesome people. One of the highlights of the curriculum for me was the Mad Minute at the end of the second day. DECA models leadership in their communities by fundraising and being of service for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. We asked our seniors to look into their hearts and wallets and give up something to help others. In one minute we raised $1581 dollars! To learn more about DECA and MDA go to www.deca.org/mda.html . A special thanks goes out to all the advisors who showed up at SMI to support and to help...thank-you. Thanks to all the students who got involved in the programming it was an amazing two days. Thanks to Shirlee Kyle the DECA High School Division Director, you have an amazing gift for managing, coordinating and making a difference with a smile on your face and love in your heart!  It was an amazing conference!
Key Link =  to learn more about DECA and all they do for students... www.deca.org

4-28-07: KU Volleyball Coaches Clinic-Lawrence, Kansas

As soon as I was finished in Cranbury, I caught a 4:30 flight out of Newark, connected in Chicago and then back to Wichita, thankfully everything was close to on time. Connecting through Chicago is always crazy...especially on a Friday! I made it into Wichita at about 11:30pm and then drove 3 hours to Lawrence where I had a coaches clinic on Friday morning. So if you are doing the math...I had to sleep very fast. The coaches clinic was awesome for a lot of reasons. For Raymond Bechard, the head volleyball coach at KU (you may recognize the name he is the brother of Richard Bechard the man who introduced my at KIAAA on a previous blog...Ray is also my sons Godfather...which is very cool!) For Raymond Bechard coaching volleyball is not just a sport but it is a mission that involves making a  difference in the lives of college students and other coaches. Ray came upon coaching volleyball by accident. His first coaching job was the head Mens Basketball Coach at Lewis Kansas, and the principal through in girls volleyball as part of his assignment. He then took the job at Barton County Community College where in 15 seasons became the coach with the highest winning percentage on all levels. In 1998 he took the head job at the University of Kansas where he has been since. I have had the privilege of working with all his teams since 1990, as a team building consultant. Each year I also get to work with the coaches clinic. The day was also special because my daughter Josha is also the team manager. So I got to see her which made the day great! As soon as I was done I was back to Wichita (3 hours to catch a flight to Memphis, and then into Orlando, to do the National DECA Senior Management Institute. WOW! What a day! Key Link = www.kuathletics.com

4-27-07: Cranbury Middle School: Cranbury, New Jersey

As soon as I completed my time with SADD I drove to Wichita to catch a plane to Newark, New Jersey, luckily everything was on time. I got into Newark at about midnight and was picked up by Joann Charwin. I got to he hotel late and was up early so I could present an all school assembly for Cranbury Middle School for about 600 students. Cranbury is a wonderful little community that is a place of peace amongst the hustle and bustle of Jersey. If feels like a quiet little rural town and you would never know that you were just a stones throw away from the busiest place on earth. The students there are amazing and are moving toward success. Each year Joann and the staff at CMS put on a career day to give students exposure to opportunities and ideas. My role is to set the tone for the day, and then present two breakout sessions on leadership. Needless to say my job is easy compared to all the work that the staff at CMS go through to put on this very rewarding day. This program is on a three year rotation for me and on the years that I am not presenting I am in good company. Next year, Ed Gerety will play my role www.edgerety.com Ed is an amazing speaker who moves audiences into action! The following year it will by Bobby Petrocelli www.10seconds.org . Bobby talks about the power of decision making and how 10 seconds can change your life. Thanks for a Great Day Cranbury!

4-25/26-07: Kansas Red Ribbon and SADD Training: Salina, Kansas

Today marks the beginning of 7 days non-stop traveling. On this next adventure I do 19 programs in four different states, I will fly to the east coast three times, to do that I will need to board 12 planes, rent cars, numerous hotels, I will get to see many old friends, I will drive many miles, and I will have many late night arrivals, early morning starts. It should be a fun adventure, and it all began with my very good friends with Kansas Family Partnership. The Red Ribbon training www.nfp.org began with about 120 students from all over the state of Kansas who came in to begin the process of planning for their Red Ribbon Week that will occur next October. I started with an opening keynote after I was introduced by Richard Scott. You may remember Richard, he is a key player in my network, and he is the one that put on the two day leadership training for the youth of Chase County. We attended Breakout sessions, danced, collected ideas and networked all day long. We closed up the Red Ribbon training and then 120 more students and advisors registered and arrived so we could begin the SADD training. www.sadd.org In the evening we did a luminary ceremony that was facilitated by Maria Torres Anderson of Kansas Family Parnership, and it was very powerful, after the luminary ceremony while students were sitting in the dark students were asked to stand and mention the names of those whose lives were lost because of destructive decisions. It was powerful to hear all the names, and it was surprising to hear how many names were mentioned. It was a powerful reminder of how important this work has become. The following day we attended breakout sessions, collected ideas, danced, got involved and created and presented community action plans. These days would not be possible with out all of the dedicated volunteers who show up to present sessions and support the process. Thanks for a great two days. A special thanks goes out to Michelle Voth the Director of Kansas Family Partnership. Michelle works tirelessly to put together programming and funding to make all of this work. And of course my unending gratitude to Maria Torres Anderson who coordinates, plans and orchestrates all of these wonderful experiences for youth. Key Link = www.kansasfamily.com

4-20-07 - KASBO: Great Bend, Kansas

KASBO is the Kansas Association of School Business Officials...Let me put it another way...these are the people who balance the budgets, and run our schools all across the state of Kannsas. They are an organization of wonderful people who have learned to work hard and play hard because if things don't work out for them, then things don't work out for anyone in the district/community/city or town. They are constantly under the gun to do their jobs perfectly, and when they do, no one notices, but when they mess up...EVERYONE KNOWS.  This may sound like a tough audience (there were about 350 of them from all over the state) but believe it or not, people who have tough jobs, laugh the best, understand the most, can empathize with adversity and are very willing to hear a good message. This was certainly the case with this group,  and the fact that it went well made it even better because it was the last time that speaking in Great Bend will be a local speaking engagement for me. (We are moving to Lawrence, Kansas soon...more on that in a later blog). This was my second time back to KASBO so I knew it would be a great audience, but this one was a little bit difference because my business has grown tremendously since my last time speaking at KASBO. This time I knew so many people in the audience, I have spoke in their schools or for other organizations they belong to. It was very cool to look across the audience and see so many people that I have connected with in the past. If by chance I did not get the chance to visit or say hi...my apologies. Time goes by so fast and it was a whirlwind experience in that we had lunch, closing keynote, visiting with so many and people trying to get on the road to get home. I was very pleased with the whole experience and glad to be a part of working with people who make such a huge impact on their community. A unique thing about today was that today was Virginia Tech day, a day in which we honored the victims of VT by wearing their colors. Let us always remember the bravery of those who lost their lives, let us remember the innocence of those who lost their lives while trying to better their future, and let us always remember how important it is to always keep our children safe. Key link= www.kasbo.org

4-19-07 - Burlington High School: Burlington, Kansas

It was nice to have a few days off to collect my thoughts and of course I was looking forward to getting back into it again and returning to Burlington to do an assembly. On Monday of this week our nation was rocked by the tragedy at Virginia Tech. As the parent of a college freshman this tragedy affected me personally, as a speaker and an educator it really knocked the wind out of me. I woke up this morning only to find that the Topeka Capitol Journal had plastered a picture of the shooter, (in this pic...he was holding guns etc...) to me it only glamorized the tragedy and made me wonder if the TCJ was willing to take responsibility for creating the next shooter by glamorizing this shooter. I resolved in that moment to never say the name of the shooter and to place all of my focus on the victims rather than the shooter. To be honest, I was a bit of a wreck on the way to the assembly. I felt a little hopeless by the situation...and here I was again trying to make sense of a difficult situation, while speaking to students. I called my mentor in Hawaii, Delorese Gregoire, and it turned out that she was feeling the same thing I was. She told me that I had a responsibility to be hopeful, to push on...she gave me some words of encouragement that got me to moving forward again. I was greeted outside the school by SADD Advisor Sharon Henry, and right away I knew we  were going to have a great day. Trooper Todd was on hand, because he was there to show a video to the students about the dangers of drinking and driving after the assembly. I was also greeted by Natasha Hosford and several other students who attended our KFP summer programs. Mr. Jim Kuhn who is a relative via marriage on my wifes side was also there as well. So as you can see even in difficult times if we look around we are never alone. What made it even better is that Burlington is a great school with some great students who really 'get it' when it comes to making good choices. The assembly was so much fun and we laughed a lot but there was plenty of time in the assembly to hit the really important issues about how choices today affect our future. My assembly went for about 1.5 hours and then I introduced Trooper Todd who did a great job of setting up the video. The video is a heart wrenching collections of stories that was filmed my the Missouri Department of Transportation about the consequences of drinking and driving as well as driving without being belted. All in all it was an impactful assembly and I was pleased to be a part of it. Thanks Jim Kuhn, Sharon Henry, Natasha Hosford, all the TABS participants and Trooper Todd for renewing hope in me and for giving hope to a new generation of students!

4-12/13-07 Leadership Programs Abilene and Salina Kansas

Brenda Haaga with the Regional Prevention Center of North Central Kansas made all of this happen. During these two days Brenda coordinated two leadership programs that included students from Abilene, Bennington, Herrington, Salina, and surrounding areas. These programs grew out of the work that we do with Kansas Family Partnership in creating community action plans. Our focus was YOGOWYPI and leadership. We did a lot of work on servant leadership and how to maximize your leadership opportunities while in high school. A special thanks to all the advisors who took the time to coordinate and bring your students to the events. If you are interested in attending more programs like this please visit this site to learn more about our ongoing mission to make a difference in the lives of students. www.kansasfamily.com

4-11-07 - Clifton-Clyde High School and Middle School - Clifton, Kansas/Clyde, Kansas

I have had the opportunity to speak at CCHS many times over the years and my history with them goes all the way back to the early 90's! Wow! I'm getting old! Recently I have spoke at the school nearly every year. It is such a compliment to get asked back and I feel like I have a lot of friends in the district. In the morning I worked with the HS and in the afternoon headed over to the MS for an assembly. Most of our focus at the high school was on making good choices during your high school experience, and at the middle school we worked on some student success skills. Always great to go back to Clifton-Clyde!

4-5-07 - Garner-Hayfield High School - Garner Iowa

I was in Garner two years ago for an assembly and it was great to get back for a follow-up! When I arrived I was again greeted by Get a Grip students. Garner-Hayfield is also a long time Get a Grip school. It was cool to see them again and to get a chance to visit prior to the assembly. I was especially excited to see Laura Priebe, long time get a gripper and staffer who has been coming to GAG for years. She had briefed me a little before the assembly about what she felt would be a good fit for this assembly and after some talented singing in the beginning we were off to a great start! Afterwards I got a chance to work with the teen council and we did a breakout session to discuss leadership in the school. Both programs were a lot of fun and I was sad to leave but it is good to know that I will see some of the students again in the summer at GAG!

4-4-07 - Eldora-New Providence Middle School

After I finished at GRHS I headed over to Eldora to speak at ENP middle school. I was greeted by Get A Grip director, Laurinda Smith,  Principal John Zimmerman and several Get A Grip students from ENP high school. The focus of our assembly was to challenge ms students to a successful transition into high school. We laughed a little but got down to the business of giving them tools for student success. The high school students fielded a few questions, and it was a fun event. Thanks Get a Grippers!

4-4-07 - Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School - Iowa

It was a long drive from Great Bend, Kansas to Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School in Iowa, but it was well worth the trip! I got there early and was greeted by Principal Mike Studt as well as several Get a Grip Students. I have a long history with Gladbrook-Reinbeck as I have spoke at their school several times and they are a "Get a Grip" school. I have blogged about "GAG" many times on this site but if you have questions go to:  www.dps.iastate.edu/getagrip/about.php . When I arrived at GRHS I got an education because I arrived the day before the annual pickleball tournament www.pickleball.com . I had no idea what pickleball was but when I asked a student at GRHS his response was: "It is the best game ever!" At GBHS they take their pickleball very serious. It was cool to learn about it but it was even cooler to see the collective excitement the school shares about this activity. They had brackets set-up, and there was an anticipation in the air about the upcoming event. Oh...the assembly. Well what can you expect. This is a great school with great leadership that really cares about students. This is a great environment for student assemblies. I think we went for about an hour and 45 minutes and the time flew by. I love student assemblies, and as the years go by I love them even more. It was a great environment. Thanks Principal Mike Studt for trusting the process and letting me work with your students. It was a great experience for me! GRHS has a lot of great stuff going on be sure and check out their site! www.gladbrook-reinbeck.k12.ia.us . Oh, it was great to see Roxanne Hild (former GAG advisor) and Beth Thompson again (current GAG Advisor). Both are great people and I am glad they are in my network of associates! Thanks for all you do for kids!

3-30-07 - Wisconsin Upward Bound - State Conference

I love working with Upward Bound students. I can't put my finger on it but there is just something great about working with students who are wanting to make the most out of their college experience. For those of you who don't know about Upward Bound it is a program designed to support high school students in preparation for college and professional lives. I was not a part of this program while I was in high school but I would have been eligible because like many of the participants in the program I am a first generation college students. At this program I got to meet and work with individuals  who are completely committed to student success and they make a huge difference in the lives of students. Special thanks to Amy Castelic and the entire Upward Bound staff for putting together such an incredible opportunity for students! On the day after the keynote I got to stay around and present some workshops for students on students success. It was great to get some one on one time with students! Great Program! Great Conference!

3-25-07 - Louisiana State FBLA Conference

Visiting Louisiana and speaking at their state FBLA Conference was a great time. My time on stage was short, but my time there was long on memories. I was treated with great hospitality by the folks of Louisiana, and the students were awesome. It was so much fun to hang-out afterwards, talk to students and listen to their stories about all they have been through in the past few years. So many amazing stories of resilience and dedications. Louisiana FBLA is going full force and still making a difference in the lives of teens. Special thanks to Andrew Ducote the Louisiana FBLA State advisor. Check out their site www.lafbla.org . I also got to work with the folks at PDC the sound and lighting company who does a great job of making a meeting first class. The are amazing! In all my years of working with them I have seen a dedication to excellence that is second to none. I have never noticed a programming glitch, missed cue, or non-working microphone on stage. They do a great job of preparing state officer teams for their time on stage so all of their conferences come off without a glitch! Thanks Patrick Boylan for putting together an amazing staff of professionals! To learn more about PDC go to www.pdcproductions.com .

3-24-07 - News from the Road:

While on my way to the airport I stopped off to get gas and saw a couple sitting next to the gas station with a sign that read, "Out of Gas - Full of Love". (Naturally that led to a contribution I was happy to give) We have all been there "Out of Gas and Full of Love". Not a bad place to be!

3-22/23-07 Leadership Retreat - Cottonwood Falls, Kansas

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to speak to the students at Chase County Middle School and High School, and Richard Scott (long time friend and associate from Kansas SADD, Red Ribbon Training and Kansas Family Partnership) thought it would be a great idea to do a two day retreat for his students. Richard and Liz Scott run a after school program/ technology center that supports student success in Cottonwood Falls and Strong City. Our two day retreat was filled with leadership opportunities, growth and celebration. The program was capped off with a parent program celebration. It was a great interactive opportunity that gave us all a chance to grow and learn together!

3-20-07 - Career Day Sedgwick Kansas

Today was a great day because I got to return to Sedgwick, Kansas and see some old friends and speak to the entire middle school and the high school for the closing of their career day festivities. Pat Breckunitch a friend that I had met at an in-service in Salina several years ago had me in last year to work with the teachers and this year asked me to return to work with their students this year. We started off with a middle school assembly and then ended the day with a high school assembly. Both assemblies went great and the student participation was amazing! I also had the chance to touch bases with Rae Niles, who is a nationally known speaker dealing with technology and how to maximize technology in the schools. To learn more about what Rae does please visit her site at www.raeniles.com . Rae has lots of ideas and answers when it comes to teaching with technology and has done a great job of integrating technology into education in their district.

3-17-07 - KIAAA Conference - Hutchinson Kansas

KIAAA is the Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, and I had the opportunity to keynote their annual conference in Hutchinson this year, for the third time this year. This is a great association whose purpose  is to promote high school activities throughout the state of Kansas. To be honest presenting at this conference was like "old home week" for me because I have had the opportunity to work with a huge percentage of these activities directors in a variety of situations. I have been to many of their schools, and worked at many conferences that they have put on over the years. Kelly Nusse, from Lyons Kansas was the president at the time of the conference and did a great job of putting together a conference filled with activities and educational opportunities to support activities directors so they can continue to serve their schools. I was introduced by good friend Richard Bechard who is a past president of the association and active on the national level as well. It was a fun conference and it was great to get to see Cheryl Gleason from the Kansas High School Activities Association, Lee Gillan, from Ulysse, Terry Ostmeyer from Grinnell and many others!

3-14-2007 - Cheney High School Career Day - Cheney Kansas

My day today started with an early morning drive to Cheney where I was greeted at the doors of Cheney High School by fellow speaker Dustin Galyon, www.dustingalyon.com . Now understand that Dustin is not an employee of Cheney High School he simply welcomes the opportunity to be a greeter of good will whenever he gets the chance. Dustin was speaking at the career day as well so it was a great chance to share some fellowship and catch up a bit. The career day was put on, and coordinated by FACS instructor Michelle Higgins. It was a well planned, well coordinated event. I also got a chance to catch up with Curtis Conrad who is the assistant principal at Cheney. He and I met at the Kansas Athletic Directors conference several years ago. The day started with the entire high school coming in to their wonderful auditorium at about 8:30 this morning. We did the career day opening assembly and I spoke for about an hour and a half mostly about maximizing choices, taking advantage of this time and doing a lot of learning activities that teach. They were a fun bunch, quick to laugh, quick to learn and quick to praise. A special thanks to Mr. Joe Shellhammer, for getting extra excited at the beginning of the assembly and getting us started off right by jumping up, getting involved during the opening portion of the program. Also, special thanks to my new friends Tanner, (Cannon), Ashley (Usher) and BROOOOCK! We just had a ton of small jokes and inside humor that popped up during the assembly that made the day "more fun than I should be allowed to have and call it work". After I was finished with the assembly the students broke out into sessions with community speakers and they talked about different career opportunities. Dustin did a great session on "Life Choices". I got to sit in on one of the sessions and was so happy to get to listen to a great message, that made a difference for me. Thanks Dustin!!! Thanks Michelle, Curtis and staff for making this day a fun and successful day. My day would have been complete if I would have had the chance to re-connect with Principal Ron Traxson, who is an outstanding administrator who cares deeply about the success of students in school. Maybe next time Mr. Traxson! I also got the chance to sit and visit during lunch with Superintendent, Brad Neuenswander. On my way out I got a chance to connect with long time friend Linda Patterson. Linda and I were friends back when we were students at FHUS and she has coordinated several events and used me as a speaker for those events. Good to see you again! What an amazing man! Mr. Nuenswander will be leaving this year to pursue an opportunity with the state department. I am sure he will be missed. Hey check out this great school web site: www.cheney268.com

3-10-07 - 2007 Youth Rally - Pratt, Kansas

I drove down the road about 50 miles today to speak at the 2007 Pratt Youth Rally today. It was a good day, a good chance to catch up with some old friends, and a great opportunity to connect with some great teens. The event was sponsored by the "Pratt Youth Advisory Council" and "Leadership 2000 Plus". I was brought in by a very dear friend Jeanette Siemens who is the former Chamber Exec and now a community volunteer. Jeanette and her husband Jerry are very committed to their community and are always working diligently to make their community a better place. I also got a chance to re-connect with Becca Flowers, from Pratt Skyline High School Becca has had me come out and speak at Skyline in years past and Lisa Miller from Pratt Community College, who also works with the Miss Kansas Pageant, and I have had the opportunity to work with her in that capacity as well. Our purpose of the day was to inspire and motivate Pratt teens to get involved in their community and brainstorm strategies that they could use to make an impact on their community. I spoke for about an hour and then Lisa broke the teens into groups so they could learn and brainstorm. It was an honor to work with this group and can't wait to return! Thanks to all the sponsors and coordinators who made this event work!

3-2,3-07 - California Activities Directors Association-San Diego, California

A few months ago fellow speaker Phil Boyte, www.philboyte.com encouraged me to come out to California and speak at the Californina Activity Directors Conference (CADA) in San Diego. I had no idea I was about to go on a major adventure in learning and networking. The plan was for me to do a workshop and a couple of showcases so Activity Directors in California could get an idea about what type of services I provide. All of those things happened but I had no idea that I was going to be introduced to the hub of student activities in our nation. This conference was amazing! I met so many amazing people who are so passionate about bring quality experiences to their students. My time started off with meeting up with Patrick Maurer, another speaker, www.pmaurer.com and he showed me around. I also met up with another fellow speaker, Jill Esplin, www.jillesplin.com and we all proceeded to head over to the keynote presentation. This keynote was extra special for me because it was being delivered by another youth speaker who I had met years ago at an NSA convention, Scott Greeneburg. www.scottgreenberg.com . Scott is a veteran of our business, and this was his first time keynoting at CADA. WOW, was I glad to be able to witness this event. He was amazing, funny, educational and inspirational. He knocked it out of the park! Afterwards I met up with Phil and he introduced me to a zillion people...It was great! Later that day I did my workshop, that went great and the next morning I delivered two showcase events. 17 years in this business and it was my first showcase. I have never done this before, and it is very challenging to give someone an idea of what your program is like in only 20 minutes. I took the approach of giving them my first 17 minutes of the program, and then saying that is how we start off, I made a few comments about other services I provide and that was it. Short, sweet and fun. Oh, I also met Keith Hawkins for the first time, www.keithhawkins.com and Tyler Durman, www.tylerdurman.com . It was also cool to get to see Denise Vanaidis, Student Council Guru from Union High School in Tulsa, and Brenda Hagga from Gridley, California. Both former clients who were in attendance. Thanks Denise Vandoren, CADA president for allowing me to be a part of this special event and I am forever grateful to my friend who never stops giving, Phil Boyte!

2-23-07 - Leadership Program-Southeast Technical College-Red Wing, Minnesota

I rose early again the next morning for a flight back to Minneapolis. Sounds crazy doesn't it...it was even crazier to live it! However, this time I was greeted by fellow speaker Craig Hillier, www.craighillier.com . Craig is like a brother to me and he had the day off so agreed to take me to my next program in Red Wing. This program wsa with the same Cindy Kottke and Tascha Kinney who brought me into Winona earlier this month to work with students about making the transition into life after high school. This time I worked with a different group, but were equally motivated and excited about the days events.

2-22-07 - Leadership Program, University of Tennessee-Martin

I got up extra early this morning to catch a flight from Minneapolis to Memphis. Arrived early in the morning and proceeded to The University of Tennessee-Martin. WOW! What a great staff that is student centered and is willing to do whatever it takes to create a positive campus environment. I first met David Belote, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Director of Student Life. We met briefly and discussed the upcoming program that I was about to do with his pep leaders. Pep Leaders are upperclassmen who are in charge of the new student orientation. Each of them will lead a group of new students through the orientation process next fall. I then spent about an hour and a half working with them and giving them some skills for leading new students through their first year experience. Our time together was too short, but I will get to work with them again, soon! David Taylor then took me over to the facility where the student leadership conference was being held. They decided to go with the YOGOWYPI theme which made me feel very welcome. I had about an hour and a half with some very motivated student leaders and my time with them was finished but wished I would have had another three hours with them! The University of Tennessee at Martin is a great facility with a great staff who are student centered in their approach to education. To learn more about UTM go to www.utm.edu A special thank-you to Erin Smith who got one of my books at a leadership conference from another speaker and took the initiative to bring me to UTM!

2-21-07 - Minnesota Regional Student Council Conference - St. Francis Minnesota

As soon as I finished with the KHCA I headed off to the airport to catch a flight to Minneapolis to speak at a student council conference in St. Francis Minnesota. I got in late, got my bearings and headed off to St. Francis. St. Francis is a great community north of the twin cities that really has the best of both worlds. A quiet community close to the twin-cities. We started off our day with a Keynote at the conference and of course the students were great, fired up and ready to receive ideas about making the most out of their school environment. Then after the keynote I got to address all of the freshman and sophomores at St. Francis High School. We had about 1000 in attendance and the energy in the school was phenomenal! Thank-You Julie Cuscaden, Student Council advisor at St. Francis High School, for giving me this opportunity!

2-20-07-Kansas Health Care Association - Topeka, Kansas

On this day I had the honor of working with about 200 health care workers from across the state of Kansas. Cindy Luxem, a long term friend and former fellow employee from my days at Barton County Community College is now the president/ceo of the Kansas Health Care Association and hosts a series of conferences designed to motivate, train and educate health care workers about the importance on their role in health care through out the state. I got to spend about an hour with them and our time together was awesome. As the son of a health care worker, and some one who has two sisters in the field I know a little about the challenges they face on a day to day basis, but I know little about how extensive their job really is, but I am learning. This is my second time working with this group and I gain a little more respect for their mission with each meeting. To learn some more about what the KHCA does go to www.khca.org .

2-13,14-07- Nevada FFA Advanced Leadership Training - Carson City, NV

I flew into Reno on the 12th, made a supply run and picked up Rhett Laubuch at the airport and we proceeded to head off to Carson City to prepare for the ALD-MFE training. For those of you who don't know Rhett, you can learn more about his business by going to www.yournextspeaker.com . Rhett and I have been doing programs together for years and it was great to get a chance to spend some time with him. At this program Rhett spoke to the Made for Excellence students (these are freshman and sophomore FFA students) and I worked with the Juniors and Seniors at the ALD conference. It was an inspiring two days as we got to work with highly motivated students who are interested in maximizing their FFA experience. We had about 8 hours of training and it all went very well. We focused on personal, group and chapter leadership skills that students could apply once they got back home to their chapters. Thanks Nevada FFA for making us feel so welcome and for bringing some first class students to your program!

2-9-07-Southeast Technical College - Winona, MN

As soon as I finished with Farm Bureau in Overland Park I headed off to the Kansas City Airport to catch a flight to Lacrosse, Wisconsin so I could speak across the river in Winona, MN on the following morning. The weather in Kansas was mild, but apparently the weather in Chicago was less than mild because my flight into Chicago got delayed, but my connection out of Chicago to Lacrosse was on time. So, I missed the connection. It happens. This is the side of my business that not many people see. The delayed flights, rental cars, hotel rooms, dealing with weather etc.. However, in my case things seem to work out. Fortunately I had a gate agent who was willing to spend some extra time at the end of her day and she booked me on a flight into Rochester, I rented a car there and got into Winona late that night, just in time to catch a few hours of sleep and up in time to speak to about 300+ high school students from various schools throughout the area about "Life after high school". They were a great bunch and our time together flew by. Cindy Kottke is my contact at Southeast Technical College and her mission is to support as many kids as possible in making good choices after high school. Thank Cindy for pulling all of this together!

2-8-08 - Farm Bureau Conference-Overland Park, Kansas

About a year ago I did a Farm Bureau Meeting in Ness City, Kansas and I met Larry Riley who thought it would be a good fit to have me come and speak at their annual Valentine Meeting. At this program we had agents from all over the state of Kansas who are interested in providing the best benefits for their clients. Farm Bureau agents as I have learned through direct experience are not just agents who write policies but all the ones I have met are authentically interested in the well-being of their clients. Having so many people in one room who are there to serve first made my day a great one. It was a fun interactive keynote filled with some laughs and some hands-on learning and some lessons of the heart. Thanks Larry for making this happen, it was great to meet all of the wonderful folks at Farm Bureau!

2-7-07 - Leawood Elementary-Leawood, Kansas

Today was a unique day, and I love it when I get a chance to do new things and mix it up a bit. What made today unique was I got to present a parent program in the middle of the day at an Elementary School. The even was well attended as we had about 50 elementary school parents show up to attend the event. We focused on parenting skills and some small adjustments parents could make that would have an impact on the lives of their children. These were some great parents who want success for their children. Christy Jennings the Parent Education Coordinator for the Kids Under Construction Program at Leawood Elementary and she is committed to bringing good programs to parents. Thanks for a great day Christy!

2-6-07 - Overland Park, Kansas

I had two middle school assemblies in Overland Park, Kansas today. The first one was at Overland Trail Middle School and the second was at Pleasant Ridge Middle School. We had a great time at both assemblies where we focused on choices that could benefit the students during the next few years of their education. I was so pleased by the way I was greeted at both schools and the amount of enthusiasm I received back from the students. All of the laughing and fun led to a great opportunity to insert some serious messages about their future. A special thank-you goes out to Shari Shaake at Overland Trail and Stacy Ozier who worked diligently to make these programs happen. Both of these programs came from the Johnson County Stop Underage Drinking Project program I did last fall in Overland Park under the direction of Karen Leisner. Thanks Karen!
 

1-31-07: McCook High School: All School Assembly

It was great to return to McCook high school. I was just there this past fall where I had keynoted the Nebraska State Student Council Conference. We had such a great time that the student council decided that this would be a great message for all the high school students to receive. Our morning began with all the students filing into the auditorium, we played a little "name that tune" and then Brett Burton introduced me and we were off. The students got involved right away, and they were AWESOME! It was great for me because we laughed a lot, which provided an excellent opportunity for me to deliver some content as well. My main focus today was to get students to thinking about how their choices today affect their future. Not just the big choices but the little choices like, how we choose to interact with teachers and fellow students on a day to day basis. We also talked about the big choices like choosing to stay away from drugs and alcohol etc. Special thanks goes out to Hannah, Brock, and Kirsten for being so willing to jump in and have fun. Also thanks to the student council and all the groups who sponsored the program. It was a great day. To all of you at McCook...feel free to email, or touch base I would love to hear from you! Want to visit a great high school web site? Go to www.mccookbison.org .

1-26-07: Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers: Des Moines, Iowa

I had to switch gears and change hats from middle school students to Iowa Farmers and Ranchers today. Luckily, I had the drive from Kansas City to Desmoines, Iowa to make the shift. I "blogged" about Young Farmers and Ranchers earlier this month when I spoke at the Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference in Nebraska. I got to be in Iowa speaking at this conference because of a referral from Cathy Day in Nebraska when I spoke at her YF&R conference last year. Iowa YF&R has a similar purpose to the Nebraska YF&R in that its purpose is to provide leadership opportunities to Young Farmers and Ranchers who range in age from 18-35. By doing so they give them tools to lead and become a voice for their organization. They also educate YF&R members about needs that are specific to their industry. Many of those needs are how to handle running a business, while working at another job, while raising children at the same time. The benefits of being a Farm Bureau Member (as I am) far out weigh the cost because Farm Bureau is a business that is based upon serving its' members. At this program I got to deliver the evening keynote, and then I stayed around and did a workshop on effective communication the next morning. Both programs were fun to deliver and as always I met some great people as well as learned some stuff a long the way. A special thanks to Melissa Brooks, the Leadership Programs Coordinator at The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation for working so hard and putting a great conference together. Make sure you visit the Iowa Farm Bureau site at www.iowafarmbureau.com .

1-26-07: Westridge Middle School: Overland Park, Kansas

It was Diversity Day at Westridge Middle School in Overland Park, and I got to be a part of the celebration! During the day students get to hear speakers, and take part in activities that dealt with appreciating and understanding differences. I got to deliver an assembly to about 500 7th graders, and then 500 8th graders. In my program I focused on making the most of your education, learning to work with others, and taking responsibility for you own direction. This program  came to me by way of Mary Beth Peterson who is a counselor at Westridge Middle School. Mrs. Peterson had attended a conference earlier this year that was sponsored by The Johnson County STOP Underage Drinking Project. Her thought was that it would be a great idea for all of the students at her school to hear The YOGOWYPI Message. She called and I happened to be coming through on that day so it all worked out great. Westridge Middle School is a large school that does a great job of working with its middle school population. It is always interesting for me to walk into a school, and since the quality of my assemblies is always dependent upon the environment in which they are held I am always hyper-sensitive to the surroundings. Many times, if the assembly is in the morning I am usually one of the first people in the building, so I always ask the question: "Is it a clean environment for the students." When I  meet teachers as I am walking down the hallways, I then start to notice, "Am I greeted with a pleasant 'unforced' greeting, and are these teachers curious about  the presence of an unfamiliar face." The last thing I always look to is am I greeted by the principal, I look for the latter especially in the case where the principal was not my contact in the building. In this case I got a resounding yes to all three! Westridge is an environment that handles tons of kids, yet in the morning before school started the building was looking great. Teachers who passed me in the hall either greeted me, inquired about my presence in a respectful way or were looking for ways to assist me. Lastly, as busy as her day was the principal, Janice Jackson, made it a point to get to me before I started my program. I don't think you need to ask how the program went. It was great, the students were respectful, energetic and ready to go! Thanks Mary Beth Peterson for all you hard work in making this day happen! To learn more about Westridge Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas go to: www.smsd.org/schools/westridge/
 

1-25-07: Kansas Department of Corrections: Topeka, Kansas

I am sure a lot of "stereotypes" come to mind when you think of working with a State Agency like the Department of Corrections and let me assure you that you could not be further from the truth if you are living by assumptions and "stereotypes". Today, I got an education about what is really going on in our state regarding corrections. I met with a group 150+ that were directors, parole officers, and some former corrections officers, who rocked my world when it came to "jumping to conclusions". I met a group of people who are working diligently to work themselves out of a job, and are very optimistic about the results that they will produce. Understand, the role of a parole officer is not an easy one, yet they are introducing innovative strategies that are designed to keep repeat offenders out of jail and their results are promising. Today, I got to work with the change agents who stand to make the biggest difference in our state in terms of prison population and making our state a safer place to live. Our day opened with Department of Corrections Secretary Roger Werholz who talked about Leadership and how the rest of the nation is watching what Kansas is doing because we are making an impact. He also talked about change and risk as well as strategies to maximize our opportunities. I got to follow-up and reinforce. We jumped right into "The YOGOWYPI Factor" curriculum and did some interactive activities that dealt with communication, change and getting involved. Their participation level was amazing. I would describe them as a serious audience who was willing to laugh and learn. We had fun, yet we got down to business. In a short period of time I was able to roll through some important content and strategies that they could use to affect their population. I could go on and on, but just know it was a memorable day, that changed my perspective on the "Business of Corrections". A special thanks goes out to Kristi Drewel who set up the event. Kristi actually attended some of my programs back when she was in grade school (now I feel old) and has gone on to do some great things. First with the DFYIT (Drug Free Youth) when she was working with the Juvenile Justice program in Barton County and now working with the Kansas Department of Corrections. Kristi, you are a true professional with wisdom beyond your years! To learn more about the Kansas Department of Corrections go to www.dc.state.ks.us be sure and click on the "newsletters" section to get up to date information about policies and changes by Secretary Werholtz.

1-24-07: Riley County Middle School: Riley, Kansas

I was fortunate to get the opportunity to work with a great group of middle school students in Riley, Kansas today. Riley is a small school just north of Junction City, Kansas. I got to be there because of Tony Ballard who had seen me at another school several years ago and recommended the program to Principal Teresa Grant. We had about 200+ 5th - 8th graders who came in with a lot of energy but were very eager to get involved, laugh and participate while "getting the message". I enjoyed the students and met some faculty who in a short period of time noticed that their job was a mission not just a J.O.B. It really is a wonderful school that cares about kids! Could not have asked for a better day with middle school students. To learn more about all of the great educational programming that is being done in Riley County, Kansas go to www.usd378.org.

1-20-2007: Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference

Farm Bureau has an amazing network of Young Farmers and Ranchers all across the country. Each year on the state level these organizations host conferences to support young farmers and ranchers (you must be 18-25 years of age and in an agriculture related business to belong) in creating a network, leadership opportunities and giving them information about how they can be the "voice" of agri-business. This year I was asked back to Nebraska to give the keynote presentation. I arrived in Columbus Nebraska late the night before the conference and was greeted by a group of conference participants who had attended last years conference. I was so pleased to see that they were sitting talking about their business, and was excited to hear their comments about how their businesses had expanded since last years conference. The next day I delivered the keynote, and got to sit in on a session that dealt with the future on Nebraska Agriculture. I could sum up their thoughts in a word...Optimistic! For me it is so great that we live in a time where there is so much optimism for those in agriculture related fields. It is such a welcome change from the "lean years". Nebraska is putting more effort into agriculture, and the result are paying off. Alternative fuel sources like ethanol has led to increased prices for grain, and that has put farmers in the drivers seat for the first time. Also, farmers and ranchers are becoming more efficient in their business by stream lining their operations and diversifying their opportunities at the same time. It was an educational conference to say the least and I would like to thank Cathy Day for putting on such a great conference. It was also good to see a good friend of mine from Kansas Farm Bureau www.kfb.org who was there educating Nebraskans about "Beef Verification Solutions" I could go into a long history of this but it is basically an electronic tagging system that will save ranchers time, money and energy. To learn more about this break through solution go to www.agsolusa.com/bvs/ . Thanks to all the Nebraskans for making my day a great day and to learn more about the Nebraska Young Farmers and Ranchers organization go to: www.nefb.org/yfr/

12 -22-06 Touchstone Energy Leadership Summit, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Got to end my year right with a dose of Rhett Laubach and Kelly Barnes, www.yournextspeaker.com . It was a great day as the three of us got to spend the day with a group of leaders from across the state of Oklahoma at the Touchstone Leadership Conference. The curriculum of this program consisted of Rhett's Personal Leadership Insight Curriculum, and Kelly, Rhett and I each took a "Chunk" of the curriculum and ran with it then rotated. It was fun to watch Rhett and Kelly at their best and I was impressed with their level of ownership and expertise. They both bring a great sense of professionalism and passion to the profession that created a desire with in me to be at my best. The group was small and that made the day even more fun and unique. Thanks to the folks at Touchstone and to Rhett and Kelly for making my day great. See ya next year!

12-16,17-06 - Oklahoma FFA: Advanced Leadership Conference, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Two days with Oklahoma FFA Members and Phil Boyte www.philboyte.com . That is what I call a great weekend. Each year Oklahoma FFA does an Advanced Leadership Development program for its' members. Phil and I get to do the program every other year, and in the in between years that is done by Craig Hillier, www.craighillier.com and Patrick Grady www.patricktgrady.com  . Phil and I designed a fun, yet full of content program for the ALD members, and it is always fun to watch Phil working with students. His approach is fun, yet impactful. We started in the afternoon of the first day, did a keynote and then broke up into two sessions. The second day had a similar format. It was fun to visit and interact with the students and especially enjoyed the input by half of the Oklahoma State Officer team who acted as support for the event. Oklahoma State Officers are the demonstration of respect and professionalism. Thanks team, for hosting such an awesome event. Also a special thank-you goes out to Mr. Murray and Rose for handling all of the details for the event.

December 13-06 - Nebraska Ag Classic in Kearney Nebraska

I had a great evening keynoting a program for the Nebraska Ag Classic in Kearny, Nebraska. In this audience were influential business people from all over Nebraska who have taken on the mission of furthering agricultural opportunities for Nebraskans. My message for them was short and too the point. Maximize your opportunities, understand that success and failure go hand in hand, and to make sure you are furthering your mission my mentoring young Nebraskans. No meeting in Nebraska would be complete without the presence of coaching legend Tom Osborne. Yes, he was there and I got to share the stage with him for a moment. A thrill for me, but made better by hearing his words and passion for Nebraska's Future. It was a great time!

11-29,30-06 - Des Moines, Iowa, Jostens Leadership Conference

Every three years I get a call from Tim Robson to do the Jostens Leadership Conferences for Des Moines area schools. At this program we have about 500 students per day and its purpose is to serve the area students by giving them some leadership skills to take back to their schools. We go from 9-2 each day, the audience is big, the room is great and the people are are always great. We get top notch students and advisors who come ready to participate and maximize the day. Because the students were so great we got to roll through a ton of curriculum in a very fun and entertaining environment. I was also treated with a special event on the night in between programs. Tim and I got to attend the University of Northern Iowa-Iowa State University Basketball Game. It was a treat, and thanks Tim!

11-28-06 - Dunlap, Woodbine Iowa - Get a Grip All School Assemblies

This was a great day put together by Laurinda Smith from Iowa State Department of Public Safety. We started off the day in Woodbine, and I was greeted by some of my Get a Grip students who had attended the summer conference. We got to do an all school assembly and went off great then we went over to Dunlap for another assembly. Again the focus of the assembly was responsibility, choices and making the most out of your high school experiences. At both assemblies I told a story about a friend of my daughter Clint Flegler who died my daughters freshman year. This story is about the kind of person Clint was and how he lived his life to inspire rather than to intimidate. By coincidence I had his cousins in both audiences. Another reminder of what a small world we live in.

11-17,18-06 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin FBLA Fall Leadership Conference

After I finished up in Iowa I headed up to Wisconsin to speak at my third and final FBLA Leadership Conference. This is the same type of event that I did the previous two weekends in Denver, Colorado and East Brunswick, New Jersey. I got to end these on a high note as the students were totally fired up and that made my job very easy. It was a fun time and I got to hang out and chat with some FBLA students afterwards and that really made the whole event worthwhile. The next morning I got to speak at a couple of large group breakout sessions and then to cap off a great weekend I got to have lunch with two of my favorite professional speakers Ed Gerety www.edgerety.com and Patty Hendrickson www.pattyhendrickson.com . It was a lot of fun to hang out and talk business! Then I was on a plane home ready for some well deserved rest and relaxation with the family!

11-16,17-06 - Goose Lake, Bellevue, Iowa

Laurinda lined up another great day of Get-A-Grip regional programs for us today. Get a Grip is a mission that is kept alive by participants who attend the summer intensives, and by Laurinda, and Lisa who work for the Iowa State University Department of Public Safety. Their mission is simple to support teens in making good safe choices. Some of our programming deals with traffic safety issues and some of our programming deals with respect, accountability, community and choices. The strategies we use to meet our mission really revolves around two types of leadership programs. One is the summer intensive that we do on campus at Iowa State University. We have been doing these since 1991, and I have been involved since 1992. The other strategy is by going into schools and doing either a regional meeting or by doing all school assemblies. That is what we were doing this month in Clinton, Goose Lake and Bellevue. Don't just think we are "talking at" students...naturally that is not our style we use activity driven messages that bring forth thinking, leadership and positive action within their communities. This was our second trip to Goose Lake and this time we got to work with an entire class. In this session we focused on class development so that students would understand how their role as a class member affects the entire school environment. When we went to Bellevue, we first went to Marquette High School and did two programs one for freshman and sophomores and the other for juniors and seniors. The next day I went to Bellevue High School and we did some  leadership programming for the high school. If you would like more information on what Get a Grip is all about please visit www.dps.iastate.edu/getagrip while you are there be sure and check out the college programming which is another area of leadership we have taken on to support college students in transition!

11-15-06: Clinton, Iowa Clinton High School

Laurinda Smith from Iowa State Department of Public Safety put together an Iowa tour for Mid-November that began with a morning at Clinton High School. It was a great morning that involved students from Clinton, and surrounding schools. Brian Galusha, teacher in the Clinton High School alternative education program, we there, and brought his students along. I was so amazed at their level of participation and with Brians dedication to make a difference in the lives of teens. Great Morning. Afterwards, Laurinda and I headed over to the Catholic High School in Clinton where we did an extended assembly about leadership, choices and accountability. Of course we laughed a lot and had a great afternoon as well. As I reflect back on the day, both programs I believe the way we had the most impact was giving the students an opportunity to think about their choices through humor and participation in the program. I  had several students approach me afterwards and we discussed how they are going to use the tools to make a difference in their lives and they also talked about how some of their past choices have not been serving them.

11-11-06: FBLA/PBL Fall Leadership Conference: East Brunswick, New Jersey

As soon as I finished in Nebraska I drove home and caught a little bit of "home time" before I headed off to catch a flight for New Jersey the next morning. This was the second of three Fall Leadership Conferences and at this on I got to do the closing for the conference rather than the opening like I had done in Denver. The students from the East Coast were every bit as excited as the students from the West. I only had about 30 minutes with them so I had to move fast! The program went well and thanks again to Cybis for handling all the av needs. They do a great job! www.thinkcybis.com . Also special thanks to the National Officers in attendance they did a great job as well. They all spoke so well from the platform and were very professional in their delivery. It was also great to see Ted Harsberger, PBL Advisor from Nebraska, always great to see you Ted and I wish you the best!

11-10-06: Nebraska State Student Council Conference: McCook, Nebraska

Each year Nebraska hosts a student council conference and they alternate from East to West. The conference is always well attended and this year we had about 1000 student council members from all across the state. It was a fun conference and it was great to get to speak to students who have the capacity to make such a huge difference in their schools. I was fortunate to get to do two sessions in which I had the opportunity to speak to all the conference attendees. This was a fantastic audience who came in prepared to learn and be involved. They had tremendous energy! If you would like to learn more about the Nebraska Student Council go to www.nasc.org . Special thanks goes out to my student contact Brett Burton who handled all the booking and preparation for the program. Great job Brett you were very professional to work with and best of luck next year as you take on the next challenge in your life!

Bills Blog 11-7-06:  DYFYIT: Drug Free Youth In Town: Great Bend, Kansas

I spent the morning with 300 very excited teens from Great Bend, Chase, Ellinwood, Sterling and Lyons Kansas at the annual DFYIT conference. It was a good morning and my time with them was very brief. We got them started for a day of activities and education as they worked toward strategies that can support them in making good choices as they move through their teen years. This is an awesome group of teens who agree to staying substance free and make good choices. Thanks to some great leadership and support over the years the group has grown, and the program has flourished. It is exciting to see so many teens involved in this program. Many of them have participated in the Kansas Red Ribbon and SADD Trainings as well as the Kansas Youth Leadership summit. Great job Robin Wetig in pulling all of this together so quickly. She has recently taken over the helm as the coordinator and I know that she will do a great job!

Bills Blog 11-7-06: Kansas Centers for Assisted Living Conference: Topeka, Kansas

After I had finished in Great Bend I headed to Topeka to do the closing for the KCAL conference in Topeka. KCAL is a mission centered organization that is focused on providing quality of life for seniors who reside in assisted living facilities. Their mission is not simply to create a place to live but to do that in a way that empowers and nurtures their clients. I had a great time working with this very heart driven organization. It was apparent to me from the beginning that this is a group of people who are passionate about making life better for others. My time with them centered around service and the importance of "doing the work" for the right reasons. We laughed and moved through material and our time together was short and went by quickly. This program was made possible by Cindy Luxem who is the CEO and President of the Kansas Health Care Association. Cindy and I go way back to Barton County Community College where we worked together back in the early 1990's. It was great to see her and was also great to see that she has put her passion into something that makes such a huge difference across the state of Kansas. To learn more about KCAL and their mission go to www.khca.org .

Bills Blog 11-3-06: FBLA/PBL Fall Leadership Conference, Denver Colorado

FBLA/PBL is a national organization that promotes business education and leadership for high school and college students. Students who belong compete in business events, gain leadership skills and get a chance to network with students all across the nation. Tonight was the opening for the first of four fall leadership conferences that will take place in Colorado, Florida, New Jersey and Wisconsin. I get the opportunity to speak at three of the four events. This evening we had students from California, Nevada, Washington, Coloradto, Texas, Missouri, Wyoming, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Kansas. It was wonderful to see some familiar faces from Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska. Bev Newton the state advisor from Nebraska was in attendance and it was great to see her and her team. She does a great job with her students and embodies the professionalism of FBLA. Special thanks to Robert Smothers for putting together a great conference and to the  folks at Cybis who handled all of the AV for the conference. If you would like Cybis to handle your next event go to www.thinkcybis.com. They will handle all your AV needs and do it with professionalism! To learn more about FBLA/PBL go to www.fbla.org

Bills Blog - 11-2-06 - Marshall, Illinois, All School Assembly, Leadership Day

Barb Gard and all of the community supporters did a great job in putting together an outstanding day of leadership. I was in Marshall Illinois a small community on the Eastern side of Illinois. We started off the day with an all school assembly with about 450 high school students. The energy in the room was outstanding. Great assembly. Thanks Dan for setting up a great sound system! The sound in the gym was amazing! Special thanks to Principal Farr for trusting the process and for allowing me to speak to his students. Following the leadership day, about 50+ students and about 30+ adults got together for a program designed to support teens and adults to develop better working relationships. What we did was a cross-generational program that supported relationship building and understanding. It was so cool to see the two age groups working together, laughing and being involved in the programming. We had a lot of great support from community business leaders, and I really appreciated their input and participation in the program. Thanks again Barb for making the initial contact that led to two great days in Illinois!

Bills Blog - 11-1-06 - Paris, Illinois, Youth Leadership Program

Got into Terre Haute Indiana late on Tuesday evening, and met up with Bernie Mcgee, www.berniemcgee.com for a little bit of dinner and we mapped out a game plan for the next two days. We were in Paris Illinois early on Wednesday morning where we had about 75 students and adults from three different Illinois High Schools. Our purpose was to provide some leadership skills, and create individualized action plans for each of the communities in attendance. By the end of the day each school had an individualized SMART Plan of Action for their community. For those of you who are not aware of my "Programming Philosophy" I believe this would be an excellent time to discuss it since my philosophy is a lot more spoken on action planning days. "Lead Yourself then Lead Others" My philosophy is simple to use humor, activities and information to involve students in having some personal success while attending various programs. As a result of small personal success students will apply that wisdom into creating team or group leadership success. So during an action planning day we roll our personal successes into a desire to create a community action plan that will have a positive action in their community. Each of the three schools in attendance worked together in analyzing their communities and finding a place in which their group could make a difference.  Paris created a community action plan that focused on doing a series of four different programs at each of the three middle schools in their community. Their plan create and deliver a curriculum on alcohol abuse, drug abuse, peer pressure, and an informative meeting to support middle school students in being involved in their group once the reach high school. Shiloh is developing a program to support their Big Brother, Big Sister Program and Kansas High School is developing an action plan to provide some educational opportunities for students in their school. Another unique part of the day was getting to meet students from Kansas High School in Illinois. Bernie and I even went to Kansas, saw the school and took some pics. It was great to be in Kansas! I also found out that every January 29th every year they celebrate Kansas Day in Kansas Illinois! How cool is that! Great day...special thanks to all the advisors and adults who made this day possible. Thanks Kristin Chittick who was so much fun to work with and is doing great things to have an impact and save lives in her community!

Bills Blog 10.30.06-Chase County High School-Cottonwood Falls Kansas

It was a great, fun, but very short assembly all school assembly at Chase County High School in Cottonwood Falls Kansas. It was a great experience because I had so many students in the program who had been to previous programs either through the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit, Red Ribbon Training, SADD Leadership Training or the California Youth to Youth session I had done last summer. What made the program really great was the fact that Mr, and Mrs. Scott have such an extreme passion for making a difference within their community. For them "Making a Difference" is not just a phrase or a nice idea but it is a way of living for them. Their whole life is surrounded by ways that they can support youth in making better choices. Together they attend many conferences, write grants, get involved in youth initiatives on the local, state and national level and all of this is head-quartered at what they call the "Technology Center" which I really what I call "Support Teens Central". It is essentially a building that has a lot of computers, kitchen and music practice room, but really gives teens a place to gather, develop relationships, do homework, get support and make good choices. It is obvious that they serve their community in a huge way. It was a fun assembly, and a great time getting to see some old friends. Special thanks to Mr. Elliott, the Principal at Chase County High School and all the youth who are involved in youth programs in Cottonwood Falls.

Bills Blog 10.23.06 - Solomon High School - All School Assembly/ Abilene High School - All School Assembly

First of all let me begin this blog by saying I know I am behind on responding to the many emails that I have received from so many of you over the past few weeks!  Responding to every email is very important to me, so if you have not received anything back from me as of yet...be patient as you can see my fall schedule is very busy, and I am catching up! Today was another great day in the world of all school assemblies! I arrived at Solomon High School in Solomon Kansas, http://www.solomon393.k12.ks.us/ at about 9am this morning for a 10am assembly. I got to meet Mr. Warkentine the principal and counselor Mr. Phillips. They are both outstanding individuals and Solomon is fortunate to have them. Thanks Mr. Warkentine for trusting me, I am so pleased that everything turned out so well. The students at Solomon were great, and we had a great time together weaving in the Red Ribbon theme into their school climate. Our time together went quickly and I was so happy to get to touch base with so many students after the program. This was my first time speaking in Solomon and I enjoyed my time there. My challenge to you is to continue to apply the YOGOWYPI message and hoping that we can get some of you to the KFP meetings we have in Salina this spring. Just go to www.kfp.org for details and you can continue to reach more people during your Red Ribbon Week! After finishing up at Solomon I hustled over to Abilene, Kansas http://www.usd435.k12.ks.us/ where I spoke to about 500+ high school students. I was greeted by Mckenzie, Jeff, Sam, and Carissa. These were four students who actually attended the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit in Rock Springs this past August. They had made it part of their Community Action Plan to bring a speaker to their school and I was happy to get the call because we had a great 90 minute assembly. Thanks Dr. Ford for the open end on the back side of the assembly that allowed me to cover more content and give a more detailed message. We had a great time. Had some great laughers, and they really appreciated the humor of the program which makes it so easy for me to cover more information. It was a lot of fun! Please feel free to forward any comments to bill@billcordes.com I would love to hear from you. To my students who attended KYLS...Keep going on that action plan, there is always more work to be done and I feel you are off to a great start!

Bills Blog 10.22.06 - Perry Lecompton High School - All School Assembly

Today is the first day of Red Ribbon week! To find out more about the history of Red Ribbon Week go to: http://www.dea.gov/ongoing/redribbon_history.html  Red Ribbon Week is always such a fun week in my business because I usually get to do a lot of assemblies. Many of you may remember from previous blogs that I do quite a bit with Red Ribbon Week in the state of Kansas. Todays program came to me as a result of some of the Red Ribbon Week Training I have done with Kansas Family Partnership, www.kfp.org and the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit. As time goes by I just love doing the all school assembly more and more. There is just something very special about talking to an entire student body. I love getting to speak to the entire cross section of students, and I love the challenge of getting everyone on the same page so we can laugh and learn together. When the setting is right, and the students come in ready to go...there really is nothing better. Today was just really one of those super-fun all school assemblies in which everything went great. We got started at about 9:20 this morning and went until 10:45. The students at PHS were great and they have some great leadership at the school. They have a new Principal JB Elliott someone I knew from when he was at Hoisington High School, and he is blessed to have such a great bunch of students! The participation was high and we just kept building on it as we went through the program. Following the High School assembly I got to spend about an hour with the 5th through 8th graders at the same location. In that assembly we shifted the focus a little but still talked about making good choices but in an entirely different way. The students were great and it was a fun assembly as well. Special thanks to Susie Whittaker, and Beth for putting all of this together! I hope you have a great week and that your mission continues at PLHS and Middle School. If you would like to know more about Perry-Lecompton High School please visit their site at www.343.net .

Bills Blog 10.21.06 - Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel - Chicago, Illinois

As soon as I finished the Student Council Program in Weston Missouri I drove down the road just a bit to the Kansas City Airport and hopped a plane for Chicago so that I could speak at the MAEOPP conference. I did four programs on Saturday, and it was a very full and eventful day. MAEOPP may not sound familiar to you, so I will elaborate. There were two conferences going on at the same time. One was for college students and the other was for high school students. The college students attending the conference are first generation college students who are working toward completing their degree. Many of the students either work in student support services or are participating in programs designed to support students in completing their college education. The program is a phenomenal program because it empowers students to achieve the goal of becoming a college graduate. The pre-college program is the same thing for college students and its purpose is to educate and inform pre-college students about how to get into college and how to succeed once they get there. These are some of the most career minded students who understand the value of an education. You may have heard of "Upward Bound" or the "Trio" programs. This is the conference that supports those programs in becoming successful on the high school and college levels. To learn more about this program go to their web site and they can explain it better than I can. http://www.maeopp.org/ or simply google "maeopp" My first stop on Saturday morning was a breakout students with about 80 college students and advisors, I then did the luncheon keynote for about 300 conference attendees. It was so much fun but it is also serious business and these students mean business so I made sure I gave them plenty of skills to support them in having success. My next stop was a breakout for the pre-college conference and in this workshop we focused on supporting their success through developing networking skills. Later that evening I spoke at the evening dinner banquet for the pre-college students. There were about 800+ students and advisors present at this session and their energy was "over the top". I love this organization and all they stand for and it was so cool to meet success minded students at both conferences. I met students and advisors from Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Missouri. All in all it was a very busy day. I owe such a debt of gratitude to Rebecca Dukstien from the University of Kansas, and Renae Hampton for putting all of this together. Also this would not have been possible without the referral from my friend Jan Madlock who I met while she was an assistant coach for the University of Kansas volleyball team. Thanks Jan for bridging a connection! 

Bills Blog 10.20.06 - Northwest District Student Council Conference - Weston Missouri

I had about 1100 Missouri student council students today at the Missouri Northwest District student council meeting in Weston Missouri today. When I arrived at West Platte High School at about 8:15 in the morning the students were already cranked up and ready to go. The gym floor was filled with student council representatives from many different schools, and they were doing cheers, dancing and showing their school pride. It is so much fun working with students who arrive ready to go and ready to receive a message. This was certainly the case with these students. By the time I was introduced at 9:15 the stage was set for me to deliver my message. We focused mainly on the difference they can make in their schools by leading by example, we touched on personal responsibility and making sure they used their influence to positively affect their school when they return. It was a great audience, and I was happy to be a part of it! Special thanks to Ben and Alana for chairing the event and thanks to Student Council Advisor Jacque Coleman for putting the event together and handling so many of the necessary details to put on an event as large as this one!

Bills Blog 10.19.06- Fort Dodge, Iowa Community Action Network

I really switched gears today! After I finished up in Great Bend, Kansas I drove all the way up to Fort Dodge, Iowa to speak at the Middle School and the 5th and 6th grade building. This program was unique because it was sponsored by "Fort Dodge on the Move" a Community Action Network put together to keep the citizens of Fort Dodge Healthy. It was unique for me because I was faced with the challenge of speaking about a topic slightly different from my normal area of programming. The area of focus of this programming was really two fold, to support students in developing healthy lifestyles through eating right and staying active. It was really an easy fit for me and I was so pleased with the level of involvement from the students. I got to work with Fort Dodge Middle School students as well as the students from St. Edwards Catholic school for 90 minutes and the Fort Dodge 5th and 6th graders plus the same grades from St. Edwards for an hour. Stay Active Fort Dodge, set those smart goals and keep moving and eating right. A very special thanks goes out to Pamela Bunte, and the staff with Character Counts for being such great hosts and for working with me in putting all of this together! It was a fun adventure and looking forward to working with you in the future. Also, my job was made a lot easier today because of the participation from the high school Youth In Action Team. You are great role models for the residence of Fort Dodge, and your involvement makes a huge difference in your community!

Bills Blog 10.18.06 - Kansas Association of District Court Clerks and Court Administrators

October has been filled with a huge diversity of audiences for me, and I have really enjoyed speaking to such a huge diversity of audiences. It really keeps me hopping and brings a lot of new ideas into my programs. Wednesday was certainly like that for me with KADCCCA! This was especially fun for me because I got to speak just two minutes from my house at the Great Bend Convention Center. Speaking there is always like coming home for me because I know the staff there so well and Iris and Becky always do a great job of keeping everything organized and going. So if you are looking for a great place and great facilities to host a conference please consider Great Bend! Anyway...this audience is a group of hard working individuals that keep our court houses and courts running smoothly. We owe a great debt of gratitude to these individuals because they do tough work that brings justice to our communities! Right out of the gate we started having fun and getting down to the business of effective communication. We discussed strategies for effective organization, leadership and communication. We had fun doing some activities and drawing forth some discussions about how to be more effective when working with other employees. Special thanks to all of you who keep our courts running, and thank-you for your diligence to your profession. Also special thanks to Jane Hrabik and her staff. It was a great conference!

Bills Blog 10.16.06 Union High School - Leadership Retreat - Camp Dry Gulch near Tulsa, Oklahoma

Wow! Wow!! WOW!!! Is all I can say about my two days at Camp Dry Gulch near Tulsa where 200 leadership students, administrators and advisors attended the leadership retreat. If you have ever wondered about the fate of America's education system then you have never been to Union High School near Tulsa Oklahoma. Union High School is a school that prides itself in being rich in tradition, and takes leadership on their campus very seriously. I was so amazed by so many things I saw this past weekend I hardly know where to start. Our retreat was held at Camp Dry Gulch (a facility owned and operated by the very progressive "Church on the Move" in Tulsa). The facilities were first class, but then Union High School only exposes their students to first class opportunities. The leadership retreat is headed up by Denise Vanaidas, Assistant Principal, Student Council Advisor, Leadership Educator and Mom to 100's of students all of which you can tell she loves, and has extremely high expectations for each student who walks through her door. Another amazing thing about the weekend was the fact that there was tons of participation at the event by Union High School Faculty and staff and administrators. Principal Dave Stauffer who is an incredibly busy man attended 100% of the retreat. He sat with students, talked with them participated in activities and you could tell that being the principal of Union is more than just a job but it is his passion to make a difference in the lives of his students. Union High School is unique in that it is an incredibly large school. So large in fact that they have a campus for the Freshman-Sophomores called the Intermediate High School (called I High) and another campus for the Jrs and Srs. It is such a privilege to attend the conference that students in years past actually "camped out" so they could be involved. This year however they made the change of selecting via a lottery system because of concern for the students. Students arrived at Camp Dry Gulch at about 10:30am on Saturday, and we did some outside activities and then moved inside where we proceeded to get into the Leadership Curriculum that I had written just for this event. Our main focus was personal leadership and servant leadership, and the premise of the weekend was that they must be whole personally before they can serve others. So our purpose over the weekend was to give them lots of personal victories, get them clear on where they were headed on their leadership path so when they go back to Union they can reach out and serve others. I got to do about 7 hours of programming with them on the first day, that ended with a tons of mini-breakthroughs for the participants. Following the final evening session the students headed out to a camp-fire where the seniors got to stand before the fire and "Pass the Torch" of leadership. It was powerful to hear the students talk about the importance of leadership, give advice and encourage the next generation to keep the legacy alive. The next morning students arrived, tired but energetic! Even though they had been up late the night before you could not tell it. They arrived in the course room ready to go. We stepped back into the leadership curriculum, and then after that we had an inspirational service led by the students. The singing, praise and music was peaceful and inspirational and I enjoyed that time tremendously. Brooklyn Scheer (who is the daughter of GUTS Church pastor Bill Scheer) then gave an inspirational talk about confidence and in her message she shared a profound concept: "When faced with adversity we will not rise to the level of our expectation but will fall to the level of our training." I have thought about it a lot since then and realized she was right on. We must train, all the time, be diligent in out faith and beliefs always so that when the moment arises we will have the "Word" or our training to fall back on. It was a great service! We then finished up the program with our final break-through event. It was powerful and emotional and I hated to see our time together come to an end. Thank you Mrs. V and the entire staff who attended the retreat. I was humbled by your level of service and your desire to make an impact on your students. You are the true demonstration of servant leadership!

Bills Blog 10.13.06 - FCCLA Leadership Conference, Hiawatha Kansas

Friday the 13th was a lucky day for me because I got to spend it with in Kansas at the Regional FCCLA conference in Hiawatha Kansas. In attendance we had students from all over North East Kansas who came to celebrate, learn and take part in an incredible organization. Special thanks to Rick Johnson the principal at Hiawatha who was a gracious host and allowed FCCLA the use of the facilities for the day. For those of you who don't know FCCLA stands for Family Career Community Leaders of America. Back in the day most of us remember them as FHA or Future Homemakers of America. However, their organization has grown and the tag...FCCLA better describes their vision and the work they do to make a difference in the schools. They were a great audience and we laughed and learned and focused on how they can be leaders in their school. Thanks Diane Frownfelter, the district officers and all the others who worked hard to provide this opportunity. It was also a great day because I got to see my good friend Gary Sorenson from Royal Valley High School (home of the Panthers!). Gary is a seasoned school counselor and educator who has a heart bigger than Kansas and always brightens the room when he enters!

Bills Blog 10.11.06 - Rocky Mountain Association of Student Financial Aid Advisors - Salt Lake City,  Utah

It was a quick trip in and out of Beautiful Salt Lake City where I had the opportunity to address RMASFAA. I have had the opportunity to address Financial Aid Advisors in the past, and I love working with them because they do so much good for so many. Financial Aid Advisors do so much work for so many and they are really the backbone of our post-secondary education system in America. They do the work so the students can have the funds to better themselves through education. They have big hearts and work long hours, always having to learn new laws and procedures so students can get their money. They also have big hearts and most of them are in the business of making a difference for the right reasons. They want to help others make a life for themselves. However, when you are so often 'Bogged' down in details it is hard to see the big picture. I view my role with them as someone who can remind them of the difference they make in education, because without financial aid I would have been one of the many who did not have a chance to get an education. Thanks to all the financial aid advisors who work tirelessly day in and day out. A special thanks goes out to all of you who attended and thanks for being such a great audience! Thanks also goes out to Christi Easton and the numerous conference planners that made it a great program. Also it is worth mentioning that the conference raised over $5000 and donated it to the "Make a Wish" foundation. One more piece of evidence that their hearts are in the right place. Thanks also to Wendy Clark for being a great host and getting us to and from the airport!

Bills Blog 10.10.06 - Minnesota Student Council and National Honor Society Advisors

I just returned from Minnesota where I had a great time working with Student Council and National Honor Society Advisors. It really was a fun morning and it was fun to switch gears and work with an adult group. My life has been so students centered as of late I almost forgot what it was like to speak to adults. People always ask, "Which group do you prefer, teachers, students, or is it businesses." My answer is always, "The group I am working with today!" Because that is how I really feel. I love the challenge of what the day is going to bring and it is always really fun when I get to switch gears. I was speaking to a group of very "Seasoned Professionals" yesterday. Some had been advisors and teachers for 25+ years or more. So needless to say I was humbled by the amount of experience I was surrounded by, and I was also encouraged. I was encouraged to see seasoned professionals who are still there with a smile on their face and love in their hearts because they have an honest desire to help students be better and to improve their programs. I was encouraged by their willingness to get involved and to look for new ideas even after they have most likely seen every idea in the book. I was encouraged by their willingness to get out and build their network. Minnesota really has a great group of advisors and they are doing a lot of things right "up north". It was a great day also because Ann Postalwaite did a great job of setting everything up. She had contacted my good friend Craig Hillier www.craighillier.com a few weeks ago looking to fill the date and Craig was busy, so I got the call. Thank-you Craig. It was great for us because we got to hang a bit the night before, have a bite to eat and talk a little. It is funny we talk nearly every day of our lives, but when we get together we still have a lot to say. Any way thanks Craig for making all of this happen for us it was a great morning!

Bills Blog 10.03.06 Wyoming State FBLA

I was picked up at the Casper Airport by Luke, the FBLA State President and Mrs. Christenson and we had a quick ride back to the hotel and got to talk about Wyoming FBLA and the group I would be working with in the morning. Luke is a great student and a very pleasant young man to be a round. It was great getting to meet him. I got to the room I was speaking in early the next morning, did a sound check and the room filled up with FBLA students from all over the state and we began at around 9:00am. It was a lively group and time flew by and before you knew we were finished. I got to do two more workshops while I was there and it was all in all a great event because FBLA is a great organization that really supports students in creating a successful life in business. If you would like more information about FBLA and all of the great things FBLA does go to www.fbla.org to get the full scoop. Special thanks to Kathleen Humphrey who was a wonderful host and has an incredible commitment to making a difference with teens!

Bills Blog 9.27.06 - DW Poppy High School and Langley Fundamental Middle/Secondary School, British Columbia, Canada

Today has been a busy day, and both assemblies were great! I made it to DW Poppy at about 7:15 this morning and was pleasantly surprised that the students there were having a "meeting at the pole" this morning. For those of you who don't know about the meeting at the pole it is all about students getting together at the flag pole and praying for the well being of our nation, our schools and our families. Of all the ways to be greeted to a school that is probably one of the best greetings ever! I had to get inside before the meeting ended to set up for the assembly, so I did not get a chance to connect with any of those students until the assembly, but I was so pleased to get to start my day in prayer with a bunch of teens in front of the school. Then we got to do an assembly today at DW and it was a lot of fun. We started at about 8:30 and went all the way until 10:00am and it felt like 30 minutes. The time flew by. Then I had to hussle over to Langley Fundamental, for an 11:00 start time on the assembly. I had a "great moment"  in that I learned this morning that there is a difference between Langley Secondary School and Langley Fundamental Middle and Secondary School. I went to LSS first and discovered that I was in the wrong place...and then had to hurry again to find Langley Fundamental. Thank goodness for GPS and the Hertz "Never Lost" System. I was able to key in the school name and got there just in time to start the assembly...but I left all my gear, microphones, flip charts etc back at Langley Secondary. Huge "Learning Experience" for me...so I had to adjust. Since I got to Langley Fundamental "just in time" a teacher volunteered to go over and get my bag, and I started the program with only a hand-held microphone. About 8 minutes into the assembly my gear showed up, and I was able to set up and talk without a hitch...I don't think the students even noticed because we just kept right on rolling, the students kept laughing and participating...it was a great challenge and I loved how it all worked out in the end. Today it was so cool to talk with the Leadership Students who attended the conference in Burnaby last spring, and it was really cool to get the chance to finally connect face to face with Craig Bressett from Langley. Craig, Karla and I have been emailing a lot since last May trying to pull all of this together. Craig really created the initial push to make all of this happen. Craig is a very cool teacher, and you can tell the students really connect with him. He has a lot of energy and is totally committed to the students. Another committed administrator is Mr. Hrisch at DW Poppy. I can tell he really likes it there at DW and that he really wants to create more leadership opportunities for his students. I have a feeling that I am going to get to see all of my contacts on this trip again, and I hope so because the pleasure was all mine!  It has been a great trip. Sorry to see it end, but I am happy to be headed home. Home...there really is no place like it!

Bills Blog 9.26.06 - Penticton High School, Summerland High School, British Columbia, Canada

Today was another great day in Canada! It all started with an assembly of about 600 9th and tenth graders in Penticton, and they were a great audience, I was introduced by Kyle Harms a student who had attended the Reaching Beyond Seminar last April that was held in Vernon. We proceeded to move through a lot of material and the students were focused and excited about the assembly. The hour went fast, and Sandy Richardson the Vice Principal at Penticton was a great host. It was a great time, thanks Penticton students! Then I traveled down the road and met up with Jane Stead at Summerland Secondary where I had all the ninth and 10th graders at Summerland. It is an amazing auditorium there and it was full of great students. We were on a roll for the entire hour and 45 minutes. It was amazing...we experienced the full range of emotions, laughed, danced, giddyuped, and had a great afternoon. Kelsey, one of the students down front was laughing so hard that I thought we were going to need to get her assistance. It was a great afternoon and I was so pleased to get to talk to a few of the students on my way out of the school who said they had a great afternoon and thanked me for the program. As I reflect back on both assemblies I must say that both audiences today were fantastic, and we did have a challenge at Summerland...we worked through it, and thanks for your patience! I was just so amazed at the level of participation my 99% of the students there, and we were moving forward and if some people choose not to be a part of it...we need to say 'next' and move on. As I look back it was a great day full of great energy, we had lots of laughs that opened the door to hearing some insights that can support you in the future. If any of you have comments or would like to chat or follow-up about today feel free to comment at bill@billcordes.com .

As I was returning to the airport this afternoon I was in awe of the landscape and the beautiful place in which you live. The lake was so beautiful, and the weather was incredible. I have driven some great highways in my life. I have driven the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Kalanianioli in Hawaii, and I can't think of anyplace that compares to the beauty I saw with my eyes today. You live in an amazing place. Now I am off to Vancouver and need to get ready for two more assemblies in the morning. I will be at DW Poppy Secondary and Langley Secondary in the morning. Both schools are in the Vancouver area, and when I have completed there I get to click my heels together and say there is no place like home and back to Kansas. Can't wait to see my family!

Bills Blog 9.25.06 - Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada

I departed on early Sunday morning for Canada, got in to Vancouver at about 10:00am and then flew on up to Fort St. Johns in British Columbia, from there I rented a car and drove to Dawson Creek, BC. It is absolutely beautiful up here, and the weather is great! Dawson Creek is actually known for being to origin point, or Mile marker "0", for the "World Famous Alaska Highway".  I had asked my contact Sally Curtis, so how far is it to Alaska from here. (If you look on the map Dawson Creek is almost even with the bottom part of Alaska)...She said that she was not sure how far it was to the border, but she did know that it was 1500 miles to Fairbanks, Alaska. WOW! We just have no concept of how big everything it is up here. Kansas is the center of the USA. It is 1500 miles from Great Bend to San Francisco, and 1500 miles from Great Bend to New York City! Up here 1500 miles is next door! So I got a chance to drive around Dawson Creek and get familiar with the community. This being only my second time speaking in Canada...everything is just so new and exciting...I just love being up here! Canada is like a whole 'nother country...Oh wait...it is a whole 'nother country. I ate some Canadian food, oh, by the way up here they just call it food! The kids at Central Middle School in Dawson Creek were fantastic. I was invited to Dawson Creek as a result of the Reaching Beyond Leadership Conference I did in BC last spring. Those were put on by Bill Edgecombe and Jim and Marg Elligott. Those conferences were fantastic and we did a tour with four other speakers. It was a fun week. We were in Prince George, BC, Kelowna BC, Nanaimo BC and Vancouver BC. All of the programs were so much fun to do, and all the students were so much fun. So as a result of those programs we have filled three days this month up here and have some possible programs scheduled for later in the year. So back to Dawson Creek. It was so cool to get there, see Sally Curtis again and some of the students who attended the leadership conference. One of the students who attended the leadership conference introduced me this morning. Her name is Katlyn and not only is she a leader but she plays on the football team! How cool is that! She is an outstanding individual and it was great to get to spend sometime with her this morning before the programs began. I did two assemblies there and in both sessions the students were incredibly focused and allowed me to cover a lot of great material in a short period of time. Thanks DC students for being so great! A special thanks goes out to Sally and all the staff, teachers and administrators at the school. As the students were walking in this morning there were a couple of teachers up in the stands coaching the students as they came in...getting them focused and showing them where to sit etc. I appreciated getting to watch them "coach" the students in and being so respectful toward them. They were so great in the way they made the assembly work from the start. Thanks so much. I don't know your names, but you know who you are! One of the teachers even went so far as to bring a student back into the gym after the assembly and re-teach the 'responsibility" piece to him. This student had obviously had a 'great moment' or was living in denial about something he had done wrong and the teacher brought him back in to go over the four thieves of responsibility...(shame, blame, deny and quit) and was asking the student to take a look at his actions! I can't say enough about this wonderful day and getting to know some new Canadians! I am off to Kelowna now, and I will then drive to Penticton High Schol and Summerland High School.  I can't wait to get there...and I am so pleased that my Canadian speaking adventure is off to such a great start!

Bills Blog 9.25.06 - Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

Just arrived into Penticton via Kelowna, and it is getting late, and I know that I am probably "overblogging" on this trip, but everything is going so well and I had a few more thoughts that I wanted to share. As we were flying out