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 of Vancouver, I got a chance to see Vancouver Island from the air and all the islands off of the west coast of BC. The beauty is indescribable, but if you have never been up here you should consider a vacation to this part of the world in the spring, summer of fall. It is really an amazing part of the world! By the time I got into Kelowna it was already dark, but I could see the lake off the side of the road as I drove into Penticton, and the mountains towering above the water, and even though it was dark it was breath taking. I am excited about seeing all of it in the light, it will be a fun drive back to the airport. Looking forward to my two assemblies in the morning. If you check in later on Tuesday the 26h I should have the new blog up already. Thanks to those of you have been reading and keeping track and be patient if I have not emailed you back yet...my schedule has been pretty full!

Bills Blog 9.22.06 - Overland Park, KS

The Johnson County Stop Underage Drinking Project is a first class organization who has the right perspectives when it comes to making a difference in the community. Karen Leisner and Mary Moss head up the project and they are totally committed to reaching area teens. This past Friday I had the opportunity to return to Johnson County and work with them for a second time. This year we did a middle school conference at "Incredi-Bowl" and it was an "Incredible" day! 115 middle school students from Johnson County and Tongonoxie Middle School converged on "Incredi-bowl" at 8am on Friday morning not knowing what they were in for, but ready to get involved and have some fun. We quickly rolled up our sleeves and got to work talking about strategies and ideas they could use to support their peers in making good choices. We finished the day with an "action planning forum" as teens go together with others from their school and talked about S.M.A.R.T. (Specific Measurable, Attainable, Risking, Time Framed) goals they could implement to support others in their school. The average age of first alcohol usage in Johnson County is around 13 years of age, so naturally we are reaching the right audience. It was a fun day with some "incredible" kids. Oh, and they did get to take advantage of some laser tag, bowling and miniature golf for about  45 minutes, but don't let that fool you ... we worked hard and played hard all day long. Thanks for a great day middle schoolers! Also, special thanks to Karen, Mary, Janine, Jason and the other adults who worked hard to make a difference in the lives of teens. Next week I will be blogging from Canada, as I return to British Columbia for some assemblies. To all my Canadian friends, I am excited about returning to your schools! 

Bills Blog 9.19.06 - Goal Update

For those of you that attended one of the many goal setting sessions that I did in Indiana, Kansas and Iowa over the summer you may remember that during your goal setting session I also set a goal to coach my sons football and basketball teams this summer. Well that goal is well under way, and I am excited to report that all is going very well. I have to admit when I stated the goal...I was thinking I would be an assistant coach because there is no way that my schedule would allow the responsibilities of being a head coach. So I put in my name...and I am the coach! It is time consuming and well worth the effort. It is a lot of fun working with the kids and having this activity in common with my son...it is a great bonding experience for all of us. Being in constant pursuit of a goal is an interesting thing, it makes us better on almost every level. That is why it is so important for us to always have something in the future we are working on. It has caused me to maximize my time better, be more focused in how I use my time and also causes me to be more present with people all of the time. I challenge all of you who set goals with me this past summer to go back and look at your community (this includes those of you who are working on a community action plan) and personal goals, and ask yourself some questions. How am I doing on this goal? Have I taken steps to reach the goal or have I made my day to day activities more important than my future? If you would like to report back to me on how you are doing on the goals you set this summer feel free to email me at bill@billcordes.com . I would be happy to hear from you! In the mean time I will be busy working on practice schedules, and getting my team ready to take the field. Wish me luck!

Bills Blog 9.13.06 - Clarion, Iowa

This was my fouth year back to do the League Leadership Conference near Clarion. Each year, Dennis March, the principal at Clarion-Goldfield high school and the other league principals hold a leadership retreat to support students in developing leadership skills. This year, as always we had a great group of students who showed up prepared and ready to get to work. We mixed up the curriculum this year and focused more on learning to deal with failure. In the afternoon we applied those skills by doing the "Chunking and Modeling" program and a ton of students became experts in "juggleology". We then integrated the message by talking about ... If today was not about learning to juggle then what was the message! It was great integration and students really "got" the message of the program. Thanks to all the administrators who work so hard to go above and beyond for their students! The day was also great because my son Shannon got to make this trip as well. All the way back he talked about all of the "high schoolers" he met, and appreciated the fact that they treated him so well. Thanks to all of you for helping us have a great day. When we finished we drove over to LeMars Iowa and had some Blue Bunny Ice Cream. If you have been there. It is a great place to visit.

Bills Blog 9.14.06 - Park Hill High School - Leadership Retreat

It was a long drive from Clarion, Iowa to Kansas City, and Shannon and I were ready to get some rest. We didn't get in until about mid-night, we found the location for the leadership retreat, and then went back to the hotel for some quick-rest. Morning came early and we were at the facility by about 7:30 and at 7:45 the students from Park Hill were already filling in for the beginning of the retreat. These students were awesome to work with. Park Hill High School has about 1700+ students and we got 170 of their best leadership students. From the time they walked in until the time they departed we were busy working on YOGOWYPI, Responsibility, Leadership Skills and lots of team building and networking. The day flew by! Eric Hayes, my web designer, who attends the University of Kansas came over and spent a little time with us as well. Thanks, Eric. A very special thanks to Robert Franks who really went all out in making this a great day. This is the first time they have ever had a day like this so we were all a bit curious about how it all would work out. In my opinion it was an overwhelming success and I would work with these students any day of the week!

Bills Blog 9.08.06 - All School Assembly - Holcomb, KS

I got to spend a great day in Holcomb, Kansas where I spent the day working with the high school students thanks to Mike Perez. For those of you who don't know about Holcomb it is a great growing community just west of Garden City, Kansas. Holcomb has great facilities and is the school system gets a lot of community support. The program that I did was funded by the "Communities that Care" grant. This is the organization that collects data from the schools concerning teen alcohol and drug use. Mike Perez  is young-old friend of mine who attended Lakin High School with me back in the day.  It was very cool to see him interact with the students as the day went on because you could tell he had a lot of connections with many of the students and that he means a lot to them.  We started off the day with an all school assembly and then the students split up into breakout sessions where they attended sessions designed to support the students in making better choices while in high school. The assembly was great and the participation from the students was awesome. The students then went into breakout sessions that were facilitated by community leaders and teachers. We finished up the day by having a short assembly and then Mike and his crew had put together a ton of giveaways that included and ipod as the finally. It was a great day and special thanks to all those who participated and to Principal Bill Biermann for allowing this day to happen.

Bills Blog 9.07.06 - All School Assembly - Atwood, KS

I was at Rawlings County High School in Atwood, Kansas today. I spent the best summer of my young life in Atwood when I was 11 years old. My Dad is a Mechanical Contractor and they got the remodel on the hospital and rather than him driving back and forth all summer, we all moved there for the summer. When I look back on it...it was a magical summer filled with baseball, golf, hunting for golf balls in the streams at the golf course and watching my Dad pitch as a fast pitch softball player for the nearby community of Ludell, Kansas. My Dad was an excellent softball pitcher and that summer he pitched a no-hitter in Bird City, Kansas. Everything about that summer was incredible. Another legendary fast-pitch pitcher was Chuck Folke from Ludell, and the two of them became a tough pair to beat! I got to see Chuck Folkes daughter. Leanne who I had not seen since she was a toddler, and that made the trip very cool. Also spent some time talking with Nancy Wiseapple Kanak who was lived near the lake when I was there and I spent a lot of time hanging out with her brother Billy. Anyway...returning to Atwood was very cool, and there is something very special about the community. The students at the high school were incredible, I have not laughed that hard during an assembly in a long time...and we had several "pin drop" moments that made the program very powerful and inspirational to present. All of this of course was due to an outstanding student body who showed up for the assembly ready to be a part of the message. The Principal at RCHS is Kurt Dillon and he is also a former Ag teacher/FFA advisor, who put in office a run of FFA State Officers as well as a FFA National Officer. In my opinion Ag Teachers always make great administrators, and based upon how I saw his students interact with him through out the day he is a loved and respected man in Atwood. Mr. Dillon had taken the initiative to get in contact with me last school year to set up the date, and I appreciated getting the opportunity. Had a great time talking with some students and faculty afterwards and my thoughts from my childhood were confirmed that there is something very special about Atwood, Kansas and I was glad to spend a great day back in the community. Best of luck to the students of RCHS...Great Job on "owning" your "great moment" Samantha, and my wish for all of the students at RCHS that you always remember that you live in a special place with special people. All of my best to you! To learn more about a great little community go to www.atwoodkansas.com .

Bills Blog 9.6.06 - SADD Leadership Day - Norwich, Kansas

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BERNIE MCGEE! www.berniemcgee.com

So many interesting things occurred today, I hardly know where to start...Today Linda Hill and the Student Advisory Board for SADD hosted a grassroots League SADD conference at Norwich High School SADD is a national student driven organization whose purpose can be found in their title. Students Against Destructive Decisions. To learn more about what SADD does on a national level go to www.sadd.com. Every year Kansas Family Partnership out of Topeka, Kansas - www.kansasfamily.com -  hosts a state SADD conference and thanks to the leadership of Maria Torres Anderson with KFP that conference has grown in size each year for the past 5 years. One of the groups that always attends the SADD Conference, Red Ribbon Training and the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit is the group from Norwich under the direction of Linda Hill. One of the goals they set during the KYLS was to host a SADD Leadership day for all their league schools. Today Norwich completed that part of their goal. If you remember from previous blogs students come to KYLS and design a Community Action Plan (CAP)while at KYLS and the purpose of this CAP is to reduce underage drinking within their community. Norwich made their goal bigger in that they wanted to increase their SADD leadership to league wide rather than school wide. Norwich currently has a 50% of their student membership as active members in their SADD organization so naturally their goal was to look for other ways to increase their influence. As I was watching all of this unfold today I kept thinking what a great idea this is and what a tremendous opportunity this is to have an impact in more schools. This is the first grassroots League SADD conference that I have been aware of in Kansas, and my hope is that other SADD schools will adopt this model and use it to increase our participation in SADD throughout the state of Kansas. I also think it is important because destructive decisions is the number one reason why our drop-out rates are so high in schools. I have heard numerous stories about small schools having higher drop out rates and this concerns me because schools are the life blood of many of our small Kansas towns, and losing students to drop outs because of poor choices is bad for everyone in the community. It is so important that we make staying in school a priority, and I am convinced that SADD clubs not only save lives but they keep students in the seats and that supports our communities. The day started with an introduction by NHS SADD members Grant and Erin, two long time participants in the state SADD conferences and the KYLS. Then I spent about two hours working with the students and talking about positive choices. The program was fun and interactive and the students were quick to laugh and get involved which made the time fly right by. Special thanks to Levi for being such a great sport through out the day, and glad to see that he was using his 'networking skills" to meet some participants that he was "interested" in. Hope all that works out for you Levi! Following the morning keynote we had a working lunch in which students got together with the participants from their schools and they discussed the problems related to underage drinking within their community. Oh by the way the students who participated were from the following schools, Pretty Prairie High School- www.usd311.com - South Barber High School - www.southbarber.com - Stafford High School www.stafford349.com - and Cunningham High School - www.usd332.com. Following lunch we got together and watched the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) video. www.madd.com If you have not seen the video it is powerful because it not only addresses the tradedy of drunk driving crashes but it also addresses how it affects all the people who lose a loved one due to drunk driving crash. Following the video the Norwich High School SADD Student board led the groups in a discussion about how to start a SADD Chapter in their school. We also spent some time talking about all the ways they can get involved in making their school better by participating in the Kansas Family Partnership sponsored events. Then I gave them a final charge to come to Red Ribbon Training, SADD Training and the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit. Maria Torres Anderson sent along some gifts for the participants that included Heather Shellys CD, "In My Time" and a poster of Heather and her band. Heather is from Scott City, Kansas and was recently awarded Best New Act in Country Music and is taking a stand against underage drinking and her song encourages teens to make good choices. Thanks to all the Norwich High School SADD members, the student board, the administration and Linda Hill for making this a successful day! TIN ROOF! .... RUSTY! 

Bills Blog 8.30.06 - Student Assemblies, Trego Community High School, Wakeeney, Kansas

Over the years I have had numerous opportunities to speak in Wakeeney. Last year after I had completed an assembly there Rita Webber, and Principal Daryl Stegman decided that it would be appropriate to do a follow-up assembly with the high school and middle school to start off a new year. We had a great time and picked up right where we left off. The students were fantastic as you would expect from students who attend school in such a great community. Following the 2 hour high school assembly we did an assembly for an hour and a half with the middle school students. They came in ready to go and had a lot of energy. We spent a little time on learning to deal with failure, Chunking and Modeling, Goal-Setting, and strategies for maximizing your education experience. They had a lot of energy and were a lot of fun to work with. Thanks Daryl Stegman and Rita Webber for putting together a great day! To learn more about all of the great things they are doing at Trego Community High School go to www.tregoeagles.com .

Bills Blog 8.29.06 - High School Freshman Assembly and Teacher In-Service at Missouri Valley, Iowa

Missouri Valley, Iowa is a small town right off of I-29 on the far western side of Iowa. It is a great little community that has a lot of positive things going for it. Namely the community invests time and money into the education of their students. I had the opportunity to visit last year though a program put together by Laurinda Smith at Iowa State University, the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governors Traffic Safety Bureau. Diedre Drees, the principal at Missouri Valley decided that she wanted all of this years Freshman to hear a similar message so she went out into the community and sponsored the program. I had the opportunity to meet Jay Smith of Missouri Valley Insurance Agency, who was one of the sponsors of the program. He actually sent two of his staff to the freshman program and he came to the teacher in-service. Thanks Jay, it was great meeting you and thanks for contributing to your community. A special thank-you to the others sponsors of the program as well!

Bills Blog 8.28.06 - Sylvan Grove, KS - Teacher In-Service

Had a wonderful time at Sylvan Grove High School where we had all the teachers from the district for the morning as they prepared to take on a new year. The superintendent there,  Mr.Jude Steckline, is one of the warmest,  nicest people you will ever meet he has a wonderful faculty and staff around him. I took them through the first part of "Teachers R' Us" Phase 1 and the morning went by quickly. We also spent a little extra time outside of the "Teachers R Us" curriculum and talked about how to developing your own personal stories for use in the classroom. We also spent a little bit of our time talking about teachers as advocates for their profession within their own community. A special thank-you to Linda Haring the Girls Volleyball Coach who attended the KU coaches clinic last April and suggested that they have me in to do the teacher in-service! If you would like to learn more about all of the great things going on at Sylvan Grove please visit their site at www.usd299.k12.ks.us .

Bills Blog 8.23.06 - Random Thoughts from the Summer!

As my summer winds down it is time to reflect on the many opportunities I have had this summer and I am thankful for all of them. This summer I had the opportunity to speak to over 10,000 teens, teachers, college students and business professionals, did 92 programs in 47 different locations, stayed in at least 40 different hotels, drove nearly 20,000 miles, spoke in 8 different states, was on the east coast and the west coast, designed 8 different curriculums for leadership camps, ate way too much Sonic, met a lot of new friends and got to see a lot of old friends. Coached my sons, little league team, spent a month mentoring Bernie Mcgee, had over 30 different people stay at my house at various times during the summer, got my daughter off to college, worried about her too much...and I am excited about the new year and what it might bring. Many people think of new beginnings as the start of a new year...since I have been so connected with education all my life it always feels as if fall is the time of new beginning and the end of summer brings for me thoughts of winding down and gearing up for a new year. I am excited about the upcoming school year, this year I want to be more effective with my programs, I want to coach my sons flag football team and his basketball team. I want to get the most out of my time at home and focus on being a great dad and husband. Many of you have asked..."How can you do that while being on the road so much." I always think in terms of time at home verses time at work. I usually speak about 120 days a year, (This year has been slightly more) that means 2/3rds of the time I am at home, taking my kids to school and being a full time dad. The days away are tough, but everyday at home is a joy. It is not easy but my life is full, and this past summer I have worn many different hats, but have lived to my fullest potential. I challenge all of you who read this blog regularly to do just that...maximize your time, fill your life with many challenges, and when it is time to slow down...spend that time with the people you love the most, and most importantly don't leave anything left unsaid, tell the people you love how you feel about them, and be totally present with everything you do!

Bills Blog 8.22.06 Wilber-Claytonia High School, Wilbur Nebraska - All School Assembly

Ron Oltman is a fantastic administrator who wants the best for his students! About three months ago I got an email from the principal at Wilber-Claytonia High School wanting to know if I would be interested in coming back to do an all school assembly to kick off the start of the year for them. I had been there two years ago as the result of a program by Peru State College to reach out to area high schools. We had a great day on that day and I was eager to return. I was not disappointed. We had another great day! When I was there before we did the "Making Choices for the Real High School High" assembly. That program focuses on the choices we make as a high school student and how those choices today have an affect on the rest of their lives. For the follow up assembly this year we focused on the "Learning Game" and I gave them three tools that they can use starting today that will have a huge impact on the rest of their lives. Those three choices are, The Power of Imagination, (having a dream about the person you want to become) Chunking and Modeling (dealing with the crashes of your life and then using those crashes to break the learning down and modeling success) and SLANT, the personal classroom management tool that allows you to be more effective as a student. The students came in energetic and ready. Thanks for a great day Mr. Oltman and the students of Wilber-Claytonia High School.

Bills Blog 8.21.06 - Burlington High School Teacher In-Service

After finishing at Neosho County Community College I made the short drive up the road to prepare for the early morning start I had with the teachers at Burlington County Community College. This program was made possible because Jenny Anderson the volleyball coach at Burlington had attended the KU coaches clinic in Lawrence and passed my name on to the administrators at Burlington. Dr. Rawson, the superintendent and Jane Nuessen the grade school principal decided to move forward with it and thank goodness because it gave me a chance to be exposed to an outstanding school district. The thing that impressed me about Burlington is the willingness of the community to invest in their faculty and their facilities! I was so impressed by the number of teachers there who are teaching for the right reasons and was pleased to hear so many of their teachers were excited about the upcoming school year. They have a lot to be optimistic about because all of the investment into their community school is paying off. Their enrollment is up,  they have a great faculty to work with and it is obvious that they have a lot of community support. A special thank-you to Mr. Palmer and Sharon Henry, Sharon has attended the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit for years and has been a long time supporter of the program and of all the students she brings to both the SADD Training and the Red Ribbon Training each year. She loves working with students and is compassionate in her desire to make a difference in the lives of her students. Mr. Palmer is the forensics coach at BHS and came to The Kansas Youth Leadership Summit in Rock Springs this year, he brought a lot of enthusiasm and it is obvious that he is in education for all the right reasons. A big thank-you to both of you for all the support. After finishing the program I spent about an hour with the middle school and high school volleyball teams. They have a lot of girls out this season which is a testament to all of coaching staffs hard work and caring. We spent some time working together on what it means to be a team and how to handle difficult situations as they progress through the school year. It was a fun little session. Once again, thanks for all the support for creating a great day for me. Thanks Dr. Rawson, Jane Nuesson, Mr. Palmer and Sharon Henry. It was a great day in a great district!

Bills Blog 8.20.06 - Neosho County Community College - Freshman Orientation

Neosho County Community College is a great campus, in a great location with a great support staff to help their students transition into college life. Rita Drybread and staff did a great job of putting together a first weekend experience for the students and it was interesting to see students coming together from all over the country to attend NCCC! I spent about an hour with the students getting them to think about the opportunity that college provides and letting them in on the fact that a good performance here as a student can literally allow them an opportunity anywhere they would like to go. I am a product of the community college system having spent a year at Colby Community College and a semester at Garden City Community College so I feel that I can relate to where they are, and I am very excited about what they can do with their education once they leave NCCC and move on to other things.  All my best to all students who are starting their education in the community college system and my challenge to you is to maximize your time, and make the most of it!

Bills Blog 8.19.06 - Kansas Wesleyan University

Kansas Wesleyan University, www.kwu.edu really does a great job of recruiting students from all over the country, each year (this is my third year doing their freshman orientation) I am always amazed at the wide variety of students that come to KWU. Today I had students from all over the country, and some international students as well! I even spoke to a student after the program who was from Haiti! Jim Allen the head of student admissions has a first rate staff and they take pride in getting to know all of their students on a personal level both before and after they arrive on campus. Jim has so many stories about all of the places he has been and all the connections he makes with the students. I was amazed he knew nearly every new freshman by name and where they were from and could even tell me why they chose KWU. Once students arrive at KWU they get a first rate education as well! This year my good friend Paul Hedlund www.hcitools.com came aboard the KWU staff as a full time teacher in the business department. They are getting a first rate instructor who has many years of experience in the business world. So students who are in business will not only get great theory, but will get great insight from someone who really understands business inside and out. I know that Paul will be a great addition to the KWU faculty. Special thank-you also goes out to Tina Wohler of KWU for working so hard to put together a great experience for the first year students. Their agenda was packed and I know they take a lot of pride in the personal experience that they provide for incoming freshman. I had a great day with about 225 new students and it was obvious to me that they were excited about their choice, and were ready to get involved and participate in the program. We went about 2.5 hours in the morning and had some great conversations with a few of the students after the program. In the afternoon I did a communication seminar with the student ambassadors. It was a lot of fun because these students not only represent KWU but are concerned with maximizing their education while they are there. They really get that their education in college extends beyond the walls of the classroom, and all were attentive and ready to pick up the additional edge to support them in succeeding!

Bills Blog 8.18.06 - Freshman Orientation - Fort Hays State University

I completed at UNI at about 4:30pm and quickly said goodbyes and was back on the road because it is a mammoth trip from northern Iowa to Western Kansas. I finally arrived in Hays at about 2:00am and was on campus at Fort Hays State University at 8:00am. It was a quick night! However, it was also an exciting event for me. This is my second year back doing the Freshman Orientation at Fort Hays State University, and it is very special for me because I am a product of FHSU! I attended FHSU for the first part of my undergraduate degree, spent three years at the University of Hawaii, then transferred back to finish up in the summer of 1989. Then following that I received my Masters Degree in Communication from FHSU. So it is a huge honor for me to be a part of the orientation process at FHSU. The student affairs staff at FHSU has been incredible to work with over the past two years, and they work so hard at creating a quality experience for their students. I just can't say enough great things about them! I was introduced this morning by Dr. Joey Linn who heads up the Registrars office at FHSU and he is also a friend of mine from my college days at Fort Hays. That was a very cool experience for me. I spent about three hours with over 700 incoming freshman and the time never dragged, they got involved, laughed a lot and we even danced a little! It was a very cool morning. Josha, my daughter sent me a text during my program and said all of my friends that are in your audience are texting me saying they are having a great time at the program. I got the text while I was using the phone as a visual aid during my networking portion of the program, opened it up, and it made me laugh. Josha gave me a list of names and I told the hello from the stage. It was awesome to have so many of Josha's friends in the audience and it was even better to be a part of supporting them in having a great start to a gret FHSU experience. Have a great year FHSU students and I wish you all the best. You have made a great choice!

Bills Blog 8.17.06 - Get a Grip University-Freshman Orientation, University of Northern Iowa

After finishing with the Jayhawks at about 5:30pm I hopped in my vehicle and drove from Topeka Kansas to Cedar Falls Iowa. Yes, it is a very long drive and I did not get in until about 1:00am, and had an 8:00 start time at the University of Northern Iowa. This program was sponsored by Get a Grip, Laurinda Smith and the Department of Public Safety at Iowa state University. We call the college portion of Get a Grip, Get a Grip U or GAGU for short and its mission is much the same as Get a Grip except to support college students in maximizing their transition into high school. The am program was a wonderful experience because I got to work with the food service staff at UNI! They were a great audience! They consisted of food service professionals, and student support staff. So it was a very diverse audience, whose needs are very different, but we were able to find common ground on the topic areas of communication and the need to create a quality work environment. My programming consisted of mainly the business seminar topics. Thanks Carol and the food service staff for providing a very uplifiing and unique experience for me. Following the program Carol gave Laurinda and I a tour of campus because Laurinda is in the process of moving Get a Grip to the University of Northern Iowa so that we can reach more students in a different area of Iowa. So get ready northern Iowa because we will be in your area soon if all goes as planned. UNI has some great facilities, lots of meeting space, lots of stuff for students to participant in and the food is the best college food I have ever experienced...and I have experienced a lot of it! Following the tour I met up with Drake Martin, head of the residential community at UNI and TJ Warren long time Get a Grip staffer, resident assistant and student at UNI and we prepared for the freshman orientation for about 300 of the UNI incoming freshman. UNI has a lot more freshman than this, buit this was a specific group of students who take part in an extended orientation process. The groups included Springboard, Jumpstart and the International students. These students are moving toward success and are all seeking strategies to maximize their college experience. It was a blast to be a part of, and the two hour program flew by. I was so pleased with the number of students who approached me after the program who were sincere in their desire to get a great education. Thanks Carol, TJ, Laurinda, and Drake for pulling off a great freshman experience for all these wonderful students.

Bills Blog 8.16.06-University of Kansas Volleyball Team Ropes Course Event

After finishing with Clay Center, I stopped in Topeka on the way through where I met with the KU volleyball team and we went through a ropes course together to support them in some team building as they gear up for a new season. I have worked with every Ray Bechard Volleyball Team since 1989 and it is always a good time and a great experience for me to spend quality time with the great players he brings in to the University of Kansas. This year is special for me because Josha, my daughter works the role of team manager on the team. We took the team through 5-6 events, and talked about this year being a new year and gave them some strategies for learning from last year while keeping focused on maximizing their opportunities this year. The expectations are high this year because this team is coming off of three straight NCAA tournament appearances. KU Volleyball had never been to the touney prior to the arrival of Coach Bechard, so the team has moved from the attitude of "It would great to get in the NCAA's" to "We expect to make it". The pressures of that expectation are both good and bad, but regardless it means that the team will need to keep focused and keep winning. I am really looking forward to some great volleyball this fall. Thanks Coach Bechard, Coach Posey and Coach Jones for allowing me to play a small role in the huge task you have ahead of you!

Bills Blog 8.16.06 Clay Center, Kansas Teacher In-Service

 I got into Clay Center the evening before the program and was on site ready to go early in the morning. It was a two hour program to kick off the start of the year with about 300 teachers and support staff. First of all let me say that I really love doing a teacher in-service that has all of the staff participate. Because every component of a child's education is important. I believe that anyone who has contact with students should be a part of the in-service process because we all need to be aware of the role we play in making a difference in the lives of children. I have been to Clay Center many times before but this was the first time to da a faculty in-service, so it was extra special for me. It was also special because Mike Folks, the superintendent is someone that I have worked with many times before. The first time I worked with him was doing a program for his basketball team when he was a Garden City, Kansas about ten years ago. Since that time he has used me to work with his students on numerous occasions when he was a principal at Central Heights High School, south of Ottawa Kansas, then when he was a superintendent there and now that he has moved to Clay Center we got to work together again. The theme of the year for Clay Center is "Success Begins with Me" an encouraging message designed to encourage personal responsibility on the part of all teachers and staff. The program began in a typical fashion by having two of the school nurses talk about "Blood Born Pathogens" always a tough act to follow because typically BBP is not a very exciting topic. Not the case here however, Robin and Lynn did a great job with it and it was hilarious. So if any of you reading this ever dread the BBP talk at your school, contact me they have an excellent strategy for teaching this in a hilarious and effective way. I have heard the BBP talk in many different places but never laughed as hard as I did at Clay Center. Great Job, Robin and Linn. In my portion I weaved in a lot of personal strories, we did several activities and the staff got involved and it was a great start to a new year. Best of luck as you take on the new year Clay Center!

Bills Blog 8.14.06 Deerfield Kansas, Teacher In-Service, Community Program and high school all school assembly

I got to spend two full days in Deerfield, Kansas, and for those of you who don't know I am a southwest Kansas kid, and Deerfield is just 7 miles from Lakin, Kansas where I graduated high school. So this was a lot like going home for me and I had the chance to re-connect with a lot of friends from my younger days. My contact there was the result of a Kansas Farm Bureau agent who was at a program I did in Ness City last spring. He is also on the school board so he went back and mentioned it to the principle, Mr.  Kedrowski, I met Mr. K at a teacher in-service I did in Scott City several years ago. He was on board, called me up and we set up a compelling two day event  that turned out to be two very exciting days. We started off with a teacher in service on Monday morning, then had a community program in the evening. We had about 100 students, staff and community members participate in the event and all the student participants received a copy of my book, The Yogowypi Factor, and a Yogowypi T-shirt.  The next morning we did the school kick off with 6-12 graders and I spoke about an hour and a half. I did the Making Choices Assembly and naturally the students responded great, just as you would expect southwest Kansas students to do. Deerfield is a very unique community that serves its' students very well. It is about 15 miles from Garden City Kansas and it is a very diverse student population. The students and teachers in this community welcome the diversity and as a result they have very few challenges. It has a very energetic faculty and staff, and facilities that are incredible because of all the community support. Also while in Deerfield got to spend some time with a special family that I consider my "second family". The Hayzletts, Gary, Helen, Teresa, Jill and Wendy, were very influential to me while I was going to high school and have continued to be an inspiration. The three girls are all grown and married with children now, so I only got to see Wendy who is a teacher in Lakin. It was a lot of fun being home. Special thanks to Mr. Ansley the superintendent for all the support. Thanks Spartans for a great year. Coach Richter, it was also great to see you again and best of luck on the upcoming football season. If your intensity is half of what it was in high school I know your players will respect and play hard for you!

Bills Blog 8.10.06 - Madill, Oklahoma Teacher In-Service

After I finished up with KYLS I headed down to do a teacher in-service with the faculty and staff of Madill Oklahoma. This was really like hanging out with may FFA family in Oklahoma. Mr. Carter, who is the superintendent of the district was a former Ag Teacher, FFA Supporter and a friend of FFA as well as FFA Alumni Camp. This was also made possible by Monte Womack who is the HS Principal long-time friend and the father of 5 of the best boys you will ever meet. Brian, Brent, Brandon, Bradley and Brady,. (try saying that five times fast). He and Mrs. Womack are great parents and community servants. It was such an honor to spend time with them! Oh, yeah, we did a teacher in-service as well! What an outstanding group of teachers! We had so much fun, the day flew by, and we got them ready to take on another great year. After we completed the in-service I had the opportunity to speak to the youth group at the First Baptist Church in Madill. It was a great evening with a great bunch of students. I left with a full heart and a refreshed faith!

Bills Blog 8.9.06 - The University of Kansas Volleyball Team Dinner

Well it is official, I now have a daughter at the University of Kansas, I feel old and excited for her. During the KYLS conference I drove over to Lawrence for a few hours to visit her apartment, and attend the Volleyball Dinner. Josha is the team manager for the team and is ready to take on the challenge. I wish her all the best and know that she and the team will have a great year! After the dinner I had the opportunity to address the team and parents. It was a short talk but was honored to get to do it. Big Thank-you to Ray Bechard...I was so happy to do it! Go Jayhawks! www.kansasathletics.com

Bills Blog 8.8.06 - KYLS - Rock Springs Kansas

If you attended the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit...you probably have some songs stuck in your head like "Life is a Highway" or "R.E.S.P. E.C.T" just like I do most every day of my life...not that it's a bad thing just and excellent "anchor" into your memory about some great experiences and a great adventure in meeting people. For those who did not attend the conference it was an amazing adventure. Several things happened this year that made it an unique and interesting conference. First of all it was much bigger, with over 200 particiants, youth and adult staff the energy was over the top. The participation was at 100% from the time the participants came in until the moment they left. It was amazing. The days were filled with activity, learning and most importantly Home Teams completing action plans about what they were going to do to make a difference in their communities. Here is the basic framework of the conference: Adult and Youth team leaders get trained ahead of time to lead "Home Teams" through a community action planning process over the course of the three day event. (See Bills Blog 7.22.06) This of course is all made possible through the hard work of Maria Torres Anderson and staff of Kansas Family Partnership  www.kansasfamily.com who have a passionate desire to support teams of students all over the state of Kansas to create quality programming in their communities. Action plans are centered around the notion that we need to support teens in making healthy choices and making a difference in "underage drinking" in the state of Kansas. To do this teens take a look at data that has been collected over the years in their communities dealing with substance abuse. Remember when you take those surveys in school that asks questions like: "Have you had a drink of alcohol within the past 30 days?" see: http://beta.ctcdata.org/ This is one of the many ways the data is used. In their "Home Teams" teens sit down and look at the data through a "Data Interaction Process" that encourages discussion and interaction about their communities. In three days and 5 meetings the teens create and develop a plan designed to target specific problem areas in their communities. Sounds like tedious hard work doesn't it! WRONG! It is actually a very engaging and fun process because the conference is filled with a lot of pump up sessions, some great speakers like Pete Bodyk, Chief Kansas Department of Transportation Bureau of Traffic Safety, (Pete is passionate about seatbelt use and delivered a program that made students think about how they can save lives) JL Reidel Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper who also delivered a powerful program about seatbelt use and drinking and driving. Teens also got to meet Heather Shelly www.heathershelley.com who is an up and coming country star from Scott City Kansas, and recently received the title "Best New Act in Country Music" Heather worked with KDOT and recently released a song to support our mission in reducing underage drinking. Thanks Heather it was great to meet you and thanks for hanging out with all the conference participants.  During the three days we addressed problems and challenges as well as a lot of the stuff teens like to do such as group activities, dancing, times to interact and grow. The end result is teens leave the program charged up and ready to make a difference. It was a great three days and I was sad to see it all end. Also, if you left your cell phone at the conference, email me through the site, I have it and would love to get it back to you!

Bills Blog 8.2.06 - Oklahoma Farmers Union Leadership Summit

Just returned from the Oklahoma Farmers Union Leadership Summit which was located this year at Quartz Mountain Resort near Hobart, Oklahoma. It was a great reunion of Oklahoma Leaders. We had about 55 students and about 10 staff members in attendance. I have worked with many of these students through other Oklahoma programs so it was a real treat to be a part of this. Shelly and Liz the program coordinators did a great job of  recreating this program to improve it and give it more of a leadership focus. A special thanks also goes out to Dallas Kraut, former FFA state officer and soon to be Ag Teacher, and Jarred Johnson, former FFA State Officer and current Oklahoma FFA National Officer Candidate, for assisting in the program facilitation. They were a huge hit and a great addition to the programming! I spent four days at this program so we covered a lot of material, we did a ropes course, an in depth goal setting session, and the days were filled with activities and learning. It was an outstanding camp and it was tough to say goodbye to all of my Oklahoma friends. Also special thanks to the former council members who did a great job of working with the participants and put on a great  banquet as well. I was also pleased to work with the Womack brothers who were there to assist with the program. Thanks Womacks! All in all it was an intense four days but was a lot of fun. To all those who attended and will be present at Oklahoma ALD, I am looking forward to our next gathering!

Bills Blog 7.28.06 - Kansas Board of Regents - Adult Educators: Kansas State University

As a Big 12 sports fan, it is cool for me to say that I spoke on three Big 12 campuses in 2 days! Not that this has a lot to do with anything....but it is cool for me. After I finished up at the University of Kansas I drove to Manhattan, got in late, slept fast and was on campus at Kansas State University by 7:30 am to set up for the Kansas Board of Regents conference for Adult Educators. This is a great organization whose focus is to give Educators who work primarily with adult students skills and tools to be more effective with their unique population. Go to www.thekaea.org or www.kansasregents.org to learn a little more about these organizations. I got to do a session on Effective Communication and the conference closing keynote. It was a great opportunity for me to shift gears and work with some adult educators. They were quick to be involved and were excited to gain some tools and strategies to support them in having a great school year. This is a great population of educators whose work makes a huge difference in people who desire a second chance in life. They are people who have a desire to really support people and their work has a huge impact on the audiences they serve.

Bills Blog 7.27.06 - Get a Grip - Iowa State University  - University of Kansas Team Volleyball Camp

Get a Grip finished great and Thursday was a full day of programming! Our task on Thursday was to complete the "Personal Leadership" curriculum, and then give them some additional skills and tools they could use when implementing their "Community Action Plan" when they returned to their community. All of that was completed by early am, then we went into the final "Home Team Meeting" where all the teams completed and reported on their community action plans. A wide variety of action plans were proposed and all were focused on actions that could make a difference by saving lives within their respective communities. After lunch we worked on team and service leadership and went through a powerful service leadership activity designed to support teens in empathy building so they would see their ability to have an impact once they went home. Our final activity is a Get a Grip annual event, designed to give them a call to action and a passionate desire to reach and succeed in their personal and community goals. I will not go into detail about what we did because you really need to be there to understand, but it was powerful, emotional and participants left ready to take on their community action plans and personal goals. Following Get a Grip I had to hustle out to Lawrence, Kansas where I got to work with Ray Bechards Team Volleyball Camp at the University of Kansas. It was an awesome group of volleyball players who were there to develop team skills to be  successful in the fall volleyball season. The session was short, fun and filled with a lot  of humorous moments. However, they learned some skills that dealt with the importance of failure on the path to success, a little YOGOWYPI Philosophy, team communication strategies, and the importance of knowing your roles on a team.

Bills Blog 7.26.06 - Get a Grip -Ames, Iowa

Get a Grip ww.dps.iastate.edu/getagrip got off to a great start yesterday, thanks to a great staff, and a lot of organizational logistics that were taken care of by Laurinda, and Lisa with the Get a Grip staff. But the most amazing part of the program is how energized the college and high school staff were from the start. It is incredible to see the amount of energy they generate at the beginning of the program. From the time the students arrive on campus, the staff members were doing activities, and talking with the participants. By the time students came in for the first session, participants knew they were in for something special. We started by the staff doing their opening energizers, introductions and then I spent about 2 hours with the students setting the tone for what turned out to be a high energy day. Through stories and activities we outlined the entire conference, laid out the expectations, and the participants jumped in and got involved. The opening session is about two-hours of pure participation, excitement building, and then after that we break-out into work groups led by the high school peer facilitators. Their session was a question and answer session that dealt with leadership in their community. After checking in with participants I discovered the sessions went great and our peer advisors did a great job of facilitating some lively and entertaining discussions. All of this will assist the teens in putting together their action plan later in the program. The evening program consisted of teens participating in some fun activities at the ISU rec center then it was back to work. Linda Wright, and the Get a Grip team from Sumner-Fredricksburg spoke about their past year and all that they had completed on their action plan, then the groups were broke up into their home teams, led by the advisors that came with the groups to do some initial brainstorming about what they are going to do this year to have an impact on their school.

Day Two began with AM Boogie, to get the blood flowing in preparation for a full-day of training. I spent most of the morning giving the teens tools for dealing with the success and failures that go along with the action planning process so that they will learn how to deal with the challenges and obstacles they will encounter when they go back into their schools and start implementing their action plans. It was a morning filled with laughter, energy and participants received content that would assist them in the action planning process. In the morning we got to hear two speakers from the ISU Police Department. The first was Dwight Hinson, a DPS officer and former All-American Collegiate wrestler. Dwight did a great job of communicating the dangers of alcohol and athletics as well as giving the students a "game plan" for living a productive life great job Dwight. Next, Sergeant Aaron Delashmutt did a great job in talking about the dangers of the internet and how not being aware of how your content on the internet can lead to dangerous situations. He talked about Facebook, My Space, and Xanga, Chat Rooms etc.. He was very prolific in his teaching and stressed that we can never be too careful when it comes to internet safety. Another great session. Congratulations to long time Get a Grip Advisor and Superintendent, Doug Miller on receiving the Get a Grip "Advisor of the Year Award". He is a long time GAG advisor and has brought students to this conference as a teacher, principal and superintendent. The award is well deserved for his continued commitment. After lunch, we did some energizers and got into some great content by Jerry Stewart of the ISU DPS who talked about pedestrian safety and things they could do in their communities to make the roads safer for pedestrians. Jerry and Liz both did a great job of creating a lot of energy and generating some great ideas. They recorded all of the ideas generated, and on Thursday prior to the final action planning process all teams will get a final copy of the 100 ideas they generated to assist them in putting together a comprehensive action plan. We also got to hear from Linde Hobbs, Tom Neuerberg and TJ Warren, all three long time Get a Grippers and current members of our college staff. All three did great presentations about how they are using the "Tools" from Get a Grip to maximize their life opportunities. Linde, talked about her internship with Disney, Tom talked about his trip to China with the ISU singers and TJ talked about his trip to Europe with the University of Northern Iowa Mens Glee Club. The message I got from all three speakers was that there is no end to the amount of opportunities you can create if you apply the tools consistently in your life. Great Job on three terrific programs. We ended the day with a Goal Setting session to clarify the importance of having a clear strategy for making an impact when you leave. I was so impressed by the staff and the participants we did a full 8.5 hours of training before 5:30 pm and I never saw one tired face. All of the participants were excited coming in and were more excited when they left. However, their day was not completed. After dinner participants prepared for a talent show and dance Get a Grip style. This in not your typical social, but a teaching tool about how to have fun, put together a drug free event and how to successfully plan and execute creative, interactive school functions. It was a great day and day three promises to be an even more impactful day!

Bills Blog 7.24.06 - Get a Grip - Ames, Iowa

I have been blogging about the Get a Grip program for sometime now, and I am happy the program is finally here so I can tell you all about it. Get a Grip started in 1991, as a program to support teens in making good choices regarding traffic safety, teen choices. Lisa Safaenili, who is no longer with the program had an incredible vision, and now Laurinda Smith, the program director has taken the program to new heights. I started as the facilitator for the program in 1992, and have done it every year since then. The program still has a traffic safety focus, and the core values of the program consist of Community, Choices, Respect and Accountability, all of which gets covered in detail throughout the course of the program. Teams of teens come to the program from all over the state of Iowa, to be a part of massive energy generated around the topic of "Making a Difference" in Iowa communities. Each team leaves the program with a comprehensive action plan that they will implement in their community. Also, when the teams return many will report on the success of their action plan, and what they are going to do this year to make a bigger impact. The result is that we have many well established "Get a Grip" clubs all over Iowa in the schools and community centers. It is an awesome family of friends who are brought together with the common goal of making Iowa better and safer for teens. Also each year many of the same staff return to be a part of the program. It is really hard to put into words the amount of respect, and admiration I have for this group of young leaders. Some are in college, and have been coming since they were in high school. It is an incredible reunion! When I got in this evening it was so great to see all the smiling faces who were ready to get to the work of preparing for the nearly 100 teens who are arriving in the morning.  We spent some time working of facilitation skills, and getting in the right heart space to have an impact on the incoming participants. I will write more about "Get a Grip in the following days so stay tuned!

Bills Blog 7.24.06 - The Leadership Program - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Today I am in Iowa! Earlier this summer I got a call from former "Get a Grip" participants, Jordan Goetsche who is now a college student at the University of Iowa and Chris Stumpf-who is now a student a Kirkland College, they both are working a summer leadership program that they went through when they were young and now are facilitators for the program. Jordan and Chris worked their tails off getting me to Cedar Rapids so I could work with their students. The program is called The Leadership Program and it targets middle school students who have leadership potential. Their purpose is to prepare the students to be leaders in middle school/high school and beyond. The program has been in existence for about 12 summers and this is the first summer I had the opportunity to work with the students. The day was great because the students were great to work with, but also because of all of the college facilitators. They all had incredible energy! There were a lot of University of Iowa cross country runners, track athletes, and football players. All with a sincere desire to be role models for Cedar Rapids students. I had the students from 9-2 and together we trained, worked on communication skills, laughed, worked on relationship issues, leadership skills and through in some student success skills. All in all it was a day filled with content, humor and a lot of energy. The day went by fast because of all the support from the college leaders and many thanks to Chris, and Jordan for working so hard to make this day a reality. When I completed in Cedar Rapids I said good-byes and headed off to Ames for an evening training to prepare for this weeks Get a Grip Program.

Bills Blog 7.22.06: Kansas Family Partnership-KS Youth Leadership Summit Pre-conference Training-Topeka, Kansas

It was a long trip from Washington DC to Topeka Kansas! It really didn't help much that my flight out of DC was delayed/missed my connection into Wichita. Luckily Karla, my wife, program director and right arm...was able to schedule me on a flight into Tulsa, where I rented a car, drove to Wichita, picked up my vehicle and got into Topeka at 5:30am just in time for a 9:00am start with Kansas Family Partnership. www.kansasfamily.com  It was a short night, I slept really fast and was in the conference room ready to go with a "smile on my face and love in my heart!"  How could I not have a great approach to this program?  Kansas Family Partnership/ Maria Torres-Anderson, Michelle Voth and staff have been so great to work with over the years and I was excited to see the new group of trainers I had on staff to support them in putting on our summer leadership program. This program is an annual program (I believe this is our 5th year) that I get to do with KFP that focuses on eliminating underage drinking in the state of Kansas. Our conference mission model is to use data collected from schools to support teens in understanding the challenges within their specific communities. To do this we train a group of trainers both teen and adults to lead community teams through a process of team-building, communication, data discovery so they can create a customized action plan based upon the needs of their counties. Today we had 45 trainers show up to get prepared to lead 215 Kansas teens from all over the state when we do the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit in August. In August we take them through a 3 day intensive training that supports teens in creating a plan through three phases.#1) Large group general sessions designed to motivate, enthuse and train, #2) The Home Team Action Planning Process-This is led by the facilitators I trained today one youth and one adult facilitator/team. Facilitators take the teams through a 5 step action planning process over the course of the three days in which they look at the data collected from communities regarding underage drinking, community resources, challenges and opportunities, and then develop a specific customized action plan that they will implement in their community over the next year. #3) Teens get to work in "Away Teams" these are groups of teens randomly created so that they are representative of the state of Kansas. In this process the teen and adult facilitators guide the "Away Teams" through a process of getting to know challenges teens are having in other communities regarding underage drinking. This insight will ultimately support the "Home Teams" in creating a more comprehensive action plan. This model is a similar model to the one we developed for the Get A Grip program www.dps.iastate.edu/getagrip/ I do in Iowa each year. I am on my way there so I will write about that in my Blog later this week. Special thanks to Sharolyn Dugger for all the support in working the teens on the night before I arrived and for her specific insight that supports us in putting together a great training model. Also, thank-you Kelsey, Andrea, and Natasha who came as youth trainers, and are now adult trainers, your energy is amazing!  All in all the day was a fun and emotional one because we quickly got to the heart of the matter which is saving lives and getting in touch with why we are here and the impact alcohol can have on a community. The day ended with strong emotion which fueled our "heart space" and prepared us for the challenges that we are about to undergo when the 215 Kansas teens arrive at Rock Spings for our three day leadership summit. 

Bills Blog 7.21.06: American Institute of Architecture Students-National Convention, Washington DC.

I was in Washington DC today speaking at the American Institute of Architectural Student (AIAS).  www.aia.org/ev_c_aias_jul06_conf What a cool audience. The program consisted of students from 85 different colleges across the country. It was very cool to see all of the representation, and was even cooler to see how committed these students were to their profession and to their communities they serve. They really understand the connection between designing buildings and designing a life. You know Buckminster Fuller, innovator, futurist was also an architect. I have a special affinity for Bucky and his teaching because of his passion for making a difference in the world, doing more with less, maximizing the planets resources and because he taught the importance of coming from abundance rather than scarcity. If you want to become a fan go to: www.bfi.org The students I got to work with, about 160 of them,  are a group of incredibly intelligent students who are not just willing to go the extra mile when it comes to learning about design but who also want to understand how to be at the top of their profession in terms of leadership, communication and teamwork. One of the topics that came up today was the frustration that comes with having a great idea, but not being able to communicate the idea...which of course illustrated the point that you could have the greatest ideas in the world, but if you can't communicate that vision than that vision is really useless. The power of the training was getting them to invest time and energy into developing communication, leadership and teamwork skills so they can better serve their clients, profession and community. I got to work with the students from about 9:00 am to 3:00pm as part of their conference kickoff. The program I did was a custom program that incorporated "grassroots leadership", communication, team work, leadership, and responsibility. The program came about as the result of "Get a Grip" a program I do in Iowa each year through Iowa State University and the Department of Public Safety, and the Governors Traffic Safety Bureau, in Des Moines Iowa. www.dps.iastate.edu/getagrip/ Jonathan Bahe, a college students who goes to college at the University of Minnesota, came to Get a Grip back in the summer of 2000. Jonathan went to high school at Sumner High School, which is now Sumner-Fredricksburg, (one of the most active Get a Grip programs in the state because of their incredibly committed advisor - Linda Wright). So Jonathan became the President of the AIAS, a one year term, called me up a few months ago and asked if we could bring some "YOGOWYPI" energy to the AIAS. To recap, Jonathan came to Get a Grip, who became the AIAS President and brought me to Washington DC. How about that for the power of networking!!! It turned out to be a great fit, for me and for them! I feel richer because of the opportunity and I am confident that the AIAS students got a great program as well.  It was an honor to work with these students and put together a custom program that fit the needs of their organization and conference. A special thanks to Michael Geary the AIAS Executive Director for his initiative and willing to try out something new. Thanks again AIAS for a great day in Washington DC!

Bills Blog 7.20.06: Kansas Farm Credit Services

I am at the beginning of quite a stretch of programming and fortunately for my this stretch began at home in Great Bend KS. The group was Kansas Farm Credit Services, www.fcskansas.com and their mission goes much bigger than banking but they are all about creating situations for service and opportunities within their communities. The group was about 200 strong, and I got to do the keynote that closed the conference. Before I started however, I had the chance to listen to local speaker and friend Donna Staab. It was great to hear her program she talked about laughter and living and her talk was a great lead into my program. My talk focused mainly on business leadership, maximizing opportunities, responsibility, and of course YOGOWYPI! I am now off to Washington DC where I will be speaking to the American Institute of Architecture Students.

Bills Blog 7.17.06 - Operation Military Kid

Saturday was another amazing day for me because I was in Wichita Kansas speaking to a group of teens and pre-teens for the Kansas Air National Guard as part of a program to support the families of all the soldiers being deployed overseas. Our soldiers are giving all they have to support others in securing their freedom and it was truly an honor to be a part of it. Adrian Dickey who serves as the coordinator for Operation Military Kid, Teen Camp and who wears a ton of hats has been great to work with because she has a huge heart and loves all the kids she serves. It was an emotional day for the teens as they went through a "Mock Deployment" in the afternoon so the families would have a chance to understand a little about all the steps there parents go through as they prepare to go to Iraq. We had a great morning with them before the mock deployment as we focused on communication skills, and leadership to support them in dealing with the changing roles that will take place in their family when they have a parent who is serving so far away. All my best to those who are serving and the families who are keeping things together on the homefront!

Bills Blog 7.14.06 -Oklahoma FFA Camp 4/Operation Military Kid

We completed the last of 4 Oklahoma FFA Alumni Camp sessions on Wednesday. I enjoyed all four sessions, and got to re-connect with some great people. We did stay for the vespers program put on by the State Officers on Wednesday evening. It was very cool because they shared the story of Pistol Pete the Oklahoma State University Mascot. Then at the end Pistol Pete himself came out. It was a great surprise and the campers loved it. Then Bernie Mcgee and I got back on the road to head up to Kansas for my next program. We drove until 4 am, got into Salina. I did a program there called Operation Military Kids. This is a summer camp for students 9-12 years of age who have a parent serving in the military. It was an honor to work with them, and they had tons of energy! After we got settled in it was great to give them some tools that could support them in being successful while there parents were away serving our county. I focused on tools to support them in dealing with failure, communication and relationship skills. We finished off with Bernie Mcgee singing his rendition of "American Soldier". It was appropriate, a little emotional but a great way to cap off a great day. A big thanks to Bernie, for driving on this very long trip and for singing!

Bills Blog 7.11.06-Oklahoma FFA Camp 3/ Western States Youth 2 Youth

The past three days have been a whirlwind of travel and getting to meet some great students. Finished camp three of Oklahoma FFA at Camp Tulakogee, walked off stage at about 10:30 pm (because I do a keynote in the evening and then some large group energizers with a message) then I drove to Wichita got in about 2:45 am, slept fast,  to catch a 6:00am flight to Ontario California to speak at the Youth 2 Youth Western States Conference ( http://www.y2yint.com/ ) this is a phenomenal program for teens that literally created the model for successful drug free conferences. Jill Smock, Ty Sells (who by the way is also an outstanding youth speaker) and staff do a great job of delivering a great program to teens so they can go back into their individual communities and implement a successful action plan. Each year they do three summer programs, one in Rhode Island called the Eastern States Conference, one in Ohio called the International conference, and then one in California called the Western States Conference. I have spoke a couple of times in all locations throughout the years and this year I was excited to get the call to do Western States again. Ty Sells and I got a chance to hang out a bit, I love seeing him and regard him as a good friend. A few highlights from this trip...Getting to spend some time with some great staff members who have come up through the "youth 2 youth"  program and are now using the tools from the program to live their dreams. Speaking at the conference was great because the students energy was over the top, and it was fun to spend sometime connecting, and getting to the heart of the matter which is using all the tools once you return home. Naturally we laughed a lot, some students experienced some intense emotion, and I spent time interweaving quality tools that they can use for re-entry back into their community. The time went by too quickly and then I got to spend a little time with Harriet Turk ( www.harrietturk.com ) a long time friend and speaking associate. Harriet was in to do the keynote on the July 12th. We spent some time talking about our business, and how we can improve the quality of our message. If you have not heard Harriet speak, make sure you visit her site. She is a speaker with a great message, some great humor and will touch your heart at the same time. Then I got up early this morning, flew in just in time to coach my sons final baseball game of the season, and then I am back down to Oklahoma in the morning to do the final FFA Alumni Camp for 2006!

Bills Blog 7.7.06- Oklahoma FFA Camp 2

Camp two was every bit as fun as camp one, and the numbers were up again. This week Oklahoma Alumni Camp made history with record numbers, with over 430 participants present the energy was incredible. Still in spite of the large numbers camp flows just as well as it did back in the days when we only had 100 per camp. The numbers still are mind-boggling back when I did my first camp in 1994 we had about 100/camp and now we are doing over 400. I made some minor changes to my program for camp two, and the evening mixer was filled with tons of fun, lots of movement and finished off well. Got a chance to connect with Kelly Barnes ( www.yournextspeaker.com  )  the Alumni Camp Curriculum Director, and we talked about strategies to improve the quality of the small group sessions. He is doing well, and everyone likes the adjustment that was made in having someone there full-time overseeing the success of the small groups. We also discussed changes that will be made in the small group curriculums so that they will have an even bigger impact for camp two. Most of the feedback about the sessions I got was positive, and we put in a few corrections. This session Bernie Mcgee, ( www.berniemcgee.com ) my summer intern rode along with me, you may remember that name because Bernie is from Indiana, and was also at the session we did in Indiana for The Student Leadership Academy. I met Bernie when I was doing an all school assembly at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Terre Haute Indiana when he was in the sixth grade, now he has just completed his freshman year at Indiana State University.  It was great to have him along and it is great that I get the whole month of July to work with him. His role with me was support and to provide feedback and to be a sponge to learn as much as he can about camps, speaking and developing his own speaking material. It was fun because some campers remembered him from last year. Also heard that Sam Glenn, the other keynoter for camp (day three of  all sessions) had a great program. If you are not aware of Sam, he is a chalk artist that incorporates an incredible message into his art. I run into him on the road from time to time and his message is always powerful and profound. Check him out at ( www.samglenn.com ). Dr. Snyder, www.hypnotism.com/AlSnyder.htm was also there for camp one and his session was a great hit as well. Looking forward to Sunday when we get to go back and do it all over again!

Bills Blog 7.3.06 - Oklahoma FFA Camp 1

WOW! Just got back visiting my friends at Oklahoma FFA! ( www.okffa.org ) This will complete my 13th summer of doing the opening keynote of four different camps, so if you are doing the math when this summer is completed it will be 52 sessions of alumni camp that I have had the opportunity to be the kick-off speaker. I have learned tons and it continues to be one of the most incredible programs with which I have been associated. Let me give you a little background on the program. This program is sponsored by the Oklahoma FFA Alumni, so we call it Alumni Camp. Kent Boggs the executive secretary for Oklahoma FFA is totally committed to bringing a great program to FFA members so they are constantly working to improve the program from year to year. There are four camps total, with over 400 participants attending each session.  Session one runs from Sunday to Wednesday, then session two goes from Wednesday-Saturday, Session Three from Sunday-Wednesday on the next week, then camp four goes from Wednesday-Saturday. The State Officers are present all four sessions working small groups, running sessions, speaking facilitating and working with FFA Campers from all over the state of Oklahoma. It is an awesome leadership experience! For the 9th year this year I had the opportunity to train the state officers to support them in preparing the curriculum for camp and this year was great for me because I had a larger role in that I designed the small group curriculum. Which really consisted of 8 small group sessions about one hour each. Kelly Barnes, www.yournextspeaker.com, and I trained the state officers in this curriculum in June and then Kelly trained the small group leaders prior to camp. Over 400 students attend each camp, each small group has about 12-14 members so there are a lot of small group leaders to train. Kelly also has a large role this year because he stays on site as the curriculum director insuring that all the sessions are done at the premier leadership level. The small group leaders are quality college students who have an in-depth understanding of camp and a huge desire to have an impact on the campers. This year has also been great because Kent Boggs, Dallas Kraut, Mr. Murray and others have totally redesigned the flow of camp. Last year Mr. Boggs brought my good friend Phil Boyte (www.philboyte.com) to find ways to improve camp. Camp was already a well-oiled machine, but Mr. Boggs is committed to making it better. So this year a ton of changes have been made and I am excited to return on Wednesday to see how everything worked out for camp one. While I was there on Sunday evening for the kick-off I was pleased about all that I had seen so far, and I am interested to hear how the rest of camp went. As for my session, it all went great, all 400 FFA members were cranked up and ready, then in the evening after my keynote I did a mixer with the whole camp, and that session was filled with lots of energy, a little message and was a great way to finish the day. I will blog some more about how the other sessions turned out so stay tuned.

Bills Blog 6.24.06... The Student Leadership Academy - Indiana

The Hoosier State was great because of my time with the folks at West Central Indiana Educational Service Center  www.wciesc.k12.in.us . They are one of my longest running clients (since 1992) and in 1995 we started a program there for teens called TSLA (The Student Leadership Academy) It is a year long program designed to empower high school leaders to take leadership back into their school and community. The one year program begins with a three day summer intensive in June each year. This year was "unique" because it was the first time we ventured outside of Greencastle Indiana for the program. We were near the  small community of Spencer Indiana at a state park called, Mccormicks State Park.  www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_mccormick.html It is an amazing facility with a great friendly hotel and staff, amazing food, tons of nature trails and lots of great scenery. However, our schedule in the program was so filled with training that we really only got outside to see the facilities on the ropes day. Craig Hillier ( www.craighillier.com ) and I came in on Tuesday night before the training began, and on Wednesday morning met up with the West Central staff where we began the training at about 10am on Wednesday morning. Craig and I spent the whole day with them focusing on his Breakthrough Leadership Training and my Personal Leadership skills training. We went until about 10:00pm that evening. The day was long, but we laughed, learned and got off to a great start. On Thursday morning Craig took the 50+ leadership students through his "Team Dynamics" program which gave them insight to learn how to deal with different personality styles as a team. This is important because they applied all of those skills on the ropes course the following afternoon. While Craig was working with the teens I was outside in the park setting up and designing the ropes course with the TSLA Staff. The staff consisted of former TSLA graduates who come back and volunteer their time because the see value in the program. They included, Beth, Katie, Lindsey, Eric, Derrick, Chelsea, Cheryl, Drew, Bob, Sara and Brittany. They were amazing because in a short period of time we got the whole course set up and were ready for the participants to come out on the course by noon. It was a perfect ropes day except for a minor rain delay for about an hour and we were back out on the course. The day was filled with tons of support, breakthroughs, challenges, team hugs and great learning! After dinner we debriefed the ropes day, and the shares were amazing. It was great to hear the participants use the "language" of the training and apply all that they had learned in the previous day of training. By this time the group was in synch, we had gone through some Forming, norming, storming and we were performing on a whole new level! We had two very emotional events that evening that I will not go into, because you "kinda gotta be there" to get, but lets just say that it was "tranformational" in the end and some great shifts were made by all the participants. Bernie Mcgee, ( www.berniemcgee.com  ) who came down to help out with ropes day sang a song to cap off the evening "I Believe I Can Fly" and it was the perfect end to a great day. Bernie will be interning for us in July, he is incredibly talented and my history with him goes back to when he was in the sixth grade at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Terre Haute, Indiana. Over the years we have become great friends and I love him like a son. The final day was filled with "re-entry" content and working with "how are we going to apply all that we have learned" when we go back. Then at about 5:00pm parents showed up, we had a short graduation ceremony, and closed the program. All in all it was a great TSLA experience. Many thanks goes out to all the TSLA participants who worked hard through out the three days and all the staff who returned to help out! A special thank-you to Dave Archer the director of West Central Indiana Educational Service Center, without his support there is no way this can happen for the teens of Indiana, thanks to Bert, West Central staff member who was a ton of fun to be around and made it all flow like clockwork, Bob, a first year graduate of TSLA back in 95 who is now a professional but gives his vacation time each year  because he sees the value of the program, Drew Brothers, who will one day be working his own camps for special needs kids in Wyoming...GO DREW!, Valerie Buchanan for always supporting and helping out, and for doing so much over the years to support my mission in working with teens, Jim Brothers who is the demonstration of service and dedication to teens, all the advisors who brought teens to the program and of course to Tammy Brothers who has a heart bigger than Indiana, and who continues to push for quality programming for Indiana Teens! It was a great week... "Now I am gonna go fix me a Pepsi" (inside joke, I don't drink Pepsi).

Bills Blog 6.17.06 Nebraska State Officer Leadership Academy

Just returned from the Nebraska State Officer Leadership Academy at Doane College in Nebraska. This is the ninth consecutive year I have had the opportunity to work with the newly elected state officers from all over the state on Nebraska. This year we had state officer teams from FCCLA, (Family, Career, Community Leaders of America Skills USA, DECA (marketing education), FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America, BPA (Business Professionals of America), and HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America). To learn more about these organizations and the great work they do go to: www.fccla.com,  www.skillsusa.org, www.deca.org, www.fbla.org, www.fbla-pbl.org, and www.hosa.org. This years programming involved three days of True Leadership training in which we focused on Personal Leadership, Team Leadership and Service Leadership. As always the students were incredible, we laughed a lot, got connected with our hearts and the reasons why we choose to "make a difference", and did some great activities that brought forth some powerful leadership skills. A special thanks goes out to all the state advisors who make this possible every year and for your continued desire to have an impact on the youth of America. Next week I am off to Indiana to speak at The Student Leadership Academy for the 12 consecutive year! I will be joined by good friend Craig Hillier, and we are both excited to get to work together again. If you have not been to Craigs' site please visit him at www.craighillier.com to learn about "Engaging Programs that Stretch your Mind, Body and Imagination!" 

Bills Blog Archive (Go here to read Blogs from June-September 2006)

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

Happy Birthday Nick Smay!

FBLA-PBL is a national organization that promotes business education and leadership for high school and college students. It is an awesome organization that is based in high schools and colleges across the nation. Students who belong compete in business events, gain leadership skills and get many chances to network with other students across the nation. Tonight was the opening of the first of four fall leadership conferences that will take place across the nation. Next week I will be in New Jersey to keynote that one and another will be going on in Florida at the same time and then I will do the last one in Wisconsin on the following week. We had about 2000 in attendance this evening from all over the country. We had students from California, Nevada, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas to name a few. It was a great group. It was wonderful to see some familiar faces from Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska. Bev Newton the state advisor for Nebraska FBLA was in attendance and I was really happy to see her. She does a great job with her students and is a first class professional in FBLA. Special thanks to Robert Smothers for putting on such a great conference and to the folks at Cybris who handled all the AV. They did a marvelous job. Looking forward to the next two weeks! 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 10.24.06 Hutchinson Middle  School - Hutchinson Kansas

Hutchinson has a phenomenal concept when it comes to Middle School education! Most communities the size of Hutchinson have two different middle schools feeding into one high school and in the past I thought that doing it that way was a pretty good system, but rather than have two different middle schools Hutchinson has a different middle schools- one for each grade. Two separate facilities, one for seventh and one for eighth. I really like the concept and I have always felt that the needs of 7th grade students were completely different from the needs of 8th grade students, and educating them this way really allows educators to fit the learning to those needs. Great concept. Today I got to speak at each facility and I did an assembly for the 7th grade and then did an assembly for the 8th grade. Both assemblies went great, and yet both assemblies I chose a different approach. When you stand in front of each grade you just get a sense about thier different needs and I was amazed at how my approach with each group changed. Again, both student groups were great, but both have different needs. Having two separate assemblies allowed me to tailor each assembly so I could address the students where they were rather than trying to be so general in my approach. Thank-you, Sandy Woodson and the Communities that Care Grant for giving me this opportunity and it was great to meet Mr. Ellegood who is the principal for both locations. It was a great day in Hutchinson! It was also good to see the students from Hutch High who participated in the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit that we do in Rock Springs every year. They came back to Hutchinson and are implementing their Community Action Plan and their goal is to reduce underage drinking in Reno County. Again if you would like to find out how to get involved in this program and create your own Community Action Plan by creating attending a phenomenal training go to www.kfp.org. Maria Torres Anderson and Michelle Voth with Kansas Family Partnership do an amazing job of putting together a great training for youth and their communities.

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 10.17.06 - Problems? Challenges with Leadership in Your School/Community/Business

Please use me as a resource and sounding board... bill@billcordes.com

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! If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me: bill@billcordes.com

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!