Going on leave.

[DevilPup2004]

Just so all y'all won't think that I have fallen off the face of the earth, I won't be around very much for the next month or so. Here's what I'll be up to:

24-29 June Leadership Camp
29 June-02 July Camp Counselor at Junior Camp
05-12 July Civil Air Patrol Summer Encampment
13-18 July Ohio 4-H Shooting Education Camp
18-20 July (Hopefully!) Rifle match aboard MCB Quantico
20-26 July County fair (got some responsibilities!! :eek: )
02-10 August National High Power Rifle Matches at Camp Perry

Don't worry, now. I've got a running program that I'm bringing with me to refer to, and I'll be workin' on my pushups and crunches, as well. I'll also be tryin' to fit in some schoolwork somewhere. Heh. Is there such a thing as having so much of a life that you need to get a life? If there is... well, perhaps I have achieved it.

I'll stop by when I can. Stay motivated! Oorah!

[thedrifter]

Is my eyes playing tricks on me.....I see the words teenager that takes action on her responsiblities......

Stay motivated.....Enjoy and Learn ......and Take a little time off your busy schedule....and have a little fun........

Take Care......

The Drifter

[22DevilPup87]

Whoa, Sis, talk about a busy summer! Have a great time while you're gone. Make sure to e-mail me when you have time in between all that.

I'll watch the place while you're gone, Briski. In between school, work, PT and filling out all these college and nomination applications I'll stop by, keep the newbies in line and take notes on what's going on so you won't have to play catch-up when you return.

Hmm ... looks like you're at Leadership Camp today! I can't wait to hear about that, and you better share what ya learned with the rest of us!

[DevilPup2004]

I'm back for a few days now. Let's see. Things I've learned so far.

The hugest lesson I learned at Leadership Camp was how to better work with people who are not like me. We did activities with 3 different groups: our cabins, our planning committees ("number groups"), and our leadership family groups ("letter groups.") I loved my cabin and my number group, but my letter group drove me up the frigging bulkhead! They were constantly goofing off when we were supposed to be working, specifically during field day. Now, I'm a very serious-minded person. Yes, field daying a miniature version (I'm sure!) of Mount Mofo, or the chow hall, or the female head (at the end of the week, of course) can really suck. But the way I see it, heh... that doesn't really matter. If I'm assigned to do it, it's gonna be done. I cannot stand settling. I hold myself to a standard of Excellence, whether I enjot what I'm doing or not. Nobody else in my letter group was like that. I felt like I was constantly carrying their workloads while they made big decisions about things like what skits to do at campfire without including me in the least. I learned more about who I am through this, because I saw how different other people can be from how I am.

I learned a lot of the same as a camp counselor, from my fellow counselors. My job was to make sure my campers were safe and having the time of their little lives, as well as train my Counselor-In-Training (CIT) to be a good counselor. My fellow counselors either did not recognize that they had the same job, or they simply did not care. All sorts of crap like swearing, hanging all over each other, and ignoring their 9-14 year old campers. Hearing a 9-year-old drop the f-bomb because his counselor made it obvious to him that it was all right to do at an event like the one we were at is not too cool. Ever hear the phrase "Lead by example?" Well, that's just stating the obvious. If you're a leader, you have no choice in the matter - you're leading by example whether you like it or not. It's up to you to make sure that the example you are setting for your followers is a good one. Trust me when I say that the "Do as I say, not as I do" method of "leadership" does not work. I witnessed it fail a myriad of times over the past 4 days. Humans hate following leaders who will not hold themselves to the same standard as they are holding their followers.

Okay, time for a little history lesson to illustrate my ramblings from the above paragraph. Chesty once issued an order that if any of his Marines discharged a weapon needlessly, they were to be fined $20. His men thought he was being way too harsh. Later, he was performing an inspection. He picked up a 1911 and took the clip out. He pulled the slide back and then proceeded to attempt a dry fire. Soon thereafter, he learned that there had been a round in the chamber. No questions asked, he fined himself $100 on the spot. He gave it to the guards he had been inspecting to use on the beer for the next liberty party. Now, we all know how scuttlebutt travels. Chesty earned the respect of many a Marine through actions like that one.

[/soapbox]

It has been a blast, and I've learned a ton. All the while, walking countless miles across all sorts of terrain and gaining valuable experiences. WooHoo.

[22DevilPup87]

So you're at that CAP encampment, Briski. Havin' a blast, I'm sure.

Ya learned a lot at Leadership Camp, Sis. There are real leaders and pretend leaders. Just pointing out the obvious, you're a real one.

We're waitin' for more stories!