Order Of The Arrow

The sun rose, my Vigil concluded, and I was fetched back to the main campground. The motto of the Vigil was introduced, “leadership in service,” a capstone to the surreal lesson the restless night had delivered. I returned to school, band, Scouts, and the other organizations with which I was (and currently am) affiliated, and I reexamined my involvement in each through this newfound

There is one thing that President Gerald R. Ford; the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong; filmmaker Steven Spielberg and I all have in common. We are all Eagle Scouts. Since 1911, there have been more than one million Boy Scouts that have earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank advancement in Scouting. However, only about two and a half percent of ALL Boy Scouts have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. It is a very long path, but one that is well worth the journey.

“Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” This inspiring quote was said by Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of our incomparable nation. To me, this quote signifies and represents all that the Posse Foundation stands for and all I aspire to be. This is why I believe I should be a Posse Scholar. From a young age, I was always told to be a leader and not a follower. Those who follow often get left behind. I strive to not blend in with the crowd, but stand out with my ideals. I naturally assume the leadership position in certain situations and I take pleasure in helping and guiding others who look to me for an answer.

Cadets that have been trusted with positions in leadership have more responsibilities and are expected to be guiding the actions of their followers. Followers look up to and learn from their leaders and good leaders do not command their followers in a disrespectful manner, nor do they flaunt their authority over others. Leaders should possess the skills to motivate within their positions, this is how they prove that they have earned the right to have the responsibilities of a leader. These qualities will encourage followers to be loyal to, and respect their

A visit to Capitol Hill would not be complete without visiting one’s congressional delegation. Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-6) and Senator Ed Markey (MA) sat down with GER Zellen impressed with the vast work of the Order. Both shared personal connections to their hometown local Elks lodges. “I remember as a kid swimming at the Marvel Elks Lodge. It was one of the best things to do in summertime with friends” reminisced the Congressman.

It is truly an honor that I have the humbling opportunity to be a potential member of Barry Goldwater High School’s National Honor Society and that I would have the privilege to represent the society’s values and principles. I am elated to have the occasion to demonstrate and further develop my leadership skills and become a productive member in my community. Throughout my academic career, I found that the utilization of the four principles of NHS has helped me and I know that I will continue to demonstrate these traits in the future far after I graduate high school.

I grew up in a home where my parents taught us to serve our country, community and those around us. They taught me through example, my father was a scout leader when I was a child. He often took me camping and to merit badge Pow Wow’s. As a boy I began to dream about becoming a boy scout. When I became old enough I joined the cub scouts. While in Cub scouts I learned about being part of the pack, about working together to accomplish large projects, to work together to accomplish a larger goal. Then when I was older I was able to join the boy scouts they taught me about being a citizen in the community, about being a good neighbor. They taught me about doing a good turn daily, and being prepared. When I was 13, I became a life scout. Being a life scout is not anything special, other than I was able to start working on my eagle project.

At Boys State, I learned that I may need to assume a position of power if I am the most qualified. For various reasons, marching was integral to the operation of Boys State. However, almost all the citizens had never marched before. Even though my previous experience as a marching band member conflicted slightly in style, I still had an advantage. When I noticed dozens of my peers struggling to learn marching, I viewed it as my duty and obligation to help them and provide strong leadership to maintain a cohesive marching bloc. I did, however, need to overcome the barrier that was my previous marching experience. I trained in a different leg style, so I needed to speedily learn the nuances of this foreign style. From this, I learned volumes about leadership. I learned that there is a place and time for me to serve as a leader; I learned that occasionally the most qualified leaders aren’t necessarily fully qualified, and to respect their efforts to become qualified; I learned that all leaders must overcome challenges to be successful. This trying experience taught me how and when to assume a position of power for the benefit of the

While the service trip took place in the Northern US, there were pre-determined requirements that had to be met before we could embark, one of which was a minimum fundraised amount of $500. The money that was raised by this program went towards scholarships for other Kentucky residents to attend YMCA Conferences, where they have the chance to learn about democracy, kinship, and our community. I count this as community service because the YMCA changed my life by transforming an academic student into a servant leader. Providing the chance for someone else to be shaped into one of tomorrow's leaders is doing a service to my community. The third tier of my service goes towards the United States of America. An example of my service to America has already been noted in my ten day service trip to northern states where I helped shelve books with my peers and kinfolk who had fallen into unfortunate circumstances as well as re-vitalise YMCA Camp Y-Owasco through mulching over 5 miles of trails; however, a lesser noted service that many young adults seek is education. I firmly believe that the education of forthcoming generations is one of the greatest services that can be done for our

I feel I would make a perfect addition in aiding to sustain the integrity of the organization through these virtues. As an inducted

“The Xaverian Chapter of the National Honor Society emphasizes leadership and service. Citing at least one anecdotal example, how have you demonstrated one of the Xaverian Values through leadership and/or service?”

Every successful leader is built upon the strongest foundations. A foundation that is a conglomerate of scholarship, leadership, service, and character ensures the optimal potential of an individual. The importance of these pillars is most apparent in National Honor Society. The scholarship of an individual sets them above the herd; however, their character, the force that drives them to achieve the impossible, is the mold that shapes the leader they’ll become. Furthermore, service opportunities not only open member's’ eyes to the compassion needed in leaders but also the skills in management, cooperation, and perseverance demanded from them in the community.

These men and women led the way to do what they have done, whether showing their leadership in the business world, the political landscape, or the high school classroom. I know that I have been a leader for my peers, just as they have been for me. When preparing for a presentation for the Delaware State Student Council, I found a quote by Tom Peters, a writer on business management principles, which really resonated with me. “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders”. I have, since then, done what the quote says, and have built leaders in my peers and my friends. Leadership will continue to be a focal point of my character as a member of the Caesar Rodney National Honor Society, to better not just the people around me, but myself as

Academic rigor and a high level of scholarship has a prominent role in my remaining two years of high school, especially staying on track to attain Lamp of Knowledge at graduation. The second pillar, leadership, in my opinion is the most important pillar of the National Honors Society. Leadership establishes one critical role of a high-level student, worthy of the National Honors Society, since today’s students will grow to become the leaders of tomorrow. On a daily basis, I use skills of leadership in band, pertaining to being section leader and organizing forty people, committing extra hours to better our section. As a section leader, I strive to contribute and aid section members with fairness, organization, and accuracy. Skills of leadership will directly impact future experiences relating to my future professional life, college, as well as current high-school endeavors. Service, the third pillar, is another fundamental part of the National Honors Society, and future undertakings. At my former elementary school, as well as my local baseball league, I have dedicated many hours with

The author experienced the culture shock all new recruits receive during their initial basic training. James’s physical conditioning prior to enlisting into the Army proved to be a valuable asset, due to the physically demanding rigors associated with military training. The author’s physical presence and life experiences equated to admiration from the younger recruits. Affectionate memories were made teaching the younger recruits exercises and submission holds during down time from training. It was at this point in the author’s life that he knew he wanted a profession in which he could help others. Upon completion of Basic Training, and Advanced Individual training, James saw his parents again, whom he had not seen in several years. The author was pleased to see his ever loving mother who was radiating in pride of her son’s life journey thus far. The author’s father stated that it was about time his son had done something worth meaning. During James’s adolescence this comment may have