I want to send a special thanks to all of the staff members who made this year possible!
My BFF, Jill!
2nd year counselor! Jillian was once an FELC student and we're so glad she decided to come back!
Clint (A.K.A. "The Man")
Clint photo-bombing Gilley. This picture definitely captures both of their personalities to a T. Clint is practically a billionth year counselor! (Because we love him THAT much!)
Zach "Peanut"
Zach is a 1st year counselor and he was the Jesse Helms Center intern this summer! This picture, too, definitely captures Zach's special personality.
Laurel Schmaurel
Laurel was our Junior Counselor last year and this year was promoted to full-time counselor! She was once a FELC student herself!
Tyler (Tyyyyyyler!)
Tyler was our last year's company store manager at both FELC Wingate and Campbell! This year, he was a full-time counselor. Tyler was also once an FELC student!
Matthew (A.K.A. "Gilley")
Gilley is a 4th year counselor and never fails to bring lots and lots of laughter to the team! We sure couldn't get through the stress of the week without him.
Sara
Sara is a 3rd year counselor! She's from Texas (like me!) and we both had fun comparing other state cultures to our own.
Connor
Connor was our Company Store Manager at FELC Wingate!
Noah
Noah was our Junior Counselor at FELC Wingate! He was a camper last year and loved it so much, he couldn't stay away!
Krista & Brandon
Krista and Brandon were out Junior Counselors at FELC Campbell! They, too, were campers last year.
Glad to have you back!
Ladonna
Ladonna is the Rental Coordinator and Facilities Manager for the Jesse Helms Center. She was our company store manager for FELC at Wingate, Palm Beach and Campbell. She is our amazing right-hand lady! We couldn't do it without her.
Lindsay "The Queen of Everything"
Lindsay is exactly what her title above suggests. Without Lindsay, absolutely nothing would be possible! She's the one we thank God for in our prayers when we finally end a long day of FELC. She is also the Programs and Communication Manager for the Jesse Helms Center.
Brian "The King"
Last, but certainly not least, Mr. Brian Rogers. The Chief Operating Officer of the Jesse Helms Center and the "The King" of FELC. He is the program director of the Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge and the one who puts up with each and every one of us counselors when we go crazy.
Oh! I almost forgot...
Madison (Me!)
I am a 4th year counselor this year and I love FELC! Thanks and Gig 'Em!
Thanks for an awesome year, y'all. Senator Jesse Helms would have been proud!
Today is the day we all knew was coming. Not only is today the last day of FELC at Campbell University, it's the LAST and FINAL day of the Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge for the year! I must say, it's an emotional day for both the FELC students and counselors. Some of us, like me, have been here for 4+ years and always look forward to seeing our fellow counselors again and getting the chance to make a different in the student's lives. Its truly a rewarding experience that can't exactly be put into words!
Before I get all teary-eyed...let's move on to talking about the presentations today!
The first round of presentations is the Virtual Trade Mission projects. The company's chose a country and a product to trade with that location. Then, they calculated purchasing costs, travel expenses, storage costs, etc. to get their final profit amount. Team Liberty's million-dollar idea was sending "life straws" to Uganda! The creativity and attention to detail in these presentations is phenomenal. All it takes is an idea! Then, you fill in all the financial details and BOOM! You've got a business!
Next, we have the Founding Father's Principles project! Each company was assigned a founding principle including constitutionalism (or limited government), the right to bear arms, equality of opportunity, and free trade. The Founding Fathers Principles project were designed to allow the students to teach their peers about that founding principle and why it is important to the free enterprise system. The students could act out a skit, sing a song (or a rap like we witnessed last week), write a poem, or create a video in order to get their message across! There were no boundaries on creativity! Most students enjoy performing in a good old fashioned skit but some take it a step further and record it! Check out MAP Publications Founding Father's Principles video below!
The final activty for FELC students of the day is the "Company Close Out." The president, vice president, and chief financial officer of each company will meet with the company store manager (AKA Brian, our program director) for "Company Close Out." During close out, each team will count out their profits and analyze their earnings. The company's will have THREE options for what to do with their profits:
Keep it. It's a free enterprise system, after all! These students worked HARD for this money! The students have the absolute freedom to distribute their profits equally between their teammates or in any way they choose. However, if the company does decide to keep it, their will be a tax imposed by the government on the businesses income. The FELC government will impose a 20% income tax on the gross earnings - not the profit!
Donate it to Kiva.org. Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through
lending to alleviate poverty. Kiva works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. Since 2008, FELC students have been contributing their profits to the online micro-finance lender Kiva.org. Through FELC staff, money is loaned to entrepreneurs in developing countries, and when loans are repaid the funds are reinvested in different entrepreneurs. This allows the network of giving to continue years after students complete FELC and helps reinforce the positive message of personal responsibility and hard work.Watch the short video below to see exactly how Kiva works!
Last but certainly not least, there has been a new addition to our FELC close-out options this year. Companies have the option to donate their money to the Reagan Hartley Memorial Scholarship fund. Let me begin with talking a little bit about Miss Reagan.
Many of our graduates of the FELC program knew Reagan. She was a senior college student,
Reagan loved President
Ronald Reagan!
age 22, studying elementary education at Western Carolina University, excited to graduate in May 2014. She had been a counselor with FELC since 2011 and was very well-known for her beautiful and hilarious quirks. She had an unwavering love for Taylor Swift and she could talk all day about her cats like they were a person. She believed every lady should own a good set of pearls and wear them for every occasion possible.
On April 3, 2014, Reagan Hartley was killed by a drunk driver who was in a high-speed police chase over 90 mph. She was such a special girl who loved the students of FELC and she was supposed to be here with us this week. At the family's request, memorials may be made to our program's scholarship fund in her name. We are touched to be able to honor her legacy with pride. The funds donated in her name will be directly deposited in our FELC scholarship fund that helps students, just like the students we have this week, be able to afford and attend the FELC program. Though it may be hard to believe, there are several eager and talented students who want to come and learn from our program, but do not have the funds. The Reagan Hartley Memorial fund makes it possible for those students. You can click here to view Reagan Hartley's obituary and view her tribute video.
Ready for it? TIME FOR WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR ALL ALONG! The Closing Ceremony awards!
CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM VIRTUE! Team Virtue's counselor this week was Jillian Hancin. Jillian is a second-year counselor and we cant express enough how much her team deserved this honor! Team Virtue's company was a concessions business called "Snacks on Stack" and along with raising the most money this week, the team excelled in nearly every competition they came across! I also want to give a big congratulations to McKay Dula for winning first place in the speech contest! Not to mention, congrats to Jessica Thompson Worley on taking home first place for her exceptional essay on her law of life.
Thanks Campbell! We enjoyed our stay here and REALLY enjoyed the students we have the privilege to meet! I'm very, very sad to say that today concludes our Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge for the year 2014.
Day four is usually the toughest day for students! It's the last full-day of FELC and from the stress and exhaustion, you can see it in their eyes! These students have been working HARD day-in and day-out. Maybe today's commercial presentations will give them a little pep! Here's a few commercials presented today, check 'em out!
For whatever reason, YouTube is not allowing me to post the videos directly to the blog! So I will provide the links to YouTube below!
Next, it was time for the speech contest! The spoken word is very important in today's society. No matter the job position you find yourself in later in life, the ability to express one self's clearly, consistently (and sometimes persuasively) is invaluable. Each company elected two representatives from their group to shine and give a speech on a specific topic. This year's topic is "does capitalism encourage greed?" The students could say "yes" or "no" but what the judges were looking for is how they supported their theory. Was it logical? Were their points clear? We also looked at public speaking skills such as body language, clarity, appearance, eye contact, etc.
Think about the important and effective leaders you know and work with in your daily life. Are they meek and quiet when they speak or do they deliver their messages clearly and confidently? The most successful leaders (whether in business, government or community activities) are all effective speakers and can express their words ina way that makes people notice!
Our speaker today is a professor of economics and philosophy at Wake Tech, Derrick Nantz. His message to the students was about how to think critically, and then how to think about your "thinking!" He taught the students how to "fix glitches" in our thinking so that we can process information clearly and objectively. (His lesson fit very well with Pearce Godwin's teaching about listening first!)
After dinner, it was time for our last and final evening of selling! The pressure is on and the students are busy, busy completing assignments and getting orders filled for whatever product or service they
offer! With two BIG and very important project presentations due tomorrow, the teams are really getting a important lesson in time management! Like I said at the beginning - one of the important keys to success is TIME MANAGEMENT! (Not to mention, it's an important concept in succeeding not only in business, but also COLLEGE! Take it from me.)
FELC has had a spectacular week so far with some very bright and creative students! Tonight's biggest hit was the company "East Coast Entertainment" and their karaoke party they hosted! With
"FELC friendly" songs approved by their counselor, the students had an absolute blast singing and laughing with their new friends! The concessions companies took advantage of the opportunity and set up camp right outside the karaoke room to aid parched karaoke participants and the Style company sold their remaining t-shirts in the back of the room! (East Coast Entertainment even gave a shout-out to the Style company for allowing them to borrow their room!) Publications, too, was chalk-full of business with new-found friends wanting to make lasting memories at the MAP Publications photo booth!
The Laws of Life Essay Contest: This individual contest is an opportunity to express each student's values through writing and reflection. The "laws of life" are the rules, ideals and moral principles by which we live. Each student will write an essay discussing one law of life that means the most to him or her.
The Laws of Life Essay contest is an opportunity to express student's values through writing and reflection! Rather than writing a structured, formal essay with lots of sources cited, the Laws of
Life Essay encourages students to think about life experiences they and the people they know have had and reflect on the lessons learned in those moments. FELC students will write a handwritten two-page OR a typed one-page essay discussing one law of life that means the most to them! This is an individual, private contest - only Lindsay or a selected member on the staff will read the essays and will not be shared with anyone. Writing is a lost art and it's important to develop these skills before college! Additionally, there is a CASH prize for the top three essay contest winners!
Ding, ding! Round two for debates! The same rules apply as before - three minutes to prepare, three minutes to deliver. Three DIFFERENT students than who presented yesterday and each must speak and have a developed argument! The topics for today are as follows:
Should the owners of the Clippers, Donald Sterling, be forced to sell his team? Is the action taken against him a violation of free speech?
Should the Washington Redskins change their name due to racial insensitivity?
Should school administrations do away with the "valedictorian/salutatorian" system at graduation and move to a Latin-based system (magna cum laude, etc.)?
Like the first time! Judges expect well-thought out arguments complimented with professional public speaking skills! Is the speaker showing confidence? Is he or she keeping good eye contact with the audience? Is the speaker delivering a well-rounded argument? This concludes are debate competition for the week! The students went beyond expectations and we're impressed with the outcome of the competition!
After debates were finished, students were able to take a few hours to prepare for the evening ahead. The teams discussed the previous night's success (or failure!) and evaluated their progress. No successful business is built overnight! It's about communication, creativity, brainstorming and coming up with solutions to yours AND your customer's need or problem.
Tonight is the second night of sell, sell, SELLING! The first night is usually a trial-run - sometimes your first idea may not be the best! It doesn't mean a company is a failure or that they should give up - it means you now have one idea to eliminate and can move on from there. The concessions teams are busy advertising snacks and beverages, the entertainment companies are hosting various fun and social events including a basketball tournament and a movie night, the publications team is hosting a hilarious and fantastically fun photo booth and the style business is stained from spray-painting t-shirts and has pre-orders for shirts rolling in!
This morning we are introducing our next two projects:
The Founding Father Principles project: The project will help each group explore a "founding father" principle (the values that George Washington and John Adams championed) that support entrepreneurship in this country.
The Virtual Trade Mission: This project places the companies in the position of "International Development Manager" in an American company seeking to expand it's exports to the next big emerging market! Each company will virtually (theoretically) export a product to a foreign country!
More projects! I know! Most companies haven't even gotten to start on their first assignments - that's okay! The students probably want to start thinking about how they're going to delegate responsibilities. All a part of being successful! Both of these projects are due on the final day of FELC - but I wouldn't procrastinate!
The FELC students are in for a real treat today! Mike Stuart, an attorney with the Federal Aviation Administration, paid a visit to Campbell University to talk about a man that has made a huge impact on his life - his grandfather, the Senator and the inspiring man of character, Jesse Helms.
Stuart had two portions to his presentation - Jesse Helms, the senator and Jesse Helms, the grandfather. (For those still wondering, yes, we're talking about the same Jesse Helms who is responsible for the Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge!) Stuart talked about his grandfather's morals and personal values as a man and how he was an "unmovable mountain" when it came to testing his values and "laws of life," even as a man of political power and leadership. Below is a video called "The Courage of his Convictions" (Parts one and two) that tells the story of the life of Jesse Helms.
"Courage of his Convictions (Part 1)"
"Courage of his Convictions (Part 2)"
Debates are an excellent way to improve public speaking skills and is particularly helpful in providing experience in developing a convincing argument. Today, we will begin our FELC debate competition! Each team will be posed a specific question on a controversial topic and will be given either a "negative" or a "positive" response to support and argue (even if the argument is opposed to the individual student's personal opinion!) The best way to get better at arguing your personal viewpoint is to know how the opposition would best argue against you! The basic debating skills include the style in which you communicate, the speed or pace that you communicate with, the tone and volume you deliver your message, the clarity of your content, sufficient use of notes and eye contact, and the case as a whole!
The teams will have three minutes to prepare their arguments and select who will represent their company (three students at a time). Once both teams have presented their argument, each team will have a chance to pose a rebuttal to their statements. The topics covered today are the following:
Should citizens be allowed to carry a firearm on private properties, such as restaurants?
Should citizens be forced to pay for healthcare under the Affordable Care Act?
Should municipalities, public school boards, be allowed to open a meeting if they choose, with a public prayer?
The teams will be judged on all of the debating basics and given points for each category. Remember, it's not ALL about the content! Though logical content weighs a heavy amount, it takes exceptional public speaking skills to deliver a good speech!
On to our next assignment! The speech contest!
Speech Contest: Two representatives from each company will get a chance to shine! Each person will have 3-5 minutes to give a well-developed speech on a specific topic with logical thoughts and arguments.
The students have until Wednesday at 1 PM to decide on their speakers and hope they use all of the public speaking skills we learned today while presenting their speeches. This year's topic is "does capitalism encourage greed?" The students could say "yes" or "no" but what the judges were looking for is how they supported their theory. Was it logical? Were their points clear? We also looked at public speaking skills such as body language, clarity, appearance, eye contact, etc.
Our second speaker of the day was Pearce Godwin, founder of the Listen First project. The Listen First project is a nonprofit advocacy group who believes in the power of listening to transform our discourse and change the world. Pearce gave the students invaluable advice on how to learn simply listening rather than talking. In the midst of trying to cooperate, coordinate, and communicate within the student's newly created companies, I'd say learning to LISTEN to our fellow peers is a lesson critically needed! Some of the "golden rules" taught by the Listen First project include the following:
Listen as you want to be listened to.
Let the other person speak first.
Come with an open mind.
Don't assume anything!
Seek to discover common interests
Be fully present and engaged.
Don't plan or anticipate your own response.
Don't interrupt!
Physically engage yourself.
Tune into subtext.
Restate what you heard them say ti clarify.
Ask a thoughtful or respectful questions!
Check out these awesome tees! 'Merica!
After dinner, you could tell the students were itching to get going! Tonight is our first evening of making money for our companies! One of the concession company's, called "Snacks on Stack's" is organizing a pizza party! Not to mention, they're selling Starbucks! The style company, #Merica, is taking a different approach to styling T-Shirts! Instead of using the same FELC T-shirt we were given at the beginning of the week, #Merica is buying plain white tee's from the store and spray painting the American flag on them! Way to advertise, right? Because everyone loves America! The entertainment company, Insane to Entertain, is hosting a "Neon Man Hunt!" It's like "hide-n-seek" but with fun, neon paint and glow sticks. Later this week, I've heard rumors of a karaoke party, basketball tournament, and a raffle for snacks and cash prizes! I'm overwhelmed with all of the ideas spewing from this group of FELC students!
Otherwise in English, Good morning Buies Creek! I know, I know...but it's the only word I could find to express "hello" that started with a "B" to keep with m've had some students from San Salvador and Mexico this year! So we will consider this a tribute to them!
This week, the students get the privilege of working with Lindsay Hollandsworth, programs and communication manager of the Jesse Helms Center. During most weeks, Brian Rogers, the chief operating officer of the Helms Center, travels with the FELC program and directs the events and schedule that week. Brian is getting a break this time and Lindsay is taking over FELC at Campbell University!
Once check-in was completed, the students and parents headed to Lynch Auditorium in the Lundy Fetterman School of Business for orientation. Lindsay broke down the expectations and clearly identified the all the ways to score a one-way ticket back home! We hold high expectations for our FELC students and expect nothing but professionalism. Our students are the best of the best! And we know and trust they will deliver top-notch behavior and performance.
After orientation, it was time to say "adiós!" to the parents and guardians who dropped their students off with us. It's time to get down to business!
It may only be the first day, but what better time to start than now? Lindsay dove head-first into our first discussion, Free Enterprise 101. Some students aren't always 100% sure what exactly the free enterprise is and does...and that's okay! By the end of the week, each student will be more familiar with the term than most of the students at their high school and even some adults! That's where w, the counselors, come in.
What is the goal the students are striving for during their week at FELC? To win best company overall! How do they do it? There are two components: Earn the most money and score as high as possible high on as many projects as they can! The companies are competing against each other. Just like in the free enterprise system, there will be a first place and there will be a last. The main project of FELC is the company competition. Each team will be assigned an industry and each team will create and provide a true product or service. What comes with a offering a true product or service? TRUE PROFIT! Real cash! Our students will spend money on credit and then pay it off and make profit in the meantime.
On top of running a full-time business during the week, FELC students will be assigned group and individual projects! Today, we will introduce the first two:
Company Business Plan & Marketing Strategies: Every company needs a business plan! It's the road map to success. Each company will create and write-out a business plan as if a formal request to a banking institution.
The Commercial project: Advertising is key to creating good business. Each group will film (or act out) a proposed commercial for their company
Tonight, the FELC students have three hours to brainstorm for their company, choose a business name, elect leaders and officials, design a company logo (if desired) and get a purchase order ready to go for the company store to order their inventory! This week we have SIX teams! Team Freedom, Honor, Independence, Justice, Liberty and Virtue. The catch? We have only FOUR industries!
Entertainment
Concessions
Publications
Style
This means that four companies will be in direct competition with another team. We will have two entertainment groups and two concessions. Time for some friendly competitiveness! This encourages companies to think "outside of the box" and really analyze the concept of "supply and demand." It's tough, but it's possible and a whole lot of fun-filled brainstorming!
At the end of the night, each company will have elected a president, vice president, chief financial officer (CFO), and a purchaser. Throughout the week, the students will be given a plethora of assignments. As more projects are introduced, it's inevitable that we see committees begin to form within the teams. That's what we like to see! One person can't do it all. The key to success in any business is delegation and time management! This week will get stressful. The students will get tired and frustrated and they may panic a little. Perfectly normal! This is exactly what the FELC program is designed to do. Not to anger or frustrate the students, but to push them to their limits. It's at the "limits" that we really see what these students are capable of doing! This is where the talents will come forward, the leadership abilities will surface, and the professional skills will take charge! We wholeheartedly believe in each one of our FELC students and we intend to bring out the "inner leaders" in them.
The teams will also have a business name chosen as well! So far, I've heard company name's including Insane to Entertain, East Coast Entertainment, Concession Obsession, M.A.P. publications, and #Merica. (Yes, pronouned "hashtag merica.) I guess they're trying to target a young market age that's obsessed with twitter!
Tomorrow starts the first official day of selling! I can feel the eagerness and anxiousness coming from this group of FELC students and I'm excited to see what they have in store.
In honor of our students from Mexico, I'll leave you with an "hasta la vista!"
I sure wish we could take this beautiful weather back with us to North Carolina! I'm going to miss it dearly when we return to the upper 90s down south. The good news is that the students will stop looking at me like crazy when I say the word "y'all!"
The FELC students at Hillsdale
became fast friends!
First thing this morning, we presented each company's virtual trade mission. The company's chose a country and a product to trade with that location. Then, they calculated purchasing costs, travel expenses, storage costs, etc. to get their final profit amount. Team Liberty sent Nike running shoes to Luxembourg, Team Honor sent sticky notes to Ontario in Canada, Team Freedom sent solar panels to Hong Kong, and Team Justice sent Mike and Ike's candy to Mexico! I can't believe the creativity from these students! Team Justice got their idea of Mike and Ike's because one of our students from Mexico described his first taste of the candy this week as "glorious" and would love to buy some in his home country! All it takes is an idea! Then, you fill in all the financial details and BOOM! You've got a business!
Following the Virtual Trade Mission presentations, the student's presented their Founding Fathers Principles projects. Each company was assigned a founding principle including constitutionalism (or limited government), the right to bear arms, equality of opportunity, and free trade. The Founding Fathers Principles project were designed to allow the students to teach their peers about that founding principle and why it is important to the free enterprise system. The students could act out a skit, sing a song (or a rap like we witnessed last week), write a poem, or create a video in order to get their message across! There were no boundaries on creativity! Most students enjoy performing in a good old fashioned skit but some take it a step further and record it. Team Justice chose to create a video this week on constitutionalism/limited government. Take a look at their video to the below!
Finally, it was time for "Company Close Out."
The president, vice president, and chief financial officer of each company will meet with the company store manager (AKA Brian, our program director) for "Company Close Out." During close out, each team will count out their profits and analyze their earnings. The company's will have THREE options for what to do with their profits:
Keep it. It's a free enterprise system, after all! These students worked HARD for this money! The students have the absolute freedom to distribute their profits equally between their teammates or in any way they choose. However, if the company does decide to keep it, their will be a tax imposed by the government on the businesses income. The FELC government will impose a 20% income tax on the gross earnings - not the profit!
Donate it to Kiva.org. Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through
lending to alleviate poverty. Kiva works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. Since 2008, FELC students have been contributing their profits to the online micro-finance lender Kiva.org. Through FELC staff, money is loaned to entrepreneurs in developing countries, and when loans are repaid the funds are reinvested in different entrepreneurs. This allows the network of giving to continue years after students complete FELC and helps reinforce the positive message of personal responsibility and hard work.Watch the short video below to see exactly how Kiva works!
Last but certainly not least, there has been a new addition to our FELC close-out options this year. Companies have the option to donate their money to the Reagan Hartley Memorial Scholarship fund. Let me begin with talking a little bit about Miss Reagan.
Many of our graduates of the FELC program knew Reagan. She was a senior college student,
Reagan loved President
Ronald Reagan!
age 22, studying elementary education at Western Carolina University, excited to graduate in May 2014. She had been a counselor with FELC since 2011 and was very well-known for her beautiful and hilarious quirks. She had an unwavering love for Taylor Swift and she could talk all day about her cats like they were a person. She believed every lady should own a good set of pearls and wear them for every occasion possible.
On April 3, 2014, Reagan Hartley was killed by a drunk driver who was in a high-speed police chase over 90 mph. She was such a special girl who loved the students of FELC and she was supposed to be here with us this week. At the family's request, memorials may be made to our program's scholarship fund in her name. We are touched to be able to honor her legacy with pride. The funds donated in her name will be directly deposited in our FELC scholarship fund that helps students, just like the students we have this week, be able to afford and attend the FELC program. Though it may be hard to believe, there are several eager and talented students who want to come and learn from our program, but do not have the funds. The Reagan Hartley Memorial fund makes it possible for those students. You can click here to view Reagan Hartley's obituary and view her tribute video.
NOW IT'S THE TIME WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...The Closing Awards ceremony!
CONGRATULATIONS TEAM JUSTICE! This week, Team Justice takes home the honor of the number one overall company for FELC at Hillsdale. Ironically, Team Justice happened to make the least money of the week - but won first place in nearly EVERY competition they faced. This system makes it to where the company with all the money isn't always necessarily the best. It takes strong leaders, talented skills, moral values, and responsible teammates to make a team successful. Additionally, congratulations to Ross Hatley for winning (unanimously) first place in the speech competition and second place in the Laws of Life essay contest! And a big congratulations to Kirby Miller who won first in the Laws of Life essay!
Thanks FELC Hillsdale for all of the wonderful students you brought us this week! The FELC staff loved getting to know you all and loved lending a hand to our future political leaders, business entrepreneurs and productive members of society.
My weekly inspiration: I asked one of my students this week, "Do you have an e-mail? How will I get in touch with you in 10 years to see where you end up?" He quickly, without a though responded, "Just turn on your national news. You'll see me." I'm going to take his word for it and hope to see his talented leadership ability put to use where we need it most! The White House!
Next stop...see you in Buies Creek, North Carolina! Until next time!
Pfitzenmaier began her presentation discussing how to make a good first impression.
"A first impression, negative or positive, is made in an average of 7 seconds," said Pfitzenmaier.
Pfitzenmaier asked the student audience how they think they can make a good first impression. She pointed out all of the good answers including a warm, firm handshake, a comfortable amount of eye contact and, above all, a nice smile! Pfitzenmaier encouraged students to get involved in college and to find out what what you like or don't like. She encouraged to students to get excited and become passionate about something that truly moves you. She ended her presentation by commenting on résumés.
"Make sure that your résumé and cover letter are ERROR FREE! That is my best suggestion," said Pfitzenmaier. "My personal number one pet peeve is inconsistent formatting. Format all of your résumé sections the same!"
The Heritage Foundation is a research and education institute (a "think tank") whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principle of free enterprise, limited government, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. The Young Leaders Program promotes the mission of The Heritage Foundation to the next generation by developing and implementing outreach to younger audiences.
My other equally-favorite part of the week! Speech contests! With such a bright and talented group of students, the FELC staff is eagerly awaiting the presentation of the speeches. Each company chooses two representatives from their team to give a speech on a specifically selected topic. Like the video of the acceptance speech that Jimmy Valvano gave at the 1993 ESPY award ceremony, students are expected to present with their best public speaking skills and the utmost confidence and enthusiasm in their content. This speech topic is the following questions: Does capitalism encourage, or foster, greed? This week, some students answered "yes" and some answered "no." Some students answered "yes and no!" The speeches were judged by a panel of three counselors and as mentioned before, judges are instructed to look for a combination of several different speech-giving skills. One of the criteria is about content - but not necessarily about whether the speaker takes a "yes" approach or a "no." First, judges seek to acknowledge if the speaker simply understands the topic! Judges also grade based on logical evidence, persuasion skills, theories supported by facts or opinion, and overall presentation skills. Did he or she stare at his or her notes the entire speech? Did he or she make good eye contact? Was his or her hands in jeans pockets or being used for emphasis when needed? Could we understand the speaker? Did he or she even answer the question topic?
I am extremely proud to say that I, Madison, personally and as a 4-year counselor, heard some of the most expertly-formatted, well-thought out, and admirably-delivered speeches this week. Way to go, y'all!
Our second guest speaker of the day was the Associate Director of Admissions for Hillsdale College, Fred Schebor.
Many of our FELC rising junior and senior students this week dream of getting their college degree from Hillsdale. What better way to learn more about the college and make a good contact than to introduce them to the director of admissions of Hillsdale?
Schebor gave a very motivational speech and explained the college's mission. Hillsdale College pursues the stated objective of the founders: "to furnish all persons who wish irrespective of national, color, or sex, a literary and scientific education and to combine with this such moral and social instruction as will best develop the minds and improve the hearts of it's pupils"
Hillsdale is a selective, coeducational college of liberal arts for approximately 1,200 students. It was the first college in Michigan, and the second in the United States, to grant four-year liberal arts degrees to women. It was the first American college to prohibit in its charter any discrimination based on race, religion, or sex and became an early force for the abolition of slavery.
One of the most notable characteristics about Hillsdale is that rather than complying with "unconstitutional federal regulation", it would not allow bringing federal taxpayer money into the college.
"Not a single penny!" emphasized Schebor regarding the refusal of federal money. "Instead, Hillsdale replaces that aid with private contributions."
With the Virutal Trade Missions and the Founding Principles presentation due tomorrow, students are having to really use their skills of "time management" to complete all of their tasks and make money for their company. Tomorrow is the last day! Tonight is the student's last full night to sell, sell, sell and they will have only a few hours tomorrow to get rid of the rest of their inventory. If they haven't figure it out yet, delegation and time management are two of the most important keys to success. Tonight the pressure is on! The concessions team is grasping the "supply and demand" concept and beginning to lower their prices to sell more snacks and beverages. The entertainment companies are getting quite bombarded by the same concept. They have a direct competition team! They will need to offer something that will target their market differently and better than their competitors. The style company is furiously finishing orders for tie-dye t-shirts selling last minute supply! Tonight is the night to make a big difference!
Before we get started today, I want everyone to take a look at this weather report for this week. CRAZY right?! It's the middle of July and I have to go find somewhere to buy a sweater. In North Carolina where the Jesse Helms Center is located, this is weather they can only dream of down there. Personally, I'm from Texas and I can't tell you how jealous my family is right now.
We also took our FELC individual pictures today that the Jesse Helms Center uses for records and for putting "faces to names" when sending thank you letters to donors.
Today we introduced two more assignments, the first being the Laws of Life essay:
The Laws of Life Essay Contest: This individual contest is an opportunity to express each student's values through writing and reflection. The "laws of life" are the rules, ideals and moral principles by which we live. Each student will write an essay discussing one law of life that means the most to him or her.
The Laws of Life essay has to be 2-pages handwritten or 1-page typed. This assignment is really an opportunity for self-reflection. This is also a private competition. The essays are read by one select member of the FELC team and is not shared with anyone. We really encourage our students to branch out and express a true law of life that they live by and why they chose it. Some students write about "honesty," some write about "courage" Each students has a different reason why their law of life is chosen and sometimes it takes a lot of effort to dig down and realize it. The top three winners of the contest also wins a cash prize along with points for their team to win overall!
The Commercial project: Advertising is key to creating good business. Each group will film (or act out) a proposed commercial for their company.
The commercial project must be at LEAST 30 seconds long and no more two minutes. The project needs to highlight the product or service that each company offers and should focus on reaching their target market (which is all of the FELC students). Some commercials take a professional and serious approach while others take a more hilarious or ironic path. Either way, FELC students never cease to amaze with their technological skills and creativity!
After lunch, it was time to prep for round two of debates! Again, the students had an hour of prep time
to decide which students would present and which point they would highlight. Each team was given a "negative" and an "affirmative" position on a specific topic (no matter the student's personal opinion) and they researched, analyzed and debated among themselves how they approach the topic. As I mentioned before, this is a different style of debates than what FELC typically does. Usually, the students get only three minutes of discussion time, but we extended the time this week. The FELC staff was very impressed at the quality of arguments the students delivered and we couldn't be more proud!
From the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, associate editor Ray Nothstine came to speak to the FELC students at Hillsdale College. Nothstine spoke about the danger of "big government" and how businesses are directly threatened by it. He expressed the importance of religious freedom and the hindrance of our liberties by college's "free speech zones."
"The entire college is a free speech zone! Everywhere is a free speech zone under the first amendment! Don't let a college administration tell you when and where you can exercise that freedom," said Nothstine.
The Acton Institute's mission is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. The institute holds seminars and publishes various books, monographs, periodicals and articles. It organizes seminars aimed at educating religious leaders of all denominations, business executives, entrepreneurs, university professors, and academic researchers in economics principles, and in the connection that can exist between virtue and economic thinking.
Tonight, our students were knee-deep in assignments and company activities! One entertainment group was hosting a movie night and the other was hosting a Casino game night! The concession group was busy developing a plan to compete with the low-cost vending machines and selling all kinds of snacks and refreshments such as chips, candy, and even Starbucks coffee! The style group was also running around from event to event showing off and marketing their product - tie-dye FELC T-shirts!
A new day! A new experience! It's time for our students to learn about free trade and the founding fathers principles. Today, Brian introduced the next two assignments for the students to add to their agenda:
The Founding Father Principles project: The project will help each group explore a "founding father" principle (the values that George Washington and John Adams championed) that support entrepreneurship in this country.
The Virtual Trade Mission: This project places the companies in the position of "International Development Manager" in an American company seeking to expand it's exports to the next big emerging market! Each company will virtually (theoretically) export a product to a foreign country!
Both of which are due on the last day - Thursday! Now is when the students usually start freaking out - but no sweat! It's all about time management. They will be amazed at what they can be the end of the weak when they learn to prioritize and delegate.
Now for one of my personal favorite events - the Emerging Issues Debate! Each company will be assigned a "negative" position and an "affirmative" position for two different issues. Two companies are called onto the stage at a time and they TYPICALLY have three minutes to discuss, organize and decide on their debate points. However, we are doing things a little different this time! This week, we are giving each of the teams over an HOUR of preparation time to debate their topic. With the additional time allotted, we expect the students to deliver educated, well thought-out points of argument. The following are the debate topics for this week:
Should citizens be allowed to carry a firearm on private properties, such as restaurants?
Should citizens be forced to pay for healthcare under the Affordable Care Act?
Should municipalities, public school boards, be allowed to open a meeting if they choose, with a public prayer?
Should the owners of the Clippers, Donald Sterling, be forced to sell his team? Is the action taken against him a violation of free speech?
Should the Washington Redskins change their name due to racial insensitivity?
Should school administrations do away with the "valedictorian/salutatorian" system at graduation and move to a Latin-based system (magna cum laude, etc.)?
It's a lot to take in - but with the additional time to research, the students really exceeded expectations! Sometimes the students had to argue for an opinion they personally did not hold, but in debates, it's a good idea to know how to argue for your opposition to know their arguments as well as they do.
The students then watched a video that means a lot to the Helms Center. The video is put on by The Heritage Foundation and is called "We Still Hold These Truths." The video is about American's founding principles and how they are the best access to permanent truths and the best ground from which to question the current direction of our nation. You can watch the video below:
Then it was time for Brian's favorite game - "Ask the Expert." Brian called on our fellow counselor, Zach, to come up on stage and participate in the demonstration of the game. Zach is going to be an expert in something. He doesn't know what just yet - but as soon as Brian tells him, Zach has to jump into character and BE that expert! Today, Zach is a world-renowned Sasquatch Hunter! He even graced us with a few of his "Sasquatch calls" that he uses when he's hunting. The students then critiqued Zach on his public speaking and presentation skills. Was he confident enough? Did he speak clearly? Was he enthusiastic? Did he seem to know his stuff? What did he do with his hands? All of these things are very important when giving a presentation!
We also watched a video of a great speech deliverer...Jimmy V.
All of this lead into introducing our next, very important assignment for the students...the speech contest. Two representatives from each company will get a chance to shine! Each person will have 3-5 minutes to give a well-developed speech on a specific topic with logical thoughts and arguments. The students have until Wednesday at 1 PM to decide on their speakers and hope they use all of the public speaking skills we learned today while presenting their speeches.
After the speech introduction, we needed a little break from all of the "work and no play" environment.
So we went outside to play a few games! An FELC personal favorite - Trainwreck. All of the students stand in a circle with their shoes placed behind them to hold a "spot." One person in the middle introduced themself and says a little something about them that's unique (such as "I play soccer" or "I have 2 siblings" or "my favorite color is red"), then whoever else in the outside circle has that in common has to run to the middle and try to find a different spot! If you 're last to grab a spot, you're in
the middle and have to introduce yourself! The game is a great way to laugh, have a little fun and get to know something about everyone.
Time for what the students have been waiting for all day - time to put their companies! After dinner, it was time for activities and selling, selling, selling! Concessions had a little snag in their plan - really, really LOW priced vending machines. Might be time to put some supply/demand into effect to try to beat that kind of competition. The entertainment companies are hosting movie nights, karaoke parties and sporting events. Style was taking pre-orders for the absolutely fab tye-die T-shirts they plan to give out at the end of the camp! Everyone was pretty swamped with company activities and FELC assignments - needless to say, it was a very busy night!
Moien! Or in English, "Hello!" This week, we're speaking Luxembourgish! We have multiple students with us this week for FELC in Hillsdale, Michigan all the way from Luxembourg in Europe! I also learned the luxembourgish word for "peace" - Fridden!
With the airport being one and a half hours away, it's taken quite some patience to get all of our international and air-travel students to the dorms and checked in. But we made it! Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan is absolutely gorgeous and the weather is TO DIE FOR! One of the days this week has a high of 66 degrees! Can you believe it?
This week, we have two students from Mexico and five students from Luxembourg participating in the challenge! We are so happy to have them here and for a chance to learn more about their culture and for them to learn about ours.
Ready, set, go! The students are getting to know one another and creating their companies. This week is a little unique! We only have three market industries this week:
Entertainment
Concessions
Style
We have quite a smaller group of students, HALF of what we have had the past two weeks actually. Nonetheless, these students are exceptionally bright and I can't wait to see what they have in store. There will be one concessions team, one style team and two entertainment teams!
All of the wonderful FELC counselors have introduced themselves and the students have split into their companies and have met their co-workers. Time to get crackin'! Each company elected their president, vice president, chief financial officer and purchaser. After that, they picked company names and decided on products and services that their business would offer! This free enterprise challenge is designed to really put these students to the test and push them to their limits and to help them turn a TRUE profit!
The FELC teams spent three hours brainstorming and making decisions for their company! The entertainment companies are planning movie nights, parties and even a Casino Night! Tomorrow is our first night of selling and lots of projects are coming their way. Hope they're ready!
