Emerging School Leaders
Class II prepares to take up the mantle

The traditional early spring retreat from the Milton campus called Leadership Weekend allows Class II students to get to know one another even better, and to reflect about the importance of their roles at Milton, collective and individual, next year.

The site is Camp Bourndale, a popular conference setting for many schools and colleges in eastern Massachusetts. Cabins, a central building for meetings, playing fields and a gymnasium makes up the complex where Class Deans, Class II advisors and students gather. This year they arrived in the early afternoon of Saturday, April 1.

Mike Weber, founder of Great American Opportunities Leadership Institute whose focus is “building student leaders through workshops and conferences,” kicks off the weekend. He sets the stage, raising ideas about leadership that will turn up in the conversations to follow.

Following Mike’s address, students and faculty combine work and fun aimed at considering each other in new ways, looking forward to the path they will set in the year to come, and addressing issues and feelings classmates want to share.

Highlights, according to Class Dean Maria Gerrity, were many, including the great job done by student planners on the various steering committees who prepared for the weekend. Recreational high spots included a big game of capture the flag and three basketball games that ultimately resolved into one intense game between varsity basketball players and a team of faculty “athletes” which drew loads of involved spectators. Saturday evening included a “bonfire” in the drizzle with smores, and of course, a many-act talent show.

Highlights included the work at hand, too. For instance group meetings — each one with an adult facilitator— considered issues raised by student planners. Samantha Yu, who was subsequently elected co-head monitor by students back at School, shared the strategy for the small discussions:

“… Each group was handed a piece of paper with the following suggested topics. The conversations could include, but were not restricted to, ideas such as:

• What does one look for in a leader?
• How do the students relate the administration? How can relations be improved?
• Is being a senior enough to deserve underclassmen’s respect?
• Should we have to act a certain way, or do certain things, to gain respect?
• Senior privileges — what are they? What should they be?
• Traditions? Can we make up new ones? Revitalize old ones that died out?
• Divisions within the class: Do they exist? Are they detrimental? Unavoidable?
• Any ideas for themes for next year?
• How we should behave as seniors — what examples should we set?
• Our class’s ethic — as a class with a reputation for being organized and getting good stuff done, what are we going to do with our momentum? Any specific goals?
• How do we view the current seniors? The seniors before them (’05, ’04)?
• How do we want to be viewed as seniors?
• How can we connect or reach out to the underclassmen? Is the freshman/senior buddy system a good idea? Should we do skits at the beginning of the year?
• What is one thing you would want to change about Milton?
• What is one thing you like about Milton?

The students heard from a faculty speaker whom they had selected: Rod Skinner, director of college counseling, shared his thoughts. Finally, another tradition of the leadership weekend involves a town meeting — a meeting run by the students, with only one faculty member present, where students can raise and discuss issues they feel are important.

When students clean up, pack up and return from the weekend, faculty hope they are more aware of one another’s talents and more prepared to lead with insight and responsibility. The schedule bears down as soon as they come back to School: many either act on foregone conclusions to run for office, or make decisions to run that they hadn’t initially considered. During April, other students at Milton hear from their emerging leaders, elect those who will bear various standards in the year to come, and carefully watch and listen to the rising senior class.

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