This year's annual "Leaders of Today & Tomorrow" program, hosted by Cambridge Rotary and held at Harvard University's Leverett House, included a buffet breakfast, as well as special remarks by Rotary officials, Cambridge Vice Mayor Marc McGovern, and Karen Turk, Deputy Superintendent, Cambridge City Schools.
In welcoming the assembled students, Joanne Cohn, Cambridge Rotary President, offered a warm welcome and congratulations for their scholastic and community service attainments. She also thanked the distinguished guest leaders for leading the students in round table discussions on the topic of leadership.
"Your presence here today to invest in these bright and committed students is very laudable, particularly given that they are the leaders of tomorrow," said Cohn.
"We celebrate you, as members of the National Honor Society at your respective schools, on your achievements and for your dedication and service to local public service organizations, an indication that you feel strongly about giving back to the community," said Cohn.
"The Rotary Club, an international club of more than one million members, is the largest service organization of its kind," Cohn commented. "Our motto, 'Service above Self,' is reflected in our current service projects that include 2 safe water (water filter) projects in Africa; an annual Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless; the annual distribution of dictionaries/Thesauri to all 3rd graders in Cambridge schools; Chalk on the Walk, the club's main fundraising event; and the eradication of polio, world-wide."
The group round table discussions on leadership topics were followed by student presentations by representatives from each of the tables. Bob Hurlbut, long-time Cambridge Rotarian, also praised the student speakers from each table for "delivering remarks that were eloquent and carefully calibrated and pitched to encourage the assembled students to stay on the path of living up to their promise in a very thoughtful and inspiring way."
The students in attendance participated in group discussions, led by prominent Cambridge leaders from a broad spectrum of professions, that were centered around these basic questions:
--Example of a leader you admire (past or present): (Sample answers included family members, political leaders, teachers, past President Obama, Freedom Rider Claudette Colvin, Emma Watson, Senator Elizabeth Warren);
--Why?: "Is able to make tough decisions," "engages people to work towards common goals," "selflessness," "dares to be different," "willingness to compromise," "respect for others," "instills trust;"
--How does a leader engage individuals s/he leads?: "by respecting disparate points of view;" "grace;" "empathy;" "listens to others;" "understands different points of view;" "builds trust and respect;" "stays calm, cool and collected;" "inspires us to be better people;" "makes decisions that are beneficial to many people;"
--What obstacles do leaders need to overcome? :"An inability to strike a note of balance;" "cannot establish trust;" "does not understand the constituents on whose behalf the leader is working;" "is not able to remain passionate about the tasks at hand because of attendant obstacles;" "doesn't gain the respect of their constituents;" "is unable to make decisions that are of benefit to all."
The highlight of the morning was the awarding of 4 scholarships of $2,000 each to four students who had been previously selected by a Rotary panel as best exemplifying the "Service Above Self" guiding principle of Rotary as outlined in their previously submitted personal essays. Additional awards of $500 were also given to each of the 4 students to present to the local charities where the students had completed public service projects.
The awards presentation was emceed by Bob Hurlbut, member and past President of the Cambridge Rotary Club, and Rotarian Marc O'Brien of O'Brien Wealth Partners LLC (who as a student was a winner of a Rotary Scholarship that took him to Uganda, an "experience that changed his life") introduced each of the four scholarship awardees who had submitted winning essays about their volunteer service.
"The motto for Rotary Clubs is 'Service above Self'," said Hurlbut, "and the four winners of today's Rotary Scholarships have won based on the essays they submitted that speak eloquently of their public service to local organizations. Each scholarship winner is being awarded a $200 check with an additional $500 going to the public service organization where the winners provided stellar community service."
The awardees are listed below along with the name of their school and the organization they provided service to:
Celeste DeLancey Cambridge Rindge & Latin (CRLS) Cambridge Youth Soccer ($500)
Noah Epstein CRLS Faith Kitchen ($500)
Jordan Ellis-Pugh Prospect Hill Academy Charter School Science Club for Girls ($500)
Zoe Levitt CRLS Breakthrough Greater Boston ($500)
In her closing remarks, President Cohn urged the assembled students to consider joining a Rotary Club in the future, or a Rotaract Club that exists specifically for college-age students, for opportunities to use their stellar leadership skills in caring for others. "You are obviously bright, enthusiastic, and more than worthy of our confidence in you. You are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow."
Contact
joanne.cohn
***@comcast.net
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