Dear NJ Elks,
On behalf of the Peer Leadership class at Burlington Township High School, we wanted to formally express our gratitude for your generosity in allowing us to attend the Elk’s Leadership Conference. The trip itself was highly beneficial for the Peer Leaders who attended it. We interacted with students from all over New Jersey with various personalities and created numerous connections. Our experiences on the trip were incredibly valuable and inspired us to make healthy changes in our school environment.
The primary focus of our trip was the lessons learned from the guest speakers throughout the conference. In addition to interacting with our peers and exchanging ideas to better our schools, we learned stories from various speakers who faced hardships and how they excelled despite these obstacles. These speakers taught us vital decision-making techniques to incorporate into our lives that will benefit us and the people we interact with. Each day, a new person shared their background, which was always unique and filled with challenges. A few examples are a school principal and someone who went from being homeless to attending Harvard and meeting Bill Clinton. Additionally, we met a media mogul who started running track for LSU’s 1990s women’s dynasty and was later a runner-up on “Survivor.” The presenters gave us diverse perspectives on life so we could learn more about different leadership styles and paths to success. Each speaker had a unique storytelling style; some were very blunt or straight to the point, while others drew pictures or did tricks with a basketball. Either way, we had something important to take away from their stories.
After the Elk’s trip, the Peer Leaders came up with various ideas to implement in our school to positively impact other students, similar to how the spokespeople created positive impacts on others. For instance, we’re doing motivational Mondays, where we say a motivational quote to help improve students' days. We did the new freshmen orientations a week ago, and the Peer Leadership Unity Circle meetings start March 11th! We even met a radio host who would love to come to Burlington Township and speak to our students about how they are the future! The future is bright for BT! Again, we can’t thank you enough for granting us the opportunity to attend the Elk’s conference.
Sincerely,
Burlington Township Peer Leaders
This year at the NJ Elks leadership conference I was able to connect with friends I met there last year and connect with myself. Every year at the conference I come back with new information and I'm more aware. This year I came back home with the confidence to step away from toxic friendships. My “friends” now are not my friends they constantly leave me out, make plans in front of my face, ignore me and I'm always the last choice, I don't have any other friends so it's hard to try and find new ones. I can't leave them because I play sports with all of them and if I did leave I have nowhere else to go. One of the speakers said, “Be around people who celebrate you and not people who ignore you when you walk into a room they should all care that you are there and they should make you smile rather than turn their back and pretend you're not there”. As someone who goes through this multiple times a day, it sucks. My parents know what I'm going through and they help me as much as they can, and they make me feel so loved. Before I went to the conference I was scared of being alone. Now, I'm good. I Would rather be alone than be stuck with people who don’t care about me. I have my loving family and people to talk to about my feelings if I need them. My mom always has this motto she says to me when I'm sad, she says “you will find your people one day” This is what I say to myself when my “friends” do these things to me. I know that one day I will find my people and they will love me and care about me. Coming back from the conference I have more confidence. I will be attending this conference for as long as I can and I am considering becoming an Antler this year so I can be more involved in the NJ Elks, I am so thankful for getting the opportunity to attend this event, it's so life-changing every year. Thank you so much for sponsoring me.
This year was my first year going to the ELKS Leadership conference. I have always wanted the experience of making more friends and talking to more people and learning about other people's experiences as to where it can bring you closer with people. I never knew that this sort of opportunity would arise for me. Normally I am a very timid and anti-social person and lack a certain confidence most leaders need. After this conference I not only felt, but acted in a new way. I have made more friends already in the time that the conference has finished, I have benefited myself in more self care and actually began to take time and reflect in my moments, I have even started to speak to some of my teachers about starting a drive or fundraiser in a cause, where as they approved and I’m on the way to starting one. Just being there and feeling the actions and mental blocks others face and then learning how to help or overcome these has led me to become a more aware and open individual. I am so glad that I have been given the chance to go to this event and would like to continue for further years and would like to say thank you for sponsoring me for an event like this.