Tuesday morning came with an excitement mixed with anxiety. Our team was ready to see how we lined up against our Southeastern counterparts. We arrived in the lobby of the hotel to greet the members of the Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama state officer teams. We wondered how similar or different each team would be. If they would like us, if we would like them... We mingled for a couple of minutes and soon headed to breakfast where we broke bread and exchanged some small talk. We soon found that all our worries were for naught. It wasn't a competition; we were all there to learn to better serve.
After breakfast, Florida, being the host, performed opening ceremonies and then turned the session over to Randa Braune and Bethany Bohnenblust, our two national officers. The opportunity to work with and learn from the two national officers is something that I'll remember long after NLCSO. I probably learned more from watching these two amazing young women then from the workshops they presented. They were poised, passionate, and their command of the room and subject matter was awe inspiring. It was like their voices and body movements worked seamlessly to communicate their love for FFA and the values of a strong team. No movement in their presentation was without purpose. Whether it was a hand gesture, or the inflection in their voices, every aspect melded so effortlessly and transitionless that it made listening truly enjoyable. It was very motivating to know that communication can be that beautiful in its efficiency.
After Florida finished with their opening ceremonies, each of us were given the holy grail of workshop presenting, "The Arsenal". This book contains a treasure trove of presenting goodies. I'm kind of excited to peruse this volume full of workshop techniques.
I look back fondly on NLCSO. It was a very positive experience in that it brought our team closer together and allowed us to learn by watching some amazing leaders in action. And, after all of this team building and leadership development, we got to go to Disney World! We spent our final day at the Epcot theme park touring the different countries of Disney. Nothing put the cherry on top of our NLCSO experience like Disney. It was an amazing week with amazing people, and I feel confident that it will help us better serve the members of the North Carolina FFA Association.
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