Legacy Project

Community Leadership
Legacy project

I remember when this class started in September and Mr. Vaughan took us outside, sat in a circle, and explained why we took this class and what we wanted out of it. I remember my answer was “I was put in here accidently,” and now in no way do I regret the accident. This class has changed me in so many ways, good ones.

The initial stage of this class was quite amusing; my competitive side came out a lot and probably scared some of my fellow peers. All the different games we played, and the different dynamics of everyone used to finish the game, it was a great team building experience, especially when Mr. Vaughan introduced that rope game. Nothing like an invasion of every individual’s personal space. However, I feel this was the first step we all took in getting away from our comfort zone. I for one actually started talking to people that weren’t my friends coming into the class.

The first volunteering we did also made a big impact on me, and probably was my most powerful experience. Volunteering at the food bank was always something I wanted to do, just never found the opportunity too. It was great, it was amazing, and it was nothing like I thought it would be.  Working in the inventory packing the different household items made me realize that what I take for granted like a tooth brush and face cream isn’t available for everyone. I always knew that there are people that aren’t privileged and have it hard but volunteering in the line, seeing these people face to face, it’s nothing like what would be expected. We all have this stereotypical idea of someone that’s in poverty. Ripped clothing, smelly, unhygienic, and sad but I don’t think I saw one person like that. There were kids not much younger than me waiting in line with a parent. There were college looking students. There were even a couple of people from my community. Best part of that experience though, seeing the faces brighten on people as we gave them food. I think it was because of this experience that I ended up applying to the Canucks for autism volunteer group.

What I bring to this group is I think the fact I’m quite weird and once I start talking I’m easy to be around. My friends have said that I’m sometimes known as the bridge between groups of friends because I can get along with anyone and make things less awkward for people. Which I doubt, I personally think I’m princess of making awkward situations. I feel like our group were very scared to jump out of comfort and put themselves out there, and I would like to think I made it at least a little easier for people to. I also felt like over the course my role as member of the class community was to be the public speaker, or at least until other people started feeling okay to share.

My definition of leadership before this class was someone that could lead a group of people and be in charge of them. After this class, it’s changed drastically. There are so many dynamics to being a leader. “Leadership is the phenomenon that occurs when the influence of A (the leader) causes B (the group) to perform C (goal-directed behavior) when B would not have performed C had it not been for the influence of A.” -- William Darryl Henderson. A leader to me now is just the beginning of a chain reaction. Leadership is about making a difference by acting as a catalyst. You aren’t just in charge of a group; you are part of the group. A leader is a stepping stone for others to get to where they want to go. I also used to have the understanding that there are two types of people in this world, the ones who lead and the ones who follow. My thoughts on this haven’t completely changed but I do feel now a follower can be a leader as well, there are different stages of being called a leader.

My goals for this class were to broaden my look and opinion on anything and everything. And I did learn to do just that. I learned that there isn’t a correct answer here and it’s okay not to know, also that sometimes you just can’t control a situation by yourself. The grade 8 retreat the best example. I never liked grade 8’s, don’t think I ever will. Having to control a group of them, and realize what works and what doesn’t isn’t very easy. Patience is a virtue I wasn’t blessed with at birth, but I had to use up every last bit of what I did have with those kids. I can’t express enough the amount of joy I felt when that day finally ended, though seeing them get pied in the face did make it a little better.

As this semester comes to an end I know I’ll be leaving this class with different perspectives I could hopefully apply to other situations and that I don’t forget what I experienced in all the volunteer work we did. I’m also really eager to volunteer somewhere else and learn from others what they have to share.