Cadets Attend Junior Leadership Challenge
On June 2, McDonald County High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps conducted Junior Cadet Leadership Challenge at Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Mo.
On June 2, McDonald County High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps conducted Junior Cadet Leadership Challenge at Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Mo.
This year’s camp was a complete success, comprised of 342 cadets from 23 separate and distinct schools, at which McDonald County had 12 cadets in attendance. The cadets throughout the week tackled leadership challenges, developed management and leadership skills, and built their teams. The six-day camp comprised rappelling the 40-foot tower, obstacle course, swimming, lake operations (including water survival skills, canoeing and military watercraft operations), first aid, Leadership Reaction Course, and multiple other events and opportunities to both challenge and develop these youth leaders.
The schools that attended the camp included: Ozark, Central Academy, SRTC Monett, Lafayette, Clinton, Nixa, Missouri Military Academy, Moberly, Waynesville, Fredericktown, Webb City, Benton, WMA, McDonald County, East, Central (St. Joseph), Hillcrest, Smith-Cotton, Joplin, Van Horn, Northeast, Lincoln Prep, SWECC, and visiting from Memphis, Tenn., was Kingsbury High School.
During the week, cadets tested their limits both physically and mentally in a structured environment designed to build the country’s future leaders. Through their efforts, these cadets built their teams, developed and executed plans, gained confidence in their decisions, made mistakes and learned from those mistakes, and self-assessed their abilities to identify what they needed to improve upon. Throughout a week of challenging and, in some cases, grueling events, these cadets from multiple walks of life, ethnic, social and financial environments, coalesced together and developed teams and learned how to work together to problem solve and accomplish assigned tasks.
On the final day of camp activities, all the skills learned throughout the week were evaluated in the platoon competitions. McDonald County placed second in both the one-rope bridge and the swim relay and third place in the blind wagon drive. In the physical fitness category, Triniti Torrez placed second out of 342 cadets competing.
The motto of the camp this year was “Team-Work!” Twelve cadets attended the camp this year. Upon returning from camp, these cadets will return to their schools and homes with higher self-esteem, motivation and leadership abilities. They have developed lasting memories and new friendships. Cadets who attended are Malachi Colon, Brandon Garcia, Missouri Griner, Parker Gutherless-Murry, Delanie Hook, Patrick Kinney, Jareth Lee, Skyler Petitt, Ceasar Rivas, Corbin Saturley, Triniti Torrez and Briana Toth.