Minster Service Club hears from United Way, HOBY
The Minster Service Club met for their weekly meeting at the Minster Eagles on Nov. 4, welcoming Jessica Muhlenkamp from United Way of Auglaize County and learning about the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) leadership program from representatives from Minster schools
First, Muhlenkamp, the Executive Director at United Way of Auglaize County, went over the $122,525.21 in funds that were distributed in the 2019-20 fiscal year.
$66,214.31 came from the general fund, $41.285.69 were dollars designated from donors to United Way agencies, $7,065.10 came from dollars designated to other nonprofits, $5,000 came from COVID19 Emergency Fund Grants and $2,960.11 came from the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library expenses
Muhlenkamp touched on a community survey looking for feedback with how they used the funds they received, should it be more focused on education? Health?
“We’re looking forward to gathering that data and seeing what everyone said,” said Muhlenkamp.
In March, the Imagination Library was launched in conjunction with the governor’s office and Muhlenkamp told the service club that over 1100 had already enrolled and those under the age of five would receive a free book a month from Tennessee.
Modeled after Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a preeminent early childhood book gifting program, the flagship program has mailed over 100 million free books all over the world.
As of last week, Muhlenkamp reported 151 zip codes are from Minster, 144 are from New Bremen, 45 are from New Knoxville, over 300 are from Wapakoneta, 290 are from St. Marys, 50 are from Cridersville and 39 are from Waynesville.
“The biggest, exciting thing about that program,” said Muhlenkamp. “is now it’s also live in Allen and Mercer county. Shelby county has had the program for a number of
years, they’ve had lots of kids enrolled.”
Next, the service club heard from Melissa Utrep, the high school counselor at Minster schools.
Every year, current sophomores in the district have the opportunity to apply to go to HOBY which help students learn or continue to develop leadership skills.
“It’s a great opportunity for them to see how they can be a leader not only in their small group of friends or within their grade level,” said Utrep. “But how they can be a leader in their community and how they can take that leadership role on to bigger things.”
Founded in 1958 by actor Hugh O’Brian, the HOBY program gives unique, interactive leadership training, the ability to meet states leader, service learning and motivation building experiences over the course of a few days.
The service club heard from Minster student Margaret Hirschfeld, who had attended the conference, albeit virtually this year due to COVID, as she expounded on her experience and what she learned. “My experience was a two day online virtual event, it was seven hours each day,” said Hirschfeld. “A lot of it was staying with your small groups then we would go to talks or meetings with everybody. We would be on an online call with kids from all around. A lot of it was leadership talks from people around the world.”
“I brought a lot of leadership skills with me back to school and I’m still expanding on them,” added Hirschfeld.
Each individual in the small groups also came up with a plan on how they could make their community better before presenting to the larger group.
Hirschfeld’s plan addressed mental health in the community because she said as a student it wasn’t talked about a lot at school.
Utrep told the service club that five students had applied for the HOBY Ohio West Leadership Seminar on Jun. 10, 2021.
When they apply they have to answer three essay questions,” said Utrep. “all about leadership. What makes them want to be a leader? What leadership qualities do you have? What would you like to improve upon yourself? Those types of questions.”
A committee ranked the essay responses and Jaylen Albers, Katie McClurg and Nathan Beair were the students selected from Minster to attend the seminar at Ohio Northern next June.