Future Leader Camp takes off

By Benjamin Hannur
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Norwich's Future Leader Camp has been undergoing a reorganization and utilizing new publicity tools to promote attendance in the special leadership program.

"Norwich University is an institution of leadership; that's what we've been doing since 1819, and that's what we want to be doing this summer program," according to the director of corps recruitment, Skip Davison.

The Dean of enrollment management asked Davison to get involved in the camp from a marketing standpoint.

"Through many discussions about the camp, they realized that I was just limping along," Davison said.

Recently postcards and posters where sent out to Scout Troops, Civil Air Patrol, JROTC, and Sea Cadet Units in an effort to interest them in the camp. Already, 112 requests for applications have been received, and many more keep flowing in, Davison said.

The camp is going to kick off on July 6, 2003 and run until August 2. The camp will have two two-week sessions when campers will be present.

Counselors are requested to arrive a week before camp starts for training and leave a week after camp is concluded for clean up.

Davison wants to make certain that the word is out that the camp is not a military style camp for problem children.

"They must have a 2.25 GPA or above to qualify, and they must have a letter of recommendation that says, 'this is a high speed individual,'" said Davison.

The goal of the camp is to bring in students who are presently serving in leadership positions and who want to expand their leadership skills.

"I am talking about high school students who are rising male and female sophomores, juniors, and seniors; we don't want any students younger than that," Davison said.

The camp is being used to recruit future students into Norwich.

"This summer program, bottom line, is a recruitment tool for corps recruitment," Davison said. "The whole focus of this is designed to recruit students for the Norwich University corps of cadets."

The director of the camp is Master Sergeant Jeff Goddard, U.S. Army Special Forces retired. Goddard is presently a Junior Army ROTC instructor at Spaulding High School in Barre, Vt.

Together Goddard and Davison will be starting interviews for camp counselors on March 17. "They have to submit a cover letter and resume, and they will be interviewed by myself and MSG Goddard," Davison explained, adding that there will be a total of eight counselors, who must be mature and have a background in leadership.

"What we are looking for besides maturity are supervisory experience and a background in handling and working with ropes, first aid, CPR, working with the climbing wall, high ropes course, and rappel tower," Davison said. Counselors will be making $400 per week as well as room and board.

Each session will cost $1,250 per camper, not including the $25 application fee. The camp hopes to pull in 80 campers per session and is very confident that it will reach its goal.

The campers will be issued green fatigue pants (however, that may change), boots, a gray tee-shirt as well as three short sleeved shirts and one long sleeved shirt.

"I know that the uniform first off causes people to bond together as a group and a team; it instills a sense of camaraderie; it instills a sense of discipline in them," said Davison.

Once the 80 campers arrive, they will be split into eight teams made up of 10 people each. They will live in the dorms at Norwich with four counselors per floor. They will also eat in the NU dining hall unless they are out in the field.

Each minute of the day is planned, Davison said. The training schedule is set up so that the campers will have something to do from when they wake at 5:30 a.m. until they go to bed at 10:30 p.m.

There are also unscheduled training events that will take place. Campers will be given an instruction sheet for a drill and ceremonies competition and one to make a platoon guidon the first night they arrive at camp. The campers will be in charge of completing these tasks in their own time.

Each member of a squad will have the opportunity to be a team leader once during their two-week session. The new team leader for the following day will be chosen during dinner.

"Immediately after dinner, the directory, counselors, and the new team leaders will meet, and they'll have a FRAG order for the next days' activities," said Davison.

The camp is looking at buying five to eight thousand dollars worth of equipment.

"The camping supplies are coming from all over, Davison said. "We looked at a number of companies for ropes and a number of companies for Army shelter halves."

The campers will also buy their own harnesses and ropes. The campers will bring their own rucksacks, rain gear and other personal items.

About half the training will be conducted at Norwich University using its facilities, such as the high ropes course, obstacle course, leadership reaction course, and rappel tower.

"We will be transporting them off campus to a couple of events. One day, they will climb Camel's Hump to have lunch; the next day they will go to Deer Leap Rock for rock climbing and rappelling; the day before they leave we will take them up to Lake Elmore, for relaxing and to take it easy," said Davison.

Operation Ultimate Challenge is what field training exercises are going to be called. These exercises will be conducted at night. They will teach the campers how to navigate by the stars, maintain light and noise discipline, and use of night vision.

The MECEPs have been requested to help the camp by conducting morning physical training (PT) with the campers, water survival training, and assist with field training exercises (FTX).

Money profits from the camp will be used to upgrade publications for the camp next year and in corps recruitment, itself.

"I have no doubt that this is going to be a fantastic program, and the kids will love it," said Davison.

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