110 students learn about government, teamwork and the cooperative difference
STORY BY Paul Newton | PHOTS BY Paul Newton and Sara Schafer
Inside the Missouri House of Representatives, there’s a spirited debate over a bill. Warrensburg High School student Remington Sublette is the bill’s sponsor and is defending his proposal for loosening cellphone restrictions in school before more than 100 fellow students.
“Being the speaker and sponsor of the mock debate was such an amazing experience,” Remington says. “I was able to deflect, defend and protect what my group had come up with.”
Remington was one of 110 Missouri high school students who spent four days in Jefferson City for the Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience (CYCLE). The July conference blends lessons on the cooperative business model, state government and leadership with sightseeing, team building and a day trip to St. Louis.
“Coming into this, I was blind as a bat,” says Remington, who was sponsored for the trip by West Central Electric Cooperative. “I learned so much so quickly.”
CYCLE was created by Missouri Electric Cooperatives in 2004 as another way for the state’s electric cooperatives to invest in and develop young leaders from the areas where they serve.
“CYCLE helps students realize their ideas matter,” says Chris Massman, who oversees CYCLE each summer. “Whether they are speaking on the House floor or working with a small group, they learn how to share their perspective and listen to what others bring to the conversation.”
Lessons in Leadership
Opening-day highlights included presentations from Dan Meers, who recently retired from portraying KC Wolf, and Rachel’s Challenge. Dan spoke to the delegates about the personal and professional challenges he faced, including a near-death experience inside Arrowhead Stadium, and how they can live their lives with purpose.
“Your destiny is not determined by chance. Your destiny is determined by the choices you make every day,” Dan shared with the delegates. “Every one of us at CYCLE is writing our life’s story. You’re the author of your story, so you get to decide if the sentence you write is going to end in a question mark, period or exclamation point.”
Rachel’s Challenge is a program that addresses the causes of violence, bullying and more in schools. The program is based on the story of Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Ella Cannon of Naylor, an Ozark Border Electric Cooperative delegate, says the message stayed with her. “You can always be kind and positive and try to make somebody’s day better,” she says. “I like to make connections that can last even beyond CYCLE.”
The delegates enjoyed plenty of sightseeing, including a day trip to St. Louis, where they explored the City Museum, visited the Gateway Arch grounds and spent the evening playing games at Dave & Buster’s. They were also immersed in more than a century of history during a tour of the notorious Missouri State Penitentiary. Isabelle Chamberlain of Mansfield, a Se-Ma-No Electric Cooperative delegate, was awed by the experience. “I enjoy history, so seeing all the jail cells was awesome,” she says. “I’m obsessed with ghost hunts and stuff like that, so the fact that it was possibly haunted was really cool.”
The group learned more about electric cooperatives during a visit to Central Electric Power Cooperative in Jefferson City. They toured the transmission cooperative headquarters, saw a live power-line demonstration and viewed and sat inside a few cooperative electric vehicles. The following day, they learned about cooperative careers and practiced hands-on lineworker tasks while donning the protective gear a lineworker wears.
Taking the Floor
A highlight of the trip was visiting the Missouri State Capitol and sitting in the chairs Missouri’s representatives use during each legislative session. “My favorite part was the Capitol,” says Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative delegate Vivion Meyer. “It was my first time, and we got to debate a bill.” The debate required delegates to listen closely, respond quickly and speak with confidence. It also showed them that leadership is not limited to the person holding the microphone. It can mean making room for another voice or asking a thoughtful question.
“It’s an incredible gathering of a lot of great minds,” says Ozark Border Electric Cooperative delegate Joshua Austill. “Everyone is trying to really build you up as a leader and an individual. It’s just amazing.”
“We want students to leave with more than good memories,” says Chris. “We want them to take home the confidence to speak up, the willingness to listen and the desire to serve others.” After four full days, the delegates returned home with new friends and a better understanding of electric cooperatives and government. “This has probably been one of the best weeks of my life, with the amount of people I’ve met and the experiences and opportunities,” Remington says. “And man, they feed us great.”
For more information on CYCLE and other cooperative youth programs, visit moyouthtour.com.
Email Paul Newton at pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop.