Youth Leadership Conference

Each summer, the Sam Johnson Chapter sponsors at least 10 high school students, who have completed their sophomore or junior year in high school to attend one of five Youth Leadership Conferences (YLCs), conducted by the Texas Patriotic Education Foundation of the Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW). These five-day, four-night programs are held at various locations across the State of Texas, and one in Oklahoma City, OK. 

The YLCs give high schools students opportunities to develop leadership skills in a patriotic education environment that will serve them well throughout their lives. These YLCs use curricula that is developed to satisfy the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) standard requirements, which is mandatory for YLCs to be on the NASSP List of Approved Contests, Programs and Activities for Students.

Although the specific agenda varies from YLC to YLC, the curriculum at each venue focuses 50% on leadership, 30% on patriotism/American Heritage, and 20% on the American Free Enterprise system—topics which are typically not taught in public or private secondary schools. The students receive presentations from distinguished speakers who are experts in their subject areas; they participate in a variety of leadership problem solving exercises; they participate in a mock trial, presided over by an existing or retired civilian judge, with the students role-playing parts of attorneys, witnesses, and jurors; and they often engage in field trips to nearby sites to augment their studies.

The students each send a note of thanks to the sponsoring organization, and every note verifies the students view the experience as worthwhile, impactful, and often “life-changing”.

More information about YLCs can be found on the Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) Region VIII website: https://moww-regionviii.org/programs-pep/. For more information on selection criteria and the Sam Johnson Chapter selection process, please contact Bob Gehbauer @ afabobg@gmail.com.