LJ IV Survives Opening Retreat

The fourth class of Leadership Jefferson completed its Opening Retreat over the past two days (Sep 17 and 18). The participants started off at the Quality Inn at Harpers Ferry, where they took a look at what leadership means and learned the names and backgrounds of fellow participants. The group then went white water rafting with River and Trail Outfitters. It was a cool and damp day, but the participants managed to make the most of the situation. Following the trip -- which involved very low water on the Shenandoah River, not to mention plenty of swallows, egrets, cormorants, great blue herons, and a couple of bald eagles -- the participants traveled to the National Conservation Training Center, where they had a great meal and then used the examples of the raft guides to discuss leadership skills. After enjoying the nice bar at the Commons at NCTC, the class stayed at one of the lodges at the facility. In case you are wondering, NCTC is top notch.

On Friday morning, the participants took a tour of NCTC and participated as the live audience for a filming of a Fish and Wildlife television show. After the tour, the group spent more time getting to know one another using the Origins Game, where folks told their life stories using maps of the world, US, and West Virginia. Immediately thereafter, the teams were given instructions on the Scavenger Hunt, scarfed down a lunch, and took off to discover the county. The Scavenger Hunt traditionally brings out the most competitive part of everybody, and this year was no exception.

The scavenger hunt ended with a riddle that took everybody to Priest Field Pastoral Center -- well, almost everybody. Not every team was able to solve the riddle. The bottom line is that a good time was had by all, and participants began their journey of learning all about Jefferson County.