Pentagon has 5 sides

So, November 2nd almost time for elections. Its been many months since dc but i still think about it. I still think about the Pentagon and just all the people. This is probably my last blog however, because no one else continues to use this site. I was hoping we would all continue to check it. I do wish i could talk to everyone and see everyone again. Our senior years are already almost half way over. December will be halfway..... its crazy time is flying by!

Hey Missouri!!!!

Man now that school is back in full swing i cant help looking back to DC. We had it made going to all of those memorials museums and just all the fun we had. Now, colleges, scholarships, and homework are dominating all of our lives and many of us have jobs on top of that. I can't believe time has flown by so fast that its been 3 months since we stepped into the Truman Hotel. I truly and deeply miss everyone i met on the tour and i hope you all keep in touch. Anyway college applications and all of that is so crazy and overwhelming. I was thinking of applying to several colleges but i was wondering of the people who still check this blog where are you thinking of going to college? If anyone wants or needs to talk to me call or text me at 573-578-0568

Wow

Two months ago tonight we all arrived in Jefferson City nervous and anticipating the greatest trip of our lives. Now its back to school for another journey that will create who we are meant to be and prepare us for our future...... I just cant believe its been two months since i met all the amazing people i met..... i miss you all a lot i hope to keep in touch through the next nine months of school and i also hope to hang out with you all again.... to the sponsers and co-ops one last time i thank you all for the great honor and privledge you have us this summer to go to dc.

Seniors!!!!

Summer is over now........ we have less than a week left for some and others its already over... we are all going back to school and finishing our 12 year commitment to education. Yet as school approaches it makes me think about the trip over a month and a half ago....... we truly had the time of our life and i hope that school does not seperate us and that we all keep in touch. Life is far too short to put off friendships and chances to keep in touch. Anyway this summer for me has been crazy full of planning and thinking about college and my life after high school. I cant believe i am graduating this year..... i just never believed this day would come.......it was always in the distance but now..... We're Seniors! We are the top of the school and we are the preparing for the future! It is going to be a crazy year and i hope you all share my hope that we see each other again and keep in touch because i felt strong connections with you all and even though our houses and schools are far apart i know and hope we will get together again

New Ideas

So the Cardinals game didnt work out.... it was bad timing or something for people but its in the works for a new reunion... if you have any good ideas tell Tom, Branden, or I. Also it has been a long time since anyone has blogged so i thought i would tell about life after dc. After Dc everything else just is more enjoyable... The experiences and lessons learned have made movies more entertaining because i can say i have been there or seen that. Also the friendships are incredible, truly incredible people are picked to go on this tour and they are definately lifelong friends. With school approaching its going to be hard to keep in touch plus its our senior year! I cant believe it has arrived, i still remember way back when thinking it would never be here. Now we graduate this year and move on with our lives but i hope to take with me the Dc mentality we all shared that allowed us to make friends and learn so much.

One Month Ago...

So in case anyone has forgotten...today is one month ago that we boarded the plane for D.C. and had the Trip of a Lifetime. I can't believe that time is going by so fast. Just wanted to remind everyone.

July 4th

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and it is a day of cookouts, fireworks, and of course bottle rockets and family fun. To me however, i look at it in a different way since our tour of Washinton. I enjoy all the fun with explosives and watching the fireworks shows but to me this holiday is more than that. Seeing Arlington, seeing George Washington's house and tomb, seeing the WWII, Vietnam, and Korea Memorials, and seeing our national documents in the archives i was struck with just how much this country has been through to bring us to this point. Wars, terrorist attacks, depression, tyranny, sacrafice, natural disasters, and many many other events occured on our soil. July 4th to me is not just a day to honor our freedom but to respect and revere the dead that made it possible. The men who brought us freedom back in 1776 were technically traitors to the tyranny of Britain and were risking their lives and families lives to bring us the framework of our country. Today we face inflation and recession and extremely high debt and gas prices. Yet i am not worried about it, this country has faced worse and has perservered so far. All it will take is a reduction in focus on differences and unification of our country for the greater good. Sounds easy but i know it isnt. I do believe though if we keep our focus on God and the betterment of each other we can reclaim this country's strength and stabiliy. Anyway i just felt like blogging this because the trip of a lifetime was amazing fun but it also made me think more on national issues. I am more aware of things in this country and i have more of a desire to keep this country going. I thank the co-ops for their financial support to send all of us because it gave us memories, confidence, awareness, and so much more that words cannot describe. I loved every second of the tour and every single activity we did.

J

Happy July 4th

Tomorrow is July 4th the day this country was officially declared independent and the day our country was formed. Two weeks after our tour where we saw our first president's house and walked the halls of the capital i still feel the emotions of what we saw there. I learned a greater respect and a greater understanding of what it truly means to be independent and what it took for this country to grow. Tomorrow is no longer just a day to shoot of fireworks and be silly to me. Tomorrow is a day that i will look at as a chance to honor this great country for the struggles its had and the people who made it possible. Of course i will still blow stuff up with firecrackers and fireworks but i will do only as a side thing. As i said in my earlier blog..i realized a lot about our freedom which came from men giving their lives for a cause they werent sure would work. Yet here we are today by their sacrafice living and breathing and shooting fireworks in a country that may be in recession economically but we will bounce back from it because we have a unity and a strong care for our fellow countrymen. Sounds crazy when i say it but i believe when we face the troubles ahead all of our petty differences will vanish and we will push this country back up.

Mo Yt 2 Dc 08

Good Afternoon Missouri! I just got up like an hour ago and i was thinking this blog needed a new post. The thought that has been on my mind the last day or so is just how much change and growth we all got on this tour. We didnt just have fun and meet new people. We all learned things about ourselves and I do believe almost everyone gained a new confidence and strength with themselves. We were constantly doing things and meeting new people. Meeting so many new people while trying to get little pins from other states allowed us to break ice barriers that normally would have stopped us. The tour helped us develop so many social and emotional skills. We faced things on this tour that made us all bond together such as a member or two getting sick, storms halting our plans, and many many blonde ditzy moments that we just turned into inside jokes. The part of the tour that probably really changed me is pictured above. Mike Schlappi and his keynote speech really touched me. All the points and analogies he made were exactly what i needed to hear. He truly was an amazing guy and talked on changing the way we think to becoming better members of society. He talked on helping people and facing our inner "bullets" and not passing blame. I really look up to Mike and i got lucky to have a picture with such and amazing individual. Oh yeah Missouri our mascot is in the picture!! Anyway I know for myself personally i grew up and matured on this trip. I saw many people who had rough lives and strange circumstances and it made me see just how blessed i was and how blessed others were. I realized this world is full of people who face trials everyday so that others dont have to. Going to Arlington Cemetary showed me all i say and do is not free and was born from the blood of so many patriots. I know that this trip was the most fun i have had but it also was the most inspiring and life changing trip i have been on. I thank all who made it possible and i pray that we all see each other again someday.

It's all good!

I wanted to say thank you for a fantastic trip to Washington, D.C. It was an honor to go as a chaperone for such a great group of young adults. When we went to Capitol Hill, our group met with Ike Skelton and he said, "If you want to be a success, make your parent's proud." I would have to say that each delegate did just that. These young adults showed respect, responsibility and wonderful character. What a treat to be able to spend time with them!

To the other chaperones, what a ride! I'm so glad to have made such great new friends and truly enjoyed our time together. Mike, Christian and Nikki--you did a great job putting this together. Mike, you have a gift for these young people. The Pentagon has a whole new meaning for me! It was just a wonderful experience all around. As Mr. D would say, "It's all GOOD!"

Time of our Lives

So i blogged only 2 days ago but still this trip meant the world to me.... i cant help talking about it! I have to say some of the most fun i ever had was at the Orioles game or maybe possibly just chilling in the hotel because my favorite part of the whole tour was the people i met and the lifelong friends created! I dont know about the each member but i felt a bond with almost everyone the second i met them or hung out with them. I may not have been great with names but i tried my hardest to make everyones trip a little brighter... I loved the cruise, the dance, Wednesday night, Orioles game and just about everything on this trip. There never was a dull moment....well maybe a couple but the trip was so full of things to do we never had time to really dwell on things or think. We constantly went from amazing tour and hilarious moment to the another. The picture above is from Wednesday night dance during "Can you Feel The Love Tonight?" when we all joined hands and danced in massive circle singing at the top of our lungs heh and as you can see Buddy Bear was right there with us just like he was everywhere else

Orioles or Dance? Orioles or Dance?

Well...they told us to blog and vote in the poll for our favorite moment, and for me it was a toss up between to of the choices. The Orioles game was awesome. We all had a great time. We cheered, we laughed, some of us even cried (Alex!). It was so much fun. Now if we could just get all 94 of us shuttled up to Busch Stadium and cheer for the Cards the same way.

The second thing was the Wednesday night dance. That was so much fun. No one was shy or reserved in showing off their dance moves. It was a time to get to know everyone even better than we already did.

So these were my favorite experiences on "The Trip of a Lifetime". What was yours?

HEY MISSOURI!
(hearing Hey Mike's all across the state...) Welcome back! I want to take a little time and thank some people who made the 2008 Youth Tour an amazing trip. First, the chaperones that helped to keep everyone safe. They walked their leggs off, stayed up late, woke up early, ate fast food, helped kids, numbered off, and always kept a smile on. The trip could not be done without you. Thanks for the sacrifice of time away from family, to help with the Youth Tour family. A couple special thank yous....Jason - thanks for making this blog happen. You spent extra time and extra late nights to upload photos and find people to type stuff on here - you are THE MAN! Christian, thanks for all the "behind the scenes" planning and helping me - you are THE WOMAN!

Next - thanks to 84 of the coolest, brightest, smartest, funest, most talented , respectful youth I have ever met! You all are what makes the the trip come alive. You guys were a wonderful group to work with, and I will miss seeing you and hearing you number off. Please keep in touch.

Last - thanks to the Electric Cooperatives of Missouri! They make this trip a reality. They promote it, visit schools, and provide the financial means. Please know that this trip makes a difference in the lives of the youth in your community.

Again, thanks to everyone for an AMAZING trip to Washington, D.C.!

Mike

Readjustment Times

It is hard to come home after such a magnificent trip. From the moment we stepped into Truman Hotel in Jefferson complete strangers to getting locked out of our rooms in the Hyatt to seeing magnificent monuments and places to dancing our hearts out to saying good bye to our new close friends, we were all full of excitement and anticipation. The trip itself was an adreneline rush of activities and trips. We spent so much time being on the go and busy that now that its over, everything is a little different. The trip changed every single one of our lives. We met amazing people who were strangers but now like family. We saw amazing places where history was made and still lives on today. We embarked on the trip of a lifetime. To all those considering going next year, try your hardest to go it is well worth all the work. The trip is indescribable in its entirity and so much happened that i will never forget. I hope that we all keep in touch with our new friends and i pray that everyones life continues to be blessed after the trip. I know i was incredibly lucky to go on this tour because i was up against my good and talented friends and somehow by the grace of God i won. Anyway, Thank you again and this will be my last blog for awhile but i am trying to keep this youth tour alive and bloggified.

The Pentagon Has Five Sides

I just wanted to leave a blog to say thank you to Mike and all of the chaperones on our tour of Washington. All of them had a hand in making the trip interesting and more fun. The dance-off was awesome, however, Mike chickened out because of "bad knees" with a smile on his face. Thank you also to all of our co-ops across the state for you financial support and planning put into this epic and life-changing tour. The tour was one of the greatest times of my life. Thank You!!!!!!! Oh and a special message to Mike the Pentagon will forever be planted in our memory because you showed it to us so much. Anyway thank you all again to all chaperones, planners, and co-ops for making this trip possible.

"Hey Missouri!"

"Hey Mike!" (or Christian, Jason, Heather, Ted, Deb, Diana, Linda, Kathy or Ken) Hope everyone's getting settled back into their rountines, or at least got to sleep in a little this morning. We had a great trip, and we want to thank you again for representing Missouri and our electric cooperatives so proudly. We had a great time sharing the experience with you!

There's been a new poll question added over in the righthand column, so be sure to voice your opinion or blog about your own favorite moment! This blog will keep going as long as you guys keep it going!!

I Love Dc!

The last week 83 amazing people and I had the honor and the priviledge to travel to our nation's capitol. In Washington we made many new friends and had many memories. So much happened in that span of a week that if felt like a month or even more. Every day was 18 hours from 6ish to midnightish depending on how long we stayed up talking! The trip itself was full of monuments and places and free food!! I do have to say though the Missouri Crew was the closest out of all the states we met. We actually knew of and were friends with everyone from our state. I was the mascot bearer and i took pictures with and took the Buddy Bear everywhere we went. Unfortunately, on our amazing trip one of our members got really sick and had to miss a couple days of activities. She was able to go to the second half and have fun but she still missed the major first days where we exchanged pins and met other states in our hotel. As Tom Dixon said in his blog we had many catch phrases. I was sitting next to Melissa Gilstrap when she said her "OMG I am Seeing the Pentagon!" and i will never forget our amazing bus driver and his phrase "It's all good!"

Awesome D.C. Quotes

So being together with the same people for seven days, you hear things that make an impression and are hilarious! These are some memorable quotes from our trip to D.C.

The night we flew in to D.C. it was dark and as we approached the hotel Mike Marsch pointed out that the Pentagon was on our right.

"OMG! I'M SEEING THE PENTAGON!!!"

That's what Melissa Gilstrap said when she first said when she saw it. That was the motto for the odd bus whenever we saw the pentagon.
We also had an awesome bus driver for the odd bus. His name was Mr. D. Some of the days he stayed at the bus right through lunch. We felt really bad about this, but when we asked him about it his saying was always the same.

"It's all good."

The Orioles game proved to be no exception to the cool quotes. There was a crazy fan behind our section that cam up to us, after we had been cheering a while, and told us that...

"You own this section! Don't let anyone tell you different!"

This made out group, Tanner, Amber, Alex, and I, laugh. But we where also crazy and excited at the game. I even stood up between innings and attempted to get the crowd to spell ORIOLES with me. It didn't go as well as planned.


GIVE ME AN 'O'
"O!"
GIVE ME AN 'R'
"R!"
GIVE ME AN 'I'
"I!"
GIVE ME AN 'O'
"O!"
GIVE ME AN 'R'
"R!"
"No it's and L!"
GIVE ME AN 'L'
"L!"
GIVE ME AN 'E'
"E!"
WHAT DOES THAT SPELL!?!?!?
"ORIORLES!!!!"

So what if I can't spell a bird no one has ever heard of. It was still an awesome experience. Thanks again to my home Cooperative, Cuivre River Electric Co-op, the Chaperones, and everyone else that made this trip possible.

Mixed Emotions Upon Return

Wow! Seriously, that is the only word that comes to mind when trying to think of how to describe this. I can remember the first day walking into my room first, not knowing what to expect when my roommates got there. When they finally did, they seemed alright enough, but nobody would speak to each other at all. I can't stand awkward silences. Not really knowing what to do, we just turned on the TV and got through the first night. Man did things change in the days leading up to coming back home. In the last few days it felt like we'd known each other forever. Not to mention, all the other friends I've made throughout the week and really hope I get to see again soon. Yes, I never thought I would come out of this missing anyone, but I truly already do. Hopefully I can find ways to keep in touch with everyone, so if you are reading this feel free to grab my email off my profile or something, oh and there is a Facebook group entitled "Missouri Youth Tour '08" that you should join. Anyway, I would like to thank all the other delegates, the cooperatives, and our chaperones: Mike, Jason, Christian, Heather, and the others for being so fantastic in providing us with the greatest experience we could have. This truly was "The Trip of a Lifetime," and I wish I could go back. Even though I can't, I'm never going to forget the things I've seen, nor the confidence I've gained meeting tons of new people.

Thank You Everyone For One of the Greatest Memories

Heading for home

Hard to believe, but this morning we pack up, leave our nation's capital behind and head back to the Show-Me State. Seems like we just got here. Yesterday was a great day on Capitol Hill; the delegates were able to meet their representatives and talk about issues that are important to them, such as energy prices and education. The group represented Missouri and our rural electric cooperatives well.

See everyone back home!

Lincoln & Jefferson

Last night we went to several memorials; it was absolutely amazing! They were all so much bigger than I could have imagined! It all makes me feel so small! I am just soaking up every second of it! I'll write more later!

FDR Quotes

I am a person who has always loved famous quotes. When we visited the FDR monument I spent the entire time just reading all the quotes. All of the quotes were amazing, beautifully written and very inspiring. This is a picture of me, beside an amazing quote. 

Witt named YLC representative

Alexandria Witt of Sullivan, has been named the 2008 Youth Leadership Council representative for Missouri. The announcement was made at the Youth Tour in Washington, D.C., on June 16. 

Witt represents Crawford Electric Cooperative in Bourbon.

Alexandria will represent Missouri for the next year at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association functions, including the national conference in New Orleans next February.

Emily Brundick of Argyle, representing Three Rivers Electric, was runner-up for the honor.

WHITE HOUSE & Purple Shirts!!

After herding 84 kids, sweat dripping down our backs, the sun shining in our eyes we FINALLY managed to pull off a good shot in front of the White House. We are very proud of our "MANLY" guys for sporting our lilac Youth Tour t-shirts. Way to go guys!!! 

We also visited Iwo Jima Memorial, FDR Memorial, and the WWII Memorial. It was a very touching day. 

Sliders at the Zone

Sittin here with Sara James from Co-Mo and Ashley Perryman from Webster who just had their first-ever "sliders" at ESPN Zone in downtown D.C. After a few games, it's on to the White House and the National Cathedral.

Here's Sara's slider...deelisshhh!!

Arlington

We went to Arlington National Cemetery today. We visited JFK's grave site, along with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. JFK was one of the greatest presidents of all time, we know this from our history books. But being there really brought his story to life for me. it's one thing hearing about these people and places from textbooks, and quite another to see and experience it yourself. 

Here's a picture my roommate Tanner Stocum took at Arlington.

We're here!

The 2008 Youth Tour delegates have safely landed in Baltimore! We are now on the buses, headed to our hotel in Washington, D.C.  Lots of smiles from the "first time" flyers.  The bus drivers said they would swing by the Capitol to see it lit up at night.  Then it is on to the hotel for some late night pizza, and some sleep!  As the tour director, I can't thank our students enough for a great travel day!  What a great group! 

YLC finalists named

The Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives named the six finalists for the 2008 Youth Leadership Council representative. The six were announced at the Youth Tour Delegate Banquet, June 13, at the Truman Hotel in Jefferson City.

The six finalists include, from left:

Emily Brundick of Three Rivers Electric Cooperative, Sara Miller of Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Alexandria Witt of Crawford Electric Cooperative, Heather Main of Macon Electric Cooperative, Ashley Perryman and Danielle White, both of Webster Electric Cooperative.

The finalists will undergo an interview process in Washington, D.C., where the final representative will be named.

We won!!!

Teaching first graders electricity!!!! 

Talk about fun ;-) 

we created a great power plant to send elec to our check-box house. Fully equipped with a magnet, coil, and wind-blown lines. We even had a sweet dog named josh. great name. His owner's name was Billy. Another great name lol

Mr. Mike gave a great little talk about elec coops after and we learned even more. 

He told us about how the coops create electricity. 

Had a great time. 

laughs all around 

My creation mates: Sarah Stokes, Jordan Hammond, Tessa McCormack, Taylor Walters, April Kiehl, Josh Kroese, Chris Riley

YT Delegates learn about co-ops

Right now, we're judging groups that have created models to explain how the co-op gets electricity gets to your home.  Each group had to explain the process as though they are talking to a first grade classroom. 

2008 Youth Tour kicks off

The Missouri Electric Cooperatives kicked off the 2008 Youth Tour on Friday, June 13, at the Truman Hotel in Jefferson City. Mike Marsch, director of member services for the Association of Missouri Electric Co-ops, welcomed 84 delegates from 27 cooperatives across Missouri. The students -- all seniors in high school -- got to know each other a little better through a icebreaker activity.

On Saturday morning, the delegates will learn more about electric cooperatives before packing up the buses and heading for St. Louis to catch a plane to Washington, D.C.

Check out the Lewis & Clark Plaza

Youth Tour Delegates,

When you get to Jefferson City on Friday for the 2008 Youth Tour banquet and orientation, be sure to take a few minutes and check out the brand new Lewis and Clark Monument Trailhead Plaza. It's just east of the Capitol building, and features five bronze statues depicting Lewis, Clark, York (Clark's slave), George Drouillard, the Corps of Discovery's French-Shawnee scout, and Seaman, the Newfoundland dog that accompanied the corps.

The monument is on the northwest corner of Jefferson Street and Capitol Ave. You won't be disappointed!

Tyler takes stage at NRECA Annual Meeting

Kailey Tyler, daughter of Jay & Kimberley Tyler of Willard, offered the invocation to begin the second general session at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's 66th annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 26. An alumna of the 2007 Youth Tour, Kailey was selected to represent Missouri on the NRECA's Youth Leadership Council.

As a member of the YLC, the senior at Willard High School provided assistance to the NRECA staff and co-op delegates; carried the Missouri State Flag in the Parade of States at the opening general session; and participated in a variety of educational activities. To learn more about the YLC's experience at the annual meeting, visit the group's blog. For more information on the 2008 Missouri Youth Tour, visit www.amec.org/YTsystems.html.

Missouri launches Youth Tour Blog

Welcome to the Missouri Youth Tour Blog, sponsored by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives in Jefferson City. From June 13-19, high school students representing 29 rural electric co-ops will use this forum to share their experiences in Washington, D.C.

Students will be able to post their day's activities, post photos and interact with family and friends back in Missouri. Those same family and friends can also post replies. Stay tuned for more information as the 2008 Youth Tour approaches!