White River Council of Mentors

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Programs / Programs for Individuals / Seasoned Leaders / White River Council of Mentors Saturday, May 19, 2012

White River Council of Mentors

LEARNING – MENTORING – BUILDING

The White River Council is a group of senior leaders whose collective purpose is to foster the development of the Vail Valley community while honing their own purposes for the next chapter of life. These individuals are “bridge-builders” who carry out this charge by supporting the development of emerging leaders.

The Council, patterned after the successful Social Venture Network in Seattle, is an integral component of the Institute’s Leaders Network. This network is made-up of regular members, graduates of the Institute’s various programs and our Adjunct Faculty. The Council is the Institute’s counter-point to the Vail Valley Foundation’s Friends of Vail program, with a more grassroots orientation that will provide a range of benefits designed to keep leaders connected and growing.

WHAT ARE THE PREMISES ?

A basic premise for the Council is that for the Vail Valley to become a truly vibrant community it must, among many activities, develop its future leaders. By leveraging the collective experience of our more seasoned leaders and connecting them with emerging leaders, the Institute believes it can help bring to bear human and financial resources to address the many challenges we will face in the years to come. The Council is essentially a brain trust.

We know that many emerging leaders coming out of our schools today have not yet carefully explored the deeper character questions of what they stand for and what they plan to do with their lives. While they may have received exposure to technical skills and business and analytical approaches, in most cases, they have not yet identified a compelling purpose that directs their actions. The Institute’s experience shows that when questions of values, beliefs, purpose and vision, all critical elements of character development, are addressed early in life they can have a profound impact on one’s leadership approach.

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one.”

George Bernard Shaw

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Monthly Quotes

“Purposeful people are doing the work they love, with people they care about, in a place where they belong.” – Richard Leider

“The condition of our hearts, the openness of our attitudes, the quality of our competence, the fidelity of our experience – these give vitality to the work experience and meaning to life.” – Max DePree

“I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.” – Victor E. Frankl

“A productive and happy life is not something that you find; it is something that you make.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” – Benjamin Disraeli

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Purpose is that deepest dimension within us – our central core. It is the quality we choose to shape our lives around. Purpose is already within us waiting to be discovered.” – Richard Leider

“Purpose is the most essential core of leadership. Without purpose there is no mission or reason for being.” – Tom Votel

“Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.” - Washington Irving

“Each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.” - 1 Corinthians 7:17

“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes real happiness. It is not obtained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” – Helen Keller

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” – Fredrich Nietzsche

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." - William Jennings Bryan

“Everyone must work to live, but the purpose of life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others.” - Albert Schweitzer

A second premise for the Council is that a vibrant community must engage the wisdom of its elders to help with persistent challenges. The active involvement of these leaders with their time, their talents and their treasure can significantly advance community organizations and initiatives.

We also know that our culture provides precious little guidance in understanding one’s purpose. More and more successful baby-boomers are saying they’re not finished yet – they want to be engaged. They may have retired from their primary career, but many are now looking for significance – ways to continue contributing. The Council will provide intellectual fulfillment by serving as a way to connect with other like-minded leaders, not only to share their current story, but to develop a new story for the next chapter. We know that the journey from success to significance happens most often with small groups of local people who stay connected over time. So, this concept is about enriching both senior leaders and those still emerging.

WHAT WILL THE COUNCIL DO ?

A Scholarship Fund will be established to facilitate the growth and development of these emerging leaders. The Institute’s goal here is to support the cultivation of effective, ethical leaders such that they can enhance their organizational leadership and help build a model community.

This Scholarship Fund will underwrite the tuition for small groups of emerging leaders in the Institute’s Foundations of Leadership program. ( www.vailleadership.org/programs for more detail.) The Foundations program starts with a three-day retreat focused on uncovering a person’s values, purpose and vision, and then helping shape these aspects into a life plan. The tuition is $1050 per person. Elder mentors will, in essence, sponsor a class and help select the group from existing community organizations or common affiliations where they might be involved. In some cases, an application process might be used to identify the best articipants. We recommend that the elder mentor participate in the opening retreat and then stay connected with the graduates over a three-year period. A list of the groups currently involved in this program is outlined on the last page of this document.

Once the Council reaches a critical mass of participation, probably mid-2010, a Projects Fund will be considered to support selected development initiatives that help advance the community. Members of the Council would decide where support is most needed, and then direct human and financial resources to execute those initiatives.

WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES ?

Council members contribute $6000 per year for three years to fuel the Scholarship Fund.
Members will be asked to offer at least 20 hours of service per year via mentoring, speaking engagements and in selected “projects” of their choosing. Mentoring will include periodic meetings with graduates, quarterly telephone conferences and a gathering that brings the various groups back together each year.
As integral members of the Institute’s Leaders Network, members also provide advice and guidance to
the Institute’s Board of Trustees on the programs directed at these young and emerging leaders.

WHO IS RIGHT FOR PARTICIPATION?

Those who are asking questions like; What could I do with my time, talent and treasure that benefits others? How can I be fully engaged? What do I want to be remembered for?
Members are experienced and mature leaders, elder statesmen, who hold a new vision of “vital aging”
that includes a meaningful purpose for the second half of their lives.
They are passionate about supporting the development of capable, young people who lack sufficient
financial resources. And they are willing to offer their skills and experience in community development
initiatives.
They are full or part-time residents who consistently contribute time and treasure to the growth of the
Vail Valley.
Note: The Institute’s Board of Trustees may select additional deserving elder mentors from the
community at large and fund their involvement separately.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS:

Most importantly, elders make a difference in the lives of young people. And beyond this, they will…

Become members of this elite council, a component of the Institute’s. The network provides benefits such as monthly and weekly leadership eMessages, invitations to events and programs,
discounted publications, and monthly conference calls with authors and thought-leaders.
Receive an invitation to an annual Signature Forum.
Be included in a gratis 1½ day orientation program entitled “Leading Purposeful Lives” on the inside-first
™ approach to purpose, leadership, character development, and mentoring. This program will equip members with tools, processes, resources and a network of leaders.
Create opportunities to do things together, such as participation in quarterly gatherings with guest
speakers and other projects that the group will determine.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact John Horan-Kates, President at either jhk@vailleadership.org or by phone at 970-926-7800.

“The idea of elder is distinct from being old. Those of us who aspire to being elders in our communities know that we are older; what is most important to us is a sense of vitality and purpose, a sense that we still matter and can make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us.”

Richard Leider