Strength in community

Jokes over who won “class clown” bounced around the room in the back of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, March 30, during Leadership Legends’ afternoon meeting.

One by one, senior members retrieved their certificates and posed for a picture as the four-week course came to an end.

Leadership Legends was the brainchild of a class project and has blossomed into a program geared toward adults 60 years or older, offering opportunities for them to learn more about Winter Park and get involved.

Every Wednesday, members participate in educational sessions, take private tours and meet with community leaders to deepen their appreciation for Winter Park.

“It’s really a community awareness program, trying to create community engagement, give people a behind-the-scenes look, give them an opportunity to understand volunteer opportunities, and just really enhance their pride in their community,” Chamber President Patrick Chapin said.

Learning by doing

During the March 9 session, members toured the Polasek Museum, Rollins College and the Knowles Chapel. They took a scenic boat tour of Winter Park and learned the city’s history. The March 16 session took members to the Public Safety Building where they learned about the fire and police stations, took in a tour of Heritage Center and attended a panel discussion with city commissioners at City Hall, with a focus on current issues and voting.

The third session, March 23, was the “Health and Wellness” portion of the program. Members had a tai chi demonstration at the Crosby Wellness Center, a spirituality session at the Winter Park Health Foundation, and a tour of the Winter Park Memorial Hospital.

March 30 concluded the program with an “Education and Culture” session. Beginning at the Winter Park Institute and ending at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, members had a full day of culture to absorb. Provided transportation bused the 15 members back to the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center, where they discussed the day’s events and gave feedback on the pilot program.

Exceeding expectations

The March sessions were the program’s first attempt to see how well received the program would be.

“Apparently, we hit it out of the park,” Chapin said. “We knew it was going to be a great program, we just didn’t know logistically, how do we manage them, at their age, and their interests. Overall, the content was overwhelmingly successful.”

The positive tone of the room showed that Leadership Legends had far exceeded the hopes originally set out for it. With Winter Park being a small, close-knit city, facilitators were able to call up community leaders such as the chief of police to lead discussions.

Chapin’s gratitude was apparent as he spoke highly of everyone’s involvement.

“It’s pretty amazing that we have that caliber of interaction and willingness by the leaders of our community, of nonprofits in the community, organizations and the city government. It’s been very rewarding.”

Making memories

Justine Leahey, a Winter Park resident for 32 years, loved what she gained from the program. Leadership Legends “gives the community a deeper meaning to me,” Leahey said.

Former City Clerk Joyce Swain was another pleased participant of the program.

“Growing up in Winter Park, and having worked for the city, I knew about the places, and most of them, I had actually visited or been involved with in some way, but to do it in this particular experience was so special because it refreshed memories of those I had been to before,” Swain said.

“You sometimes take it for granted when you’ve been here all your life, but then when you get to experience the events as we did in the Leadership Legends, then you realize that it’s really a special place to live and to work and to have grown up.”

Leadership Legends is running another free pilot program during the month of June. For more information on the program and the application process, e-mail Patrick Chapin at [email protected]

Learn more

Leadership Legends

Application deadline:

May 20, 2011

Sessions:

“Welcome Retreat and Reception”: Wednesday, June 1 at 3:30-6 p.m.

“Historical Winter Park”: Wednesday, June 8 at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Our Town”: Wednesday, June 15 at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Health and Wellness”: Wednesday, June 22 at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Education, Culture, Wrap-up”: Wednesday, June 29 at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contact: Patrick Chapin

407-644-8281

[email protected]