September 30, 2009 – Our Town – OWU

OWU President’s Club members with President Rock Jones.

Photo by Paul Molitor

OWU President’s Club Retreat
Planning, training, and bonding at Camp Lazarus

At this point in time, many students are already planning on how they will spend their mid-semester breaks. Some plan for trips, and others are still undecided, but sophomore Katie Jenks will be getting to know 24 other OWU students at a President’s Club retreat.

On October 14, members of this prestigious club, of which Jenks is a member, will meet at Camp Lazarus in Delaware County. The club, which started more than two decades ago, has a mission to support and advance the goals of Ohio Wesleyan University, with specific focus on the Office of the President.

“I am really looking forward to the retreat,” says Jenks, who is also one of the student coordinators of the event. “Not only will we have the chance to bond and get to know other President's Club members, but we're also going to haves a great time doing some event planning. The President's Ball will be here before we know it.”

Assistant Director for Student Involvement for Leadership and club advisor Nancy Bihl Rutkowski explains that members don’t usually have much time to gather together as a group.

“This retreat will be a good time for them to hone their leadership skills and have training on team building.”

Jenks adds that the morning will be devoted to doing various activities, discussing challenges, and other initiatives, and during the afternoon, they will be working on some event planning, with an actual event planner, Pat Holstein, of Post Events.

One of the benefits of being a President’s Club member is the opportunity to participate in this retreat. Other benefits include attending a Leadership Conference; working on a display case in the campus center, featuring photos of club members and their qualifications; designing a Web page to include photos and biographies of members; and being a lifetime President’s Club member.

The President’s Club is composed of 25 sophomore, junior, and senior students. As stated in the President’s Club Application, students were selected last spring based on academic achievement, including a minimum GPA of 3.2, campus involvement, leadership capabilities, service involvement, and the ability to serve as a role model who personifies OWU’s liberal arts ideals.

Rutkowski says the group is a good mix of people.

“I think it is an incredibly group of people and diverse with regard to academic majors. We have a mix of U.S. students, as well as those who come from around the world.”

– Dianne Macasu ’10