Ruck Leadership Institute gives participants foundation for life skills
Lessons learned at Ruck have value beyond SigEp
Tyler Manoukian, Massachusetts ’13
This summer, I had the privilege of attending the 2012 Ruck Leadership Institute. I had no idea what to expect as the week in Richmond, Va., approached. So when I got to the birthplace of Sigma Phi Epsilon, I was thoroughly surprised. First, we toured Zollinger House, SigEp’s Headquarters, which is historical in its own right. After visiting “Zolly,” we travelled across town to the University of Richmond where we spent the next four days.
The moment I settled into my room, I felt electricity I had never felt before, and a desire for knowledge that I’ve never experienced before. Over 150 of the most talented undergraduate SigEps in one place for four days was a dream come true for me.
One part of the program was the “Journey of Innovation” with Past Grand President Stephen B. Shanklin, Murray State ’70. Shanklin discussed SigEp’s journey through time in relation to other fraternities. We strolled past the newly established ‘Founder’s Walk’ and across Westhampton Lake on the campus. One side of the lake represented a fraternity struggling to survive. And as we crossed the bridge, Shanklin spoke about SigEp’s determination for innovation. The other side represented a fraternity at the top of the totem pole. I’ll never forget when Past Grand President John Hartman, Missouri-Columbia ’61, broke down near the end of the journey as he told us that he had the honor of pounding the gavel at Conclave some years ago when SigEp was the number one Fraternity in the world.
Past Grand President Bedford Black, Wake Forest ’41, once said, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” This motto was the kerosene that fueled my fire at Ruck. Throughout the week, we discussed key topics in leadership, change management, and vision planning. My facilitators were National Director Billy Maddalon, North Carolina State ’90, and Shawn Dalgleish, Illinois ’81, who was part of the team that invented text messaging. I was in some elite company. My facilitators offered context and experience with every leadership principle we discussed, ideas that I had never been able to conceptualize until now. I heard National Director Rick Bennet, Central Missouri ’74, Dan Howell, North Dakota ’07, and Shanklin discuss topics in leadership, nutrition, and Ritual. My team, the purple team, won the Ultimate Frisbee tournament, an annual decompression activity on the training fields. Ruck was truly a well-rounded experience – from Sound Mind through Sound Body– designed to prepare you to lead your organization.
The skills I learned this summer formed a foundation for how I want to live my life. My experience at Ruck was every bit as memorable as it was educational. The main purpose of Ruck is “Teaching the few to impact the many,” and that is every bit as true as you choose to believe it. Ruck prepares you to be a better leader in your chapter, your campus organizations, and your future career. Undergraduates, take your shot. Apply for the 2013 Ruck Leadership Institute when the time comes – you will not regret it.
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