-by Prateek Vijayavargia & Pearl Singhal
Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar organized the 2nd edition of their Leadership Summit 'Lead On!' on 15th October 2009. 'Lead On!'was started in 2008 by the Student Cabinet of Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar (The whole event is organized and managed by the student cabinet). The basic aim behind the event is to bring together'Leaders of Tomorrow' and also to give the representatives from the top schools of the NCR a common platform to share their visions for revolution in student governance. The theme for this year’s edition was “Commitment: The Cornerstone of Human Relationships.”
Events
1. Key Note Address by Dr Kiran Bedi
This was a highly inspirational and enlightening 1-hr session with Dr Kiran Bedi as the speaker. It was a very interactive, encouraging and thought provoking session. True to what is said about her, a truly amazing lady. She exemplifies good leadership and firm commitment to a cause. Her confidence, spirit and dynamism were contagious. She shared her views on Leadership and what qualities a good leader must possess. According to her leadership begins at birth, which she aptly proved by citing an example of a child when he cries for something he needs. She firmly believes that implementation of ideas and laws are as important as their conception. The session ended with a 20 minute Question and Answer session. What most of us wanted to know was how she managed to carve a niche for herself in a strongly male-dominated arena (She is after all India’s first ever Woman IPS Officer). She replied by saying that it was her commitment, hard work and dedication and most importantly, the aspiration to fulfill her childhood dream that made it possible. This session had a strong impact on the students and was highly motivating.
2. Tea Break
Next came the Tea Break. On the menu were grilled sandwiches, muffins, and orange and mango juice. The break helped the students to meet and interact with old(omit) with old acquaintances and make new friends.
3. Session with Mr Sanjay Kaul
Next was the interactive session with Mr Sanjay Kaul, a Lead India Finalist and currently a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He spoke to the students about the problems of the country, how effective leadership is needed to tackle many problems in India today. He also proposed a form of ‘benign dictatorship’ (For e.g. Singapore) as an alternative to Democracy in India. He stressed on the need for stringent rules and laws and their strict implementation for the progress of Indian society. He also gave his critical views about the present Government and spoke about how the 'Bhagidari' Programme of the Delhi Government was a big failure.
4. Lead Miss Lead
An entirely new addition this year, this event was a fun and light stress-buster that aimed at testing the co-ordination and teamwork of the two council heads of each school and emphasizing the value and importance of the same.
In this event, one of the 2 members of a team was blindfolded and had to make his/her way through a maze of empty soft drink bottles and collect the 3 flags (which were kept in any of the 3 bottles) in minimum time. The person who was blindfolded was guided through the maze by the other team member. The time limit was One Minute, and 5 seconds were penalized for every bottle toppled.
5. Lunch Session
After the fun-filled Session of “Lead Miss Lead”, it was time for lunch. On the menu were Chinese dishes (Fried Rice, Chowmein, Manchurian, Chilly Paneer and 2 non-vegetarian dishes). It was accompanied by Juices. The lunch break was followed by a quick photo session of the whole group.
6. “If I Were The Leader.....”
This fresh and innovative session involved a hypothetical situation which had to be tackled with strong and firm leadership. The whole group represented members of the ruling government (in power) and had to come up with a solution to the problem put before us. This event involved heated debates and discussions as there were varying opinions. In the end, we agreed on certain solutions and a consensus was reached.
7. Panel Discussion With Eminent Panelists
In this section, four eminent panelists from different fields – Mr. Vikram Dutt, Mr. Javed Abidi, Ms. Richa Saklani and Mr. Divesh Mehta spoke about their views on leadership and emphasized its importance.They gave instances from their life where a strong commitment and effective leadership had made all the difference.
8. High Tea and Closing Ceremony
In the evening, tea and coffee were served along with light snacks. This was followed by the closing ceremony in which all participants were awarded their certificates and the vote of thanks wasdelivered/extended.
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