8.17.2014

Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
Nineteenth Edition, August 17, 2014

Featured Alumni: 
Jeremy Lutz and Joey Mitchell
(The GAHOBY Ambassadors at WLC 2014)

Jeremy Lutz
Pope High School
 AHHHHHHHHHHH! Well that’s the enthusiasm one receives at HOBY. I know that singing “I’m wide awake alert enthusiastic” at 6:30 in the morning with only 4 hours of sleep wakes me up! I got the chance to go to WLC at Chicago, Illinois July 19th – July 26th, 2014. WLC 2014’s HOBY Daddy, Russ Tanguay, said on our first night the time and date "July 19, 2014. 8:34 pm central" and that in a week we would be wishing to be right back where we were at that very moment with all other 426 of us.  This was the most impactful experience of my life. What I realized from this experience is... (HOBY hugs are amazing!) and that there are people just like me to strive for the same goals. I am going to quote myself (How cool is that??) because it truly highlights what HOBY friendships mean to me, “At my high school, I really don’t have any true friends; however when I came to HOBY, these were the people I’ve been looking for my entire life!” This experience taught me to help the community and world through my leadership! I have since started a movement called Positive Charge that works on raising positivity and influencing your own leadership skills. I was lucky enough to present my idea at the conference and be in the top 35 ideas out of 426 ideas. I will work with teens around my community, city, state, country, and world to help create positive change in this world! This was and will be THE BEST WEEK OF MY LIFE! Words do not express the joy of finding my inner leader with 426 teens from around the WORLD. I got to learn the culture from other 16 other countries! How cool is that??? ! Hey everyone who is reading this,” What do you think of what HOBY has done for your life? OUTSTANDING! O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G OUT-OUT-OUTSTANDING! O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G OUT-OUT-OUTSTANDING! OHHH YEAA! (that was the WLC cheer)! The two quotes below I now follow every day of my life: “What are you going to do with this” ~ Albert Schweitzer. “It starts here” ~ WLC 2014!

Joey Mitchell
Robert Toombs Christian Academy
This July, I was given the great pleasure of attending the HOBY World Leadership Congress in Chicago, Illinois. Words cannot portray the amazing experience that the WLC truly is. From insightful and enlightening panels of key figures in modern to society to simply maintaining the large Humboldt Park in Chicago, I experienced thought-provoking and life-changing events, making memories all the way. I made friends that I will cherish for years, people that have inspired me to become a better individual. I was given opportunities to change the world through massive service projects, along with the means to start my own projects locally. Doors have opened not just for me but for the world, all tracing back to the WLC. I first attended the GA HOBY in May at Berry College. After that short weekend which gave me the bait, I was hooked and ready to pursue the WLC. To anyone who is skeptical or indecisive as to whether or not the WLC is for you, I say one thing: go for it. I did, and it was one of my most cherished decisions. Like most who attend HOBY, I had the feeling of ‘Why am I here? I don’t think I’ll fit in. This is silly and I don’t really want to go,’ but my mind was quickly changed. Just in the airport, I met people from Massachusetts, Arkansas, Montana, New York, Taiwan, and even South Korea. I was blown away simply by how welcoming my peers were, simply because we were brothers and sisters in HOBY. That week, the people I met were ones I will remember forever. In my group alone, we had people anywhere form the United Kingdom to Hong Kong! It was a culture shock, and we shared many laughs at each individual’s mannerisms and nuances. I remain in-touch with my fellow group mates to this day, sometimes even waiting until three in the morning to message my friend Evelyn from Taiwan. I will cherish my experience for many years, thanking HOBY for bettering me both now and in the future! Go, enjoy your own personal, life-changing HOBY World Leadership Congress! Also, I sincerely apologize to Ben Lutz for this reflection being late. He kept with me and I delivered! I’m sure all of his efforts and services to the GA HOBY community help sevenfold, and everyone is thankful for him.




HOBY Info:
Kroger Community Rewards Program
  • If you have a Kroger Plus Card, send some dollars to HOBY through this program!
  • Keep it up, all the funds ensure the best seminars possible!

Social Networking!!!
  • Find us on Facebook: GA HOBY Alumni
  • Follow us on Twitter: @HOBY_GEORGIA  
  • Feel free to send quotes to lutzofun@gmail.com to be put onto the Twitter page
  • Check out http://hobycheers.wikidot.com/list-of-hoby-cheers for awesome cheers

Hours
  • Keep logging them! Can you accomplish the 100 Hour Challenge? Georgia HOBY knows that you can. Here is the place to do so: https://reg.hoby.org/HOBYL4S/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHOBYL4S%2fdefault.aspx
  • Need ideas for Volunteering projects? Email lutzofun@gmail.com, check the HOBY website: hoby.org, and/or research into what your community needs!

This Blog
  • If you would like a "My Favorite HOBY Experience" Blog Post to be posted in the future on this blog then, email lutzofun@gmail.com also with your response!
  • Be on the lookout for the next Newsletter or My Favorite HOBY Experience Post