December 10-12, 2000
Members of the South Dakota Agricultural and Rural Leadership, Inc. (SDARL) met in Brookings recently for their second session in a comprehensive leadership-training program. The focus of the Brookings seminar was communications and new technologies.
The 29 SDARL fellows started their communications training with an "Effective Listening" workshop. Jack Holmquist with Benchmark Foam, Inc. of Watertown, SD led the participants through a series of activities designed to improve their listening skills. Several of the SDARL students commented they never imagined a workshop on listening could be so fun.
From listening, the SDARL training progressed into public speaking. South Dakota State University Alumni Director and well-known speaker V. J. Smith led the SDARL students through steps on "Building an Effective Oral Presentation". By selecting one theme and three supporting points, Smith said a speaker can deliver a clean message that stays on track. Both Smith and Mike Schliessmann, SDSU Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, stressed the need for repetition in a spoken message. Schliessmann said, "Tell the audience what you are going to tell them, then tell them, and finish by telling them what you told them"! Several of the SDARL fellows managed to put these words into practice by delivering an impromptu speech at the end of the workshop.
The importance of the written word was also related at the SDARL communications training. SDSU Professor of English Mary A. Haug evaluated papers written by the SDARL students and gave them helpful tips in improving their work. Again the need for one central theme was reiterated.
In addition to developing the leadership skills of those in the SD agricultural industry, the SDARL program also strives to expose the participants to new ideas and technologies. To that end, the SDARL students were introduced to emerging and existing energy sources in the area. The group toured the wind power facilities near Lake Benton, MN operated by Enron Wind Corp. The 143 wind turbine towers in this project provide enough energy to serve 33,000 annually. The SDARL students learned that South Dakota is the fourth windiest state in the country and could potentially produce 120,000 megawatts of power serving 40 million people.
The energy tour then moved to Madison, SD where the SDARL students visited East River Electric Cooperative. East River Electric's Greg Hollister reviewed the current network that brings electricity to citizens in the eastern half of the state. Currently 61% of East River Electric's power is coal-generated and 39% is from the Missouri River's hydroelectric dams. East River Electric is also forging ahead into alternative energy sources including wind power and fuel cell technologies.
Throughout the second SDARL session, students were given the opportunity to meet with supporters of SDARL, Inc. and to hear from leaders in the ag industry. Fred Cholick, Dean of SDSU's College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, spoke to the group on the future of agriculture in South Dakota. He said the economy of SD agriculture is changing. We are moving from being commodity-driven to becoming consumer-oriented. He said "Change comes about from people working together". He said leadership is to needed to foster this change.
SDSU Alumni Director V. J. Smith commended the SDARL fellows on their quest to improve their leadership skills. He said, "There is value in what you do"!
The SDARL students now turn their attention to their next leadership development session slated for January 16-18 in Pierre. The Pierre segment will focus on the Political Process in State Government. Governor Bill Janklow is scheduled to visit with the SDARL fellows. They will also meet with leaders in the legislature and those in select government positions.
SDARL is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to identifying and developing leadership for agriculture and rural communities in order to enhance the quality of life in South Dakota.
