CLAREMORE — There is still time to be a part of the next class for Leadership Rogers County. The deadline for the 2010-2011 class is extending to September 3rd. The first scheduled session is September 24-25th, which includes a day of “challenge by choice” at the RSU Hilltop Challenge ropes course. To apply; you can download the application from www.leadershiprcok.org.

Leadership Rogers County is a yearlong program designed to shape you into an insider who can make a difference in the lives of your friends and neighbors. The program consists of seminars, panel discussions, field trips, and tours presented by current leaders in the public and private sectors.

The resulting exchange of ideas and information forms the foundation for local civic leadership. Through these programs and discussions, and through access to current leaders, participants will gain a familiarity with the county in ways you would not expect. Upon graduation, the program mints a new batch of leaders: a diverse group of individuals with a renewed commitment to their local communities, and the skills, contacts and information to turn commitment into action.

I was a member of the class of 2008-2009, which started less than 60 days after my arrival in Claremore. LRC was an incredible introduction into the inner workings and hidden mechanisms that run this county. As a newcomer to the county, I was thrilled to gain the advantages the program provides. My class also included native-born Oklahomans who found the program just as beneficial and valuable as I did.

Leadership Rogers County’s Alumni list includes CEOs, Executive Directors and Senior Executives from local banks, hospitals, manufacturers, media and non-profits. It includes small and large business owners and managers. It includes numerous elected officials, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and judges. It also includes high school students, Pastors, and “up-and-comers.” In short, the Leadership Rogers County program is useful to everyone who aspires to involve themselves in the county, or learn more about it.

Leadership Rogers County began as a part of the Claremore Chamber of Commerce. The inaugural class (Leadership Claremore) launched in 1991 as a Claremore area program. In 1993, the Leadership Claremore program expanded to a countywide area, which included the name change to Leadership Rogers County. LRC incorporated in 2005 as an independent 501(c)3 non-profit corporation

In addition to tackling the ropes course, you will tour the State Capital, and places like the Rogers County’s Courthouse and Jail, Claremore Regional Hospital, Northeast Technology Center and other schools. You will meet most of the mayors and city managers in the county, as well as other elected and appointed officials. You will also have the opportunity to network with other graduates of the program by joining the list of over 300 distinguished alumni.

These “Leadership” programs take place throughout the country in similar formats.

The unique twist in Rogers County is that each class includes a few high school students in addition to the business and civic leaders of the community. The high school students add youthful enthusiasm to the programs, and provide an energy and perspective that helps the adults maintain a proper focus during the year. My class ranged in age from 16 to 55 years old, and in life stage from student to CEO. If you consider yourself too busy to be a part of LRC, think again. My group had some of the hardest working folks in the county and we all found our time in the program to be beneficial, rewarding, and worth every minute. The commitment requires only one weekday each month.

Each year ends with a fundraiser and a project intended to make the county better than it was before. The projects have all been special, contributing nearly $40,000, but the development of people who are willing to dive in and make a difference is priceless and necessary for Roger’s County.

Bailey Dabney is publisher of the Claremore Daily Progress.