The first-ever Masonic Youth Leadership and Life Skills Conference was held July 23-28 at the Masonic Conference Center ­ Patton Campus, Elizabethtown. Prepared for young men and women between the ages of 11 and 16, the program included members of all three Masonic youth groups, relatives of Pennsylvania Masons, or other youth sponsored by a Pennsylvania lodge.

The conference was directed and developed by Bro. Thom Stecher, a member of Thomson Lodge No. 340, Paoli, at the direction of R.W. Grand Master Robert L. Dluge, Jr., who set forth the vision for the program. Bro. Stecher is a professional educator and motivational speaker who has been involved in similar projects of the Grand Lodge and is one of the originators of the now-national Student Assistance Program (S.A.P.). He led the week's conference, along with site director and school psychologist, Dr. John Bearoff and a crew of professional and volunteer staff.

The program was built on principles of respect, responsibility, and relationships as key factors for youth development. The week's experience-based learning activities included exercises in problem-solving, teamwork, trust, and interpersonal communication. Several special presenters visited during the week, including a professional trampoline gymnast and a professional juggler who taught the conferees how to juggle in slow motion with silk scarves.

Bro. Stecher and the staff already are making plans for next year's conference scheduled for July 23-27. For information on that conference, contact the Pennsylvania Youth Foundation at (800) 266-8424, or (717) 367-1536.