State Leaders' Forum and Monterey 2009

     From Friday November 6th to 8th, I was at the 2009 California 4-H State Leaders' Forum at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove near Monterey, California.  This conference is for 4-H Volunteer Leaders to come together and attend workshops that will better improve their leadership skills, give them project ideas, and have some fun. This conference was a very enjoyable conference, and I can't wait for next years.


     My parents and I flew up late on Thursday night into San Jose, and stayed at a hotel just around the corner.  When we got to the hotel we where staying, I was shocked at the quality of the hotel.  Over the past few years, I have traveled a lot for work, 4-H, and personal reasons, and when I stay at a hotel, i normally stay in a higher up hotel.  It was a change to go back to the basics, but I got used to it.  At least there was internet.  The next morning, we checked out of the hotel, picked up another leader from the airport, and headed on the hour drive to Monterey, California.  We had to stop at a Kohl's in Gilroy, because I left my jacket at home, and there was no way I was going to stay in Monterey without a jacket.

     When we got into Monterey, we parked between Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf, and walked along the bike path towards Fisherman's Wharf to have some great seafood.  Along the way, we where walking right along the bay side, with a handful of seals and marine birds in the water.  It was a very nice walk to enjoy the waves crashing along the rocks.  We walked though the entire Fisherman's Wharf to check out all the seafood restaurants, and decided to eat at Crabby Jim's.  We ate right at a window with the view of the bay, which seals where just outside.  While we where eating, my mom noticed a Jelly Fish floating in the water.  This would be the first time I have seen a Jelly Fish in the wild that wasn't washed up in the ocean.  All Jelly Fish I ever see are in aquariums.  After eating one great lunch, we walked back to the car, where we met up with a few other 4-H people before we headed off to Asilomar Conference Grounds.  The photo below is the view from our lunch table.  

  My parents took me and the other leader with us to the conference grounds where we checked in, and got all set up in our rooms.  My parents left and stayed in a hotel and had a vacation while we were at the conference.  The first night of the conference was standard, with a opening ceremony, and that was about it.  Afterward the night activities where over, I chilled with my fellow Computer Corps teammates/buddies and State Ambassadors.  We walked on over to the beach around mid night and chilled out there for a little bit.  We couldn't go very far on the sand, for even though it was low tide, the beach was covered in Sea Foam.  

     The next day was a very long day.  The computer corps teaches workshops all throughout the day, and when someone isn't teaching, we are walking around the conference grounds taking photos.  I thought a double workshop, which means the workshop goes though two workshop sessions.  The first half of my workshop is called The Art of Photograph, where I go over basic photography concepts that will help leaders to better improve their photographs.  Within that section of the workshop, everyone goes out to take photographs in groups applying what they have learned.  The second half of the workshop, then come back together and learn how to edit their photographs using a free editing software called GIMP.   After my workshop, I helped a fellow buddy teach geocaching in the beginning, and as they went off to find geocaches, I went off to the beach to take some photographs.  I just took basic photos, for i didn't want to get my nice clothes dirty.  


     After the workshops and the evening activities finished for the night, I changed into more casual clothing, and chilled with my computer corps buddies.  We first went to the lodge to use the internet, and had to get some files from the internet for some presentations the next day.  After the lodge closed at midnight, we where getting hungry, so a few of us leaders drove down to Cannery Row to get some pizza, which the pizza place is open there till 3 am.  It was karaoke night, and by the time we got to the pizza place, over half the place was already drunk. We ordered a x-large 24 inch pizza (yeah, it is BIG and awesome) and we sat at a table by the door waiting for the pizza to come out. We had a few aquard moments as drunk people where running all over the place. The worst would have to be when some drunk dude ran from outside to inside to sing under the sea, that one song in the little mermaid. It was so funny, we couldn't stop laughing. Finally our pizza finished and we left to bring pizza to our teammates. After pizza, we started working on the afterglow, which is a photo/video slideshow with music that is played at the end that where taken during the conference. We finished around 4:30 am, and Rowan and I went back to our room, but before going to sleep, placed some flour in our advisor's shoes as a small prank. I finally got to bed at 5:00 am


We woke up at a lovely time of 6:30 am, but we tried to stay in bed as long as possible. Missed breakfast. We finally got up, and headed over to prepare the tech stuff for the last assembly. Afterwards, my parents came, I checked out as well as the leader that came with us. We met up with Maryann and Jeanine, and ate at the Fish Hoper for Lunch on Cannery Row. After lunch, and enjoying my last few breathtaking views of Monterey, we headed back to San Jose, and flew home. I love Monterey so much, I someday shall move to that area, because that is an area that I will never get bored or tired of.