ECRS has served as a training ground for many successful professionals and volunteers in the field of recreation leadership. Each individual beginning the leadership process works closely with another person or persons who support, encourage, and help guide the individual's learning process. The Leadership Development Committee, or LDC, monitors this progress and evaluates leaders on group and general leadership competencies via the ECRS Leadership Competency Model.

Together, the mentor and the person being mentored decide on the intensity and duration of a flexible mentoring agreement. This agreement can help to crystallize thinking about issues, focus on specific areas to work on, and decide where and how to obtain experience and receive evaluation. The specific goals and objectives decided on come from situations in which either person has observed problems, omissions, or areas still needing to be strengthened.

A rough outline of the ECRS leadership development process is described below.

• Mentoring

  Each individual works closely with another person or persons who supports, encourages and helps guide the trainee's learning process.

• Practice Teaching with Feedback

  This hands-on experience allows for structured constructive feedback at least one ECRS event with leader, participants, mentor, and trainee.

• Assisting at Weekends or Major Events

  Opportunities can be provided for the developing leader to assist a staff member in leading a class and participating in staff meetings with feedback.

• Writing a Course Proposal

  Developing leaders who would like to teach a class at a weekend or major event can write a course proposal, which the LDC reviews and may recommend to the Board for approval. The LDC has developed guidelines which may be used in filling out the ECRS Course Proposal Form.

For more information, please contact the LDC at ecrsldc@gmail.com.