<p>I think it’s important at some point when a student is running for something to discuss the ridiculous voting patterns of most students. For example, one of my Ds ran for something in middle school - one boy vs. one girl. All the boys voted for the boys and all the girls voted for the girl, there were more boys in the group than girls so the boy won. Zero to do with merit.</p>
<p>Or in high school, a whole class may vote for someone because it’s the brother of a girl in the class…they have no idea who the guy is, but hey, it’s her brother, so vote for him.</p>
<p>My kids have confessed to have forgotten to vote in races where one of their best friends was a candidate.</p>
<p>Last year the always cracking jokes football player was elected to lots of leadership positions. He also had his college acceptance rescinded for poor grades.</p>
<p>Getting elected to stuff in HS says so little about your merit!</p>
<p>Two of D’s friends lost an election to be Freshman Class Officers. One of them gave up on the whole thing and never ran again. The other started going to Student Gov’t meetings instead - not as an elected rep, but just as a student. She pitched in and helped out. Now she is a Senior and she was just elected President of the Student Council. </p>
<p>Another kid ran against the sitting Class President, going in to Senior year. He made a stirring speech about all the things he would do “better” than the existing officers. Then the incumbent President got up and said, “In the last three years I have never seen you at a single Class Officer meeting. You have never once approached me or any of the current officers with any of your ideas. No one ever remembers seeing you at a Student Government meeting. If you really cared about making this school “better,” where were you for the last 3 years?” The challenger lost the election. </p>
<p>My point is that if your son really cares about the group he lost the election in, encourage him to remain involved and to pitch in to help. There will be other opportunities to run or to be appointed, and if he’s been working all along he will be in a good position to take advantage of them. And even if he never gets the “title,” he’ll be able to write and speak intelligently about the work he did for a group/cause he cares about. As Curmudgeon said, colleges and employers love to hear about WHAT you did - not what your title was.</p>
<p>edit - I LOVE Jessiehl’s posting above - I suspect this is what the OP was really asking about. Bravo, Jessiehl!</p>
<p>In school and scouts I desperately wanted to be one of the ones in charge, but never got nominated much less elected. As an adult, no one wants those positions and I now knew better too. Didn’t stop me from being PTA president (which was a great learning experience) and president of my local art association and I’ll probably get dragged into being president of our neighborhood association, but not for another decade I hope!</p>
<p>Cur, is right though - true leadership isn’t really about the titles is about changing the world. Sometimes though the titles help get things done. :)</p>