KMU Course Selection: Interpersonal Development

The following is a blog post highlighting a specific department that will be offered at KeyMan University this summer. Today's post is written by PA DeMolay's Director of the Sweetheart Program, "Mom" Angela Lennox, who will be the Department Chairman for the Interpersonal Development Department.

WARNING: After completion of this course you will be DANGEROUSLY prepared to make DeMolay EXPLODE in your local jurisdiction. Please proceed with EXTREME CAUTION!

You walk into a Chapter room, and you see a handful of members from the local Lodge. How do you approach them? How do you show that you know how to present yourself, and can socialize with them, just as you socialize with your Brothers around you? How do you switch from that role to the role of friend, acquaintance, or leader? Interpersonal skills are present every single day, in every interaction you have with anyone. Memorizing words can be easy. Everyone can learn quickly how to write an agenda. Approaching someone, making eye contact, and keeping a conversation with others may not be as easy. Humans are social creatures that actively seek out interactions with others. Developing and refining the social skills we use each day is extremely important and will make a difference in your experiences in school, at home, and in DeMolay.

The Interpersonal Development Department is going into it’s second year as a department at KeyMan, and is designed to evaluate, teach, and strengthen the skills it takes to effectively work with other people. The skills that we focus on include interpersonal skills, goal setting, and leadership techniques. Before we can work effectively as a team, we must understand and polish ourselves. We will explore topics such as assertiveness, decision making, and other skills in the beginning of the week, with a focus on learning about how we think and act as individuals.

Throughout the week we will take these individual skills and discover how to apply them into social skills and use our personal strengths and weaknesses to benefit our local chapters and jurisdictions. These valuable skills are not only applicable to DeMolay, but also at school, home and everyday life.  We have designed your learning experience based around “real-world” scenarios that will provide you the opportunity to analyze, practice, and improve your skills. We will rely heavily on individual and group participation, but the only requirement is that you take what you learned throughout the week and apply it to your interactions and experiences with others in DeMolay and your personal life.

Our goal is not to strictly talk “at” you. We are not looking to lecture and drill skills into your brains. Instead, each day you will participate in various individual and group activities, with a ton of opportunities to openly talk, discuss, and debate with the Advisors and other members of the department. Each activity is designed to assist you with personally developing the social skills you already use and will continue to use daily.

Whether you consider yourself a “social butterfly” or you feel more comfortable sitting by yourself at a party, Interpersonal Development is the right fit for you! Come to develop your skills, and leave knowing you have improved yourself as a person. We look forward to seeing you in August! 

To sign up for KeyMan University, visit the website at keyman.pademolay.org.