“ We expect Riverside graduates to understand that their word is their bond, that their integrity is not for sale, and that the strong have an obligation to protect and defend the weak.” August 1, 2012 Dear Riverside Parents, Alumni, and Friends: Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Lieutenant Colonel Sabin Gianelloni, USA (Ret), RMA ’55. He passed along a Wall Street Journal editorial entitled: “A Leaderless World.” This essay reminded me that the most desperate need of our time is ethical leadership. I am thankful to be working at an institution dedicated to addressing this issue. As I have often reiterated to parents, cadets, and friends of RMA, the military component of a Riverside education is not the end, but the means to the end. The end result should be a young man armed with the tools he needs to continue his maturation into a principled leader. The lessons learned through this paradigm apply to any chosen field of endeavor. From the boardroom to the courtroom to the operating room – organizations need leaders and Riverside is committed to producing them. At Riverside Military Academy, the theory of leadership is taught through our Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) curriculum provided by the U.S. Army. Each 9th through 12th grade cadet at RMA is required to take JROTC classes. The practical application of these theories takes place in the barracks or our “leadership laboratories.” In this environment, cadet leaders are given complex problems, and they must use the lessons they have been taught to apply creative solutions that involve persuading, directing, and influencing their peers to accomplish a common goal. In this process, they are provided with advice and counsel by their TAC Officers who supervise the barracks. The TAC-cadet relationship is critical to the leader development continuum. TACs provide encouragement, correction, and mentoring to the fledgling leaders. Additionally, leader development is fostered in other areas of campus life. History classes are enriched by biographical sketches of great figures, group projects in chemistry class create leadership opportunities, and the athletic fields remind us that physical courage is often a distinguishing characteristic of leaders. Undergirding the entire model is the consistent and relentless focus on character development. Remember, our crisis is the absence of ethical leaders. From our bi-monthly Distinguished Speaker Series and the accompanying faculty-facilitated seminar sessions to the Cadet Honor Code, the Academy recognizes that without an ethical foundation, leaders are just competent crooks and charlatans. We expect Riverside graduates to understand that their word is their bond, that their integrity is not for sale, and that the strong have an obligation to protect and defend the weak. For over a century, Riverside has produced ethical leaders who have made a difference in the world around them. The need for this type of leadership is greater than ever, so let us re-dedicate ourselves to the work of perpetuating this noble cause. For the Corps,
Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Jarrard, USMCR Commandant of Cadets
Reveille I SUMMER 2012
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