FAQ
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
The Ohio West HOBY Leadership Seminar will begin Thursday, June 8th, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. and conclude on Sunday, June 11th, 2023 by 4:00 p.m. Students must be present for the entire weekend seminar, including overnight. Seminar participants may check-in any time after 8:00 a.m. but before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 8th, 2023.
You should proceed to the main entrance to campus 525 S. Main St. More details and directions can be found at this campus map. There will be signs and HOBY volunteers to lead you to the check-in locations!
During your HOBY Leadership Seminar experience, many dynamic leaders — professionals from the fields of business, education and government, among many others — will address numerous aspects of our changing world and the challenges future leaders will confront. The program will not promote any specific political party, business, religion or way of thinking; it is designed to develop thinking skills by actively involving seminar participants in discussions and informal debate. On Saturday of the seminar, you will be participating in service projects in the Ada community. Please bring older clothes and shoes in case your project involves outside work. The program also includes outstanding speakers, leadership building activities, social events and a special closing ceremony to which your parents are invited.
Keynote presentations will be held at Mcintosh Center (student union). Participants will be assigned to residence halls exclusively reserved for HOBY which will have two to four participants per room. You will need to bring your own linens (sheets and pillowcases), blankets, towels, etc. as these items will not be provided. Students may want to bring fans or thicker sleepwear as the temperature in June is unpredictable. Everyone will receive nutritious breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The first meal of the seminar is lunch on Thursday which will be served at approximately noon. On the following Student Confirmation Form sent out by late March, please indicate any special dietary considerations and we will do our best to accommodate you.
While you might have an idea at what you should bring, we've come up with a packing list of items you'll want to have with you at the seminar. The list will be made available to you as part of the pre-seminar forms you will fill out.
Please provide information about your medication on the Medical History Records Form and bring the Physician Medication Verification Form with you to the seminar (documents are included in the March packet). Be sure to read and comply with the ‘Policy for Use of Medication During a HOBY Event’. This document will be within a digital registration packet you receive and will need to be completed by a parent/guardian AND doctor. Medically-trained personnel are on staff throughout the seminar weekend.
Parents, friends and family members are discouraged from calling students during the seminar due to the confusion created when group meetings and keynote speakers are interrupted. In case of emergency, your parent(s) or guardian may call the director of student recruitment, Melissa Rotblatt at (440) 465-8902. The seminar will be chaperoned by background-checked adult HOBY volunteers who will be staying at the facilities 24 hours a day.
The registration fee is paid in a variety of ways, including via schools, sponsors of HOBY, community organizations and parents of HOBY ambassadors. All costs for meals, lodging and training materials have been generously provided by sponsors throughout our state, including businesses, foundations, individuals, service organizations and HOBY volunteers wishing to support leadership education.
The Ohio Northern University will issue participants keys to their dorm room. Ohio West HOBY is requiring each student to submit key deposit of $35.00 prior to the seminar. The $35.00 deposit will be returned to the student at check-out once the key is returned. Students/Parents will also be responsible for any university fees incurred due to lost keys or damage to the facility.
Dress is casual throughout the weekend. Dress for Sunday is “dressy-casual.” You will be provided a HOBY t-shirt and there will be an announcement as to when you will wear the t-shirt during the weekend. On Thursday when you arrive at the seminar, we ask that you wear apparel showing which high school you attend. Please bring one pair of closed-toe shoes and “outside clothes” for the community service projects that will be held on Saturday.
You are responsible for your transportation to and from the seminar. Please include all details of your itinerary on the "Travel Itinerary for Students" form located in the student packet you will receive via email in March. If you have last minute transportation problems, please notify Melissa Rotblatt, Director of Student Recruitment, at (440) 465-8902.
Due to the structure and pace of our program, students are not permitted to leave the seminar before the closing program on Sunday. If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact Melissa Rotblatt at (440) 465-8902 as soon as possible. These situations will be handled on a case by case basis.
If circumstances arise that prevent you from attending the entire seminar, including overnight, we would like to give another student the opportunity to attend. Please contact the person at your school who selected you, and follow up with a call to Melissa Rotblatt at (440) 465-8902, so that we may adjust our records and obtain an alternate student from your school to attend the seminar. Although no refunds will be provided, registrations may be transferable on a case by case basis.
Additional questions or concerns should be directed to the HOBY Ohio West Leadership Seminar team at hobyleaders@gmail.com.