Fishburne JROTC Shows Their True Colors…

Fifteen Cadet leaders from Fishburne took their show on the road this week for a service learning project at Kate Collins Middle school. The project, called “Winning Colors”, was designed as a way of demonstrating various personality types along with methods of managing these different types in order to build successful teams.

According to the Fishburne cadets involved, the experienced was one that will last. “You were able to laugh and joke with the kids, but yet you were teaching them at the same time,” noted c/1LT Brandon Olszewski ’13.

The project centered around the premise that there are four basic colors describing personality traits: Red for the Adventurer; Green for the Planner; Brown for the Builder; and, Blue for the Relater. These personalities were shown to the 8th grade students first through a video that explained and showed examples of these types of people in everyday life.

Together with team work, the various Colors form a dream team with each offering a set of skills that the others may lack. For example, The Planner will make a plan, the Builder will oversee the project, the Relater will help with everyone with their assignment, and the Adventurer will implement the plan. 

The students were then encouraged to speak with two Cadets from the corps who helped to explain each individual Color further and give further examples that might relate to each. The group discussed methods of organizing, motivating and leading the various “Colors” within a group.

“We were able to find out that there are a wide range of colors in the class and now with this knowledge these students will be able to cooperate together in a more organized fashion,” Olszewski explained.

Following the briefing of the “Winning Colors”, four cadets showed a mini presentation of what Fishburne’s Hudgins Rifles Exhibition Team does. The middle-schoolers stood watching and gasping in awe as c/Lt. Shawn Thomas ‘13 and his squad performed. Soon they were eager to try it out themselves and, as each was given the opportunity, many of the boys stepped forward.

“They had a great time spinning the rifle,” said Olszewski, “some of them even learned basic moves. I think we all had a great time learning some new skills today.”