“This is my destiny,”  Benigno Aquino III, the Liberal Party standard bearer for the May 10, 2010 Presidential Elections, said. Does it mean that he is destined to become the next President of the Philippines?

This question flashed my mind as we started the 2010 Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs, Inc. (PSYSC) Leadership Training Seminar (LTS) for the 13 regional chairpersons or representatives of the different Regional Councils of the PSYSC. If one is already destined to become a leader of a multitude, what is the relevance of the LTS to the regional leaders and advisers today?

The great lives of the great leaders in the history of salvation like Abraham, Moses, Joseph, King Solomon and even the apostles of Jesus Christ will show similarities. They became leaders because they were called by God. All of them responded to this call.

Did they undergo a leadership training seminar workshop? These chosen leaders did not only undergo LTS but total immersion to the different realities and challenges that were attached to their destinies.

The apostles of Christ had to learn their responsibilities as they followed him during his public life. It was only when Christ realized that they were ready for their mission that they were given the chance to go and spread the good news.

In the Old Testament, the chosen leaders were not only guided by God but also the chosen elders of the multitude. These years of immersion allowed them to develop the qualities of the effective leader. What were these common qualities? They were all God-fearing and committed to the vision and the mission God wanted them to perform.

The LTS provides this venue for the young leaders to reflect on their response to the call for leadership. Their response through their attendance in the LTS opens their eyes to the realities of the great responsibilities instilled in them by the PSYSC organization.

The LTS facilitators, Kuya Ryan and Ate AJ, became the modern elders for them. Through the LTS, the participants did realize that it is not enough to answer the call but one should possess the qualities of a leader.

What does it take to become an effective PSYSC leader? Kuya Ryan said that it should start by being God-fearing and must be followed with the unwavering commitment to the vision and mission of the PSYSC organization.

The LTS serves as a candle for those new young leaders of the organization. There will be dark nights ahead of them but the inputs, insights and experiences of the 2010 LTS will help them to become the new fighters and new advocates of the PSYSC for the multitude in their region.

Is the LTS still relevant? LTS is not only relevant now but it will become more important in the future.