Summer Program Alumni Take Home Gavels in Fall Conferences

Congratulations to all delegates who participated in conferences this fall. Alumni of the Best Delegate Summer Programs put forth a strong showing this season, bringing home a number of awards. Here are what a few of the gavel winners have to say about how they won:

“Before attending a Best-Delegate camp at the University of Florida, I was a mediocre delegate. I never knew how to get the chair’s attention and I lacked the inventiveness to speak on the spot. Best Delegate transformed not only the way I speak in committee but the way I think. I plan un-mods before they occur and can speak on the spot quite easily. Prior to going to Florida for this camp, my number one weakness was how to control a group of people in un-moderated caucuses. The counselors at UF (and of course, Ryan and Kevin) showed me how to command the group in a subtle way. The lessons and practice sessions at UF helped me gavel at both of the conferences my school has gone to this year and has raised my confidence for other, large scale events. I would advise all high school Model UN-ers to go to a Best Delegate camp over the summer.” -Jack (PA)

“To start with, the camp helped with my basic skills, especially my public speaking. But more importantly, the program opened up my eyes to the importance of actually being diplomatic in committee. Before, I had gone into committee thinking that I needed to be aggressive and cut-throat in order to be taken seriously. After the summer program, I learned how to really try to embody the diplomacy that mun is all about in committee. I was nervous to see how it would all play out in an actual committee session, but my first few conferences this year have been my easiest, most enjoyable, and most successful experiences in mun ever – and it’s all thanks to Best Delegate!” -Julia (VA)

Going to Best Delegate’s summer camp at Georgetown was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much about MUN and it’s helped me a lot at conferences a lot this year. Every single day at camp contained new seminars that taught me how I could improve at MUN; I relearned the basics like: how to write resolutions properly, how to research efficiently, and even how to stand while giving speeches. Going to Best Delegate’s summer program has definitely helped me do well at conferences because it’s provided me with all the necessary tools to succeed at conferences. I’ve become more confident in my ability to produce good resolutions, to correctly use Parliamentary Procedure, and even to use THIMUN procedure. I would definitely recommend going to this summer program no matter what level of MUN you’re at! It helps beginners and veterans both! -Kavya (MI)

Upon leaving my first MUN conference in grade nine, I had two dreams: the first, to represent the USA, the most coveted delegation, and second, to win the Best Delegate award. After my experiences at the Best Delegate program this summer, I can honestly say that I’m not sure if I would have been able to win that very award, as the USA, at my conference this fall. The skills I learned there not only helped me out with debating, resolution writing and researching, but, most importantly, taught me how to work with all sorts of people, a skill that proved invaluable in a room full of delegates who were eager to shoot me down. Best Delegate showed me how to empower other delegates from my school and in my committee, but, most importantly, taught me to empower myself. For that, I, along with my growing awards folder, will be forever grateful.

This past summer, I attended the Best Delegate Summer Program at UCLA. I was already an experienced delegate, so I can’t say the program taught me the rules or how to act in committee. I can however say it taught me the most important thing about MUN which is that Model UN is all about diplomacy. The program taught me that there was much more to MUN than awards, and that I was looking at it the wrong way. Model UN is about learning, it’s about being the nicest person in the room and still being able to make a name for yourself. So I went into the William and Mary High School MUN Conference with that attitude, with this one quote in my mind, “The best delegates are those who bring out the best in others,” and I stepped out with a Best Delegate in the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. -Prathm (NJ)

Are you a Summer Program Alumni? Share your award-winning stories with us in the comments below!