At NAYLE, the Gnomon and Sun Dial Represent a Life of Service to Others

The sun dial measures time by the position of the sun. The gnomon is the post on the sun dial that casts a shadow and indicates time.

At the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE) at the Philmont Training Center, the gnomon and sun dial are used as an icon to represent the passage of time and the impact on others that will come from a life of service to others. A life of servant leadership.

I've served in past years on the staff at NAYLE and I particularly like one part of a pledge used in the course. The pledge includes the words "as the sun dial measures the passage of time, so will my service be measured over time, by my impact on others."

If I were to put a slogan for living on a T-Shirt, it would be those words. I put the word "gnomon" on my vehicle license plate, to remind me of the importance of helping others in even small ways, every day. My daily efforts are an indicator of my overall impact on others.

The NAYLE experience starts with the concept of servant leadership and reinforces that concept in all the course activities as a way to live a lifetime. The incredible scenery and history of Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico helps reinforce the importance of establishing big benchmarks to measure our efforts. The sun dial and gnomon are simply a way to prompt our thinking.

More information about the NAYLE course is available at http://www.nayle.org/