ADOLESCENT COMBAT DIPLOMATE

For this third Honor Bound Academy (HBA), it’ll be Minas Anor , more commonly known as Minas Tirith , one of the most astounding pieces of architecture that will be built of men, by men, and for our young men.?Its name is translated as the “Tower of the Setting Sun ,” and for the latter, it is translated as the “Tower of the Guard .”?

The patron for this Honor Bound Academy is Laurence Joseph Ellison , an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist who is a co-founder, Executive Chairmen, and Chief Technology Officer of Oracle Corporation .?The spiritual support for this HBA is the Inuit , the Native American tribe inhabiting Alaska’s Arctic region.?Concerning instructors, the representatives will be drawn from Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) .

This matching of unique cultural partners at each level makes for a powerful blending of talent.?Warriors!?All Warriors.?Virtually all Inuit cultures have oral traditions of past deeds, such as raids on and by other indigenous peoples.?Historic accounts of violence against outsiders do make clear that there was a history of hostile contact within the Inuit cultures and with other cultures.?Regarding justice within Inuit culture , there was a form of governance that gave significant power to the elders, which was a key moderating factor.?Inuit religion is closely tied to a system of rituals integrated into the daily life of the people.?These rituals were simple but held to be necessary.?According to a customary Inuit belief: “the harshness and unpredictability of life in the Arctic ensured the Inuit lived with concern for the uncontrollable, where a streak of bad luck could destroy an entire community.

To continue filtering through the paradigm of uncontrollable, the choice of Larry Ellison and JSOC are appropriate when it comes to matching certain distinctive personality types of youth found in sufficient numbers across our country.?As for Mr. Laurence Ellison , his journey began in 1966 at the age of 22, having made a trip from Chicago to California in a flashy turquoise Thunderbird, and by 1977, he had co-founded Software Development Laboratories, which ultimately became Oracle Systems Corporation , in 1982.?Mr. Ellison has all the trademarks of a brash Apex operator, starting with the essential characteristic of ruthlessness.?He is also known for his willingness to trash-talk competitors, using his billions in a variety of formidable ways, like investing in educational platform maker Leapfrog Enterprises.?He also has a habit of spending lavishly over the years.?

The key element regarding Mr. Laurence Joseph Ellison is this simple fact, no matter what he says, he has always backed it up in actionable deeds.?When asked, why he had to win the Americas Cup Yacht race twice, he described a personality that would not allow him to quit while losing, which he had done prior to winning.?Then after winning the cup that same personality did not allow for quitting while winning.?

This may not make sense but to (JSOC) operators, Mr. Ellison , and a certain type of red-blooded American youth, all to be housed in the mysterious realm of Minas Tirith , it makes perfect sense.

All across this nation of ours are youth who possess special and unique abilities, far too many will never live up to those very abilities due to something as random as fate, or a lack of opportunity, which is not only a shame but unacceptable.?I have been a social worker for several decades, much of it spent with individuals living on the fringe of our society.?In this place, an opportunity is a tricky proposition, especially for youth that find themselves on the fringe due simply by chance.?

The vision I possess seeks to bring a counter-balance to a well-thought-out opportunity (HBA).?I have stated, “you are as your surroundings dictate,” in this case, a pairing of surreal companions.?Take for instance Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), it was put together by taking the best of the best, for ST 6 there were 76 original Apex pupils. ?They were taken from (3) teams on the east and from (3) on the west coast.?Regarding Honor Bound Academy (HBA) , in the form of Minas Tirith, there will always be a need for a finishing school, for those who were born with innate skills.?

Out of the (9), nine other Academy there will be hidden gems throughout and amongst the ranks.?To train these special individuals requires Mentors in possession of their own fully formed special talents.?These individuals wear many shades in and on their uniforms (JSOC) .?Their talents are from the Sea, Air, the Land, also as brothers with different mothers, and like the Patron Mr. Ellison of Minas Tirith located in Alaska’s Arctic zone, what is asked of each and every one of these individuals, can be backed by a history of proven actions.?

Mythology , it was said by Joseph Campbell that we are unable to create modern myths.?He said these times we live in change too quickly from day to a week, to a month, and so on throughout the years.?We have no mythology that incorporates the modern pace of life. The new powers are being, so to say, surprisingly announced to us by what the machines can do. We cannot have a mythology for a long, long time to come; things are changing too fast. The environment in which we are living is changing too fast for it becomes mythologized.?Personally, I wish Joseph Campbell were here to see what we’re about to attempt, though he no longer lives this challenge is worthy, especially with myself, our patrons, Native Americans , Special Forces mentors, and specifically today’s youth.?For them, it is a fact that tomorrow is never going to get here, and time is always oh-so slow.