Why should I want to be in Leadership Montgomery’s Torchbearer Class?

• The Torchbearers Class is a program of Leadership Montgomery.
  
• The Torchbearers Class is open to a select number of young professionals who desire to advance in their personal and professional lives; to those who are willing to commit themselves to learning more about themselves and how to function more effectively within a group; to those who are willing to refine their leadership skills through research, study and hard work; to those who will commit themselves to learning more about their community and its history; and to those who will take the necessary time to listen, learn and grow by networking with leaders and other young professionals from throughout the River Region.
  
• Enhancing one’s personal life and advancing one’s professional career require an investment of time, resources and energy. Participating in the Torchbearers Class will be an investment that will not only enhance one’s personal life, but it will also advance one’s professional career by affording participants opportunities they cannot obtain through any other venue.  It will require a financial investment, but the rewards will be immeasurable.
  
• Torchbearers Class affords participants a unique opportunity to meet and network with some of the most influential, experienced leaders in the Montgomery community.  Through the Leadership classes, participants learn more about the community and how it functions, as they meet many of the people who are responsible for making major decisions that affect us all.
  
• The friendships that members will forge, the contacts they will make and the business associations they will develop will be lasting and enduring; and they will be ones that can be formulated by no other means than through the Torchbearers Class.
  
• Graduates of the Torchbearers Class will become members of an elite Torchbearers Alumni organization, with exclusive entitlements that will be advantageous to them for years to come, both in their personal and in their professional lives.
  

How do I get in the class?  Review the program information document and the calendar. If you are able to make a commitment, complete the online application. You will be required to provide references, work history, and volunteer work information.

What criteria will application screening process consider?

• Diverse group of emerging leaders ages 22 – 39
  
• High standards of personal integrity
  
• Demonstrated community involvement or aspirations to become more involved
  
• Record of school, career or personal achievements
  
• Commitment of necessary time and effort to complete the program
  
• Representation from a cross-section of the population (occupation, race, gender, achievements, community involvement, etc.)
  

What are some things about the application process I need to know?  Application to the Torchbearers Program does not guarantee selection. Class sizes are limited to 40 participants.  Applications are confidential, but Leadership Montgomery reserves the right to use information submitted for printed materials should you be selected for the class. To ensure those selected reflect the diversity of the community, applicants will be asked to specify their profession, gender, race and/or ethnicity. Any applicant not selected for the upcoming class will automatically be considered for the next class without have to make reapplication. 

How much does this program cost?  

A non-refundable $60 processing fee is due with the application. Your application will not be complete or considered if the application fee is not paid. Tuition is generally paid either independently, by his/her employer or sponsor. A limited number of partial needs-based tuition assistance may be available in special cases. Tuition assistance is only available upon specific request. The Tuition assistance application is due on JANUARY 31, 2025 with the Torchbearers Class XVII Application. Please note that applying for Tuition Assistance has no bearing whatsoever on the selection process. Everyone selected to be in the class is asked to pay something towards his/her tuition.

If accepted into the program, the applicant is responsible for a $300.00 non-refundable deposit payment towards the total $1875.00 Tuition fee by FEBRUARY 21, 2025. The remaining balance of $1575.00 is due by March 28, 2025. The applicant is expected to procure payment either independently, by his/her employer or sponsor. Tuition covers the program costs, transportation, lodging, printed materials, staff time and food. However, special payment plans can be arranged by the program manager in special circumstances. By March 28, 2025, class members tuition must be paid in full, or a special payment plan, with or without tuition assistance must be set up with the Program Manager; or the class member may not be able to attend the Retreat in April. Tuition is non-refundable, in whole or in part, in the event the applicant fails to complete the program due to non-attendance or for other reasons. Tuition is subject to change.

What is expected of me as a class member? To graduate from Leadership Montgomery’s Torchbearers Program, a participant is expected to attend all sessions. Attendance is required at the orientation, both retreat days in their entirety, and at the project presentations. Class members are allowed to miss one class day and still be allowed to graduate. They must make up the missed class day on the next year. A partially missed day counts as an absence. If two class days are missed, the class member may not be allowed to graduate.

When are the classes? To give you an idea of the program’s calendar please take a look at the 2025 class day schedule:

Session **New Class ORIENTATION and Reception	Dates TUESDAY | MARCH 11, 2025
DAY ONE, Retreat (Mandatory attendance)	THURSDAY | APRIL 24, 2025
DAY TWO, Retreat (Mandatory attendance)	FRIDAY | APRIL 25, 2025
DAY THREE	TUESDAY | MAY 13, 2025
DAY FOUR	TUESDAY | JUNE 08, 2025
DAY FIVE	TUESDAY | JULY 08, 2025
DAY SIX	TUESDAY | AUGUST 05, 2025
DAY SEVEN	TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 9, 2025
DAY EIGHT	TUESDAY|OCTOBER 14, 2025
Project Presentations (Mandatory attendance)	THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 04, 2025
GRADUATION	TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 18, 2025

Note:  At least two of the above classes may require social activities at the end of the day as a required part of the class. 

Class members are also required to fully contribute to a community project that will be completed by

small teams that will work together outside of class days from each class.

What is Orientation? Orientation is a time during which Leadership Montgomery will introduce its staff and officers, as well as your fellow classmates, outline expectations for the class days, and present you to the business community at a reception in your honor.

What is the Retreat? The retreat is an informal time when you will learn many interesting facts about your classmates, find out more about how to work in a team setting, learn a bit more about yourself, enjoy a reception and evening meal together, and select a team project. 

What are the Class Days? Most class days are divided into two segments.  One segment strives to improve your interpersonal skills and your skills as a team member, and the other segment introduces you to a critical issue that will help you better understand our community and the role you can play in improving the community.

What is Graduation? Graduation is a business luncheon to which you may invite family, friends, and business associates. During the luncheon, Leadership Montgomery re-caps the year, introduces two class members who are selected by the class to share their years’ experience, and each graduate is awarded a diploma.

What homework will I have? As a homework assignment, you will be assigned two Montgomery Public Schools to visit prior to Education Class Day. You may have the opportunity to attend meetings such as a city council meeting or a board of education meeting. Each class member will serve on a project team, and this team will meet periodically outside of class days to plan and execute the project selected by the team.

What’s Next Following Graduation?  Leadership Montgomery accepts members who have a desire to give back and improve their leadership skill; therefore, they are expected to serve the community and exercise their leadership skills outside their regular professional duties. One way in which they utilize these skills is by working with the Leadership Montgomery staff to plan and implement a class day for the subsequent class. Additionally, after spending several years implementing the skills learned as Torchbearers, it is hoped that these alumni will then apply to Leadership Montgomery’s Legacy class for further development.