Local youth and business leaders discuss ethics
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

SOPHIA FISCHER/Acorn Newspapers THREE GENERATIONS- Descendants of long-time Rotary Club member Homer Dickerson gather at the annual Homer Dickerson Youth Ethics Conferance at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library recently. From left, Dickerson's granddaughter Laura Cifuentes, his great-granddaughter Sarah Canfield, and his daughter Ruthfield, all of Thousand Oaks.

About 130 local high school students and business leaders departed from their classrooms and offices on Feb. 26 and met to discuss the meaning of ethics in today's society.

The annual Homer Dickerson Youth Ethics Conference at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley focused on the importance of using correct behavior in both business and daily life. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Westlake Village, the annual event is geared toward juniors and seniors from Oaks Christian, Calabasas, Agoura, Oak Park and Westlake high schools.

"I believe that it's important for young people to discuss ethical behavior even though they might not see the value of it immediately," said Russ Stone, Rotary member and conference coordinator. "By making them focus on it they might recognize what's important to themselves and to others."

The event honors Homer Dickerson, a Rotary member from 1978-90. A local minister for nearly four decades, Dickerson served as chaplain for the Rotary Club and for Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. He died in 1991.

Three generations of Dickerson's Thousand Oaks family attended the conference- his only child, Ruth Canfield; granddaughter Laura Cifuentes; and great-granddaughter Sarah Canfield, 15, who participated in the conference as a student. It was the first time the women had attended.

"I can't think of a better topic with my grandfather's name on it," Cifuentes said. "I think he would have thought this was awesome."

The day began with a breakfast, several welcome speeches, and a keynote address by Lance Orozco, news director for KCLU-FM, the National Public Radio station for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

The audience then divided into groups made up of students from different schools and led by business leaders. Discussion focused on three ethical dilemmas submitted by students as part of a contest. The winners were Rebecca Peters of Calabasas High School, and Alice Wang and Carl Chen both of Oak Park High School. Each received a gift certificate.

Chen's group discussed the online posting of rumored negative behavior of a respected high school senior at a party and what, if anything, a fellow student should do. The varying opinions reflected the diversity of the participants at the table. Besides Chen, 17, they included John Helmy, 18, an Oaks Christian senior, and Sarah Canfield, who is home-schooled and takes classes at Moorpark College.

The Westlake Village business leaders included Karen Quigley of Elmer Jordan Insurance, Naomi Finkel of Say it With Words Marketing, and Lloyd Wertheimer of Westcord Commercial Real Estate Services.

Canfield thought the friend should confront the senior to try to help. Helmy's advice was not to worry about what others think of you, and Chen felt that sometimes it's best to just let rumors blow over.

Finkel said that although "your actions stay with you," the student could apologize for his behavior, and Wertheimer said, "When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, see if you like the person you see."

"Ethics are important in reputation, and you only have one chance at that," said Quigley. "Whatever you do, make sure you carry it with high regard because if your reputation is tainted you can be ruined. How people perceive you is everything."

At the end of the conference all of the groups came together, with one representative presenting each group's opinion.

"The small group discussions at my table were absolutely terrific," said Ray Taylor, Rotary member and Westlake Village city manager.

Before returning to school, the students took a tour of the Reagan Library. It was the first time Debra Wohlwerth, Oak Park High's newly hired college and career counselor, had attended the event. She said she was impressed by the presentations and by the business leaders' participation and interest in the students.

"I think any time you can get adults and teenagers together in an atmosphere of respect, each party stands to learn much more than they anticipated," Wohlwerth said.