Serge LeClerc
.....LIFE IS A JOURNEY...
NOT A DESTINATION.....
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PROFESSIONAL/HIGH SCHOOL SPEAKING REVIEWS"Dear Mr. LeClerc: - FANTASTIC - The only word that can even come close to describing your presentation to the students of PRS. Youruse of personal experiences, statistics and thought provoking comments presented the students with an extremely powerful, contemporary and honestmessage. It was my observation that the students were captivated by your presentation skills and tunedinto your message. The student discussions at school after the presentation are proof of the accuracy of your message and the qualityof your seminar. After witnessing this seminar I believe every teenager should hear this messageand I would highly recommend that any and all schools use your services. I am a parent, a grandparent, a retired teacher and aformer principal of Petitcodiac Regional School and I would like to say, "This is the best educational presentationI have ever heard and thank you for coming to Petitcodiac Regional" Dan Pollock _________________________________________ "Serge, your presentations were fantastic. I can't say enough good things about the impact that you had on some of our students. I had to drive a student somewhere after school and she was telling me about all the positive comments about your presentation that were voiced at the smoke pit. She was disappointed that she did not get a chance to talk to you. Just letting you know that you might be asked to come back to our community to do a presentation to staff on a professional development day. Thank you again and May God Bless You through the holiday season. I feelhonored to have had the opportunity to organize this event." Alma Swan ________________________________________
"I would like to thank you for your outstanding presentation at the Regina Catholic Schools’ February 12, 2009 Institute. Over 900 School Division staff members listened, for one and a half hours, to your past and present life story. Your passionate account of your youth, your adult life, and ultimately your present life as a MLA for the provincial legislature, held the audience’s full attention for the length of your presentation. Of special note, the standing ovation you received at the conclusion of your presentation, was one of only 2 standing ovations our school division staff members have given Institute presenters within the last number of years. In short, your comments were engaging, challenging, supportive and hope-filled for our Division’s personnel. Your comments were heard and greatly appreciated! You spoke of the sense of “identity” that shapes how we think and act and its importance in each and every one of our lives. You wove the sense of “identity” into the four (4) key points of your presentation:
Mr. LeClerc, you have made a direct difference with the staff members of Regina Catholic Schools, and through them, an indirect difference with our students. Our staff members are effective, hard working, considerate and caring people who will be even moreso, since hearing from you. On behalf of the over 900 staff members who were so very fortunate to hear your message on February 12, 2009, I want to express my sincere appreciation for your time and presentation. May God continue to bless the work you do for the sake of so many other people." J. Robert (Rob) Currie ________________________________________
"Serge LeClerc is without question among the elite speakers (guests) to have appeared on my national award winning network radio program. Mr. LeClerc's knowledge of justice issues I would consider un-matched. His personal experience with the justice and prison systems as "Canada's most dangerous criminal" (so described by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) positions Serge perfectly to deliver a "must listen" message to young person and adult simultaneously. Due to his background and his education, Serge is able to address the issues facing our communities and our young people today; drugs and alcohol, bullying and violence, the Criminal Justice System and in particular the Juvenile system, suicide, sexuality, educational issues, media impact and lastly, citizenship. The recipient of a full federal pardon, Serge now devotes himself to persuading Canada's youth, particularly those at risk, to not follow his early career path. My audience has never failed to be thoroughly impressed with Mr. LeClerc's on-air presence, as his message resonates clearly with all demographics and both genders. I would never hesitate in turning to Serge for his expert advice, strong opinions and truly motivational speaking skills. On air or on-stage, it is unlikely any of us will be unmoved by Mr. LeClerc's presentations and knowledge." Endorsement from Roy Green - Ontario's Leading Radio Show Host ________________________________________ “Dear Serge: This letter is to thank you for your excellent work in Central Okanagan in bringing your message of ‘Moral and Ethical Certainty’ to over 7,000 youth and students and over 500 adults and professionals in our area. Your presentations, workshops and discussions have definitely left a challenge in our community to work with youth for positive growth, and to deal head on with issues and the effects of violence, drugs and alcohol. Your message has been heard, believe me, by all that you have spoken to including the top level local government managers and area politicians. This has been evidenced by the numerous standing ovations you received. To the person, the comments back, are that your words and challenges force us to look at ourselves and take responsibility for our actions, both as youth and adults. Your message needs to go to all corners of this country and other parts of the world. We hope that happens in the near future, so that others can hear the challenge and pick up the torch.” Mike Guzzi ________________________________________ “Serge LeClerc was a guest speaker at the Crime Stoppers International Conference in Gillette, Wyoming on September 23-24, 1998. Serge also agreed to speak at several school assemblies, as well as doing a community presentation during this time. We found his presentations very motivational and knowledgeable in many aspects of problems addressing youth today. He left an audience with valuable information that anyone can use to address issues with youth, parenting, and community problems as well as leave an organization and community with the tools they will need in order to see that our youth grow in a positive direction to become responsible adults. I find that Serge’s personal experiences in life also had a significant meaning and reliability as he addressed the youth in our community. He is very unique in that he can speak to any age group and lends credibility to his knowledge and issues facing our young people of today. I look forward to the day that I can invite Serge LeClerc back to the State of Wyoming to address other community groups.” R.L. Paul ________________________________________ "Serge's greatest skills lie in his public speaking abilities. Based on his past criminal experience and his academic background, Serge has developed expertise in a variety of areas: motivation and theories in crime and delinquency; drug trafficking; drug addiction; drug treatment programs; youth crime; and the Canadian justice system. Serge has been a highly popular guest speaker at the University of Waterloo on many occasions. He has spoken to students in the Legal Studies and Criminology Option on all of the above areas of expertise. Serge is an energetic, enthusiastic, provocative, knowledgeable, and highly entertaining speaker. Feedback from our students give him the highest ratings on all of these criteria. I am delighted to recommend Serge Leclerc as a guest speaker on topics related to crime, delinquency, drug usage, treatment programs, and the criminal justice system." Dr. Frederick J. Desroches _______________________________________ “I can not thank you enough for the work you did while you were here. Your presentations were thought provoking for some and affirmation for others. I personally believe the overwhelming positive response we received is due to your tremendous ability as a communicator delivering a message that society is hungry to hear. Students, teachers and police officers are still talking about your visit in glowing terms. We calculated that you addressed in excess of 10,000 students. That, in combination with your radio talk show spots and the public presentation night, gave our programs a profile boost for which we are forever in your debt. So on behalf of the Saskatoon Police Service, Saskatoon Crime Stoppers and our Student Crime Stoppers Programs, thanks a million!” Cst. Grant Little ________________________________________ “Mr. Serge LeClerc is an excellent platform speaker and seminar leader. His oral presentations are superb, and he lectures with enthusiasm and positive structure. In fact, Mr. LeClerc usually mesmerizes his audience with a balance of personal experience and sound theoretical foundation on a variety of issues. He holds expertise in areas such as issues in Sociology/Criminology, Justice Systems (Juvenile and Adult), Institutional Care, Child Maltreatment, Family Violence, Work with Street Children, and the Field of Addictions.” Professor Dale Payne, M.S.W., C.S.W. ________________________________________ “Serge LeClerc was invited to speak to our 1700 students concerning ‘Choices – Substance Abuse’. This assembly was one of the two best I have experienced in my sixteen years of education. Serge spoke for a hour and a quarter to our students who listened with full attention and responded with a standing ovation. Serge mixes his real life experiences and ‘street smarts’ with real down to earth advice to which the students responded with genuine interest. Serge’s message is one of hope. With no reservations of any kind, I recommend Serge LeClerc for any educational setting.” Murray Baker ________________________________________ "Serge LeClerc can be summarized in three words, pertinent, provocative and powerful. On two occasions Serge LeClerc has assisted us in our alcohol and drug awareness program in Norman wells, NT. His unique way of presenting his life story commands the attention and respect of both youth and adults alike. Having been deeply rooted within the Canadian drug and prison culture and yet having “succeeded against the odds” makes him exceptionally well qualified to communicate the message of hope to all who are struggling with life’s most perplexing problems." Dennis M. Farley, M.Ed., Licensed Psychologist, Norman Wells, NT. ________________________________________“Dear Serge: Thank you again for the wonderful job you did speaking to our students and community members. The comments we received from the School District have been overwhelmingly positive! Your visit here was truly a ‘win-win’ for everyone. Not only did our community benefit from the message you brought to Janesville, but Crime Stoppers as an organization benefited from our association with your appearance. I would highly recommend you to any organization that is considering having you come to their community!” Jim Lyke: President ________________________________________ "Those were the most amazing assemblies ever. I can honestly say that, as a high school student, I have never had a more powerful assembly. Every student that I talked too, told me that that was the “best assembly” our school has had. Even staff agreed. Thank you for challenging the entire student body to be “excellent”. I have never had an assembly provoke me to examine myself as much as your assembly. Afterwards, students were incapable of putting what the assembly meant into words. All they could say was “ wow”. You really touched them and I think that showed with their standing ovation. Once again, I feel truly grateful for the experience you brought me and my fellow students. Andrew Rapsey ________________________________________ "As a principal of an elementary school within the District School Board of Niagara, I first heard Serge LeClerc speak before a student audience on cable television approximately seven years ago. Since that time I have invited Serge to speak at three different elementary schools, the present being Grapeview in St. Catharines, Ontario. Each presentation involved a Grade 6 through 8 audience, finding that this is a needed target group for Serge's vital messages. Each presentation has drawn praise from the parent community, teachers, and of course, the students themselves. Recently, following Serge's presentation at Grapeview on November 11th, numerous parents called me indicating that the weekend following was spent discussing all of the important issues that Serge had raised with their sons and daughters. I feel nothing but praise for Serge LeClerc's impact on our student body, and I will continue to invite him to speak to my students in the future. With Thanks to Serge," ________________________________________ "Hi Serge, I just wanted to drop you a line and thank you once again on behalf of my committee, my community, and the communities that you visited while you were in the Sahtu Region. Once again you have brought your unique insights and experiences to us in your speaking engagements and have given youth and adult alike much to ponder about our attitudes and lifestyles. All the sponsors from each community have asked me to thank you and I must say I am quite amazed and relieved at the way you went into each talk and adjusted to the audience in front of you whether they be young school children, teenagers, families or community leaders. You can be assured that we will be in touch in the future requesting another visit to Norman Wells and most likely the rest of the communities within the Sahtu Region. Again thank you very much for coming up and braving our brisk sub-arctic fall weather, I will keep in touch." Tim Melnyk - September 2002 ________________________________________ "We would like to thank you once again for coming up and doing your speeches. The people in Fort Good Hope were very impressed with your speech on the local Radio station and more so, your honesty in telling your life stories on the radio. The parents of the teens that were a the bush camp that you attended would like to thank you as the speech by the fire place with the young people has touched them as they in turn spoke to the parents. They compared their life situations with yours and realize that they do not have it as bad as they feel. The parents and people were amazed at how the younger people sat with their attention focused on you while you were speaking. They have again expressed an interest in having you come back and visit next year when they have the annual school camp. School teachers were also touch with your ability to get the message across to the people you are addressing. The people of Deline have also expressed an interest in having you come back to possibly do another speech in their community. They are also very impressed with your honesty and life experiences. In all places visited the people were once again very happy to have you stay and speak with them in their communities. They have all welcomed you back. Thanks again for coming down, Yours Truly," Cst. Harvey PIERROT, ________________________________________ "A little about Serge, a man who I have great respect for and admiration. Serge’s resume can be found at Serge began a life of difficulty and crime at the age of eight years. He served over twenty years in prison, a result of his association with Organized Crime in Toronto and his use of and sale of illegal drugs for that many years and more. A volunteer at a prison and a traumatic suicide of a fellow prisoner changed Serge’s life forever. He became a Christian, and he attended the University of Waterloo studying in Criminology, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology, graduating at the top of his class and on the Dean’s Honor List. He was the Head of Counseling for a prestigious private school in Ontario for a number of years and has now become one of the most noted youth drug and alcohol abuse therapists in North America. Serge brings with him a practical and academic background that is most impressive. His ability to mesmerize and captivate youth and adult audiences alike is both awesome and unbelievable. Of the dozens of e mails he received from students after this tour, one stands out and says it all, “Serge your talk was excellent. The words you use are so powerful and get into so many teens heads. I thought that it was going to be another boring assembly but it wasn’t. It was so interesting I would want to hear it again!” Serge freely speaks of his past transgressions, but he is neither proud of his life of crime nor does he ever attempt to glorify himself. To the contrary, he openly admits that once he was an evil person, but his journey to freedom and transformation to a person who sincerely cares for youth is awesome. His dedicated work with youth has become for him, a vehicle for giving back what he took away. He is a tremendous person and a spectacular speaker - one who truly makes a difference wherever he goes. I am currently planning a return trip for Serge in October/November 2004. I want him to tour our remaining Secondary Schools and all Elementary Schools in Kamloops and there are at least forty three. Kamloops and District Crime Stoppers are hosting a Provincial Conference in May 2004 and we are seriously considering having Serge as our Keynote speaker. This will give all of our BC The impact of a Serge LeClerc Tour in any community is truly outstanding. Keith Meakins, Principal of Westsyde Secondary School in Kamloops was unable to fit us in to the schedule because of other guest speakers. On the second last day of Serge’s tour, Keith called me and asked for special consideration for an extra presentation as several parents had called apparently very angry that their children would not hear Serge. Unfortunately, we were tied up solid, but Keith has been promised the first slot for the 2004 tour. So many people have called and stopped me on the street and in my travels to comment on what a fantastic opportunity this tour provided for students and parents in our community. Serge provided a much needed message to youth in our Communities where Organized Crime and drug and alcohol abuse are so prevalent. My Board of Directors consider this Tour to be a resounding success and an image enhancer that is second to none with the exception of a repeat tour in 2004. I am obviously very impressed with what Serge had to offer and I do not hesitate to recommend him to any community. He will, as they say, make a difference and so he did! In November 2002, Kamloops & District Crime Stoppers decided to make an aggressive move on Drug and Alcohol abuse problems throughout our District, taking in Elementary and Secondary Schools, Grades 6 to 12 inclusive. We specifically targeted youth ages 10 to 18, parents including those associated with Parent Advisory Councils, and educators at both the Elementary, Secondary and School Board levels. To enhance the tour and involve those in need, we included Special Schools such as Learning Centres and Alternate Schools, Native Treatment Centres, and Correctional facilities both at the Youth Detention and Provincial Jail level. As a springboard measure, we toured every elementary and secondary school in our district {64 in all} and introduced our new Student Crime Stoppers Program. Schools were then ready to hear a top notch speaker who is not only North American renowned, but well known in Crime Stopper circles. Serge LeClerc spoke to ten Secondary Schools here in Kamloops in 1998 and he was an absolute success story. They wanted him back! The teachers who heard Serge in 1998 would prove to be our best allies and influential medium for other Principals. However, Serge’s background and his credibility as a noted Substance Abuse Therapist sold this tour. The planning took a few months, but it was well worth it. Since 1984 when we incorporated, the Serge LeClerc February 2003 Tour was the singular most popular event we have ever organized that netted us the highest visibility and enhanced image in all of our Communities. Every media outlet in all of our Communities were fully on board with pre and post advertising of this event. We were on the lips of every citizen in fourteen communities and the media coverage was outstanding. It included several newsprint, radio and TV interviews in every community that had media and several communities employed Shaw Cable Community Channel to record his entire presentation to either the Secondary or Elementary School. These recordings are now available for citizens or students who were unable to attend." The communities involved in this tour included: P G (Pete) Netherway ________________________________________ "While acting as the Director of Youth Ministries at Gregory Drive Alliance Church in Chatham, Ontario, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Serge LeClerc. He was addressing the secondary school teachers of the Kent County Board of Education as the keynote speaker of one of their Professional Development Days. My invitation to attend that engagement came about because the committee responsible for bringing Serge to Chatham believed his message was very relevant to teens as well as adults. They thought, perhaps, I would like to have Serge return to Chatham to address teens through a church youth rally. After hearing Serge’s testimony and life experiences I concurred with their assessment. The Secondary School Principals of Kent County also were impressed with Serge’s presentation. They felt his story was worthy of the secondary students of their respective schools. It was agreed that I would act as coordinator of Serge’s week of speaking engagements. After contacting Serge to obtain dates when he was available to speak, the secondary school principals slotted a time for him to appear at their schools. That week, Mr. LeClerc spoke a total of 17 times in 7 days. I accompanied him to every high school in the county where he spoke at least once, sometimes twice. Several principals arranged for community gatherings, as well as, student assemblies. He also spoke to the Native population at Walpole Island first, at their elementary school and then at the community centre. True to our original intent, Serge spoke at a youth rally Saturday afternoon, then to the entire church congregation Sunday morning. In the years since that time I have had the pleasure of accompanying Serge to Chamber of Commerce dinners where he was the keynote speaker and attended more motivational meetings where he addressed teens in secondary school settings as the national spokesperson for Crime Stoppers. I have heard his testimony several times on Focus on the Family radio broadcasts, and heard tapes of one of his interview with CBC radio. Not only do I endorse Mr. LeClerc as a worthy candidate to speak for your event, I want to encourage you to take advantage of the great flexibility, and wide ranging appeal of his presentation. During the week he was in Chatham in 1991 he reached thousands of school children, and hundreds of adults with his message. All in all, Mr. LeClerc is a gifted, motivated, speaker who is able to relate to a wide ranging audience, both secular and Christian. May I take this opportunity to challenge you to consider seriously what he has to offer your community. Sincerely," ________________________________________ “Mr. Serge LeClerc has been a frequent speaker in Waterloo County. He has addressed community parent groups, teacher meetings and professional development events, both large and small, and student assemblies. In all situations he has been an outstanding success often receiving a prolonged standing ovation. Serge LeClerc is a powerful speaker with a disturbing message to which he adds his constructive solutions. His delivery and choice of language is appropriate to each of his audiences.” W.B. Scandrett ________________________________________ “…yet again it was fantastic to hear you – two student conferences in British Columbia and Wyoming – and now at our school in Saskatchewan! You have a phenomenal gift for getting your message across and every time I hear you, I learn more and my life seems to change! Thank you.” Travis Major ________________________________________ March 10, 2007 "Well a week has gone by since you headed back home for a well-deserved rest. I have had a chance to reflect on and digest what I can only refer to as an awesome week with you. I would like to preface my comments with the fact that I am a somewhat jaded ex-policeman who is currently working in the Crime Prevention field and more specifically as a Police Liaison for the South Okanagan Similkameen Crime Stoppers program. Prior to your arrival in Penticton, I had the opportunity to listen to your presentation in person on 2-3 other occasions, which certainly spurred my interest in having you address the students in the South Okanagan Similkameen area. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to visit our area and to give 14 presentations in a 5-day period; a gruelling task to say the least! I continue to receive very positive feed back from the students, educators and citizens in our communities about the positive effect you had on a huge number of people but most importantly our youth. All of the youth that have commented to date have stated that the message was not new to them, however, the delivery was! The fact that you “talk the talk” was great but most importantly and the main reason for holding their attention is that you have “walked the walk!” Our youth today are bombarded with a ton of information in the hope that they can be spared from making bad choices that can have devastating effects for the rest of their lives. What we as adults haven’t been very good at in this delivery of information is giving it credibility – you on the other hand have met that litmus test for which I commend you. Your method of delivery, life experience and “black and white” approach to some of the problems youth face today puts you in a category not shared by many. Your “challenge” to them to “break the silence” and know they are excellent human beings with a right to a safe and enjoyable life has made a huge difference and given many a sense of empowerment I am sure. Your “black and white” approach makes life so much easier when we figure out whether we are “part of the problem or part of the solution” – the choice being ours to make. For me, you have re-enforced the fact that society needs to make that “right hand turn” as quickly as possible so that we can reconnect as humans and start caring and looking out for one another as we did in years gone by. You made a difference in my life and I am honoured to call you a friend! I look forward to our next meeting and in the mean time, Serge, stay healthy and happy and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! Yours in Crime Stoppers. Kindest Regards," Al Sismey |