Thirteen strangers boarded a bus Thursday morning looking to better themselves as leaders in the Atmore community as the Leadership Atmore Class of 2011 went on its annual retreat to Camp Beckwith in Fairhope on Thursday and Friday.

The class’ adventure for their first session began before they left Atmore as their bus experienced some engine issues, according to Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheryl Vickery.

Vickery said it was an icebreaker for the class.

“I got on to welcome the class to Leadership Atmore and as we pulled out the bus died,” Vickery said. “The class asked Roxanne if she wanted them to push it back into the parking lot, so they all jumped out of the bus and pushed. They turned that adversity into something positive. Before that happened they were kind of looking around at each other and some were talking, but after that happened they had an immediate friendship.”

Following the bus malfunction, the class was up and rolling once they made it to Beckwith.

After two days of bonding on the retreat, Vickery said she saw a lot of promise for the class.

“Everything went great,” she said. “From the time they pushed the bus until they got back off the bus in Atmore they gelled. Coming home there were people who were quiet on the trip down that were not quiet on the ride back. They laughed together and no one had any hard words. The only thing I saw from the evaluation forms was that they would have liked to have been challenged more on the ropes course.”

For Vickery, a graduate of the Leadership Atmore Class of 2009, from speaking with the members of the class there is a lot of excitement about what lies ahead.

“I think in talking with everyone after dinner last night that they are excited about the program,” she said. “They are excited to see what each session in the future brings.”

As for what she expects from the Class of 2011, Vickery said she wants to see each class member “mature” as a leader.

“This is a young class,” Vickery said. “We have more young members of the community this time, and I expect to see a lot of good leadership qualities come from this. My anticipation is to see them mature into stronger leaders by the time they graduate from this class.”

The members of the Leadership Atmore Class of 2011 include Amy Akins, United Bank; A.J. Beachy, Hawkeye Lawn Care; Blakely Bell, “Atmore News;” John W. Brantley, First National Bank & Trust; Jennifer Chism, PCI; Amy Davis, Atmore Community Hospital; Shane Hadley, Baldwin Gulf Coast Pest Control; Larry Hammonds, PCI; David Landis, We Care; Stephen L. Pettis, Atmore Public Library; Jessica Schwartz, Grace Fellowship; Ross Terry, Atmore Area YMCA; Sarah Watkins, Escambia County High School.