THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE FACTORS RELATED TO THE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF VOLUNTEER ADULT LEADERS FOR WORK WITH LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC RURAL YOUTH IN UNIVERSITY EXTENSION YOUTH PROGRAMS. SPECIFICALLY, THE STUDY WAS CONCERNED WITH COMPARING RURAL YOUTH OF DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC STATUSES AS TO THEIR PERCEPTION OF PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS IN AN ADULT LEADER, AND STYLE OF ADULT LEADERSHIP DESIRED. THE SAMPLE WAS YOUTHS IN GRADES 5 THROUGH 8, 176 OF LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND 174 OF HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS WAS MEASURED BY EDUCATION AND OCCUPATION OF THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE, AND FAMILY POSSESSIONS. THE DESIRED STYLE OF LEADERSHIP WAS DETERMINED BY ASKING THE YOUTHS TO SELECT EITHER A DEMOCRATIC, LAISSEZ-FAIRE, OR AUTHORITARIAN TYPE OF LEADER. THE DESIRED PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE DETERMINED BY THE YOUTHS' DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THEY WANTED IN A LEADER, SIX CATEGORIES BEING PROVIDED--SKILLS AND TALENTS, SOCIAL SKILLS, KINDNESS AND HELPFULNESS, RESPECT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND AUTHORITATIVENESS. THE CONCLUSIONS REVEALED THAT RURAL YOUTH, REGARDLESS OF STATUS, WANTED THE PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF KINDNESS AND HELPFULNESS, AND A DEMOCRATIC STYLE IN AN ADULT LEADER. OTHER CONCLUSIONS WERE BASED ON DIFFERENCES IN AGE, SEX, GRADE LEVEL, AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF RURAL YOUTH. THIS MATERIAL WAS SUBMITTED AS A DISSERTATION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, 1967, 207 PAGES. (PG)