RYLA - Shaping Our Future

The formal definition of RYLA according to Rotary International is: “Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive training program for community youth leaders.  Talented young people attend an all-expense-paid seminar, camp or workshop, generally three to ten days in length, organized and run by Rotarians with records of achievement.”

Now let me tell you what it really is.  It is a chance for us as Rotarians and Arkansans to help mold and shape the future leaders of Arkansas.  It is an opportunity for reaching out to the youth of our state and giving them the tools to succeed in life.  It is a chance to bestow blessings upon these youth and to receive blessings yourself.  It is a chance to show future Rotarians that we do more than eat lunch.

The most memorable moments of RYLA are not the great speakers and Rotarians explaining about all of the great things about Rotary.  The most memorable moments are when we have rap sessions and you see how amazing, intelligent and wonderful young adults are and how they have dealt with the harsh realities of life.  When student after student at RYLA’s own say, “I just came because it will look great for our college applications…..now , I don’t want to leave” or “I love RYLA because I can be me, not what everyone expects me to be and I don’t have to wear all of the masks.”  The most memorable moments are when a student comes to give a program to your club and says, “I wouldn’t be able to stand before you and speak if I hadn’t been to RYLA. RYLA enabled me to find the confidence I didn’t know I had.”   The most memorable moments are when a former RYLARIAN, now Rotarian, in California speaks at the Rotary International Convention and says, “In the weeks before I went to RYLA, I had three friends commit suicide.  I felt so alone.  I went to RYLA and saw that people actually cared in me and saw something in me that I had long since buried.  They saw I had a reason to live. So I didn’t attempt suicide at RYLA like I had planned.  RYLA literally changed the course of my life.”

We are also in need of counselors.  If you would like to make a powerful difference in the life of a young adult, please let me know.  We can not make RYLA successful if we don’t have the manpower.

Rotary District 6150’s RYLA will be March 30-April 2, 2006.  Each club will have two spots reserved until November 30, 2005.   Your preliminary reports are due in with $200 for each student your club plans to send by November 30, 2005  After November 30th, if you would like to send more than two, please contact me and if space is available it will be granted.  Applications are due by January 15th, 2006.  The packages are available for download on the district web site at www.Rotary6150.org  and will be sent in the mail.  If you have any questions please contact me at (870)236-7676, (870)240-6825 or at mhb@paragould.net.