What a refreshing experience last Wednesday to hear Tahlia Fenech and Jacqui Wark speak about the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA)! Tahlia, who works with the PCYC's Project Booyah! was sponsored by our club to attend RYLA last February. Jacqui is one of the leaders and organizers. As the name would suggest, the week long event is designed to promote personal and professional development, goal setting and communication through a range of inspirational speakers, team building exercises and leadership training. In our District, it is held every year in late January or early February. The girls started the presentation off with a video, showing the awardees enjoying every minute by participating in activities as straight forward as sliding down a slippery water slide to team activity of constructing a raft and then “racing” it across the pond. You can catch a bit of that video on the RYLA website. Obviously, everyone is having a ball! Your editor remarked that, from the video, it would appear that it is simply a giant holiday camp? “Far from it!” both the girls exclaimed, “I have repeatedly been taken way out of my comfort zone” Tahlia outlined. "One of the most beneficial items was to learn how to believe in myself" she said.
There are numerous activities which not only stretch the brain, but the various Keynote and motivational speakers really help the awardees to set goals and learn how to achieve these goals.
RYLA, now a program run in numerous Rotary Districts throughout Australia and internationally, is truly home grown: it was originally started in Queensland, as far back as 1959.
Photo (from left): Our club's Chair of Youth Service, Tania Laird, Jacqui Wark and Tahlia Fenech.