RYLA 2012 Revisited

At Thursday night's club meeting at the Cherry Brook Restaurant and Bar at the River Vale Country Club on January 10, Vice President Bob Bustard called upon Dick Beattie, chairman of the club's RYLA selection committee, to introduce the evening's program. After summarizing the club's long history with RYLA in District 7490, Dick proceeded to introduce Senior Counselors Katie Zoch and Steve Gelber who brought with them a DVD showing some of the highlights of the 2012 RYLA experience at Indian Head camp in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

R.Y.L.A. stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. Each year local Rotary Clubs seek outstanding High School Juniors to represent their communities at this all-expense paid six-day conference focusing on leadership, team-building, professional development and community service. The RYLA Program objectives are:

- to demonstrate Rotary's respect and concern for youth.
- to provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders.
- to encourage leadership of youth by youth.
- to recognize publicly young people who are rendering service to their communities.

An official project of Rotary International since 1960, the RYLA idea was brought to the attention of District 7490 by Dave Ledgerwood of the Park Ridge Club in 1986. Club President Don Terrace and rest of the club promoted the District's participation in RYLA and launched it on its path to success within Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties.

RYLA 7490 takes place under the direction of Rotarians and a Senior Rotary Advisor. The Counselor Staff is made up of college students and young professional volunteers (ranging in age from 19-30) who must be RYLA 7490 Alumni themselves. Their firsthand knowledge of the program provides added insight to the students’ experience. Each year new alumni are hired to serve and invest into the future of RYLA.

As the DVD slide show progressed, the 4 RYLAteers from Park Ridge H.S. and the 2 from Pascack Hills commented on the impact the program had had on them. Each RYLAteer obviously experienced the program in a very personal way. One could not help but be struck by the intensity of their enthusiasm for the week that they had spent with over 100 other young people from throughout the District.

Many thanks to Dick Beattie for arranging this program and to the club's members and friends for helping to fund this outstanding investment in our youth.