Rotary Youth Leadship Awards
by Lorine Parks
Who were these four young people, wearing black tee shirts with the bright green letters, R Y L A? Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (Assembly) participants, that’s who, and the Y on the shirts was not really a letter but a figure raising outstretched arms.
Look again, and the Rotary wheel logo is there too. Our Diane Davis who is District 5280’s Assistant Governor for Youth Services, introduced Elyse Beardsley of the Rotary Club of El Segundo. Elyse, was one of the first women in Rotary and first female president of her club. Elyse .is co-chair of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program for Rotary District 5280, which brings in hundreds of kids from throughout our area to teach them life-changing leadership skills.
WHAT HAPPENS AT RYLA? Each year, between 180 and 200 high school students from the Los Angeles area, which defines Rotary International District 5280, meet for two and a half days and participate in a variety of activities, including active leadership workshops, team building activities, an Olympics and talent show. Placed high in the San Bernardino Mountains in Blue Jay, the setting of the camp is breath taking and completely private, giving the students a peaceful environment in which to learn to know themselves and each other better.
This conference offers students an opportunity to learn and express leadership skills and to accept individual responsibility as the basis for personal success, community involvement and group achievement.
What age student is RYLA looking for? Not high school seniors, because the experience is designed to teach leadership to use when the senior in high school level is attained. So freshmen, sophomores and juniors should apply. RYLA participants are nominated by their local Rotary clubs.
