Updates from District Governor Sam Kevan
May is Youth Service Month in Rotary The following highlights underscore the importance of youth programs in Rotary International and especially in our District.
May is Youth Service Month in Rotary The following highlights underscore the importance of youth programs in Rotary International and especially in our District.
Interact
The RI Interact program, designed for youth aged 12-18 turned 60 years old this year. In reviewing the timeline on page 42 of the May 2023 edition of Rotary magazine (Interact at 60 “to change the world, start young”) it becomes readily apparent that a student’s active participation in community service through Interact can evolve into a lifetime of service in Rotary. Despite that, only a small percentage of Rotary clubs in our District 5470 sponsor an Interact Club. Establishing an Interact club requires one or more active Rotarians from the local Club. These committed club members partner with a faculty member at the middle school or high school who would help organize and mentor students in the school-affiliated club. We encourage all Rotary clubs to reach out to their local schools to explore this possibility. If your club currently has an Interact Club in your middle school or high school, let PDG Becky Smith, District youth services chair, know via email beckyjsmith.rotary@gmail.com. We are currently seeking a chairperson and District committee members to coordinate all Interact Club activity and expand Interact’s impact in our District.
Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA)
RYLA takes place June 2-4, 2023 at the Colorado Mountain College campus in Leadville, CO. Nearly 50 high school students will experience a stellar leadership curriculum with all sorts of fun activities. There is also an opportunity to meet these students during the Sunday afternoon Rotary Rides the Rails event that will cap off the weekend. We had a greater challenge with recruitment for RYLA this year. The two-year hiatus due to COVID created a lack of upperclassmen who had participated in RYLA to share their experience with this year’s candidates. This underlines the importance of having teachers, counselors, or 2 administrators from local schools participating in your Rotary Club as active members.
Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE)
The number of Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) participants had also suffered because of the two-year COVID hiatus But I am happy to report that RYE is back. Seventeen outbound students from our District are nearing the end of their exciting year abroad. A similar number of inbound students are finishing an academic year in our District’s high schools and communities. Of note is the fact that the RYE program is fully supported by the U.S. State Department as an important cultural exchange program that fosters peace in our world. The positive impact of this experience for a U.S. student studying, developing life-long international friendships, and experiencing another culture can be life-changing. Kristi Redlinger, our current RYE chairperson, can attest to that fact. The story of her experience as a foreign exchange student many years ago and how it changed her life is both touching and inspirational. Our RYE committee goal is to significantly increase the number of Rotary Clubs in our District willing to host exchange students and give more Colorado students the chance to experience this tremendous opportunity. For more information, go to www.mountainandplainsrye.com and/or contact Kristi Redlinger at kristi@mountainandplainsrye.com or John Stroud at jtstroud@comcast.net.
The importance of attracting younger Rotary members One refrain I continually hear from Rotary clubs across our district is the desire and importance of increasing the number of younger members. Giving our young people a positive Rotary experience through one or more of our youth programs is an important way to encourage them to engage with Rotaract or Rotary when they become adults. Toward that end, let’s make a concerted effort to reach out to the youth of our schools and their mentors and teachers to expand our youth programs in our District.