Gigi Mazzola and Erika Harris were co-chairs of RYLA for our club this year. They led the program for our club at last week’s meeting. RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Rewards. RYLA is a three-day team building, leadership experience sponsored by Rotary District 5910. Students are accepted throughout the district through an application process. Approximately 250 students participated in RYLA this year. Not every student who applies gets accepted to attend the weekend, so the parents of the students who did attend should be especially proud. There were nine students from our local high schools present at our meeting, and they were introduced by Gigi. Some of the students’ parents were also in attendance. Gigi then recognized some of the Rotary members that helped during the weekend by taking pictures, transporting students and luggage, and welcoming the students. She also introduced Michael Perez, who oversaw the whole program for District 5910.

Erika then thanked our club for supporting RYLA financially and the volunteers who helped during the weekend. Gigi then introduced her son, Rudy, who was chosen to come back again next year as a counselor, and he came up to the podium to lead the students in attendance in a fun chant they learned during the weekend.

Rudy then shared a bit about his experience during the weekend and thanked our club for sponsoring him at RYLA last weekend.

Michael Perez then offered comments and information about the weekend. We had seventeen students attend RYLA from this area. Some clubs sent two students, some sent twenty-two students. During COVID, the program was not available; the first year back we limited the enrollment to 175; last year there were 220 students in attendance; and this year it grew to 248. Normal attendance is approximately 285, so the weekend is gradually getting back to normal. He said volunteers for the weekend numbered just under one hundred, with twenty-four of those being student counselors. This was our district’s thirty second RYLA weekend. The camp is held at Piney Woods Baptist camp on Hwy. 287. The students work together in teams to solve problems through teamwork, learn about ethics in the workplace, and learn more about Rotary and how they can get involved in Rotary. The weekend is a wonderful and transformative experience for the students that attend and is extremely rewarding for the volunteers who help. Michael encouraged us to consider volunteering for the event next year.