RYLA Was a Smashing Hit...
Posted by Mark Evans Kirkpatrick
|
| RYLA KU Family (L-R): Apples, Shoes, Shakira, Red, Toto, Zebra, Venus, Potter, Toto (again), Gum-Rapper, Flash |
Did I get your attention? Good. The amazing thing that took place was the understanding each family possessed, the maturity of each teen as they described their, very real, issues and accomplishments, and brotherhood that was formed in only a few hours.
The facilitators were given two options, drive up on Thursday and sleep in, or drive up on Friday morning and show up by 8am. My choice, and that of a few others, was to carpool to Idyllwild, CA late Thursday evening and try to catch some ZZZ's before the arrival of our energetic, young adults. The smell of the woods overpowered most senses, the sounds of the creak brought a picture of purity, and though we were lost in a Ford Focus traveling on what seemed to be the cabin area (developing ruts and potentially destroying mother nature at her finest) we found ourselves at the brink of a weekend to remember.
Day 2 (Day 1 for the teens), the teens arrived in their buses and immediately did what came natural, they grabbed their free stuff: a backpack, a water bottle, a map and some literature, and some other goodies. Unlike other years, where the teens would branch off into small groups of recognizable faces, for some reason, by the grace of the woods, the young Leaders began to organize in large crowds, yelling out the name of their family (by college categorization), "Yale!", "University of Alabama!", "Navy!", "University of Kansas, over here!"
Once the buses were empty and the groups gathered, we all headed to lunch, where we met our team for the first time. In the cloud of faces there were nothing but smiles and friendly, eager opportunists waiting to experience the weekend of a lifetime. The food was served, and the chants began, "Don't hate, Rylanate!" The families divided into their chosen meeting spaces, and the weekend began with introductions and discussions.
By the end of the first night, it seemed we had known one another for years. It was amazing how open, thoughtful, and intelligent these teens were. Though some facilitators faced the challenges of silence, others were gifted with the unending collaboration of true, honest communication.
Day 3 (Day 2 for the teens), we had many speakers including our own DG Marge Cole who came to speak about Rotary, Fary Moini from LJGT Rotary Club spoke of Afghanistan, and Jim Brogan of the (then) San Diego Clippers got hearts pumping. The teens were receptive, they were juiced, and they were ready to take home everything they experienced. They would bring real leadership to their families, their schools, their communities, and their world. This was only after their second day!
Day 4 (Day 3 for the teens) was our last day. The night before they danced to the beat of loud, fast-paced music, sat around a camp-fire and ate s'mores, and spent the evening socializing. On this day, they were taking it all in, meeting as many people as possible, developing lasting relationships by exchanging contact information, and saying their heart-felt, tear-jerking goodbyes.
One could not explain the advanced training methodologies utilized in this event, the camaraderie among such esteemed individuals, and the various types of leaders who developed or realized their potential.
We all owe a great "Thanks!" to Rotary and D5340 for making RYLA as special as the people involved. Every Rotarian should give it a shot at least once.
The facilitators were given two options, drive up on Thursday and sleep in, or drive up on Friday morning and show up by 8am. My choice, and that of a few others, was to carpool to Idyllwild, CA late Thursday evening and try to catch some ZZZ's before the arrival of our energetic, young adults. The smell of the woods overpowered most senses, the sounds of the creak brought a picture of purity, and though we were lost in a Ford Focus traveling on what seemed to be the cabin area (developing ruts and potentially destroying mother nature at her finest) we found ourselves at the brink of a weekend to remember.
Day 2 (Day 1 for the teens), the teens arrived in their buses and immediately did what came natural, they grabbed their free stuff: a backpack, a water bottle, a map and some literature, and some other goodies. Unlike other years, where the teens would branch off into small groups of recognizable faces, for some reason, by the grace of the woods, the young Leaders began to organize in large crowds, yelling out the name of their family (by college categorization), "Yale!", "University of Alabama!", "Navy!", "University of Kansas, over here!"
Once the buses were empty and the groups gathered, we all headed to lunch, where we met our team for the first time. In the cloud of faces there were nothing but smiles and friendly, eager opportunists waiting to experience the weekend of a lifetime. The food was served, and the chants began, "Don't hate, Rylanate!" The families divided into their chosen meeting spaces, and the weekend began with introductions and discussions.
By the end of the first night, it seemed we had known one another for years. It was amazing how open, thoughtful, and intelligent these teens were. Though some facilitators faced the challenges of silence, others were gifted with the unending collaboration of true, honest communication.
Day 3 (Day 2 for the teens), we had many speakers including our own DG Marge Cole who came to speak about Rotary, Fary Moini from LJGT Rotary Club spoke of Afghanistan, and Jim Brogan of the (then) San Diego Clippers got hearts pumping. The teens were receptive, they were juiced, and they were ready to take home everything they experienced. They would bring real leadership to their families, their schools, their communities, and their world. This was only after their second day!
Day 4 (Day 3 for the teens) was our last day. The night before they danced to the beat of loud, fast-paced music, sat around a camp-fire and ate s'mores, and spent the evening socializing. On this day, they were taking it all in, meeting as many people as possible, developing lasting relationships by exchanging contact information, and saying their heart-felt, tear-jerking goodbyes.
One could not explain the advanced training methodologies utilized in this event, the camaraderie among such esteemed individuals, and the various types of leaders who developed or realized their potential.
We all owe a great "Thanks!" to Rotary and D5340 for making RYLA as special as the people involved. Every Rotarian should give it a shot at least once.