| Home Page
Hours Page
Contact Page
Events of 2001
Camp RYLA 2001
|
Stephanie Choi, Felipe Jimenez, Katelyn Mendivil, and I attended Camp RYLA the first week of summer vacation. Jay Hood also attended, as a Counselor in Training. RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Scholarship Award. Outstanding students who have shown great leadership qualities were given the opportunity to come to this weeklong leadership camp. Held at Camp Campbell in the Santa Cruz Mountains, campers lived with peers of the same caliber, were immersed in leadership training sessions by the Dale Carnegie Team, and went to different workshops.
By Vicki Leung
More on RYLA can be found on POV pages, with commentary from the NM RYLA attendees.
|
|
|
Lee E. Fort is the director of the camp and made an effort to learn the name of each of the 160 campers. This was done through Memory Magic, a handy concept because "The best thing that a person can hear is his or her own name." Along with Fort was a team of wonderful coordinators and counselors. They all helped to make the experience memorable with their enthusiasm and energy.
Left: Fort (top row, middle) with the SupaFlyz. |
The campers were assigned to different cabins with names such as the Gods and Goddesses, the Fly Family (Buttaflyz and SupaFlyz), Sweet and Sour Pork, Possie Up and Back-up, and the Hotties, Sizziln' Senoritas, and Icemen. Each sister cabin had a brother cabin. Some brother cabins had two sister cabins, considering the ratio of males to females at the camp was 1:3. Campers spent time with their bro/sis cabins during special times set-aside during the evening. Many games of Human Knot; Honey, I Love You; and Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo were played to loosen the tension and begin to grow as a family.
Right: The counselors of the Gods and Goddesses. |
|
|
|
Members of the Dale Carnegie Team headed a series of leadership modules. Some were Leadership Styles, Building Relationships, and Attitudes that Inspire Us and Control Stress. Campers learned that all good leaders employ five characteristics: 1) Challenges the Process, 2) Inspires a Shared Vision, 3) Enables Other to Act, 4) Models the Way, 5) Encourages the Heart. Modules were each an hour long and taught many important ideals to the future leaders of the world. |
There were different types of workshops held during the week in which campers worked to contribute something to the camp. The newsletter workshop produced a daily newsletter for the entire camp, recounting some of the events of the previous day. The yearbook went high-tech this year and worked to make a CD-Rom version of it. The Dance Workshop put together the dance that was held on Thursday night. The Band and Chorus and Entertainment Groups put together great performances for the camp. Speech and Debate presented their ideas on who had it easier, girls or boys, and proposed the fact that, sometimes, "Life stinks." The Community Service Group put together a car wash to be held later this year in support of Rain Forest Preservation. The Sports Committee held a relay race between the campers.
Right: The Entertainment Group after their campfire presentation. Their performance included a Beauty Pagent, their rendition of TRL, and a lesson in the dangers of picking up hitchhikers.
|
|
|
|
The week began with speeches from Fort, Russ Danielson (Interact Chair, District 5170), and Rich Bennet. It ended with a barbeque with Rotarians from all the areas. This was a very memorable experience for every camper. Each person who went to the camp brought their own story, their own personality, their own "special-ness." Even though it felt like it wouldn’t come together in the beginning, in the end, we are RYLA 2001. |
The Four-Way Test of Rotary International
The Four Way Test is a set of questions to ask oneself when making decisions. These questions help the decision-maker come to the best possible solution that will be agreeable to all parties involved.
1) Is it the truth?
2) Is it fair to all concerned?
3) Will it build goodwill and better friendship?
4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
|
|
|
|
Click above to visit The RYLA Experience 2K1. This site is by Felipe, Hector Leon, and Will Nguyen. It includes pictures, commentary, and reflections on the week.
Click left to see more pictures from RYLA. |
|
