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RYLA
RYLA 2008 DATES ANNOUNCED!
The 2008 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camps will be held at Camp Redlands west of Stillwater on July 31st through August 4th and then August 6th through August 10th of 2008. Camp Director Bridget Markwood and her staff will be presenting one of the most dynamic and inspiring camps available anywhere. All Rotarians are invited to attend the camps and to participate in the camp programs. Clubs are encouraged to make a “field trip” to the camp for a day to interact with the campers, eat with them, and observe the program. Also, information will be sent to each club shortly regarding registration for the camps. For more information, contact District RYLA Chairman John Blackwell.
January, 11, 2008:
RYLA APPLICATIONS AND SPONSORSHIPS DUE NOW
Just a reminder that your club’s RYLA applications should be sent immediately if you have not already done so. By receiving them in late December and early January, it gives our counselors more opportunity to contact both young persons and parents before the conference. It is this early contact that has lowered our last minute dropout rate to almost nothing over the past several years. We always have more students apply than we have sponsorships and by learning early of a student’s changed plans we have the chance to provide another student with the opportunity to attend RYLA.
Please remember also that students are not totally sponsored until the payment for their attendance has been received. This must be done prior to the conference. It was necessary to raise the conference fee to $375 this year to continue to cover costs. We have not raise the fee for approximately five years. Hopefully all of you will manage the slight difference and send the same number of young persons (or more!) that you have in the past. If you cannot find enough local young persons for the number of sponsorships you provide, please fund them anyway and we will supply students for you.
As you know, it was decided to move the conference a later in the summer this year (late July, early August) since our conference director is going to be a bit busy becoming a mother in May and June. For some students, this has worked out better, since many have more commitments early in the summer. It will be interesting to see how this works out as we plan for 2009. These conference dates are over the 2007-2008 budget line into the fiscal year 2008-2009 but we assume all of you will be funding the 2008 conference from 2007-2008 budgets.
A REMINDER- Applications go to: Bridget Markwood; P.O. Box 1461, Superior, WI 54880
Checks go to: Mary Austin; P.O. Box 165, Newkirk, OK 74647
Feel free to call me anytime I can be of help to you. We’re looking forward to our best conferences yet with full houses at both of them!
John Blackwell; RYLA District Chairman, (405) 751-1392, jbmegabyn@aol.com
RYLA ATTENDANCE AT A RECORD LEVEL
By John Blackwell
Our June RYLA conferences had a sponsored attendance
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John Blackwell,
Committee Chair |
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level higher than we have seen in many years. We had 112 club sponsorships for young persons and the conferences could not have been better. This in spite of the fact that the storms coming through Oklahoma hit the first conference in the first full day. Fortunately the only thing missed was a pizza delivery due to the blocked road but kids and counselors made everything work smoothly.
I was asked the other day if our RYLA work was done and my answer has to be that it is never really done. As soon as one conference is over and all the cleanup work for it finished, planning begins for the new one. This year (without telling us at the end of last season), OSU raised the camp rates. Food costs also jumped. RYLA is almost totally funded from the club fees per student and we have very little cushion from year to year so this was a little scary but we are certain that once all funds are in (we still have a few clubs unpaid), we will cover everything and perhaps have a (very) small surplus as a cushion for next year.
There is no question that the per student sponsorship fee will have to go up next year to cover the actual expenditures. We have not had a fee increase in over five years. With budgets being planned in June, we realize this increase will be an “extra” expenditure but we hope that no club decreases the number of students sponsored. This is a remarkable program and should be open to as many young persons as possible. Special thanks to our District Governor Marty for his help at the conferences and his great support for this extraordinary program.
John Blackwell, RYLA Chairman
jbmegabyn@aol.com, (405) 751-1392
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CONOCOPHILLIPS CONTRIBUTES TO RYLA:
For the second year in a row, ConocoPhillips has made a $1,000 contribution to the support of the district’s Rotary Youth Leadership Conference. The district thanks ConocoPhillips and Diane Anderson, Community Relations and Philanthropic Coordinator, in their Ponca City office for their confidence in and support of this very important district program.
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What is RYLA?
Rotary Youth Leadership Award is an international program for youth. Each district puts on their own RYLA. District 5750’s is a 5-day, 4-night camp in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Students from across the state gather together to learn about themselves, others, and their Oklahoma community. Attendees also learn about running events, hosting meetings, management styles and more. RYLArians experience an amazing ropes course, small group discussions, many experiential activities, and some just for fun. Through activity and communication, these soon-to-be high school juniors learn what they are made of and come to a deeper appreciation for others. After attending RYLA, students are welcome to come back the following year as Trailblazers, assisting in large group facilitation and activity set up. Following that, they may return as Junior Counselors, then as Counselors. This means that RYLA has the BEST staff imaginable! The staff works year-round to get ready for RYLA!
Rotarians Wanted!
We need YOU! There are many ways Rotarians can help and there are many needs. Please contact Bridget Jones or John Blackwell if you are willing/able to help in any way. Here is a list of just some of our needs.
- -Participate in the 4th Annual Rotarian Chili Cookoff!
- -Hang out with students at the Retro Carnival or Bonfires
- -Take part in The Campaign (treasure hunt)
- -Have your club make and serve a meal (we provide the funds)
- -Join us in any small or large group activity (including the ropes course!)
- -Offer to speak about Rotary or something in your area of expertise
- -Donate items that are needed for camp (can provide list for those interested)
- -Sponsor a student
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