Each year Suffield Rotary Club invites Suffield High School sophomores to apply for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award. This year our club and town was represented at Rotary’s Youth Leadership event by Taylor Abbiatti, Payten Benito, Annalise Boucher, Alexandra Eddy and Ella Kettles. Rotary District 7890 includes clubs from across Connecticut and Western Massachusetts.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a program for young people that was officially adopted by Rotary International in 1971. Conducted at the 7890’s District level, RYLA offers our local clubs a special opportunity to take part in developing leadership qualities and good citizenship among our young adults.
The Suffield Rotary Club’s sponsored sophomores spent the day at Springfield College on May 30. After registration and an overview of the day’s events, students divided into smaller groups to begin the program. Throughout the day, instructors and the RYLA Committee observed and assessed their leadership skills. The training also included a motivational speaker, a Rotary roundtable, and a seminar on the benefits of teamwork in accomplishing goals.
A selection process took place whereby all students involved selected students who best displayed leadership characteristics within each group, several of which will attend the World Affairs Seminar at Carroll University, Wisconsin in June of the following year. Alternates are chosen to replace those who cannot attend. The RYLA program of Rotary District 7890 pays for transportation, meals and admission to this week-long event where students from all over the world gather to discuss global affairs.
Our District can be proud of its RYLA Program because it achieves all these objectives:
- To demonstrate Rotary’s respect and concern for youth.
- To encourage and assist young adults in methods of effective leadership by providing them with training experience.
- To publicly recognize the high qualities of many young adults who are serving their communities as youth leaders
After the students return from RYLA, they will join us at one of our upcoming Suffield Rotary meetings and share their experiences and the impact it has had as they grow in leadership and service. Please join us in congratulating- Taylor, Payten, Annalise, Alexandra and Ella on this achievement.