Rotary sponsors students to youth conference
Janelle Tibbetts (left) and Kimari Fletcher flank
Mike Lyons, RYLA District Chairman for Rotary District
6390 (Boca Raton north to St. Augustine in Florida).
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Kimari Fletcher, who was sponsored along with Janelle Tibbetts to attend a
four-day leadership conference for high school students, described it as “a
life changing conference.”
The two Cayman students were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman
Central (RCGCC) to be delegates at the Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly (RYLA),
alongside students from six counties in central and southern Florida.
Held this year April 7 through 10 at Port-St. Lucie Holiday Inn, Florida,
the RYLA is a programme designed to build future community leaders and foster
self-leadership by teens.
This is the 8th year RCGCC has sponsored students to this event, according
to Fred Speirs, who has accompanied students from the Cayman Islands each
year. Students are selected by their school head of year on the basis of
academic record and leadership potential.
RCGCC President, John Elliott, said “RYLA has been a worthwhile project
since its inception. It is important that youngsters who are identified as
having leadership potential be given every opportunity to develop it. Rotary
Central congratulates Janelle and Kimari on being selected!”
Each year, Rotary Clubs offer coveted RYLA scholarships to high school
students, according to the Rotary website. During the conference, which is
sponsored by Rotary Clubs from Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee,
Indian River and Brevard counties, teenagers interact with each other and a
team of community leaders over a four-day period. The agenda includes
leadership, self-esteem, contemporary social issues, public speaking,
behavioral management, and personal development.
When a delegate arrives at RYLA, they are assigned to a skit group.
Composed of around 10 delegates, the skit groups learn to work together as a
team. One of the skit groups’ primary projects is the creation of a skit or
small play to be presented to the other delegates and Rotarians at the end of
RYLA.
RYLA offers a balanced program of lectures and discussion groups, including
information on self esteem, speech training, behavioral management, leadership
skills and personal development. RYLA is a great opportunity to learn, grow,
have fun and meet new friends in the process, according to Rotary.
In a presentation to RCGCC about her trip, Ms Fletcher said, “RLYA 2005 was
a wonderful and memorable event. It taught me to value life by living each day
as though it was my last, make use of good opportunities, and that everything
in life happens for a reason.” One of the speakers that made a big impression
on her was a woman whose son had died of a drug overdose.
“This story stuck out in my mind because I see similar drug related issues
here in Grand Cayman. I image the pain that Mrs Katz must have felt to see her
son dead and the pain the mothers here in Grand Cayman must feel to see their
children going down this road. This made me realize how important life is and
how drugs can cause death at a young age. This also stuck out in my mind
because I see young people doing drugs but I really wonder if they are REALLY,
REALLY conscious of the consequences.
“This will stay with me as a life-long lesson of the reasons not to use
drugs, and listening to this speaker gave me the courage to speak out against
drugs to my peers.” She also met some wonderful people, she said.
“I had a roommate form Brazil, two from Florida. They were wonderful people
and I am glad I was given the opportunity to have met them.”
Thanking the Rotary Club for sending her, Ms Fletcher concluded, “No one
will ever go to RYLA and return the same, and we as young people can learn
from the conference and work together to make a better Cayman.”
Ms Tibbetts told the Club, “When I first entered the Hotel, the first thing
I thought was, ‘Oh boy, this is really going to be a boring weekend.’ I can
hardly begin to explain to you how wrong I was.”
She said that as well as the speakers, there was a pool party, a
semi-formal dinner, speech contest, team challenges, and a dance. Her skit
group presented to the rest of the delegates, parents, and the senior staff at
RYLA a skit about Martha Stewart, Universal Studios, and a lampshade.
“On the Saturday, there was an open discussion. For two and a half hours,
students got out of their seats, stood in front of a room full of practically
strangers, and told their stories, and some of the things that they have
experienced. These young adults told the rest of us how they were molested,
suicidal, drug addicts, alcoholics; one told us of how she became pregnant,
lost her boyfriend in a gang fight, and months later, lost his baby in a car
accident. Many of us sat in shock, and just cried. These are things that many
teens in the Cayman Islands can relate to. These delegates are now the future
leaders in their communities. They spoke of how they overcame all these
difficulties. It was a very emotional two and a half hours.”
Reflecting on the experience, she said, “The first day of RYLA, everyone
talked about how it was going to be a weekend that would change your life. I
brushed it off and said ‘Yeah right!’ However, that’s exactly what happened. I
learned so many new things, I gained many new friends, and my outlook on life
is completely different.
“I know from that weekend alone, my leadership potential was enhanced
tremendously. I am 100 percent positive it will really help me in my future.
It is an experience I will take with me all my life. I wouldn’t exchange my
weekend at RYLA for anything in this world.”
Rotary is a world-wide civic organization with more than one million
members. Almost 100 years old, Rotary clubs are located in nearly every
country of the world. The clubs meet once a week, enjoy a meal, have a good
time and work on a variety of projects to improve the community.
RYLA was originally created by a group of Rotarians in Australia. In 1971,
RYLA was adopted by Rotary International and spread through the world.
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