The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an annual initiative run by the various Rotary districts worldwide. It is designed as a week-long conference, where selected individuals from each Rotary district, aged between 20 and 30, come together to develop critical leadership and communication skills and network with other community leaders and well-recognised inspirational speakers.
I recently had the incredible opportunity to attend RYLA 2024 for Rotary’s District 9910, encompassing 38 clubs from north and west Auckland, the far north and extending to Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island. I was chosen as the attendee representing and sponsored by the Devonport Rotary Club.
District 9910’s 2024 RYLA was held in Muriwai at the beautiful newly-built surf club. I was joined by 20 other attendees, all young professionals, hailing from Auckland and further north, and a few from the Pacific nations in the district. We had no idea what we were in for, and all of us were armed only with a packing list and an extensive personality assessment form in terms of prior information. During the lead-up to RYLA, we were intentionally kept in the dark as to what we should expect from the upcoming week, so as we all arrived at the surf club and began to network, we were able to get to know one another without having overriding expectations of what was to come. By the end of the week, we were all in agreement that RYLA had surpassed any assumptions of how the week would play out. During that short time, our cohort connected deeply through the planned seminars and activities and on an organic level. It highlighted how powerful it is to be surrounded by like-minded young adults, all striving to develop their respective careers and personal journeys, and learn to work harmoniously together.
The week’s schedule was intense, packing in many seminars and workshops hosted by some highly accredited guest speakers. The speakers encompassed an impressive range of career fields, but what linked them together was the fact that they were all celebrated for their leadership skills. Through their sessions, we learnt practical and theoretical facets of solid leadership, from the importance of nurturing your mental and physical health, understanding and adjusting to different communication styles, Māori and cultural leadership, conflict management, and creating your personal brand. This newfound knowledge led up to the final task, where we created a business pitch in small groups with the support of a business mentor, which we had to present back to the judges and wider group, 'Dragons Den' style.
I could speak about the incredible experience of RYLA forever, but in short, RYLA was so much more than the leadership skills we learnt and the workshops we had. Over the week, a strong bond was created between all of us participants, and we created a space of acceptance, open kōrero and a safe space for vulnerability. That is not often found. Since RYLA, we have remained close with regular catch-ups, meetings and check-ins. We are currently beginning our own Rotary club, aimed towards a younger generation and other RYLA attendees, which will allow for the development and growth of the incredible space RYLA fostered, and be a vessel for us to put our ideas into action. We also had the incredible opportunity to meet with Gordon McInally, the president of Rotary International, who was eager to hear about our experience with RYLA and shared his own leadership journey with us. I'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Devonport Rotary for making this amazing experience possible for me.
If you’re reading this article and thinking RYLA would be an excellent opportunity for you or someone you know, I strongly encourage you to contact your local North Shore Rotary club (there will definitely be one near you!), and inquire how to apply. RYLA was a truly incredible opportunity and one that should be shared.
Channel Mag's youth contributors, Ellie Brown and Fantasia Nair bring a fresh monthly feature to our pages to inspire and advise our younger North Shore readers. If there are any topics you'd like to read about, contact Liz at liz@channelmag.co.nz and our fledgling writers will research and write engaging articles specifically for our younger (at heart) readers.
