RYLA - Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

RYLA provides an experience where “young people can develop leadership skills while having fun and making connections”.

Faversham Rotary sponsored two Explorer Scouts to attend the recent RYLA event at the Bowles Rock Centre. Charlie and Ben came to a Club meeting to tell members about their experiences.

They had both been a bit anxious before the weekend, as they would be meeting and working with new people and facing challenges that would take them outside their comfort zones. However the ‘ice-breaking’ session on arrival soon got everyone talking.

There was a full programme of activities, including low & high rope circuits and sledging on the dry ski slopes – which were actually slippery and wet due to all the rain!

The night crawl obstacle course, blindfolded and in the rain, certainly tested their communication skills as all members of each team had to stay in contact with each other. Singing helped to ease the tension.

The team puzzle was another activity which required good team work to develop a strategy for solving the problem.

Charlie and Ben had clearly enjoyed the experience and had taken the challenges in their stride. They said that their leadership skills had improved, they’d benefited from the team work involved, had made friends who they’re still in contact with and the food was good and plentiful.

And finally, the programme was so busy that they’d hardly had time to use their mobile phones!