Philipsburg:--- The 2013 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) in St. Maarten can be simply described as "Unforgettable". RYLA is Rotary International's annual youth leadership conference. It purpose is twofold: to teach leadership skills amongst teens and to foster stronger ties amongst countries and regions. This year Rotary District 7020 selected St Maarten/St Martin as the hosts.
Hundreds of RYLA photos are currently circulating across social media and the web and capture the experiences of the 124 participants, aged 14-17, who came from Anguilla, Tortola, St. Kitts, Saint Martin and St. Maarten. Opening on Valentine's Day, District Governor Vance Lewis and Assistant District Governor from St Maarten, James Ferris, joined together with Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams and Minister Silveria Jacobs to welcome everyone. Immediately following the opening ceremonies Giselle Hilliman, a young St. Maarten psychologist, set the stage for the conference theme by addressing the various personality styles that exist and how our behaviors vary as result of the influences of our past experiences, culture and other factors. Understanding these differences is the hallmark of a great leader.
The conference featured workshops by Rebecca Low, David McGregor, Oldyn Bryson Pantophlet, Barbara Ejingiri and Nkozana Illis on the themes of leadership, peace, listening skills, negotiation, interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution. Interactive sessions on how to prepare for a job interview, how to budget and effective public speaking were facilitated by Maria Buncamper, Robert Judd, Toastmasters DG Rolando Tobias, Emilia Thomas and Valerie Brazier. Heather Mercuur of the Love of Kids Foundation discussed the issue of bullying and offered effective tools to deal with it.
All that hard work also called for relaxation which came in the form of positive motivation and tips in handling stressful situations by Dushyant Savadia of the Art of Living. Participants – many of whom were also Interactors and no strangers to community service – dove into community projects. These included backyard gardening and becoming one with Mother Nature at the Hillside Adventures in South Reward and at the Rasta Farm in Bellevue. Participants cleaned the Guana Bay beach and planted mangroves in Red Pond under the guidance of the Nature Foundation. The St. Maarten Red Cross demonstrated their continued commitment to keeping our youngsters safe by setting-up a makeshift emergency room at the MAC School during the RYLA, as well providing youth-led workshops on life saving techniques and disaster preparedness.
As with every Rotary initiative, building bridges and making lasting friendships was the heart of the conference. Much of this bonding took place through the "Front Street Challenge" (a treasure hunt), zumba, self-defense training, dancing, singing and good old fashioned play that rounded out this year's Rotary Youth Leadership Awards on St. Maarten/Saint Martin.
RYLA was organized in collaboration by the four Rotary Clubs on Dutch and French St. Maarten with the assistance of Rotaractors from both sides. The TaskForce would like to thank the many volunteers who assisted in this conference as well as the generous financial contributions received from CIBC, the Ministry of Education, Nagico, Telem, Sol, Biocompression, and other private donors. A true community effort - Rotary in Action.
