Fish 'n Chip Night reeled then in

A great venue (thanks Michele and Eddie) and great company.  The pictures show it all:

An amazing time at the 2011 Rotary Youth Leadership Award camp!

Five fabulous young people provided us with an entertaining account of how RYLA 2011 has empowered them with new skills, courage and the motivation to succeed.

Oliver Bartosh, Brett Band, Kimberley Mayhead, James Wilburn and Joshiah Lord were selected by St John’s Rotary as the 2011 RYLA attendees. Oliver and James recapped the messages of the various speakers that provided a cohesive mix of laughter and learning to deliver a variety of motivational messages. Kimberley explained how these same motivational messages were key tools when the groups were formed and dispatched on ‘the island experience’ accompanied by the NZ Army. 24 hours of grueling physical activity followed, survival skills and fitness levels were sorely tested.

Joshiah spoke of the Dragon’s Den experience and the novel and  inspirational ideas that emerged that day.

Brett summed up for us what a truly wonderful project RYLA is and how grateful and proud they all were to have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to participate. They arrived as timid individuals and explained how they quite quickly bonded into a group to meet the challenges before emerging at the end of the week physically and mentally exhausted but somehow totally exhilarated and motivated to ‘seize the day’ !