An amazing transformation occurred over the weekend of March 4, 5, and 6 at the RYLA conference.  Groups of young people learned how to cope with fewer creature comforts, bond with their peers and come together as team members to accomplish goals as well as gain knowledge of how to lead others in life.  Students from Arcadia shared their experiences at our luncheon by reflecting on some of the skits and challenges they took on.  The students, Ayesha Ali, Edward Lin, Danielle Perini, Sheila Lo, April Davis, and Hunter Kelly (see if you can recognize what kids have an Arcadia Rotarian for a parent); all spoke about their experience as life changing.  Hunter began by relaying the Wall Climb and Decision Dilemma Challenge.  Apparently, the climb is stop timed and one participant who is blindfolded has to be guided to the top.  It teaches how to treat those with fewer capabilities and how the team will help them accomplish a goal.  Ayesha Ali spoke of a Moral Challenge using the four-way test that deals with cheating, bullying, etc.  For instance; if your teacher dropped a test and you found it, would you use the answers to ace the test?  Maybe, maybe not!  The point is, it asks the question and the student has to think what moral decision he has to make.  Danielle Perini talked about the culture walk where a student has to trust her group by falling off a bleacher while being caught in a blanket by her teammates; that is trust!

The group of students was split into six continents with team city names like Lima from South America and Monrovia from Africa.  They quickly became teams and bonded together.  April Davis shared that someone pulled a switch on them when they arrived she discovered the girl’s dorm had only one shower and no mirror for thirty girls.  They slept on bunk beds while the guys had bedrooms and five bathrooms with a mirror and sink in each and five showers.  The girls had only one or two outlets while the guys had plenty of power causing the girls to share the outlets for the hair dryer.  The exercise taught logic and certainly humility.

Our own Gerard Tamparong, who was a facilitator, said that the one message was that every event taught a skill that would help to be a better person and leader in the future.  Many of the students came away saying they learned teamwork, communication, understanding, and open mindedness.  Edward Lin closed by adding, “You can do anything if you put your mind to it”!  If the future leaders of America are as enthusiastic, focused and intelligent as these kids, I’m all in.

Pat Dolphin