Our Rotaractors have participated in Rotary Youth Leadership awards program

The 2009-10th annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) organized by International Rotary District 3450 has been help on Ma Wan island of Hong Kong at Hoah’s Ark Park during 18-21 of February 2010. Over 20 rotaractors of Mongolia have applied for the program and only 9 were selected. Due to certain reasons 3 of these rotaractors were unable to participate and only 6 have successfully accomplished the program. (2 members of Ulaanbaatar Rotaract club and 4 members of NUM Rotaract club) These rotaractors were supervised and accompanied by this year RYLA Organization Committee member, 2007-08 year RYLA-rian, and President Elect of NUM Rotaract club Altangunii.

RYLA program is held in form of team competitions. All participants are divided into eight teams with 12 members each, 6 rotaractors from Mongolia were separated in different 6 teams. As it is an event organized in district scope there were also representatives from Macao, 2 French students studying on exchange program in Shanhai have been involved as participants and 2 Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship students studying in Hong Kong were a member of RYLA Organization Committee.

All 4 days of the awards program were very interesting, busy with many fun team games and task completion assignments. To mention some of them:

1. At the RYLA camp opening part each team was to come up with 1-2 rule to obey during the whole event, these rules were listed down and taken as the RYLA rules. As the rule was made up by the participants themselves each person has signed on the rule acknowledging to follow it;
2. Each team had its name, slogan and poster;
3. Each team member was blowing a balloon and drawing a face expressing his emotions on that certain period. Then the teams’ balloons were put together and each team member one by one had to lie on them. The idea was not to break a single balloon when a person lies on them;
4. Individual and group ropes course;
5. Using straws and little tape to construct a basket or a case for the egg so that it would not break when falling down;
6. 8 hours hiking through check points;
7. City of Dreams Ma Wan challenge and construction project of Ma Wan island of your Dream;

As RYLA participants do not required to be rotaractors only 20 % of them have an idea about Rotary and Rotaract clubs. Therefore, with a purpose to explain and deliver the main mission and activities of Rotary movement each team prepared a Rotary Share story and made a little presentation or a performance.

The goal and the main outcome of all these events, competitions and games was to give the youth participating in the camp a complex understanding about Rotary Leadership, characteristics of a future Leader and what kind person would be considered to be a leader.

During the program we lean:

1. To discuss as a team, choose one team decision and work as one team;
2. To express yourself, to communicate with others, to listen others;
3. To support your team members, to receive help from members;
4. To pursued other to believe you, to accept responsibility and lead others;
5. To teach other the things you know, to learn from others;
6. To trust your members, to believe in yourself and have a courage.

In addition traveling to other country and develop new culture, different living hood is always an interesting adventure and lifetime experience. There we have had a great support of KGM (Kowloon Golden Mile) Rotaract club of Hong Kong. When KGM RAC members were visiting Mongolia NUM RAC was fully responsible for their trip in the country and also gave a lot support to them.

At the end of RYLA camp there are nominated people from each team to be selected as Best RYLA-rian of that year and from Mongolian participants Anar-Erdene and Khanddorj have been nominated from their teams. The Best RYLA-rian selected from 10 candidates is granted a right to participate in International RYLA held in Canada. Now we are only to wait for the selection results.

Our 14 days trip was started on 11th of February 2010 from the Ulaanbaatar Train station and ended on 25th of February.

We are very thankful to our AG Bertsetseg, Ulaanbaatar Rotary Club, DDRR Uyanga, Ulaanbaatar Rotaract Club, NUM Rotaract Club, Кowloon Golden Mile Rotaract club for their warm welcoming and hospitality, all members of RYLA Organization Committee and all RYLA participants for great event and support.

2009-2010 RYLA participants

2010-03-02