JCP
10-26-2008, 12:53 AM
Oxford Students Back from RYLA Program
OXFORD – The Oxford Rotary Club held its weekly meeting, October 23rd at the Clachan Coffee House. Two students, just back from a RYLA program, Robin Wonka and Tommy Gould were guest speakers.
Two Oxford Academy seniors, Robin Wonka and Tommy Gould, were nominated, selected and sponsored by the Oxford Rotary to go to a Rotary Youth Leadership Award or RYLA seminar held at Hartwick College in Oneonta. This Rotary International program hosted about 100 students from 43 Rotary clubs from the New York area known as District 7170. The purpose of the week-long program is to further the personal and leadership skills of the students. Young adults who have already exhibited strong personal or leadership qualities are ideal candidates, and Robin and Tommy had done just that.
Robin Wonka and Tommy Gould explained that they originally heard from previous RYLA attendees that it helped them learn leadership lessons and skills but as Gould stated, “It was way more than we expected!”
Wonka enthusiastically said, “We made new friends and heard the most interesting lectures! We learned how to create a lecture, how to handle disputes and about unity. We also learned how drugs can ruin a relationship, and we discussed other serious problems like AIDS and teenage pregnancy…. Everybody opened up!”
Tommy said that his favorite part there was learning from renowned mediator, Duke Fisher, who just came back from the Middle East. He taught them alternate techniques of resolving conflicts. He also talked about the fun they had had at the “RYLAthalon”, a series of fun and fast athletic games, like the hula hoop pass, designed to encourage the students to work cooperatively together.
Both students agreed that this program would help them in school with sports leadership, student council, and more. They thanked the Rotary members for sending them to RYLA and said they had a great time and learned a lot there.
The Rotary Club is a not-for-profit organization, to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. The Oxford Rotary Club meets at 6:30 PM, each Thursday. For more about the Oxford Rotary, contact Maria Landau (maria@ferrlandpress.com) – club PR, or call (607) 843-7444; or cell: 348-8822.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos.)
Caption: Robin Wonka and Tommy Gould, Oxford Rotary guest speakers, stand with Rotary president, Sandy Phetteplace. The two Oxford Academy seniors talked about the week-long RI RYLA program they recently attended.
OXFORD – The Oxford Rotary Club held its weekly meeting, October 23rd at the Clachan Coffee House. Two students, just back from a RYLA program, Robin Wonka and Tommy Gould were guest speakers.
Two Oxford Academy seniors, Robin Wonka and Tommy Gould, were nominated, selected and sponsored by the Oxford Rotary to go to a Rotary Youth Leadership Award or RYLA seminar held at Hartwick College in Oneonta. This Rotary International program hosted about 100 students from 43 Rotary clubs from the New York area known as District 7170. The purpose of the week-long program is to further the personal and leadership skills of the students. Young adults who have already exhibited strong personal or leadership qualities are ideal candidates, and Robin and Tommy had done just that.
Robin Wonka and Tommy Gould explained that they originally heard from previous RYLA attendees that it helped them learn leadership lessons and skills but as Gould stated, “It was way more than we expected!”
Wonka enthusiastically said, “We made new friends and heard the most interesting lectures! We learned how to create a lecture, how to handle disputes and about unity. We also learned how drugs can ruin a relationship, and we discussed other serious problems like AIDS and teenage pregnancy…. Everybody opened up!”
Tommy said that his favorite part there was learning from renowned mediator, Duke Fisher, who just came back from the Middle East. He taught them alternate techniques of resolving conflicts. He also talked about the fun they had had at the “RYLAthalon”, a series of fun and fast athletic games, like the hula hoop pass, designed to encourage the students to work cooperatively together.
Both students agreed that this program would help them in school with sports leadership, student council, and more. They thanked the Rotary members for sending them to RYLA and said they had a great time and learned a lot there.
The Rotary Club is a not-for-profit organization, to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. The Oxford Rotary Club meets at 6:30 PM, each Thursday. For more about the Oxford Rotary, contact Maria Landau (maria@ferrlandpress.com) – club PR, or call (607) 843-7444; or cell: 348-8822.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos.)
Caption: Robin Wonka and Tommy Gould, Oxford Rotary guest speakers, stand with Rotary president, Sandy Phetteplace. The two Oxford Academy seniors talked about the week-long RI RYLA program they recently attended.