Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 clubs in 168 countries.Rotary club membership represents a cross-section of the community's business and professional men and women. The world's Rotary clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.
The main objective of Rotary is service in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.
Although Rotary clubs develop autonomous service programs, all Rotarians worldwide are united in a campaign for the global eradication of polio. In the 1980s, Rotarians raised US$240 million to immunize the children of the world; by 2005, Rotary's centenary year and the target date for the certification of a polio-free world, the PolioPlus program will have contributed US$500 million to this cause. In addition, Rotary has provided an army of volunteers to promote and assist at national immunization days in polio-endemic countries around the world.
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes world understanding through international humanitarian service programs and educational and cultural exchanges. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and others who share its vision of a better world. Since 1947, the Foundation has awarded more than US$1.1 billion in humanitarian and educational grants, which are initiated and administered by local Rotary clubs and districts.
The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program (RYLA) prepares today's young people to be tomorrow's leaders. It steers young leaders in promising directions, while building confidence and self-esteem.
In an informal atmosphere, groups of outstanding young people in the 14-30 age range spend 3 to 10 days in a challenging program of leadership training, discussions, inspirational addresses, and social activities designed to enhance personal development, leadership skills, and good citizenship.
The RYLA program began in Australia in 1959, when young people throughout the state of Queensland were selected to meet with Princess Alexandra, the young cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. The Rotarians of Brisbane, who hosted the participants, were impressed with the quality of the young people. It was decided to bring youth leaders together each year for a week of social, cultural, and educational activities. The RYLA program gradually grew throughout all the Rotary districts of Australia and New Zealand. In 1971, the RI Board adopted RYLA as an official program of Rotary International. RYLA is generally conducted as a district activity.
District 7230 and The Rotary Club of Yorktown is committed to supporting this extremely important program. Our RYLA program will be held during the fall in a Nature Preserve in Ashokan NY. There will be leadership skill training as well as High Adventure. The program is run from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. We invite High School Sophomores and Juniors.
The four aspects of Leadership are Vision, Communication, Organization, and Synergy. All sessions are interactive workshops, which challenge the young people to become leaders and sharpen innate skills while having fun. They also learn about Rotary and "Service Above Self”, not only the motto of Rotary but part of their everyday life
