Posted on Sep 30, 2019
RYLA Grads Tell All
About Their "Summer Camp" Experience
Well, we did it again.  We sent six outstanding Bella Vista juniors to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awakening (RYLA) camp in the Sierras last summer, while only paying for three spots.  How did we do that while meeting the 4-Way Test, you might ask?  Well, by having alternates ready when other clubs failed to fill their spots, or had campers drop out, that's how.
 
Tonight, those six (L to R, Thida Mommaitri, Celene Aridin, Evan Manley, Tafari LaBrie, Jun Seo and Amanda Drew) told us how it went and what it meant.  In the most personal way, they described challenges, teamwork, trust, vulnerability, deep friendships formed in a matter of six days, and, um... oh yeah, FUN!  At the end of their presentation, they attempted to teach the audience a dance to the Justin Timberlake song "Can't Stop The Feeling" (a signature RYLA dance taught to all campers for years); although their efforts might be regarded objectively as largely unsuccessful, there was lots of laughter and applause when the music ended.  It's always one of the best meetings of the year, and this was no exception.