What Is your Rotary Club doing to focus on Youth Service this month? Rotary believes in developing the next generation of leaders. Our programs help younger leaders build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service.

May is Youth Service (formerly called New Generations) Month when Rotary Clubs, around the world focus on youth services: Rotakids, Rotaract, Interact, RYLA, RYPEN, and RYDA. Our District Newsletter has shone a spotlight on these wonderful programs many times.

Youth Service shapes the future of Rotary with Rotakids, Interact, Rotary Youth Exchange, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment and Rotaract often culminating in Rotary membership.  

This is the month we CELEBRATE our youth. When you consider Rotary, it is first about Friendship and Service with a little fun thrown in, then PEACE, and support for our YOUTH!  Of the current Club Presidents in our district, a high percent have shared that their first passion is Youth Service. And it shows in some respects.

ROTAKIDS

Karen and I attended Gladstone West State School RotaKid Club, for example, and it has about 25 members. Their teachers (Jemma Boswell, Sarah Jacob and Jess Crawford) and Rotary mentor, Alexandra Heron, help them plan their year. They run Containers for Change to raise money for EndPolio, End Trachoma kits and even donated to the Manatuto Water Project. The Rotakids sold Remembrance Day poppies to show respect. Another service project in 2021 was to teach Yr 1, 2 and 3s to play chess in the library. During Harmony week, they read cultural stories to the littlies. They do so much, and are still so young. 

INTERACT

We have been lucky enough to meet Interact Clubs from Townsville, Gladstone, Emerald and Sarina. Interact is one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with our District 9560 welcoming the NRL Cowboy House Club sponsored by Townsville Sunrise JUST last month. With more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon. In Sarina, for example, young Rotarian and teacher, Rob Gurrin, and Sara Steventon (Science and Maths Teacher) run the wonderful Sarina SHS Interact club.  The Interactors hold a Multicultural Week annually. They aim to purchase two INTERACT branded benches for the school students. And they also want to continue to raise more money for their involvement in the "IT to Zoom" project, led by Rotarian, Jeff Motombo. They are motivated, engaged and I am sure that our future is in good hands.

YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM:

Discovery Coast Rotary will welcome 16 year old Robin AYRAULT from a small rural village south west of Nantes in France in July this year. He is the exchange for our Lowmead student, Gemma Nicola, who went to Finland in 2019. Robin's letter to the club says, "I think my strength is that I am a person who lives from day to day and takes things as they come. I have a rather positive temperament." We look forward to Robin arriving and settling into to the little rural high school of Rosedale, as that will be an experience and opportunity for our youth there. Karen and I will host him over Christmas so he is in for a Finnish Aussie hybrid treat.

NEW GENERATIONAL VOCATIONAL TRAINING 

New Generations Vocational Training is a short-term, customizable program for university students and professionals  up to age 30 from Timor-Leste to the Australian part of D9560. Participants can have a 3 month experience that combines their professional goals with improving their English. More about this coming up, as plans are afoot to recommence this soon. Perhaps your club would like to be involved? 

ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD CAMP

The just concluded RYLA, organised by District 9560 Youth Chair from Mackay, Stevie Tucker,  had 15 attendees, and was supported by passionate volunteer staff who attended the Conference in Mackay. Every life involved was changed for the better. I HOPE that each club invites their students to their club as part of the program. It inspires the club members, staff, and more importantly, the students and the schools they attend. The difference is that obvious.

ROTARY YOUTH PROGRAM of ENRICHMENT 

As District Governor, I am proud to say that this year's RYPEN program was fully funded through Grants secured from the Bundaberg Regional Council. It was held at the PCYC in Yeppoon from FRIDAY 22nd APRIL to SUNDAY 24th APRIL 2022. It brought 10 youth aged 15 to 17 years together to develop resilience and leadership skills. Thanks go to Rotarians,Daniel Roussounis, Storm Drabsch, Blair Felsch and Carol Gorton for organising this successful camp.