Guest Speaker – Olivia Sinnema and Gina Bailey, RYLA 

 

Our guest speakers – Olivia (Liv) Sinnema and Gina Bailey, attended RYLA in January and spoke about their experience.

 

RYLA is the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, an experiential live-in programme designed to help young people develop their teamwork and communication skills and fulfil their potential as leaders.  RYLA was held at Forest Lakes Otaki this year over 5 days between 25th and 29th January.  And is billed as "unleashing your leadership potential".

 

Liv and Gina were sponsored to RYLA by the Rotary Club of Milson and CR Law. Liv was born and raised in the Wairarapa, studied at Law at Otago before moving to Palmerston North to practice at CR Law.  Gina is Palmerston North born and raised, an old girl of PNGHS, studied Law at Victoria before returning to Palmerston North and CR Law.

 

There thoughts before attending were of apprehension and what have they sign up for. Is it a School Camp for adults? Well read on.....

RYLA themes are Service, Growth, and Authentic connectedness.  In life, events happen, and we have little control over them, what defines us is how we respond and deal with life events as they happen and what we do after.

 

Over the four days, various tools for managing and understanding responses to daily life challenges were presented and worked through. From above and below-the-line thinking, an understanding of the concept of Ikigai, a Venn diagram of love, talent, needs and reward and all its intersection. Tetramaps are a tool that describes a person to decision-making.