2014 09_18 Meeting - Kris Wyatt and RYLA

Art started off the meeting by having one of our RYLA students, Chad, lead the Pledge.  Art then defied tradition and gave the Welcome himself indicating that this is Rotary’s Youth Services month and hence we have our RYLA and RYE student in attendance.   Guests included Joy and Richard Norman, the big-time Cow Chip Bingo winner, Beatrice Galletto, our RYE student, Howard Stagg from Arden Arcade, Tony’s brother Joe Bellacera, and Gary Bazle from the Sacramento Club.  A happy Richard Norman was given his Cow Chip Bingo check for $2,000.  Vic Freeman announced his 54^th Wedding Anniversary with a check to the Foundation. The raffle was won by Kris Wyatt, but no Ace. The pot is building up !!

There will be a Com Service opportunity to clean the creek this Saturday.  Interact club will participate and we will have a BBQ for them afterwards at McBean Park.  All welcome.

Dan Johnson reported on the very successful Satellite evening meeting.  They will be held monthly until January to see how it goes.  The next one is scheduled for October 14 and ALL members are invited.  It will be at the Lincoln Archive Museum and includes a tour.

Visiting Rotarian, Gary Bazle, gave a pitch for the Sacramento Club cycling event, Sacramento Century.  Various distances will be offered and a non-riding ticket to the October Festival afterwards is $25.  Proceeds will go to building a house with Habitat for Humanity.  Karen and Jerry Johnson, this is an event for you !!

Speakers were Kris Wyatt, Youth Services Chair and the RYLA campers from this summer.  Kris put the camp in perspective and spoke about many of our Youth Services programs, which are large focal point for our Club.  Eight or ten activities were mentioned and there are more.  As to RYLA, Kris spoke about a recent RYLA attendee from our Lincoln High that later told a teacher that RYLA saved him from suicide.  This was a student who was successful, and demonstrates the depth of problems for even seemingly successful teenagers and how we must find ways to reach them.

The three RYLA attendees then spoke, each providing their insight and report of the RYLA experience.  Tanner Boatman is Captain of the Football team and Student Body President.  He learned to engage other students who were alone or introverted.  Further, he learned to open up and communicate his emotions.  He felt the week was truly life-changing for him (as all 3 agreed).  Lauren Gage is an FFA member and officer who raises cattle.  She now goes up to students who are alone and draws them out.  She would not have done that prior to the Camp.  She had her circle of friends and that was it, now she is broadened her horizons and ambitions.

Chad Alma, the Cross Country Captain. confided that he was going through a rough patch just prior to going to RYLA and the very first night’s exercises hit him hard.  He wandered out and was later approached by one of the senior Camp Leaders who spent over an hour with him and he told us that it was a memorable exchange that set him up for a week  of exceptional growth. 

These three kids were quite incredible in their willingness to share and their enthusiasm for RYLA and Rotary.