Each summer thousands of young people are selected to attend Rotary - sponsored leadership camps or seminars in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, France, Argentina, Korea and numerous other countries. In an informal atmosphere, groups of outstanding young men and / or women spend week in a challenging program of leadership training, discussions, inspirational address and social activities designed to enhance personal development, leadership skills and good citizenship Awards program(RYLA). although these events are sometimes reffered to by other names, such as Camp Royal, Camp Enterprises, Youth Leaders Seminars, Youth Conferences or other terms.
First International RYLA for Challenged - September 2008 at Chennai, India
One passionate President and one powerful District Official have propelled our District into the media, through a project that has left everyone, amazed!
If you are wondering what I am talking about, it is the International RYLA for the Challenged that took place in Chennai on 19th, 20th and the 21st of September 2008. The passion came from President Sridhar of the RC of Meenambakkam. I haven't seen such a commitment from anybody, including myself, in a long time. It was obvious that the cause was dear to him and like the story of deaf frog that I say, he just went forward, unperturbed by the speed breakers, to see the event of his heart executed not just to perfection but with aplomb!!
If passion combines with power, there is little that anybody can do to stop the momentum that such a combination can generate. In PP.Senthilnathan, Sridhar found that power! The Chairman of International RYLA gave the impetus that Pres.Sridhar needed and together they have left everyone, gasping. Dist. Chair Senthil simply lifted the event from the National to the International plane by one stroke - he said that we will fly down these participants from their country to Chennai at our cost!! He also walked the talk by coming up with Rs 5 lakhs towards the event and everything snow-balled after that. There was no stopping and these two with the dedicated team of Rotarians, pulled off an event that even professional Sports bodies would hesitate to start. Consider these:
1. Over 700 participants fro 16 states in India and 7 countries outside India participated.
2. All of the participants were physically challenged and therefore needed special attention.
3. The events were spread over three days and held at three different venues - lot of parallel activity.
4. Not just athletics but talent shows and lectures but participatory events on self development were part of the program.
5. All of the participants were received, housed and moved as required.
6. They were all given food for the duration of the event - not just some food but delicious food.
7. All the international participants were treated to sight seeing tours to enjoy their stay to the hilt.
8. Close to 300 participants could not be accommodated in the program simply because there were no housing facilities that could be arranged. We could have that many more if we had the facilities!
Are you already short of breath? Here is the story of how it unfolded. Please have some patience and read this awe inspiring story.
The RYLA for the Challenged was a concept that was born in the RC of Meenambakkam when Rtn.C.R.Raju was its President - a Regal Eagle. If he conceptualised it, it was a young Rotarian of his Club, Sridhar, the Director-Youth Service then, who made that event, happen. As an Assistant. Governor during that year, I was aware of how a vision was translated by the combined effort of a wonderful President and his energetic Director.
For several years thereafter, the RYLA for the Challenged continued at RC Meenambakkam. Two years ago, RC Chennai East RA Puram under the leadership of the then Pres.Senthil joined hands with RC Meenambakkam to make it a joint event. Now you know why Rtn.Senthil felt the passion that Sridhar had for this event!
Let's cut to the chase: At the PETS at Mysore, Pres. Elect. Sridhar spoke to me about this event and said that it would be nice if it becomes a District project. I said "work on it" and the only thing that I heard after was, that I was required at the Inaugural of the District International RYLA for the Challenged! A club event had transformed into a District event with several Rotary Clubs participating; a National RYLA that used to have a couple of hundred from the neighbouring states had transformed into an International RYLA of huge proportions, and to top it all; a Cabinet Minister from New Delhi was coming for the valedictory. It was unbelievable! I did have a few conversations with District Chair Senthil earlier on how we should look at a good International RYLA for the youth but never once did I think that this synergy between Sridhar and Senthil was happenning.
My friends, we had participants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore and Srilanka!! The ordeal that the organisers had to endure to ensure that our friends from Pakistan and Afghanistan got their visas will put fiction stories to shame! The task of handling travel weary athletes, who were not normal but challenged, spending huge amounts of time at the entry point of our country answering questions, was a challenge even to the most seasoned travel professional. Senthil, Sridhar and their team did it all without batting an eye lid. They couldn't because they put together this event in 40 days flat! They hardly had the time to bat eye lids, leave alone get a good nights sleep.
I noticed Pres.Sridhar overcome by emotion, after he gave his vote of thanks at the valedictory. I thought that he was going to cry and if he had, I would have understood because it would have been natural. The enormity of the task that he had undertaken, the skepticism he encountered, the criticism he had to face and the success that he had made should have hit him, only then. If he had cried, I would have understood. Maybe he controlled himself because he was under media glare! Maybe because every TV station you care to name was focused on to the stage and every newspaper was represented in the audience; and, Dr.Anbumani Ramdas, Minister for Health, Government of India was watching!
The Minister who came at around noon stayed on till 3 pm, fully participating in the proceedings. Not many would have seen him play Shuttle badminton but he unhesitatingly agreed to play a game with the challenged friends and that made national news in leading News papers of our country. What else can be good PR for Rotary?
My dear friends, if you are seated while reading this piece, please stand up in your seat and give Rtn.Pres.Sridhar and District Chair.Rtn.Senthilnathan an applause for making us all feel proud of being Rotarians.
I doff my hat to these Rotarians and the team that made this event possible. God bless Rotary!
A.Subramaniam
District Governor
RI District 3230
2008 - 2009