If the future really belongs to our youth,to the young people preparing to take on the leadership roles in our businesses and communities, then it is our responsibility to instil in these young people the values and integrity that gave rise to and continues to define our collective walk in Rotary. May is Youth Service month on the Rotary calendar. I’ve heard many times the comment from a Rotarian that ‘youth program such-and-such’ is their favourite aspect of Rotary. This year our District is host to fourteen international students in the Rotary Youth Exchange program and there are similar numbers of young people ‘out there’ now and more ready to start their adventure of a lifetime in the next few weeks. We would encourage all Rotarians to support and if possible attend the International dinner 03-Jun in Calgary where our Youth Exchange students will continue to raise money and awareness for their charity of choice, ShelterBox. While the international Youth Exchange Program is one of the better known it sure isn’t the only one. The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards brings together young people with demonstrated leadership potential for a weekend of enriching self-development. Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment, while not an official Rotary program but rather a District initiative, gives youth from perhaps more challenging backgrounds an opportunity for personal growth. The stories these young people share with their sponsoring Clubs about the impact on their lives is a true testament to the value of their experience. We are privileged to have five Rotaract Clubs in our District. These young leaders are Rotarians and humanitarians in their own right, positively impacting their communities both locally and through their international projects. Interact is oriented to high school students and has a lot of potential for further growth in our District. And of course, now there is Early Act, involving youngsters from junior high school and even late elementary ages. The ‘Adventures in’ programs have a long history in our District. The Adventure in Citizenship program is perhaps the best known. By the way, Mayor Tara Veer of Red Deer was an Adventures in Citizenship scholar when she was a 17-year-old Red Deer student. She became the youngest mayor in Canada a couple years ago. Other Adventures programs include photography, technology, fire-fighting and agriculture, among others. We are also excited to announce a new initiative, our partnership with Alberta Youth Entrepreneurship Camp. This jives perfectly with the can-do business-first attitude of Albertans generally and will be renamed the Rotary Youth Entrepreneurship Camp. We can all be proud as well of the work that has been done in our District to build and maintain a comprehensive youth protection program. (And this is, of course, applies to all the vulnerable people that we serve in our communities.) It can certainly be properly stated that through Rotarians work with youth in the many forms it takes, we are building peace, community service & leadership and world understanding one young person at a time. So keep your eyes and ears open to Youth Service opportunities in your Club. We are all Rotary Serving Humanity through the mentoring and development of the future leaders in our communities. Neil Berg Rotary Club of Red Deer East Rotary International District 5360 Governor Red Deer, Alberta, Canada (403) 302-1552 .jpg) |
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