Rotary Young Leader Award 2022

 Rhiannon from Perth Academy was the candidate selected by Perth Rotary to attend the RYLA residential camp. She gave the members an illustrated talk telling us how much she had enjoyed and learned from her experiences in July.

Prior to the camp she wasn’t confident that she was a natural leader as she tends to be quite a quiet person. Nonetheless she was determined to give it a go as she loves outdoor activities and she is hoping to train to be a paramedic. She knew that she could learn valuable skills on the course that would stand her in good stead in her chosen career.

 Her leadership task was mountaineering. She had to brief the whole group and it was vital that everyone understood the instructions. So, after the group briefing, she quietly went round each member of the team checking both their understanding and that they had all their equipment. It was this experience that made her realise that there was more than one way to lead a team – and that a quiet leader can be just as effective as a loud one.

Another aspect of the course she might have previously shied away from was standing up in public and debating. She had felt she had the support of the group and that her team had given her the encouragement she needed. All the audience agreed that she had certainly acquired the skill of public speaking very well indeed.

Rhiannon also said she realised that sometimes being loud and shouting could be useful. For example in the raft race all the shouting generated energy and commitment and spurred the team on to make a bigger effort.

Rhiannon thanked Rotary for giving her this opportunity. She felt the whole week had been positive and supportive. She already has had opportunities to use her new skills. In her Duke of Edinburgh she always gave practical support but now has the confidence to also give verbal encouragement in the tasks. And she was confidently speaking to a room full of Rotarians, handling the usual technical issues with aplomb and answering a myriad of questions.

 She did not take photographs - instead she drew her own illustrations of the activities, which are shown below