2023 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Information

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Greetings from District Governor Shanon O'Toole! 

This evening I am sitting on my porch swing enjoying the cool breeze under this magnificent glowing full blue moon. Its radiance piques my curiosity and catches my attention, it’s quite impressive, it draws my attention, and creates a fantastic atmosphere for reflecting on the first 2 months of our Rotary year. It's remarkable how the brilliance of this blue moon mirrors the essence of #glowrotary and #growrotary.. People are indeed attracted to things that glow!

As DG, I have visited 16 radiant Rotary clubs and been welcomed by so many new friends and passionate Rotarians. It fills me with joy and pride to get to learn about each club and what truly motivates each Rotarian. Rotary certainly shines brightly! I can’t wait until April 20, 2024 at the District Conference when each club will share their favorite projects. Each club is doing their part to Create Hope in the World!!

September is Basic Education and Literacy month. Did you know that more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate? That’s 17 percent of the world’s adult population. Our District embraces this cause through the “I Like Me books”, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, interactive learning paths in parks, Rotary Reads programs, local library projects, reading corners, teachers' warehouses and so much more. For those seeking innovative ideas, I encourage you and your club to explore MyRotary.org, where various action groups and project concepts are shared.

We are also excited about our youth programs. We have new Interact Clubs in our district, we have 3 inbound Rotary Youth Exchange students and 1 outbound! It’s time to sign up for RYLA. The commitment forms for RYLA are due for 2023; if you have not done so, please send your form to Loren Snyder. In addition, applications are now being accepted for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program for the 24/25 school year. If you know of any students between the ages of 16-18 years old who would like to study abroad for one year, please contact Rowena Cross-Najafi for more information. Please, if you have any questions on our Youth programs, reach out!!

September is truly a month full of excitement. We're gearing up for our District Training Assembly and our Zone Institute, both promising avenues for growth and learning. Please enjoy the articles included in this newsletter that really shine a light on our District’s Rotary Clubs. Let’s glow together, grow together and make a lasting impact through Rotary.

Sincerely,

Shanon O’Toole
Rotary International
District Governor 6580 23-24

Get to know District Governor Shanon O'Toole!