It is an entire week spent at a lodge in the Blue Mountains learning about leadership, motivation, conflict management, public speaking, job preparation, personality differences, overcoming fears, effective communication, etiquette in social situations, stress management along with building dreams and goals.
We also had an outdoors activity day which consisted of a low ropes course, abseiling, initiative thinking and rock climbing. It was a busy week!
The other awardees were all from Western Sydney and were either studying or working and each one had a different and unique story to the next one: fifty of the most fantastic people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. We came into the main hall on the first day making very awkward small talk and by dinner that night felt like we knew each other a lifetime.
Along with the seminar sessions and outdoors day we also did various fun activities like a trivia race down to the camp-fire where we sang songs and chattered late into the night, a yoga session which was different to what I had anticipated. We went bush dancing till our feet fell off, and got all dressed up for a formal night with Rotary representatives from the Western Sydney clubs and a newspaper/paper towel fashion show covering fashions like beachwear, weddings, party and business.
The camp concert was great fun where the talents were shown such as singing, acting, performing various instruments, skits or a show. Each awardee was given the opportunity during the week to give a speech called 'my story'.
It could have been about anything on your life as long as it was about you. Doing these speeches really helped the group 'bond' as we all talked about some personal stories and it allowed us to look past a name tag and outward appearance and learn the real person on the inside.
Before long our week at RYLA had come to an end, bags were packed, photos taken, goodbyes shared. Eight days earlier fifty strangers entered into the lodge, now fifty friends were ready to head back into the real world and face reality after the amazing week at RYLA.
Describing my experiences at RYLA is not enough for an article, no amount of words could tell you how this week has changed both me and the fifty other awardees lives.
I can definitely say that I learnt more about myself in eight days than thirteen years of schooling ever did as the old 'Chris Archibald' is no more; I am a changed person and look forward to putting my skills I learnt into practise.
To the fifty awardees and leaders, I am so blessed to have met you and I'm able to say now 'that a stranger is just a friend you haven't yet met'.
Christopher Archibald lives in Sydney and is an under-graduate student.
Christopher Archibald archive of articles can be viewed at: www.pressserviceinternational.org/christopher-archibald.html