Morrison Rotary Club is sponsoring nine Morrison High School students who will attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camp in May 2016. The camp is located at the Lorado Taft Campus of Northern Illinois University in Oregon, IL. Sophomores who applied and were chosen include, left-to-right, front: Samantha Makl, Mackenzie Stoecker, Madison Steines, and Morgan Stuhlman; back: Kaleb McCoy, Isaac Damhoff, Grant Abell, Derek Bush, and Grant Slater.
A past RYLA camper, Allyssa Renner (not pictured), will assist the Rotarians at camp as a Counselor/Volunteer.
The purpose of RYLA is for students to improve their leadership skills, as they work together in teams while meeting other students from all over northern Illinois. Lasting friendships are built during this time. This camp has had an amazing effect on past student attendees. In fact, all six of last year’s students are returning; five as campers and one as a Counselor. Other students who have attended RYLA in the past have gone on to become outgoing leaders.
The camp is staffed by Rotarians who volunteer their time to provide a safe, positive atmosphere for the students. Approximately 120 students attend the camp, which is held every year.
Morrison Rotary Club, which organizes the Harvest Hammer 5K Race and Duathlon, uses a great deal of its proceeds from the race to send students to RYLA and to provide scholarships for Morrison High School Seniors every spring.