April Challenge - Which Community leader inspires you?

Back in my early 20’s I met a guy who worked with The Salvation Army in the Youth Department – and had (and still has) a passion for helping young people achieve greatness.  His name is Lance Jeffrey.

Lance played an important and inaugural part in organising such Youth Programs as the Salvation Army Youth Camp (SAYC) and the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Program (RYLA) a good ten years or so ago; these programs are still running today.

The Salvation Army Youth Camp (SAYC) provides 50 young West Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to overcome life issues and open them up to a world of opportunity.  Held over one week in Margaret River, SAYC includes activities such as abseiling and rock climbing, team building games, group discussions and challenges. The program aims to develop leadership skills, improve self-esteem, foster interpersonal skills and encourage team work.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership program coordinated by Rotary Clubs across the globe. Each year, thousands of young people participate. Young people ages 14–30 are sponsored by Rotary Clubs to attend the event run by the club's district committee. Participants are chosen for their leadership potential. Rotary Clubs and the Rotary District cover all expenses for the participants. The format of the event vary from district to district, but commonly take the form of a seminar, camp, or workshop to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice.

Lance not only organized these camps year in and year out – he also coordinated and nurtured each and every leader who participated – so the lucky participants were not the only ones who got something out of attending these wonderful camps.

I was lucky enough to be both an attendee and a leader for both camps, and one thing Lance as taught me is that you will never fail – as long as you give it a go… no matter what the outcome is – if you gave it your best shot, put in your 100% then you have not failed.  And that is something I take with me – and something I share with people, because it is so true!

I am interested to hear who has inspired you - share your thoughts at http://emergen.com.au/page/april-challenge

Ally

This month's Emergen Challenge is to write about someone in the community who has inspired you.  Enter on the April Competition page at http://emergen.com.au/page/april-challenge.  The best response wins a $50 Gift Voucher from Myers!   Challenge closes at the end of April.