Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Kneebone talks youth leadership to Rotary

Elaine Kneebone, Arkadelphia's Sunshine Rotary Club, Rotarian of the Year, was the guest speaker at Gurdon's Rotary Club meeting held on Thursday, September 4.

Kneebone is a lawyer in Arkadelphia and has been involved with Rotary for a year and a half now.

She was recently put in charge of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA).

District 6170, which is the district we are in, has never had it's own RYLA. However, after last year's leadership conference, it was decided to break down the groups. Arkadelphia's Rotary sent three students last year. In all 80 students participated.

"The program was just too big last year and the children didn't get what they were needing," said Kneebone.

This month is Rotary's month to help out with the youth in the community. Kneebone said she felt this program would be a good way for the Gurdon Rotary Club to participate and help it's youth.

"First you must decide if your club wants to participate and how many students you want attend.

"The Rotary club must turn in their amount of participants by November 15, 2003, and then they can choose who they want to go from the community," said Kneebone.

In order to select the students, the Rotary Club must look at which students are actively involved not just in school activities, but in the community as well.

The students selected will then fill out forms in order to attend the conference held at Clark County's own Camp Winnomacka.

The Rotary club will have to pay $200 for each student participating and is encouraged to drive the participants to camp and pick them up when it is over.

The camp will last for three days and two nights during March.

"It is a very active camp," said Kneebone, "there is plenty for the children to do and it is all done with safety on the mind. We will have a nurse on staff in case the need may rise, and yes the cabins are air conditioned.

"The children will hear from speakers of many sorts, such as Rotary and other leaders. They will have water balloon fights and play many different games, all of which will have a meaning to them."

Gurdon's Rotary President Allen Wimberly told Kneebone, the club would have a meeting and decide if they planned to participate or not and how many would be involved.