THIS PAGE IS ABOUT RYLA 2021 ONLY - SEE 2022 PAGES

 

For RotarY CLUBS

 

See About RYLA OLA for more info
 

RYLA OLA CLUB ACTION PLAN

1. Verify/Update Your Contact Info in ClubRunner

We use Clubrunner for all RYLA communications including club and student deadlines, for payment and registration info. We know that roles in Rotary clubs change. Please verify that the District 7910's ClubRunner lists your RYLA chair correctly. Note: Some clubs have co-RYLA chairs and that's OK too. You may list them both.
 

2. Confirm 2020 Selected Students

Contact the students and alternates you selected previously. Invite them to attend RYLA OLA and confirm their commitment to attend RYLA OLA.
 
Verify which students registered in 2020.
 

3. Space Reservations - Deadline: March 27, 2021

Your club's Board of Directors should decide how many RYLAns your club will sponsor.  Students may attend public or private school or be home-schooled.   Youth Exchange students inbound or outbound may also be sponsored.
 
Maximum Number of Students you May Send:
You may send as many students as your club paid for in 2020 - e.g., if your club paid for 5 students in 2020, you may send up to 5 students total. If your club did not pay for any students in 2020, your club may reserve and pay for up to 4 spaces.
 
Verify how many students your club paid for in 2020.
 
Reserve Space at the RYLA Conference for your attendees by completing the online formEZ Space Reservation Form 

Completing this form will generate an email to you with an attachment to print and include with your payment.


4. Mail Payment - Deadline: March 27, 2021

Mail your full payment and your space reservation form postmarked no later than March 27, 2021 to:
Al Thomas
374 Littleton Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824
(978) 256-8772
 

5. If 2020 Students do not Re-commit, Promote to Current Sophomores


If, after contacting the students you selected in 2020, you determine that you have additional spaces available, use your club's RYLA process to select Sophomores:
  • Promote the RYLA opportunity (see the Support Materials for samples/templates).
    • Specify your Club Specific info
      • Your Club RYLA Chair's contact information(cell & email recommended)
      • Specific application submission instructions
      • A date, prior to the district deadline, that will allow you to meet RYLA deadlines.
  • Collect applications.
Maximum Number of Students you May Send:
You may send as many students as your club paid for in 2020. eg. If your club paid for 5 students in 2020, you may send up to 5 students total. If your club did not pay for any students in 2020, your club may reserve and pay for up to 4 spaces.
 
Verify how many students your club paid for in 2020 and 2021.
 

6. Interview Applicants

Evaluate and Interview applicants using the interview tools in the ClubPack Support Materials, or your own selection methods.
The ClubPack includes a list of 
  • Guidelines for selecting potential applicants
  • Interview Questions
  • Evaluation Form
For interviews, each interviewer should be provided with each of these documents, along with a copy of the candidate's completed Student Application Form. Candidates should be interviewed individually. A good strategy is to set up a block of time for your RYLA Committee to interview candidates. Interviews may occur at school, or via video conference or any location of your choosing, following Rotary District 7910 Youth Protection Guidelines .  

 If a School or Guidance Department Selects Students for you:
  • Ask them to follow RYLA's Selection Guidelines.
  • Provide them with the Interview Questions and/or Evaluation Form helpful. 
  • Communicate the number of Attendees your club will sponsor.
  • Remind them that they need to provide you with the names of the selected Attendees and Alternates before they provide the students with the registration link.

7. Select RYLA Attendees and Alternates

Interview all applicants, select your “Attendees” based on the number of spaces your club reserved.

It's a good idea to also designate some “Alternates” in the event that a selected Attendee becomes unavailable. You may designate as many Alternates as you have reserved spaces.

If you have fewer applicants than number of spaces your club reserved, and you have placed all your Alternates, an Alternate will be selected from the District alternate pool. Your reserved space will not go to waste.


8. Submit Names of Attendees and Alternates to RYLA - Deadline: April 15, 2021

After students are selected, you must submit the names to RYLA before they register for RYLA.

Please inform the school to provide you with the names of the selected Attendees and Alternates before they provide the students with the registration link.

To submit names, click here.
 

9. Notify Selected Students - By: April 17, 2021

Send response letters or emails to all applicants by April 17. Sample letters are provided in the Support Materials.
 
Your letter or e-mail serves three purposes: 
  1. It lets them know whether or not they were selected.

  2. It provides instructions for Registration and other important info for students and parents.

  3. It identifies who their Sponsoring Rotary Club is — many students are unaware, and they will need to know this for Online Registration.

Send your letters or emails by April 17 to provide adequate time for your students to register online, allowing time for school vacation schedules. If your letters or emails cannot be mailed by April 17, we encourage you to phone/text your selected students to convey the important information so as not to delay their Online Registration.
 
Note: If they read notification email/letter on April 17, they will have 7 days to complete their online registration. Please ensure that they have read your email and that they understand that they must complete their registration by April 24, 2021.
 
Tip: You may speed up your process and notify your students before April 17 you give them more time to complete their registration.
 
For all "selected" candidates (Attendees and Alternates), include
Inform your selected students to Register Online as soon as possible.

April 24 is the last day that students can register.
 

10. Press Release and Club Invites

Send out a press release! It's a super opportunity to tell the community about your club's great work. Encourage students to submit photos of themselves to include with the press release. A sample Congratulatory Press Release  is provided in the Support Materials.
 
Consider inviting your future RYLAns to a:
  • Rotary meeting prior to the conference so that they are introduced to your members and to Rotary. Have a Rotarian to personally connect with them, beforehand explaining some of the signature programs that your club supports in your community.
  • Service Opportunity
  • Interact
  • Fundraiser

11. Student Online Registration - Deadline: April 24, 2021

Register for RYLA OLA

Please note: Alternates should also complete Online Registration by the due date. We will need their information if a vacancy arises.

12. Monitor Your Students' Registration Status - Deadline: April 24, 2021

Hot Tip! To Monitor your students' Registration Status at any time, click here.
 
April 24 is the absolute deadline for students to complete their online Registration.
 
No registrations will be accepted after April 24. If your student's Online Registration  is not completed by this date, you would unfortunately have to inform your candidate that they will not be able to attend RYLA. No refunds will be given to the club.
 

13. Check-in with Students - mid June

Check-in with students two weeks before the conference to confirm their participation and all details.
  • Are they still committed to the entire weekend?
    They must be present for the entire program. 

    In the event of a cancellation, please contact our Registrar immediately so that another student may attend:

    Registrar Dave Frazier
    registrar@ryla7910.org
    508-843-6357
  • Do the students have any questions?
  • Do they know what to expect before RYLA OLA?
  • Have they completed their pre-RYLA surveys?
  • Have they been receiving the pre-RYLA OLA emails?
  • Have they followed RYLA7910 on Instagram?
  • Do they know how to join the video conference sessions?
  • Do they have any known problems/concerns with Wi-Fi/connectivity/devices?

14. Help with RYLA OLA - now through June

If you would like to help with RYLA OLA, contact us. You can observe first-hand the difference make in young people’s lives! For more details, see Get Involved
 

15. Club Meeting Invites & Feedback - After RYLA

  • Invite your RYLAns to your Club Meeting, fundraising and service opportunities. Following the conference, you should invite your RYLAns to speak at your club about their RYLA experience.  If you did not send out a Congratulatory Press Release yet, this is a good time to do so.
  • Provide Feedback to the RYLA Committee
    The Club RYLA Chairperson should invite feedback (from the students and the club) about the conference and the selection process that led up to it. Any feedback should be communicated to the RYLA Committee for improvement in future years. Email feedback to 7910ryla@gmail.com or mail it to the District 7910 RYLA Committee Chair.
For a printed copy of the Action Plan, see the ClubPack manual.
 
Please note: ClubPack documents may be out of date. For the most up-to-date procedures and information, please refer to steps, above.
 

ANY QUESTIONS?

Either visit the Rotary Club FAQ page for answers or Contact Us.