RYLA is the week-long Rotary Youth Leadership camp held annually at the Solomon Episcopal Camp near Covington. The camp is designed to be a transformative experience which fosters a youth's leadership and personal development and promotes Service Above Self. Students are sponsored by most of the 50 Rotary clubs from South Mississippi and East Louisiana. Each year Mandeville Rotarians select and send four rising Senior students to the camp, and also cook and serve a red beans and rice dinner on Monday night. Eleven Mandeville Rotarians were joined this year by Rotarians from the Covington Rotary club to provide and serve the meal.
Students sponsored by the Mandeville club are shown with Rotarian Doug Place and are (l-r) Stevi Maillet, Airlie Dodds, Liam Baird (counselor), Olivia Breedlove, and Erin McAuliffe. Liam was sponsored by Mandeville Rotary last year and was so outstanding as participant that he was chosen to be a counselor this year.
