Page 2 - September 2015 Gears & Ears

Gears and Ears

Journal of the Rotary Club of Lake Buena Vista

Page 2 September 2015
From Club President Rommel Mosquera

Dear Lake Buena Vista Rotarians,

September is New Generations month and there is emphasis on
activities to support the development of programs to that end. One
of the five avenues of Rotary service is what I first learned as “Youth
Service,” which is now known as “New Generations.” My personal
interpretation of this service is basically teaching, helping and passing
along the good of Rotary to leave a legacy that will continue doing
good for others worldwide. The official definition from Rotary is:
“Youth Service recognizes the importance of empowering youth and
young professionals through leadership development programs such as Rotaract, Interact,
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), and Rotary Youth Exchange.”

This month marks 5 years since I became a Rotarian. There is so much that Rotary has to
offer and I admit that for probably the first 2 years, I really did not understand New
Generations. I’m sure I’m not the only one, so here is a brief definition (a full description is
at: http://bit.ly/1H37wQx) of the different New Generations programs:

ROTARACT: Club composed of individuals ages 18 to
30, typically in universities and young professionals that
organize service activities, develop leadership,
professional skills, and have fun. They are sponsored
by one or more Rotary Clubs, but operate independently.

INTERACT: Club composed of individuals ages 12-18
who want to connect with others in their community
or school. Every year they organize one community
project and one to encourage international
understanding. Clubs govern and support themselves,
but receive guidance from individual Rotary clubs.

RYLA: leadership development program run by Rotary.
Focused on secondary school students, university
students, or young professionals. Lasts 3–10 days long
and include presentations, activities, and workshops
covering: Leadership fundamentals and ethics,
Communication skills and more.