Judy McKnight introduced her granddaughter Jesha McKnight, a Moira student, who was in Destinations in grade 7 and now in Environmental Sciences at Guelph. Jesha was a leader at a week long Youth camp at Bridge St. United Church and has done service missions to two different countries.  Jesha was here to speak of her experience at RYLA , Rotary Youth Leadership Award, a week long program at Loyalist College.  There were 30 participants from a variety of backgrounds and it was an amazing experience.  The in class activities that enhanced leadership and learning limits included : comfort zone growth, danger zones, dominance, influence, and steadiness.  As a leader, Jesha needed to help people realize their possibilities.
 
There were the platinum rules:  Treat people as they want to be treated, use leadership styles to determine how people like to be treated.  How to deal with public speaking and giving comfort. The two blindfold technique - one leads by touch another by sound.  How to work together.  Teamwork involved use of committees and Jesha's committee which included some strong personalities,  was in charge of entertainment.  She heard from speakers from Rotary Clubs in the district and End Polio Now rib fests.  Jesha also was required to observe others and report their strengths and potential improvements.  Finally she a did a community service event and helped at a food bank.  All in all, Jesha found this to be one of the best experiences of her life.
 
Our Rotary Exchange Student Amanda, was introduced by current host father, Rotarian Darrell Smith.  Amanda is 18 and hails from Santiago Chile and is currently attending St. Theresa High School.  Amanda presented a slide show presentation of her  year in Canada.  Included were many pictures of Amanda at various Rotary events, with other exchange students (pictured here with Chloe Chazottes from France and Kaisa Uoti from Finland) and some of the events she undertook throughout the year with her Rotary host families.  Included was a trip to Montreal with Joanne Coker,  trip to Florida with the Smith's and NHL hockey game along with pictures with Sam Brady (her Rotarian advisor) and his family, Randy and Joanne, the Smith family and multiple pictures with a certain dog, who seemed to be a focus of her presentation.  Amanda thanked all of her host families, Randy and Joanne Coker, Connie Reid and her family and Darrell and Carmen Smith and their children, Larry Dufty and his wife who Amanda spent her first 2 weeks in Canada with and Sam Brady and his family for all of their support and friendship during the past 10+months.  Amanda thanked Sam for his guidance and leadership as the head of the Rotarian Club of Belleville Youth Exchange Program.  She was so thankful to the club as a whole for providing her this opportunity and the friendship shown to her and it is an experience she will never forget.
 
Rotarian Dianne Spencer thanked both of the young ladies for their presentation and spoke to the pride that Loyalist College has for being able to host the RYLA program each year.