August 7, 2011
RYLA 2011 SC Debrief
Attendees: Dave Amen, Rolo Cuadrado, Mike Hitchcock, Jim Hoops, Jan Keyton, Marc Solnet (notetaker)
Discussion/Recommendations/Considerations
1) Overall
a) Successful conference once again.
b) Recommendations and considerations are in-line below for future.
2) JC’s
a) Overall, did a good job running the camp. Definitely the way to go. Good for them to run the training.
b) Age. Discussion on age and having some JC’s still in High School. Rolo felt it is not about age. About experience, done it before, special training.
i) This is somewhat of a controversy. Used to be if you were going to be a Senior in HS, go to Young RYLA. Didn’t happen this year. There were only 4 RYLA JC’s that will be Seniors this year. All did good.
ii) Consideration: The younger 1st Year JC’s focus on Young RYLA.
(a) But lose some good people at RYLA if don’t let them come back.
c) JC selection. Decisions should be made by head JC’s and the CHAIR jointly.
i) JC’s choose, and CHAIR approve/reject all decisions.
ii) Precedent set that might not get to come back is good. Puts pressure on them to perform.
d) Recommend electing JC alternates and get them trained. 2 or 3. Model after Young RYLA.
i) Sidekick was excellent. Recommend the alternates are helpers to sidekick and others during the week if alternates not needed as regular JC’s.
e) Each JC should be strong on their own. Nice idea to select blend of True Colors., but each JC must be able to stand on own. WANT to select.
f) Curfew GOOD. Late night JC rap is important as long as there is a curfew.
JC’s got sleep, yet still got stuff done.
g) Still need fireside for JC’s. Heard that someone didn’t think they needed it, but we all agree it is important to have this space.
3) Training
a) All day was good.
b) It was good to have JC and SC paired.
c) Discussion on JC bonding. Important for JC team to be super bonded. Concern that they would stay up all night and not be awake enough for training. We feel it is ok to get together just be sure to get to bed reasonably. Good compromise. Worked pretty well this year. Dave offered to host again.
d) Recommendation/Improvement: Need a solid agenda and introduction for new people.
e) Focus on new SC and 2nd year SC’s who will be paired with new JC’s to ensure they are ready.
f) Training should be more of a Dress Rehearsal. Mini week of RYLA is the way to go, do most of the activities.
i) Did proudest achievement.
ii) Did debrief practice with balloons. Suggest doing real activity like helium stick.
4) Saturday of RYLA.
a) Why get there so early? Suggest arriving at 4pm not noon.
i) Didn’t have access to fireside and rooms till around 4pm anyhow.
b) Suggestion: Make the day more purposeful. Plan it, plan who should be there, who shouldn’t.
c) Normally run through activities, assemble documents, last minute stuff went very well this year so a lot of down time.
d) Bonding is positive for SC/JC pairs.
5) Sunday
a) Checkin/Registration –
i)
Recommendation: need stronger JC’s
to lead IceBreakers. Prize location is car greeter, but move
more
ii) Otherwise went pretty well. Luggage storage worked out well.
iii) Recommendation: Need a Room-Key Manager/Master, SC. Kevin has enough other things to do.
b) Corey was fantastic. See notes in Speakers section below.
c) THEME: We have ‘if its to be, its up to me’, but this wasn’t barely mentioned or really themed.. Should be more prominent.
i) Recommendation: Chair should open conference with theme, explain it, weave it into the week.
ii) On the agenda, we have the four way test questions at the top of each day, but we didn’t emphasize enough beyond word of focus.
6) Monday
a) True Colors –
i) Length better, still a little long.
ii) Recommendation: MUST use self-assessment to determine True Colors.
iii) Egg baby skit from Young RYLA is better than JC skit.
iv) Have the skit come AFTER the True Colors information – not before! It would be much more meaningful with some prior knowledge.
b) Rev Leon Kelly – See notes in Speakers section below.
7) Team Time
a) Ebola –
i) Discussion on eliminating and replacing with another problem solving activity. Must be an activity that forces communication and clear instructions.
ii) Marc felt this was great activity, forced good communication and they clearly saw the value of having to speak with clear instruction.
iii) We Felt it was ineffectively facilitated. At YRYLA, taught and led by an effective facilitator so it is done right.
iv) Also Ebola is done at YRYLA and many kids have seen it.
v) Recommendation: Keep Ebola, but make sure facilitated better.
vi) Some missed the point. Half of JC’s helped them succeed, yet success/failure isn’t point.
vii) OK to fail.
b) Amazing
i) Set some consistent rules on Safety. Diving through, climbing trees.
ii) Kids loved it. Keep.
c) Mirage
i) Liked activity.
ii) Consider: Needs better name.
iii) Teaches detailed communication.
d) Debrief –
i) Important: MUST DEBRIEF all Team Times. That is the KEY TO THE LEARNING. Some teams ran out of time to try and complete activity and sacrificed debrief time.
e) Eggspress
i) Liked it. Had the right idea.
ii) Got rid of launching due to inconsistency, but the egg dropping was also inconsistent.
iii) Recommendation: Try to find a better way of dropping the egg and a method of doing the competition faster.
f) Straws – Towers
i) Liked it. Better than the messy marshmellows.
ii) Recommendation: Didn’t like having kids as observers to give feedback. Didn’t work. Better to have all the kids participating. More structures.
g) RYLA Ball
i) Loved it.
ii) Make sure when teams make rules, bring them all together. Two negotiators in middle, rest of team listen to negotiation silently.
iii) Recommendation: Drop Kick Ball, too short.
h) Scene it –
i) Keep it. Big fun for all.
ii) Need to emphasize how links to leadership.
iii) Recommendation: Should have shown all of the Scene its to everyone.
8) MAD Groups
a) Some great, some inconsistent.
b) Need more consistent facilitation.
c) Force all kids to say something, like the ‘what don’t we know about you, who don’t you want someone to say, etc.
d) Should have both SC and JC contribute.
e) Should we keep the mixing of SC/JC pairing going forward? Yes.
f) Group presentations should have TITLE on top of posterboard.
9) Speakers –
a) Each should have a purpose and JC’s should integrate purpose into day.
b) Recommendation: JC should be given in advance, and then provide to conferees at WRAP, a 1-page of speakers notes/bullets to put in binders. Will lead to greater retention and provides good reference.
c) Speaker selection, generally, up to Chairs/HJC to decide, but should take into account evaluations and our feedback and not just bring back for convenience.
d) Corey Ciocchetti -
i) Fantastic. Sets the stage very well for a great week.
ii) Recommendatipn: Should bring some focused WRAP questions about Corey’s topics, prepared WRAP questions. See recommendation on 1-pager above.
iii) Good setup for the whole week, but would be better if could use the topic throughout the week
e) Rev Leon Kelly –
i) too long.
ii) Like the theme. Think he is crucial for shock value.
iii) Keep.
f) Mike Lilygren –
i) Not effective to kids. Didn’t integrate into program. Recommend not keep unless do better of tying to the leadership elements.
ii) Same theme as Polly. Would not have both.
g) Charlene Moser –
i) Favorite of many kids. Keeper.
h) Polly Letofsky –
i) Cut shorter and still get the point.
ii) Keep over Mike.
iii) Makes great connection to other service orgs.
i) Cassandra Seawall –
i) Some felt too much personal agenda. Good speech but her personal agenda wasn’t on topic for this generation.
ii) Could find better speaker.
10) Wednesday
a) All Conference
i) Poor job on facilitating. Didn’t follow the script on “What like to know about you, What would you not like said about you, how can people support you.” Recommendation: JC’s should MODEL and EMPHASIZE THIS.
ii) Some felt the questions were way to inclusive. That was on purpose per head JC’s, to swing the pendulum to include more kids, but felt that it swung too far and was too inclusive now.
iii) Recommend evaluating questions to find the middle.
iv) Consider having someone else facilitate, not HJC’s. Could be someone who does it consistently every year.
v) Consider change name/process similar to “Take a Look Around”.
(1) At YRYLA, they do “Come up to stage if ….”. Number of people and size of stage is the limiting factor at YMCA.
(2) Allows everyone to See better. Too dark at All Conference.
(3) Microphone issue limited ability to hear.
b) RYLA Rumble
i) Hoops didn’t like doing Helium Stick for this.
ii) Solnet liked the team-learning that occurred, as it was so hard to do the activity being on a team where they didn’t know each other.
iii) Discussion on the objective/Point of this activity. It needs to be clear. If the point was to get to know other conferees, this didn’t achieve that.
iv) Kids were itching to get back to own team. Perfect reason to do it.
v) Recommendation: Clarify the activity objective/point and make sure it achieves the objectives.
vi) Skits
(1) Did good on grandmother rule on skits.
(2) Instructions were not to do the day in the life, but most teams did.
(3) Consider giving feedback/winners right away vs waiting till Friday. More impact.
11) Thursday
a) Olympics –
i) Tug of War concern - Hoops will ask Brother Bill not to suggest to the boys that they let go of the rope. Dangerous and demeaning.
ii) Is competition ok? Yes. Some teams didn’t see as a competition but that is ok too.
iii) JC’s knew what they were doing. Like having them run the stations. Recommendation: KEEP IT THIS WAY.
b) Talent Show
i) Long, but good.
ii) It was good to have time limit per performer.
iii) Emphasize to kids to watch the timer.
iv) Kids did great job of being supportive of all performers.
v) Some kids felt they missed out when JC’s left half way to get dressed for skit.
c) Dance –
i) Excellent.
ii) JC’s did great job mixing and having fun.
12) Medical
a) One of kids didn’t have a signed permission form in the packet.
b) People need to know how to treat Blisters for Hike.
c) First Aid kits didn’t have stuff in it we need. Need tape, ace wraps, bandaids, gauze pads, Neosporin. Consider making own kits in ziplock bags.
d) Still do need designated person who is good at conflict management, and need to ensure we have good bedside manner with sick kids.
13) Chair expectations
a) Board needs to set good and clear expectations on Chair selection, duties, responsibilities, activities, role.
b) Consider recycling some chairs until others are ready to do it.
14) Water Bottles
a) Cheap. Cracked. Don’t buy those again.
15) Friday
a) PANEL – ineffective at end. Recommendation: Move panel earlier in week.
i) Ex: Interact should come earlier in the week and give people chance to talk about it. Same thing with Youth Exchange. So can talk about it during the week.
ii) Recommend do like Young Ryla. 1 hour session , 4x15 minute sessions.
(1) Ex: Interact – lead kids through how to start. Select teachers, friends, etc. AND lead kids on how to get involved if existing.
b) Slide show –
i) Like having it. Great.
ii) Recommendation: Good to have a photographer and a processor.
iii) Liked the slower slides. Still had 500 slides. YRYLA went by faster (1 sec/slide vs 3 sec/slide).
iv) Online. OK to post slideshow online. Marc will try to post show on youtube, and we can post pictures on website ryla.us.
v) Consider inviting FORREST to be photographer.
c) Award Ceremony – very weak.
d) Competition – debate on whether need competition or not. It’s not about competition.
e) Recommendation: Look for some activity/speaker which is stronger on Friday near the end.
f) Last WRAP / Team Time seemed too long.
i) Amen’s team - had each kid come over to him and have a 1:1 talk with SC (in plain sight). Great chance for personal advice and leave a lasting impression.
ii) Recommendation: Discuss implementing the 1:1 time on last day.
16) Ending
a) Packup was a bit frazzled/disorganized. Not knowing what responsible for. Recommendation: Make assignments of tasks/duties .
b) Recommendation: Next year, need someone from YRYLA there again to organize and inventory due to BACK to BACK nature.
17) Registrar
a) Tough year for Dave due to personal stuff.
b) Looking forward to more of Marc Solnet’s help and input.
c) Paperwork is the killer, especially Young Ryla. We are stuck with the paperwork we have.
d) Consider early bird discount clubs for prompt and complete paperwork, or penalty to Rotary club for being late.
e) Good having the JC’s as assistants to registrar.
f) Consider printing certificates in advance.
g) Kids don’t check email anymore. Consider Get cell phone and start using Text messages.
h) Good to keep emailing parents as well as kids.
i) Emphasize early on, when interviewing kids, determine then how the kids will get there and back.
j) IPAD – electronic forms at the conference. Worked perfectly with the cross reference.