Dearest RYLA Conferee:
First, congratulations on your scholarship to attend RYLA!! We are so incredibly excited to have you coming to Estes Park for the week of RYLA this summer. In fact, we have been planning for you for almost a year now. This year’s RYLA promises to be a smashing success. We are expecting it to be the best RYLA we have ever put on, and you are a vital part of that.
We wanted to take this chance to introduce ourselves to you. We are the head junior counselors (JCs) at RYLA this year, and our job is basically to make sure you have a great time and a great leadership experience. To that end, we have thought up a few tips for you, as you get ready for RYLA:
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Rest up the few days just before you come. The RYLA week is jam-packed, and showing up rested will help measurably as the week flies by.
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We have included a packing list for you. This is the result of years of careful research and laboratory studies (ok, maybe not, but it does come from experience!). If you are missing something on the list, don’t worry too much about it, but we thought it would be a useful starting place for you, and all the stuff on the list has proved useful for past conferees.
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Make sure you plan to attend all of RYLA. You cannot come late, leave early or miss any part of the conference during the middle of the week. RYLA is designed to be a weeklong program, and missing any part will throw off the entire thing. If you cannot make the entire RYLA, let your sponsoring club and the RYLA Registrar https://rockymountainryla.org/contact-us/ know immediately!
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Each of you will have a junior counselor to call your own, and these super cool folks will be contacting you in the next weeks. Be ready for your email or call from them!
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Cell phones: You can bring yours, but RYLA does not allow them outside of your room. Also, because the YMCA is secluded in the mountains, many cell phones do not even get service. If your parents have an emergency and need to contact you, they should call the main number at the YMCA (970-586-3341 or 303-448-1616) and ask for RYLA or the Rotary conference.
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These rules will be repeated at RYLA but we thought you should see them.
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These are all non-negotiable rules
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No driving or leaving the YMCA
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No drugs, alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, cannabis, or any other unapproved substance
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No Smoking, Vaping or using E-Cigarettes
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No guns, knives or weapons of any kind
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Cell phones are allowed only on a very limited basis
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No hats in Willome Hall (but bring one for outside!)
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Lights out means that! 10:30 sharp; it’s the YMCA’s rule
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Unlock doors at night! Bed checks will be done and are for your safety
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Behavior – punctuality, respect, attend all events
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Follow directions of JCs and SCs (Senior Counselors) or other conference personnel
We hope RYLA is an amazing time for you, and we are going to do anything and everything we can to ensure that it is. As you prepare to join us in the mountains, if you need anything or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us using the contact information below.
This RYLA is going to be the greatest conference ever put on, and we are SO excited you are joining us. We are looking forward to an amazing week.
With excited anticipation,
Your Head Junior Counselors
