RBTT Young Leaders 2009-2010 kicks off

If the students of the St. Vincent Grammar School have their way, they will be celebrating their third straight win of the RBTT’s Young Leaders Programme early next year.{{more}}

A contingent of hopefuls for this year’s team, accompanied by the school’s coordinating teacher Randy Boucher, turned up as the 2009-2010 programme kicked off at the Anglican Pastoral Centre at Government House Road on Monday, September 21.

Boucher indicated that there were many expectations for the school to win the title for the third successive year and that the students were eager to get going.

“I know there is a level of enthusiasm among the boys to get involved, so we are looking forward to a full compliment of fifty boys.”

“There is a buzz around the school, and students are asking when is the first meeting,” Boucher indicated.

Last year, the school won the programme which, according to one of the participants Ansis Pope, took tremendous work and determination to pull off.

“The theme was The Green Revolution: Global Challenge, Regional Responsibility, National Focus. We emerged with a lot of great ideas and started to work really hard.”

“We were able to complete about 95 per cent of those plans due to the amount of work we put into these efforts, and in the end we were very successful.”

Winning again would see the school claiming the grand prize of EC$5,000, with second place receiving $3,000 and $2,000 for the third placed school.

The top coordinating teachers will also receive cash prizes, with certificates, book vouchers and other gifts available for students.

The theme for this year’s programme, which is in its 12th edition, is Holistic Wellness: The Journey Towards A Fulfilling Life.

Programme Coordinator Roxanne Dalrymple indicated at the launch that this year’s theme is a timely one that gives individuals an opportunity to make a difference.

“So many of us, we complain that we are getting too fat or not eating properly… and this is good opportunity for the young people to get out and make people aware and get revved up about doing something to make their lives more enjoyable.”

Dalrymple said that the organizers of the programme had decided to go back to starting the programme at the beginning of first term, after three years of a second term launch.

“For the past three years we had changed the time span for the programme. We looked at it and saw that the schools were rushing because they were quite a bit busy with sports and all the other activities going on.”

“So we decided this year to go back to our original time frame from September, this year, and it will be up to April 10th, 2010.”

This initiative was a welcome move for the Grammar School.

Boucher said that he was pleased with the early launch, which will give the school the rest of the term to get the group together and to ‘hit the ground running in January.’

Meanwhile, RBTT Country Head Isaac Solomon indicated that the Young Leaders Programme has been living up to its objectives over the years, which, among other things, is to help young people develop leadership skills and appreciate the value of teamwork.

He emphasized that through the programme, students gain new knowledge and experiences which are priceless.

“Participants also learn the importance of saving and budgeting and about the practical side of finance, which will be important when they become working members of society.”

22 schools, including the Liberty Lodge Boys training Centre, are expected to participate in this year’s programme. (JJ)