Stop by the Rye YMCA on a weekday after 5 p.m. and you might see one of their Leaders clubs in action.

Stop by the Rye YMCA on a weekday after 5 p.m. and you might see one of their Leaders clubs in action. The club is a nationwide YMCA initiative that focuses on leadership and volunteer efforts for middle and high school students.

 

At the Rye Y, club participants meet weekly for open discussion, and values challenges and teambuilding activities. While the clubs are self-governed, each one has a Y teen staff member (Advisor) who helps guide and direct them. Currently, the Rye Y has three clubs: Junior Leaders for grades 6-8, Rye Leaders for grades 9-12, and Mamaroneck Leaders for grades 9-12. 

 

The Mamaroneck Leaders Club, formed in February 2013, participated in their first Leaders Rally in November. Five teens and two Y Advisors spent a long weekend at YMCA Camp Greenkill in Huguenot, N.Y., where they were joined by 200 other teens from around the Northeast. At rallies, the teens and their advisors contribute to and lead workshops. These breakout meetings focus on everything from basic leadership skills and guiding others to open discussions on how challenges in their lives affect themselves and their friends. The Leaders also participate in a full array of activities including zip lining, challenge courses, hikes, a dance, and more.

 

The Junior Leaders, started in September of this year, is for grades 6-8. The club meets weekly from 5-6 p.m. and is advised by Rye Y Teen Coordinator Cindy Rodriguez. The tweens and teens are currently working on a “Dream Box,” which will store their goals, and aspirations. They’re also compiling a healthy cookbook, bringing in their favorite recipes, finding healthy ingredient substitutions on those recipes, and learning how to read a nutrition label. 

 

On December 1, the Junior Leaders teamed with the Rye Leaders Club to volunteer at Mistletoe Magic, the Rye holiday event. The clubs will help them pack food for the less fortunate at a Hunger Task Force on December 17. 

 

All of these clubs are free to the community. If you are interested in joining, contact Hillary Southard-Camp, Teen and Family Director at hillary@ryeymca.org or 967-6363, ext. 103.