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Almost 40 young men and women took part in this year’s Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge, run over two treks in August and September.
Trekkers on the Challenge are sponsored predominantly by member clubs of the Association for young members in their communities. The Challenge, established by the Association in 2005, aims to stretch trekkers physical and mental boundaries, develop their leadership skills and understand more of our military history on the 10-day trek over the 155km wartime trail.
A further 12 scholarships were provided by the Association, ClubsNSW along with state Associations in the ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia and Keno.
The Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge (KYLC) is a peer group leadership program promoted by the Association and overseen by the KYLC Benevolent Fund. The program was developed in consultation with former army Major, Charlie Lynn, of the trekking company, Adventure Kokoda.
The Challenge is aimed at young people at school or disadvantaged or unemployed young people in the community who are having difficulty in finding their way in society. It is also used to encourage young achievers with natural leadership skills.
Benefits
Participants in the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge will gain:
- An appreciation of our military history;
- A respect for the sacrifice made by young Australians of a previous generation;
- An appreciation of a culture whose values are not based on materialism;
- A sense of responsibility for the outcomes of the choices they make;
- An appreciation of the qualities necessary for effective teamwork i.e. loyalty, trust, honesty, courage, leadership, respect, discipline and sacrifice.
- An understanding of the characteristics of Australian leadership;
- An appreciation of the 7 essential understandings of effective leadership (self, others, culture, environment, history, present and future).
- An understanding of the purpose and value of community service.
Selection Criteria
The Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge should be something young Australians aspire to do. The program will only benefit those who appreciate the privilege of being chosen and who are willing to learn about the Kokoda campaign prior to their departure. They should also be willing to commit to a rigorous physical training program to ensure they are physically capable of completing the program.
Applicants should therefore demonstrate a strong desire to participate in the program. This desire can be measured by a willingness to conduct personal research in order to gain an understanding of the Kokoda campaign prior to the final selection of the participants.
Applicants (male and female) should be between 16 and 23 years of age. If you are interested in making the trek or would like to know more, contact Association CEO, Graeme Carroll (graemec@rslservicesclubs.com.au) or Manager Member Services, Zoe Blanusa (zoeb@rslservicesclubs.com.au) on 02 9579 4555.
Clubs support Kokoda Leadership Challenge
The RSL & Services Clubs Association oversees the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge designed as a major community project to develop disadvantaged or wayward youth into the leaders of tomorrow. It is also aimed at fostering young people with leadership ability and more than 110 young men and women have now made the trek since the project commenced in 2005. That represents an investment of more than $600,000 by the clubs in our country's youth.
The Association – representing RSL and kindred clubs – engaged Adventure Kokoda to lead the Challenge over the infamous Kokoda Track in New Guinea.
Ex-Army Major and NSW Upper House MP, Charlie Lynn – a veteran of more than 40 crossings of the Track – through his trek company, Adventure Kokoda has for some years used the Kokoda Track as a lesson in leadership and teambuilding for many leading Australian companies, demonstrating to them the true spirit of Kokoda – strength in adversity, courage and mateship – and the program has achieved powerful results. The program is achieving the same results on our youth.
Association CEO, Graeme Carroll, said the leadership program was aimed primarily at young people at school and disadvantaged or unemployed young people in the community who were having difficulty in finding their way in society. It is also used to further encourage young people with natural leadership skills and is used by some clubs as a leadership incentive program.
The Association Clubs see the project as providing a major contribution to the community by:
- Encouraging these young leaders to help motivate their peers to take a positive role in their community and, among other things, reduce youth crime rates;
- Creating a source of young leaders coming back into their ranks; and,
- Encouraging participants to work with local community leaders on a range of projects.
He said that for clubs the program had the potential to build stronger ties with the community and local business while increasing their relevance with young people who will be their future members and become the ‘custodians’ of the Anzac and Kokoda traditions.
The leadership program aims to create a greater awareness of the sacrifices of the diggers on the Kokoda campaign among our young people to ensure the traditions live on. At the same time it instills in participants a commitment to community service, enhance their personal development by providing an opportunity for them to experience the same conditions under which our diggers fought and hopefully transform them for future leadership roles back in the community.
The treks are eligible CDSE Category 1 expenditure for clubs sponsoring participants on the leadership challenge.
The treks are conducted under the banner of the KYLC Benevolent Fund which was established by the Association. Directors of the Fund are Bryn Miller, CEO of Merrylands RSL Club, Dean Thomas, General Manager of Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club, and John Burgess, President of City of Fairfield RSL Club.
Independent ATM provider, Cashcard, annually provides a sponsorship to allow one of the nominating member clubs of the Association to send a second person on the trek. This year, Wagga RSL Club won the random draw to send the second trekker. Commercial law firm Thomson Playford Cutlers provided specialist legal assistance in establishing the program. The firm, which has a strong relationship with the clubs industry and acts for many large clubs and associations, provided this valued service pro-bono. |