Goa RYLA bonds Rotary-Rotaract
For the last two decades, Rotarians and Rotaractors from different RI districts of India used to meet in Goa RYLA, a permanent annual fixture of RID 3141, to share notes, enjoy fellowship, networking, and win new business friends.
“In September 2025, we had a three-day RYLA at Neelams The Grand, a three-star luxury hotel near the scenic Goan beach in which 80 Rotaractors and 20 Rotarians had fun even as they learnt new concepts that helped in building leadership qualities,” said Hrishikesh Solanki, chair, Avenues of Rotaract District 3141, and a dual member of RAC Mumbai Parleshwar and RC Mumbai Centennials.
As a project coordinator of his Rotary club, Solanki and his team ensured that both the plenary and outdoor fun sessions were organised “in an enjoyable manner without hassles.” RC Mumbai Island City was the lead club and they were partnered by four co-hosts and the district Rotaract in hosting Goa RYLA.
During the inaugural, Devanand Mahadeva, youth exchange coordinator from Dubai, gave a motivational speech urging the young participants to aim for success in their lives. DGE Rajan Dua advised Rotaractors to have both fun and learning at the same time. He noted that discipline is a must for success in “whatever we do and aim for, but this critical quality is lacking among the younger generation. They may be full of energy, but without proper direction, which discipline enables, they don’t know how to channelise it.”
RC Mumbai Island City president Onkar Sarang called upon the participants to make full use of the RYLA as “we had curated the three-day event with least number of indoor sessions as the focus is on having more of outdoor, field events and group activities.”
Eclectic games
Some of the outdoor events like Change the Place (settings have to be changed in creative manner); fun pool party and Shark Tank Pitch — a fixed time is given to come out with a viable business plan which will be vetted by a 10-member jury — have enabled Rotaractors and Rotarians to mingle with each other freely, “giving all the participants a great exposure to the Rotary world.”
Bollywood music and party songs made the two DJ nights a memorable one for the participants. “Over the last 20 years, around 3,000 Rotarians and Rotaractors would have attended our Goa RYLA. But next year (2026), we are looking for a new holiday-cum-leisure destination. Some of the takeaways of the latest edition were living a disciplined life, and networking to building leadership skills for a rewarding professional life,” explains Solanki.
Looking back at his seven-year Rotaract journey, “I joined as a college student and now working as a financial analyst in a private firm… it has been an enjoyable learning curve for me in the last few years as a Rotaractor. Now in my first year as a Rotarian, I want to improve my visibility in Rotary Means Business Group which will help me to expand client base in my official work,” adds Solanki.
