RCDN Guidelines

RCDN Youth Sailing Challenge Scholarship

 

Scholarship application

 

Guidelines

 

Overview
This is a longitudinal program of constructive and preventative youth diversion.

 

Aims
Essentially to provide young people 12 – 16 (age range approximate depending on aptitude) with a healthy outdoors diversion that removes boredom, provides challenge, enhances ethics, and enables the discipline of leadership with expectant responsibility.

 

Applications to join the program
All applicants will need to fill the form on the cdusailing.com website and provide a supporting referral from either a school counsellor or a paediatrician. All applications will be vetted by the RCDN Board.

 

Scholarship Funding
As a RCDN youth initiative RCDN will provide a $1000 per applicant scholarship, this to be spent on a stinger suit, appropriate hat wear and sail training as designated by the rear commodore training. Applicants must have completed a minimum of two sail training programs and gained prior con experience to be eligible to skipper ROTAKAT.

 

Objectives & Regulations

  • To provide a constructive diversion for youth at risk of offending or becoming alienated by using the RCDN sailing infrastructure (ROTAKAT) and network on a case by case basis;

  • Youth admissible to the program must be attending school, have the support of the school counsellor, and cleared by the RCDN Board;

  • Youth with a criminal conviction are not eligible;

  • Applicants are not allowed to bring non DSC members on to the club premises. Parents and siblings however will be the exception for DSC club functions at the permission of the Vice Commodore.

  • The program will provide sponsorship of $1000 per youth and will include 1 years DSC sailing membership, and the fees to cover basic sail training through the DSC;

  • The program is offered on a once only basis for each participant;

  • The successful applicants on the program are on probationary membership and have to follow the guidance of the RCDN appointed counsellor and the directives of the DSC Commodores. Leadership behaviour and incumbent responsibility are expected. This requires the following of all the rules and regulations associated with the DSC and with sailing practice as directed by the appointed trainers. Failure will mean the termination of the program and DSC membership for the respective applicant;

  • Any non acceptable attendance at school as defined by the school counsellor and any criminal conviction will result in the immediate termination of the program for the young person concerned;

  • Any antisocial behaviour on the DSC premises will be reported to and assessed by the counsellor and respective commodore(s) and recommendation of removal from the program considered;

  • Applicants will be introduced to the DSC Commodores and appointed sail trainers and will be made aware of their monitoring role;

  • After appropriate training and experience gained ROTAKAT is available for use/competition by any DSC youth on approval of the Youth Commodore and/or appointed sail trainer and this applies to this programs applicants;

  • Applicants are to avail themselves to assist in DSC Busy bees and RCDN voluntary projects when directed by the RCDN Counsellor.

  • The RCDN Counsellor will be available to mediate any concern.

Community supports and linkages

The links and networks young people can establish while on the program may serve to enhance employment and involvement with positively challenging peers can only help build on a young persons experience. There is also a great level of skill in harnessing the wind and flying a hull.

 

Risk
As with all human support and philanthropically based programs there is risk. To absorb risk RCDN will ensure ROTAKAT is adequately insured and that this program operates on a case by case basis with no more than 2 young people being considered every 6 months with a cap of 3 at any one time.

 

It will be closely monitored by the RCDN counsellor who will avail with short notice support as required and on contact from any one of the commodores.