Opening and Invocation led by Bob Bendix.
Guests: Marianne Arseneau, guest of Russ Harris; Samantha Cepulo and Ryan Kreuser, Rich Martin, guest of Jean Bendix
Announcements:
- Donna Johnson will be traveling to Mexico to work on the Tabí water project
- Dave Doebler - 4/19 from 4 to 6 pm Newark Food Closet and Emmanuel Free Lunch program are having an open house. Please go and check them out
- District Conference on May 6th.
- April 22nd - Spring clean up on the canal and Route 88. Meet at the ARC of Wayne at 8:30 am
- Gail Chambers - May 20th at 10:00. Community beautification day - need help planting flowers
- We need volunteers for pledge and invocation
- Blood Drive is coming up — April 26th.
Happy Moments:
- Malwina is on the Sr. Trip in Boston
- On 4/22 - Marc and Holly are having a shredding event at the Commercial Building.
- Adam got his “summer ride out”
- Lucina and Steve had a great vacation in Arizona
Birthdays: Pam Gardner, Marc Kreuser
Queen of Hearts. Sue Colacino did not pick the Queen - the pot continues to grow.
Program: 15/16 Rotary Exchange to Netherlands - Ryan Kreuser - works at Ruffalo Appliance as Marketing Coordinator, Vice President of Rotex
16/17 Rotary Exchange student to Latvia - Samantha (Sami) Cepulo. Works at Caves Kitchens as a designer in Clifton Springs, President of Rotex
Both active in Rotex - organization of former Rotary Exchange Students. Outbound and inbound youth exchange numbers are down. Our district has only 3 outbound students and only 6 inbound.
Youth exchange started approximately 90 years ago to improve international relations between exchanging high school students.
There are 2 types of exchange
- Outbound Youth Exchange is a full academic year. students attend local schools and lives with local families
- Short-Term Youth Exchange lasts from several days to three months and are often structured as a homestay that take place when school is not in session.
Benefits of Youth Exchange
- expand cultural intelligence through relationships with host families and schools and other exchange students
- learn other languages
- learn new customs and cultures
- opportunity for personal growth and learning skills outside of the classroom
- shaping the leaders of tomorrow
Main focus of Rotary Youth Exchange is to build our global elm unity. Students are ambassadors not only for Rotary but also for the United States of America.
How can we, as a club, help.
- Help us find students
- Sponsor students to go abroad
- Host incoming exchange students
- Volunteer or help in other ways
Why sponsor?
- changing a student’s life
- investing in the individual, local community, and international community
- facilitating diplomacy through friendship
On average, the cost to sponsor a youth exchange student for an individual club is around $1,000
Rotex is creating a scholarship fund for prospective outbound exchange students.