USA-Canada's 2006 Outstanding District Award: District 6970

Chairman Al receives the award from RI President Nominee Wilf Wilkinson

D6970 YE Committee members Claudia Page, Lawrene Bishop, and Fred Page join Chairman Al and President Wilf in the celebration

Five years ago, the long-term Rotary Youth Exchange program in northeast Florida brought in two students and sent out one. Today, after a period of dramatic growth and an unending focus on quality, represented this year by 27 inbound students and 20 outbounds, District 6970 has been recognized as the Outstanding Rotary Youth Exchange District in the US-Canada Region.

The award was made at the US-Canada Youth Exchange Network's annual conference, in Houston, Texas, during the Saturday evening banquet on March 11. A crowd of more than 300 Rotary Youth Exchange leaders from North America and around the world watched as the plaque was presented to D6970 YE Chair Al Kalter, by Rotary International President Nominee Wilf Wilkinson.

The annual award recognizes just one of the 160 Rotary districts in the US and Canada, for high standards of quality, innovation in their program, and the impact they have had on students, families, communities and the world. Our district's rapid growth has provided 150 students with this opportunity of a lifetime in just the past few years, and the future remains very bright.

District Youth Exchange Chairman Al Kalter said, "This is, of course, a great honor, and a tribute to all who have helped to make it possible here. But is also a challenge, to continue to evolve and improve, to maintain and extend our standards of excellence, to expand our program to the schools and clubs that have not yet participated, and to assist other districts in doing what they can to help bring the world together through Youth Exchange."

The award has been presented six times previously: to Iowa District 6000 in 2000; Oregon District 5100 in 2001; Alaska-Yukon-Russia District 5010 in 2002; Alberta-Northwest Territories-British Columbia-Saskatchewan District 5370 in 2003; New York District 7150 in 2004; and British Columbia District 5040 in 2005.

Rotary Float Wins Grand Prize in Gator Bowl Parade

With two dozen exchange students wearing their blazers, waving their flags, and handing out candy, the Rotary Clubs of Greater Jacksonville captured the "Grand Award" from organizers and judges, as the best of the 101 floats in the annual Winn-Dixie Hometown Gator Bowl Parade, held in downtown Jacksonville on New Year's Eve. The award (right) was presented to North Jacksonville Rotarian Freda Parker, who has organized Rotary's efforts in this parade for several years. Also present to receive the award were San Jose Rotarian Pete Helow, who provided signs and music, and District Youth Exchange Chair Al Kalter.

This was the second consecutive year that our exchange students were the focus of the Rotary float in the Gator Bowl parade, and the regional TV coverage this year included interviews with inbound students Amélie from Belgium and Jose from Ecuador. Many of the students spoke about how much fun it was to participate in this event, and how proud they were to carry the flags of their countries in front of thousands of spectators.

More pictures

Interested in Exchanging in 2006-07? Get Started Now!

For high school students throughout northeast Florida, now is the time to start thinking about 2006-07 outbound opportunities. Rotarians will visiting area schools in September and October, to talk about the program and encourage interested students to apply for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Whether or not you see a program in your school, you can begin the process by reviewing our Frequently Asked Questions, submitting an Inquiry Form, and by starting on the Rotary Youth Exchange Application and Country Selection Form. The final deadline for applications to be submitted to the District Youth Exchange Committee is December 10, but local clubs may set an earlier deadline to interview their own candidates. Check with your local club to be sure.

In November, there will be a series of evening informational meetings throughout the district, for interested students and their parents. Students are required to register for the meeting of their choice. To register, click here. All meetings will start at 7:00 PM. The meeting schedule is as follows:

New Inbounds Arrive, New Outbounds Depart, as the 2005-06 Exchange Year Gets Started

District 6970 has opened its doors to 27 inbound students, newly arrived from 19 different countries, beginning their year-long exchange experience in northeast Florida. At the same time, the first of our 20 outbound students have headed off for their overseas destinations as well. It is certainly an exciting time for everyone!

Inbound Viola Balzaretti (center) from Italy is greeted by soon-to-be outbounds Anna Breedlove and Michael Williams	Rebound Samantha Mandel was on hand to welcome new inbound Maggie Chou from Taiwan
Julie Vetter from France is welcomed (left) by her first host parents, Judi and Mark Halal, and (right) by her second host parents, Debbie and Bill Wright
No club is more involved in Youth Exchange this year than Bartram Trail Rotary. At left, club president Brad Kennington wishes "Bon Voyage" to the five outbound students sponsored by his club. Left to right are Kerry Elison (going to Norway), Mike Murray (France), Dominique Ghirardi (Japan), Hannah McKinney (Switzerland), and LeslieAnn DeLeo (Finland). In the photo at right, President Brad and club Youth Exchange Officer Pete Brower welcome newly arrived inbound students Dana Alessi from Argentina and Zsolt Szoke from Hungary.
Here's outbound Jessie Cordasco, four days after her arrival in Brazil, with, from left, D6970 YE Chairman Al, and former inbounds Felipe Costa, Rana Machado, and Karine Andrade. Karine and her parents are Jessie's first host family in Brazil.

2004-05 Rebounds Star at Welcome Home Dinner

A crowd of almost 250 Rotarians, parents, friends, and students listened to our recently returned outbounds on July 21, at the Second Annual Welcome Home Dinner. It was "Standing Room Only" at Ravine Gardens State Park, for this wonderful event, and the students made the audience glad they were there, with stories that were amazing, funny, touching, and more. Pictures and more details of the evening are available here.

Host Family Orientations Scheduled

All families that will be hosting (or are considering hosting) inbound exchange students in 2005-06 should attend one of the Host Family Orientation sessions scheduled around the district in July. These evening meetings, which start at 7:00 PM, are provided as required by government and Rotary regulations for all families that host students. The schedule is as follows:

Any questions may be directed to rye6970@gmail.com.

Training Sessions Scheduled for Club Youth Exchange Officers

District 6970 will offer YEO Training Workshops in early July, sessions that are mandatory for all clubs that will be hosting an inbound student in 2005-06. All Rotarians serving in the capacity as club Youth Exchange Officer or counselor, and any other club officers or members interested in the program, are encouraged to attend. By law, every hosting club must be represented at one of these workshops. Starting time is 7:00 PM. The schedule is as follows:

Any questions may be directed to rye6970@gmail.com.

Don't Miss Our Second Annual "Welcome Home" Dinner

For the past year, 21 teenagers from northeast Florida have been learning languages, making friends, discovering cultures, attending school, and basically having the time of their lives in all corners of the globe. Now, as they return home to District 6970, it's time to celebrate their accomplishments and hear their stories, at our second annual Welcome Home Dinner.

Tickets are now on sale for this wonderful event, which will feature 4-minute speeches by each member of the 2004-05 outbound class. How does one sum up a year in 4 minutes? You have to be there to find out. It's a great evening, with stories that are funny, inspiring, amazing, and touching, all at the same time. Anyone interested in Youth Exchange (or in young people generally) is encouraged to come.

The dinner will be held on Thursday evening, July 21, beginning at 6:30 PM, in the Campbell Civic Center at Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka. The event is catered by the Rotary Foundation Fryers, the Gainesville-based charity barbecue crew, so you know the food will be terrific, as will the program. Tickets are $15 per person in advance, $20 at the door. To order your tickets, send a check, payable to "Rotary D6970 Youth Exchange", to Rotary Youth Exchange, Al Kalter - Chairman, 141 Elmwood Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32259. For more information, e-mail rotary@kaltermail.com.

News from 2004-05 ...

Exchange Student of the Year: Luca Garofalo

District Governor Ken Baker (left) and Youth Exchange Chair Al Kalter (right) present Exchange Student of the Year honors to Luca Garofalo.

Luca Garofalo, a 17-year-old inbound student from Italy, has been honored as District 6970's first "Exchange Student of the Year." The award was presented on April 29 at the District Conference in St. Augustine. In addition, District Governor Ken Baker simultaneously presented Luca with a Paul Harris Fellowship.

Luca was selected from among nominations made by the presidents of the clubs that currently host inbound students. The nominations reflected the pride that the members of those clubs have in their young ambassadors. Choosing just one winner was challenging, but Luca was clearly most deserving.

Luca Garofalo comes from Cremona, Italy, in District 2050. He has spent this year at Fleming Island High School, and is hosted by the Orange Park Sunrise Rotary Club. His nomination, as submitted by that club’s president, Greg Moorehead, read as follows:

The Rotary Club of Orange Park Sunrise would like to nominate Luca Garofalo for the “Exchange Student of the Year” award. Luca is truly an exceptional young man. Even though his course work here in the USA will not count towards a diploma, he has brought home mostly A’s and B’s and went so far as to attend GED classes for several weeks so that he could at least go home with something to show for his year of school here in this country. Luca was also a member of the Fleming High School Soccer team which won the District championship this year.

Luca was one of several Inbounds asked to participate in the interview process for selecting our District’s outbound class for next year. He gladly volunteers for whatever and whenever things need to get done. As I write this nomination e-mail, Luca is with a group of Rotarians from our District in the Dominican Republic helping set up water filters so that fresh water will become part of a family’s daily diet.

Luca is mature beyond his years. He is comfortable in just about any setting whether it be with a group of his peers or a group of adults. He welcomes open dialog and one of the things he enjoys most is conversations during and after the evening meal.

One of the best speakers our club has had this year was Luca. He put together a power point presentation which told his story, who he was, where he was from, who his family was, about his experiences while he’s been in this country and what he plans to do once he returns home to Italy. This presentation was also given at a function where both this year's inbounds and next year's outbounds attended.

Please accept our nomination of Luca Garofalo as this year's “Exchange Student of the Year”.

In presenting the award, District YE Chair Al Kalter said, "Luca, you were the first exchange student hosted by Orange Park Sunrise Rotary. Obviously, by what you’ve accomplished this year, you have helped them to understand the Youth Exchange program, and inspired them to participate for many years to come. You have given of your time and energy to benefit this program, your community, and the world. You have been a wonderful ambassador for Italy, and for Rotary. It is with great pleasure that we recognize you as our first Exchange Student of the Year. Congratulations."

District Governor Ken Baker then made Luca a Paul Harris Fellow, an honor that is sure to be appreciated by his Rotarian mother and everyone in his sponsor district in Italy. To honor Luca, the district made a $1000 contribution in his name to The Rotary Foundation. We take great pride in celebrating what Luca has done this year, and what all of our exchange students, both here and abroad, have accomplished in promoting Rotary's goals of world peace and understanding. Congratulations to Luca and all.

Youth Exchange Program in the Spotlight at District Conference

(for an updated story and pictures from the District Conference, click here)

District 6970 Rotarians will have an opportunity to discover and celebrate our Youth Exchange success at the upcoming District Conference, April 29-30 at World Golf Village in St. Augustine. The conference will open with a luncheon on Friday, and for the second consecutive year, that event will feature a "Parade of Flags." All of our current inbound students and our newly selected outbound students will march in presenting the flags of the countries they either hail from or will be going to. A musical performance will follow the flag presentation, with the group singing a few songs with messages that are inspiring and relevant to the exchange experience.

Immediately after the lunch program (which will feature PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem as the keynote speaker), all Rotarians are invited to attend a 30-minute session on Youth Exchange, during which the audience will hear about the program from three different perspectives - a new outbound looking forward to the exchange year, a current inbound reflecting on the experience at hand, and a rebound (former outbound) to look back at the impact of the Rotary Youth Exchange opportunity. This is a program not to be missed, and all Rotarians are urged to attend and enjoy.

Brazilian Host Club Names Kira a Paul Harris Fellow

It was a very special meeting for the São Paulo-Saúde Rotary Club in Brazil on March 15. Visiting the club that night were the American parents of the exchange student the club has been hosting this year. That student is District 6970's own Kira Chichersky, from Flagler Beach, FL. And Kira and her family were in for a very special surprise.

That evening, the São Paulo-Saúde Rotary Club honored Kira by naming her as a Paul Harris Fellow. This recognition, Rotary's finest and most significant, is named after the founder of Rotary, and means that the club donated to the Rotary Foundation a gift of $1,000 US in Kira's name. It is quite a tribute to this young lady, and all Rotarians in District 6970 can share in celebrating with great pride the wonderful way in which Kira has represented us in Brazil. Congratulations to Kira and her family!

RI President-Elect Stresses Value of Youth Exchange

When he takes office as Rotary International President on July 1, 2005, Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar (right) will become the leader and spokesperson for an organization comprised of over 1.2 million Rotarians and more than 32,000 clubs. As the former leader of the Swedish Multi-District Youth Exchange program, Carl-Wilhelm understands the critical mission that the Youth Exchange program undertakes year after year.

In an interview published in the March issue of The Rotarian magazine, the President-Elect was asked, "Why do you feel the Rotary Youth Exchange program is so important?"

He replied, "One of our goals is to create peace and better understanding between people. I think Rotary’s Youth Exchange program is the best way of doing that. My dream is for every 17-year-old to become a Youth Exchange student. If we could achieve this, there would be no more wars. I encourage every club to participate in the program and promote awareness of it in the schools."

Presenting the Outbound Class of 2005-06

They come from high schools in every corner of the district, and will spend next year in 17 different countries. The District 6970 Youth Exchange Outbound Class of 2005-06 consists of 20 young men and women, about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Meet the new outbound designates.

These students, hailing from Ocala to Fernandina Beach, from High Springs to Palm Coast, will have a series of orientation meetings throughout the next few months to prepare them for the year to come. They will also be participating at the District Conference in late April, alongside our current inbound students.

Our district will be receiving between 25 and 30 inbound students next year as well. Clubs will be contacted in the next several weeks, to determine which students will be hosted in which communities and by which clubs. Club Presidents-Elect and Youth Exchange Officers are urged to notify the District Youth Exchange Committee of any preferences.

District 6970's Outbound Class of 2005-06

Outbound Jacob Dobbs Assists in Thailand Recovery Efforts

Jacob is using his abilities and language skills (English, Thai, Spanish, and some Japanese) to assist international visitors on Phuket Island, a popular resort destination, as they attempt to recover or replace documents and make arrangements to return home. In a front-page story in the Florida Times-Union, Jacob reported that he was fortunate to sleep through the earthquake shock and to be on higher ground when the tsunami hit the beaches. Read the story.

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