If you’re looking for a rewarding position that’s also time consuming, you could consider being the Rotary Outbound Exchange Coordinator.
Doug Richmond, who was the outbound Youth Exchange Coordinator and the Youth Exchange Officer for the district, spoke about his experience at the Feb. 1 Rotary meeting.
As an outbound coordinator, Doug remembered after Aug. 30, he had 24 hours to rest. The next thing would be to recruit outbound students in preparation for the November district interviews. After students receive the OK, they have to complete their applications by Dec. 1. Any applications turned in afterwards are put at the end of the line, and those students are less likely to be sent to their countries of choice.
In January, the students get a country assigned, and they begin to get homework assignments. Their task is to learn about the culture in their assigned country and the language. One of the largest regrets among exchange students is that they did not learn the language before leaving.
In the winter, the Central State Youth Exchange conference, comprising 18 states and Canada, is held.
In between, unexpected matters arise, such as one phone call from a father whose daughter was in Norway, and was told that country really didn’t want any exchange students but took one only because it had to reciprocate for a student it had sent to the United States.
Later, an outbound orientation is held for students.
In May, the district conference provides an orientation for parents and students, although that orientation has since received its own separate weekend to allow outbound to students to attend the conference and learn more about Rotary.
In June, coordinators can chaperon bus tours for inbound students who are visiting places.
In July, a large conference in Grand Rapids allows the inbound students, outbound students and rebounds – students who have recently returned from their exchange – to meet. It’s a last opportunity for the outbound students to learn more information about the countries they’ll be living in and to bond with those who may have returned.
The process is then over in August, when the outbound students return, but the work is never-ending.
“There is something every single day of the year – an email, a phone call – there’s work to it,” Doug said.
Still, he seems to have few regrets.
“This is an opportunity – working with these kids has been an incredible experience,” he said, adding that he has friends in 35 countries throughout the world.
Some changes have taken place since the program was started. Now, parents are charged a flat fee of $6,600 to send their children abroad, rather than billed per item.
In the Central States, 180 outbound applications are processed per year and the students placed.

 

Other news:

-Gary Epping said the club has 100 Super Raffle tickets to sell and will have the drawing at a March 7 dinner. He could use an assistant for that project.
-The Whitetails Dinner is Feb. 20.
–The Easter Egg Hunt will be March 24.
–The Waunakee Youth Exchange Committee is planning for RYLA, the Rotary Youth Leadership event for high school sophomores, May 17-19. Counselors are needed.
–The Lodi Rotary Club will host a wine and beer tasting this Saturday. Their smelt fry dates are March 21 and April 4.

 

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Guests: Troy Salisbury, guest of Mark McFarland; Mike Kuehn, guest of Nancy Kuehn Thomas.

 

Birthdays: Feb. 11, Phil Willems.

 

Anniversaries: None.