When you open your club and home through a Rotary Friendship Exchange, there are so many benefits you can enjoy! In this session, you'll gain insight into how to promote Rotary Friendship Exchanges in order to enhance fellowship, promote service projects, increase international understanding, and so much more!
A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis
Fun and Value With Rotary Friendship Exchange Presentation
1. ROTARY CONVENTION
23-27 JUNE 2018
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CONNECT WITH KOREA – TOUCH THE WORLD
www.riconvention.org
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION
28 May-1 June 2016
ROTARY CONVENTION
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
23-27 JUNE 2018
riconvention.org
14. ROTARY CONVENTION
23-27 JUNE 2018
riconvention.org
HealthRays Digital X-Ray
Goal:
29 HealthRays units in
Guatemala.
District 3481 pledged to fund
Unit #11 in November 2017
when the Sister Agreement
was renewed.
This word cloud captures the vibrancy of the Team-- the components of Goodwill, Friendship, and our keen desire to Make a Difference! Six Rotarians composed the service “teaching English” element of the Friendship Exchange service project at Dadu Elementary School.
The team is pictured here with Dadu English Teachers. We first heard about the District 3460 English as a second language service project in the House of Friendship in Atlanta where PDG Jim and his wife Janet hosted a booth describing the English literacy project seeking native English speakers to spend one to three months in rural areas of Taiwan speaking conversational English with students in exchange for room and board.
This project allows students who normally would have limited access to English speakers to forge their English literacy skills. These skills are very useful in navigating the business world in Taiwan and beyond.
I was really impressed with this innovative program—truly a win win for the volunteer and student alike. I thought this embodied Rotary ideals of promoting literacy and advancing world understanding. I was thrilled when a mini version of the community service option was offered as a component of our friendship exchange.
This competent team of English teachers warmly welcomed us to their world.
The student body begins to assemble to welcome the service team.
Over 1,000 students welcomed us to Dadu Elementary School and
we conversed with almost every one of them, 30 at a time over a three day period.
A map is worth a thousand words! This map of the seven continents depicts the vast distance between Chicago and Dadu—7,500 miles
Further defining our home base for the children, this photo displays the Upper Midwest portion of the United States with our unique geographical feature—the five great lakes—one of the largest sources of fresh water in the world.
Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan. Rotary International Headquarters, is located here.
This poster of a winter scene on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive after a blizzard which buried cars and stopped traffic was one of our teaching tools.
We utilized conversations starters, such as Tell me about this picture? Is anything surprising.
We encouraged students to expand on their statements : Tell me more.
We made a point to engage every child in speaking.
If a student’s English was too limited or the student too shy, we would ask the student to point to a tree and used the phrase “repeat after me, I see a tree.”
In order to stimulate conversation, utilize conversation starters, such as: “Tell me more.”
We brought props of winter clothing—coats, hats and gloves for the children to bundle up to be prepared for winter!
The children were engaged, eager to speak and enjoyed being photographed.
A totally delightful surprise was the opportunity to try our hand at calligraphy--A beautiful ancient art form with over 3,000 characters. What we learned is that it is not easy! Definitely a fun and memorable experience to practice calligraphy alongside the children.
Each of the six volunteers received a gift created by Mr. Zhong Xing Chen, the calligraphy teacher at Dadu and a well known local artist.
For the pleasure and enjoyment of Suzanne Gibson, District 6440 international volunteer Long live our friendship
From principal Lee Shing Young of Dadu Elementary School, Taichung City, Taiwan
One of the highlights of our trip was reinstating a sister agreement between Taipei and District 6440. District Governor J.P. prepared the documents which were signed in Taipei and hand carried to District 6440 to be completed.
The DG, DGE DGN from each district signed the document.
The sister agreement sets the intention to build a stronger alliance between the districts.
As Sister Districts, we agree to cooperate in assisting our respective clubs to provide humanitarian service, fellowship and goodwill in the best traditions of Rotary International and further agree to encourage our clubs to promote Peace, Fellowship and Understanding among the people of the world.
The agreement is for a three year period.
In the same meeting where we signed the Sister Agreement, District 3481 pledged to fund HealthRays unit #11. HealthRays is a unique project launched by Rotary District 6440 to bring digital x ray technology to people in need in rural area areas of Guatemala. The project began in 2011 with a goal to connect 29 remote clinics to regional hospitals via the internet. When the project is complete 1.5 million Guatemalans will have access to digital x-ray technology.