Presentation by Rotarian Pauline L. Perreault from the 2012 Youth Exchange Officers Preconvention Meeting, 4-5 May in Bangkok, Thailand.

1. How to Strengthen
RYE at the CLUB?
Brought to you by:
District 5370 – Home of 6 Be’s
Connor, Pauline & Rhonda

3. Why is it even important?
• Quite simple: no club involvement=no
students or program=no district program
• We need them to support our fabulous
worldwide program

4. Having a Vision You!

5. Having fun
Working with the BEST
Transforming
Lives

6. Ultimately we need...
• Well selected and
prepared outbound
students
• Well trained inbound
students
• Well trained counsellors
• Engaged district
committee
• Program attention and
leverage at district events
and conferences

7. How to Engage Clubs?
• Foster club participation
• Gain enthusiastic support
• Have champions for life!
• How?
– Develop an intentional public relations/marketing
campaign directed at clubs – LEVERAGE
– Train and develop
– Continue to “feed the fire”

8. Inspire them
• It’s our job to INSPIRE: “breath life into”
• Keep updating and refreshing your program
– Stay stagnant and predictable doesn’t win any
new fans
BE Creative – create reasons for
your clubs to pay attention!

9. Marketing
• We need to keep in front of the district to
keep youth exchange at the forethought
• Not only at RYE training events, but all
training events:
– President-Elect training
– District Conferences
• The more clubs understand the program=the
better participation/buy in RYE will have

10. Signature “Showcase” Events
• Spring Orientation – March
– Annually meeting of outbound students,
counsellors, parents, inbounds and rebounds
– Saturday night focus: Showcase our program to
clubs (skits)
• Fall Orientation – September
– Annually meeting of inbound counsellors,
students and rebounds
– Saturday night focus: Share RYE with clubs
(cultural dinner)

11. Showcase Events
• Marketing, marketing, marketing
• Let the students do what they do best....share
their experiences! (Coach them on story
telling)

12. Invite all
your clubs –
not just the
ones
currently
participating
The Saturday night program is always a highlight –
skits and costumes draw our clubs in for more...

13. Fall Orientation – we move locations every 3 years
via RFP process (share the geographic wealth)

14. We all love to
EAT!
Invite a local club to sponsor
your dinner, so Rotarians can
be exposed to the
program...their hearts will be
touched!

15. Sherwood Park club came
out to support our Fall
Orientation for 2 years...as a
result the club jumped back
in the program and
Rotarians at the dinner
went on to host multiple
times due to the inspiration
(TOTAL SUCCESS)
Make sure at your “signature
events” to prepare your
students to BE FIRST
and make that great first-
impression! Rotarians pay
attention and are impressed!
(otherwise it can be like an awkward school
dance!)

16. Both parties can BE
CURIOUS with the
other...interests are peaked,
friendships are formed, clubs
are strengthened

17. Our most recent Rotary Outbound Exchange Students
(rebounds) are back and would like to share their
experiences!!
Come participate in this multicultural evening – a night of
Rotary fellowship, cultural showcase delights, and
a tasty fall BBQ.
AROUND THE Where else can you travel to Asia, South America and
WORLD Europe in one evening?
The cost will be $10 for the BBQ, please RSVP by Sept. 18.
DINNER

18. We host an OUTBOUND BBQ – where the outbounds
provide the desserts (BE ON PURPOSE) to
ensure they can cook something Canadian before
they leave home. P.S. Invite other interested
Rotarians. Think marketing.

19. LEVERAGE Student Participation
• ensuring RYE students have a MEANINGFUL
role (beyond just carrying in the flags) at
district conferences and events
• Prepare 2 or 3 well-spoken students to “Wow those young students
deliver remarks on the impact this program were sure impressive, we
has had on them (include prompts on should look at getting back
involved...”
BE GRATEFUL)

20. Not always all or nothing
• Have clubs participate in RYE, even if they cant host a student
• Organize a club sponsored RYE travel/culture trip
Tip Toe with the Caribou, NWT
Organized by Lloydminster Clubs

21. •We have 61 clubs in D5370
• Our goal: to have every club
TOUCHED by the program
(61 exchanges in and out would make Wayne
pull his hair out!)
Rocky Mountain Canoe Trip
Organized by Camrose Clubs
I.e. host a BBQ, have the
student come to their
community for a weekend or
a training event

22. So, you have convinced
clubs that seeing is
believing...they are
onboard....
NOW WHAT?

23. Training is key!
• Ensure you have training
for inbound and
outbound counsellors
and for host families
• Share the Exchange
Tree, the 6 Be’s, your
philosophy
• Continue to focus on
INSPIRATION
• Begin a MENTORING
Program between
novice and tenured
counsellors

24. Training is key!
• A trained
counsellor=an
invested counsellor
(counsellors are the
main cheerleaders
for the program at
the club – invest in
them!)
Practice the Be’s yourself – Be First
with contact, Be Curious about their
needs, Be on Purpose with your
training, Be Grateful for their service....

25. From one Farmer to Another:
Plant in the Spring to Harvest in the Fall...
• In order to have a
positive outbound
experience...start
recruiting in the
spring
• If you don’t plant in
the spring, you
cannot harvest in the
fall
• Ensure the club that if
they didn’t find a
suitable candidate,
it’s ok to rest a year.
(Protect your
district
brand!)

26. The “Fly-Wheel”
• Add rocket fuel to your marketing plan...
– We have the club’s interest
– We done some training with them
• HOW do we keep the interest going?

27. Bring RYE to Life at the Club
• Clubs need to ENGAGE with their
outbound/inbound students:
• Get to know them
• Have them speak at every
meeting: outbounds – prep for
their host country and share
language, inbounds – weekly
updates
• Have them prepare ethnic foods
• Sing a song from their country
• Have them participate in club
activities
• Assist with Shelterbox fundraising
• Anything to have fun with them!
• The more the student is involved
with the club the better the
experience (and the more likely they will
want to continue with our program)

28. To See is to Believe
Pam Sitko, RYE to Thailand 1998-99
- Now completing PhD in Oxford and
working as an International Humanitarian
Aid Worker in disasters

29. Cultivate Relationships with Rotex
• As good as we think we are –
we aren’t the best salespeople
for the program.....ROTEX are
– Have so much to offer
– Show us so much hope for
the future
– Fabulous at sharing the
value of the program and
communicating the “WHY”
factor
– Full of contagious
enthusiasm
• Have Rotex speak to clubs (an
effort to reach those clubs that
don’t attend district RYE
events)

30. Have Fun
Most of
all,
have
fun
with
exchange
“One of the joys of being a Rotarian is having the chance to get
to know outstanding students from all over the world.” – Rotarian
Lamont