February 2006 

Rotary Sends Local Professionals on a Group Study Exchange

 Ontario/Michigan -- Five area residents will soon experience a whole new world! For one month, these local professionals will go from North America to South America and see how their skill and knowledge measure up in Peru. The experience is part of the Rotary’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) Program – a program that promotes a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young professionals – and is sponsored by the Rotary Foundation and Rotary District 6380. 

The selected candidates will represent Rotary and their home countries as they tour Rotary District 4300, which is in the southern part of Peru (mostly south of Lima). The team will spend four weeks studying the host country's institutions, economy, and culture, while also observing how their own professions are practiced abroad. By residing in homes of host Rotarians, the teammates will also have the opportunity to experience authentic Peruvian culture and hospitality. 

Team members apply, are interviewed and selected by a panel of Rotarians with consideration given to their professional knowledge, ambassadorial skills, and personal and professional achievements. Candidates must be between the ages of 25-40 and, with the exception of the team leader, may not be a Rotarian. 

The GSE team, outbound from the end of March to the end of April, 2006, is comprised of:

Allysen Clancy, Madison Heights, MI. Allysen is a Secondary School Language Teacher who has been teaching Spanish language and culture courses for the past ten years.

 Jen McDougall, Chatham, ON. Jen currently works as a High School Language Teacher at Chatham-Kent Secondary School, where she teaches Spanish and French. 

Amy Ouellette, Tilbury, ON.  Amy is the Manager, Communications and Information for the Windsor/Essex Community Care Access Centre. Her experience includes corporate communications, public education and special event planning, particularly in the healthcare sector. 

Jason Taylor, Berkley, MI. Throughout the school year, Jason is a photographer for Lifetouch National School Studios. In the summertime, he supervises a day camp for young children.  

Team Leader/Rotarian, Max Howell, Chatham, ON is a past president and charter member of the Chatham Sunrise Rotary Club. He retired as Director of Municipal Planning in 1992 and now devotes his time to being a Flight Instructor with a local air charter and flight training business. 

The local District (6380) warmly welcomed the exchange Peruvian Team (from District 4300) in April 2005. That team included General Practitioner, Alfredo Oyola García; Business Administrator, Hugo Pinazo Perez; Agriculturalist, Rodolfo Rebisso Ramos; Engineer/Metallurgist, Fiorella Aguado and Team Leader, Freddy Valdivia-Velásquez – a Catholic Priest. 

The local team has spent many hours developing audio/visual presentations, printed informational pieces, team uniforms and documentation to bring with them to Peru to help educate their counterparts about life in North America.  When the team members return, they will also attend the District 6380 Annual Conference, May 4, 5, 6, 7 in Kalamazoo, MI to share their experiences with local Rotarians. 

"It is extremely exciting to see this exchange to Peru happen, and it is particularly nice for us to see a group of strangers come together and work so well with one another," said GSE Co-chair, Audrey Chevalier. "Our GSE Team is a dream team of young professionals, and I know that each member of the team will be a great ambassador of his or her country. They will be exposed to learning many new things first hand, which will be of great benefit for their personal growth as well as their vocation. I wish them well in Peru and am excited to see how they interact with the Peruvian team who visited us last April."  

Fellow co-chair, Judy Garver adds, “We are really excited about the team of selected candidates from our District 6380.  This group will be wonderful representatives from Canada and the US, and they will truly be “Promoting World Peace and Understanding” (Rotary’s mission) through this Exchange with Rotarians and other citizens in Peru.” 

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian services and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in over 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 168 countries.  

According to the GSE Team Leader, Max Howell, "The Group Study Exchange program is one of Rotary's most enjoyable, practical and meaningful ways to promote world understanding. The trip will be a true test of spirit and endurance with long days, varying temperatures and high levels of elevation (sometimes 12,000 feet above sea level), but I am certain that this year's team of professionals will rise to the challenge and will enjoy and benefit from the exceptional opportunities to learn, grow and share!" 
 

* District 6380 comprises four northern Michigan counties, (Washtenaw, Livingston, Oakland and Macomb) situated in the highly populated suburbs north and west of Metropolitan Detroit. In Ontario, the District comprises the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, a richly diverse agricultural area located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario. 

Rotary's Group Study Exchange Team, representing District 6380, recently gathered at the home of Rotarian, Loree Morrison, to finalize details of their journey to Peru. (l-r) Amy Ouellette, Jen McDougall, Max Howell, Jason Taylor, and Allysen Clancy.

  

 

GSE Co-chairs, District 6380

Audrey Chevalier

Judy Garver

 

GSE Team Leader, District 6380

Max Howell

 

Rotary District 6380

District Governor,

Bob Baker