ROTARY IS ABOUT DOING GOOD IN THE WORLD
MEET OTHER LEADERS - EXCHANGE IDEAS - TAKE ACTION
Rotary Leadership Institute
There’s A Lot More To Learn About Rotary!
September 14, 2024
District Governor
Xandy Stewart
About us
Greetings from District Governor Xandy Stewart:
Each year on July 1st Rotary International changes operating years, and around the world new leadership steps-up to address goals they’ve selected to help Rotary advance. Accepting the responsibility for being the District Governor of District 6740 is a privilege, and I greatly appreciate that our district has entrusted me with this position.
The first action I would like to take is to thank District Governor Jeanne Clark for how she delivered leadership to our district during the prior twelve months. District Governor Jeanne has done a fabulous job of administering the demands of this district. Our district membership has rebounded, total giving to the Rotary Foundation has exceeded two-hundred thousand dollars, and a new club is getting traction in Floyd County. District Governor Jeanne has served tirelessly with purpose and persistence, and her work for Rotary will be favorably recognized years into the future.
Addressing the specific needs of their districts are what District Governors are asked to do. Rotary’s presence is solid in our Eastern Kentucky communities, but we are actually under-represented as a portion of our population. I am asking each club to grow membership by ten-percent during the coming twelve months. Although such an increase is not as large as our district can be, it is an aggressive step to capitalize upon the momentum we are currently experiencing. While growing each club is incredibly important, we also need more clubs. Our thirty-five clubs are tremendous assets to the communities they serve, but imagine how many of our neighboring communities would also benefit from Rotary’s presence.
Our incoming Rotary International President, Stephanie Urchick, has challenged us to add four new clubs to our district. Just as we are seeing in Floyd County, we can replicate this in Campbell, and Carter, and Garrad, and Woodford, and Whitley, and on and on. Growing new clubs requires commitment, but commitment is one thing Rotarians pride ourselves on. Our district is here to serve Eastern Kentucky and Rotary International. We serve membership, we serve clubs, and we serve each other. Please let me know how you believe we can grow District 6740.
Being the good Rotarians that we are, we will continue to do our part to fund the great work of Rotary International by contributing a minimum of one-hundred dollars each to the Rotary Foundation, and thirty dollars each to the Polio Plus Campaign. Donations to the Rotary Foundation ensures our ability to expand our community service in the future. Our contributions to Polio Plus will help us to eradicate polio in present time. How wonderful will it be to say “we did this”, we helped rid the world of polio.
In everything we do over the course of the next twelve months we want to be active, be visible, and be vocal. We Rotarians are proud of what we do, we happily do all that we do, and we should take every opportunity to remind the public how Rotary makes a positive difference in each community we serve.
It is a tremendous honor to serve as your District Governor. I thank each of you for elevating me to this position. I look forward to visiting, and working with each club, each community, and each “Person of Action”, both present and future, throughout District 6740.
Rotary On
Xandy Stewart, DG 2024-2025
DISTRICT EVENTS
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI)
FREE TO MEMBERS OF DISTRICT 6740
September 14, 2024
Registration Is Open!
East Side Branch
Lexington Public Library
3000 Blake James Drive
Lexington KY
YOUTH SERVICES
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
contact info
District Email
Address
rotarydistrict6740@gmail.com
WebMaster
Email Address
dean@aften.com
WHAT STUDENTS
SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE
YOUTH EXCHANGE WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
Imagine living in a foreign country and going to a foreign school. Imagine living with different families and improving your foreign language skills by speaking with native speakers. Imagine eating foods that you never knew existed. Imagine meeting people of your own age from other countries. Scary, sure! But thousands of students just like you have participated in Rotary International (“RI”) Youth Exchange and have come back home with a greater understanding of the rest of the world.
HOW LONG IS AN EXCHANGE?
There are two Exchange programs. One is called “Short Term” and lasts a month. A student leaves his or her home country and lives for one month with a host family; then the student from the host family travels to the home of the other student and lives there for a month. This program is especially suited for younger students and those who are not sure they want to be away from home for a long period of time, but want to have the experience.
The other Exchange is called “Long Term” and all the following information applies to the Long Term experience, not the Short Term. Long Term lasts a school year, plus a few days for travel and orientation. Someone leaving the United States is called an “Outbound” and a foreign student coming here is called an “Inbound.” Unlike the Short Term Exchange, the Outbounds and Inbounds do not necessarily stay in the home of the other, and they stay with at least two families. A student is provided a monthly stipend by the host Rotary club, and the host family provides room and board to the student.
During or after your Long Term stay, you may have the opportunity to participate in a conducted travel experience.
WHEN DOES AN EXCHANGE START?
You should begin the application process in September of 2022. Before
you depart you will be given information and training that will aid you
in successfully completing your Exchange. Before you depart you will be
expected to make every effort to learn the language of the country to
which you will be sent. Then you will depart in the fall of the year of
your Exchange, which at the present time would be the fall of 2023; the
exact date depends on when school starts in the foreign country. Failure
to make adequate preparation may be grounds for denying participation
in the program.
WHO CAN APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM?
If you are a high school student, and will be 15 ½ to 19 years of age when you depart, you may apply. If you want to Exchange after high school graduation, you may do so as a “gap year” before starting your higher education.
DO I HAVE TO BE AN “A” STUDENT?
No, District 6740 does not require that a student have top grades, only that the student has good grades. The student must be a well-rounded person, demonstrated by his or her participation in school and community volunteering. The student must demonstrate a willingness to learn a foreign language, at least to be able to carry on a basic conversation. You must also understand that after safely arriving to the host family and contacting your parents to let them know of your safe arrival; after that, you are not to contact or be contacted by your parents for one month after arrival. There is a good reason for this: experience shows that normal homesickness will grow into a desire to return home if parents are constantly telling you that they miss you before you have had a chance to integrate with your host family. If you are not willing to commit to this, perhaps Exchange is not for you.
HOW DO I PICK THE COUNTRY I WANT TO VISIT?
First, all the countries are non-English speaking. Second, not every country in the world participates in Exchange. Third, you will be given a list of countries and you will select a certain number that you are willing to visit and you will have the opportunity to name countries you would not be willing to visit. There is no guarantee that you will get the country of your first choice.
HOW DO YOU APPLY?
For information about how to apply and more, please visit https://www.studyabroadscholarships.org/
WHAT EVERY PARENT
SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE
WHO RUNS THE PROGRAM?
The program is operated under the rules and guidelines of Rotary International and the United States Department of State governing such programs. Rotary District 6740 has a Youth Exchange Committee which oversees the details of Exchange by students in the District. District 6740 is also part of www.oerye.org (“OE”), a multi-district program which provides training of students and Rotarians. Unlike many other study abroad programs, every Rotarian involved in the program is a volunteer and there are no paid positions.
IS THE PROGRAM SAFE FOR YOUR CHILD?
All the entities involved in Exchange make every effort to keep every student safe. First, any adult in the homes in which your child would stay, and all persons serving as volunteers, must pass a criminal background check. Second, OE maintains a system of methods to correct any problems that may arise. Part of the training of students deals with such issues, and you as a parent will have the opportunity to learn these same things. The important thing for you to know is that your child will never be left to resolve any problems on his or her own.
I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN LET MY CHILD BE AWAY FROM HOME FOR TEN MONTHS.
Certainly, you are going to miss your child, but it is important to understand that once the student is actually in the foreign country, you need to support his or her successful experience. You need to know that when your child arrives in the foreign country, he or she is to promptly contact you and advise you of a safe arrival. After that, you and your child are not allowed to have any contact for one month. Experience shows that contact during the first month promotes homesickness. Too many people have gone to the trouble of supporting a student, only to have a parent undermine the student’s adjustment to life away from home.
It is understandable that a parent will be worried about all the “what ifs”. It may be better to have your child do a Short Term (one month) Exchange.
WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM COST?
Youth Exchange is truly a scholarship program, in that the student receives free room and board, free school tuition and a monthly stipend from the host Rotary club. However, air fare and Rotary International approved medical insurance, and passport/visa expenses are to be paid by the student’s family. A local Rotary club may have a supplemental scholarship program.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
Contact a local Rotary Club or go to https://www.studyabroadscholarships.org/
QUESTIONS?
The District Chair for 6740 is Arnold Taylor, and he can be contacted at astay1965@gmail.com, 859-331-7974, or 859-466-5184.
WHAT ROTARIANS AND CLUB LEADERS
SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE
HOSTING A FOREIGN STUDENT.
Now is the time for clubs to search for host families to house Long Term Inbound (foreign) students, starting in the fall of 2023; each Inbound student must be given at least two, and preferably three, host families. The families do not have to be Rotarians. All host families must be in the same school district that has accepted the Inbound student, or be willing to transport the student to that school.
No family wanting to send a family member student on Outbound Long Term Exchange can be required to host an Long Term Inbound student as a condition of the Outbound student participating in Exchange, although the family may volunteer to host; this does not apply to Short Term Exchange, as the essence of Short Term Exchange is that the student does in fact go to the other student’s home.
A family wishing to host must complete an application and all adults residing in the household must pass a background check. Other requirements are explained in the application.
ENCOURAGE APPLICATIONS.
Some students will learn about Exchange themselves, but spreading the word about the program is important. Some ways this can be done are: contacting your local high schools and providing the website studyabroadscholarships.org; putting that information in church bulletins; appointing a club Youth Exchange Officer (YEO) as a specific person to promote the program and get your club to accept the responsibility to promote the program.
Long Term students must be at least 15 ½ and no more than 19 at the time of their departure. Thus, a student who has graduated from high school may exchange as a “gap year” before furthering his/her education; however, because many students will not want to miss their senior year (prom and all that), recruiting is best directed toward those students who will be sophomores or juniors while on Exchange.
ESTABLISH A SCHOLARSHIP.
While Exchange is a scholarship program, in that an exchange student receives free room and board and tuition-free education, there are nonetheless certan expenses that students’ families must pay, for example: airfare, RI-approved medical insurance, trips and passport costs. These expenses usually are in the $6,000 dollar range; not all families are able to afford this, and a worthy student may miss this once in a lifetime opportunity for financial reasons. Your club can establish a scholarship that pays all of the expenses, an match money that the student earns from jobs, or devise any other way to fund the student’s trip.
PROMOTING YOUTH EXCHANGE – SHARE THIS GREAT ROTARY GIFT
There is a YouTube channel, “Rotary Youth Exchange,” https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkhC1_NfyzRktj65y6q7Yxg which only contains short 30-second commercials for RYE ending with “for more information, go to studyabroadscholarships.org.”
These short ads have music without voiceover, have a variety of message themes, and there are about 30 of them to choose from for use throughout the year. The intent of these 30-second pops is for YEO’s to insert them into an Instagram post or whatever other social media forum students use and follow the call for action to go to our website for more information.
If Rotarians in North America inserted hyperlinks to them into their social media platforms and Rotex inserted hyperlinks to them into their social media posts, traffic to the student recruiting website would go up and referrals to districts would go up in time for the upcoming 2022-23 Rotary year.
Get started today and keep your social media alive by sharing a different video week after week after week
QUESTIONS?
The District Chair for 6740 is Arnold Taylor, and he can be contacted at astay1965@gmail.com, 859-331-7974, or 859-466-5184.
