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May Greetings, District 6400 members,
As you read this message, we will be days away from our Imagine Collaboration District Conference in Windsor, Ontario. Our conference celebration, shared with District 6380, will celebrate club achievements, and will provide you with inspiration and new ideas to help continue the impact in your communities and beyond. I look forward to sharing time with all of you, our Rotary International President Jennifer Jones, President’s Representative Alberto Cecchini from Italy and all our amazing presenters. Let’s take lots of photos and flood social media with all your club accomplishments.
Rotary International celebrates May as Youth Service Month when Rotary clubs, around the world, focus on youth services: Interact, RYLA, Youth Exchange. I am pleased to announce that DGE Russ Jones has asked me to chair the district’s Youth Services Committee next year, starting July 1. My role will help provide resources, opportunities and connectivity to these district committees. Here’s a refresher about Rotary’s Youth Services:
INTERACT
Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club comprised of 14-18 year olds. Interact gives young people the opportunity to take part in fun, meaningful service projects. Along the way, Interactors develop their leadership skills and initiative while meeting new friends. Members exchange ideas, opinions, and plans with other talented, energetic people, in an atmosphere free from negative pressures and distraction. Interact strives to promote student leadership, local volunteer service, and to make members aware of the many global and world issues that effect people everyday.
The word Interact stands for “international action” and today there are more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries.
ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE
Rotary Youth Exchange is an excellent and inexpensive way for high school age students to travel and study in a foreign country. Youth exchange gives the participant the opportunity to improve their language skills and school and family experiences will teach them the culture of their host country. They also act as ambassadors for their home country. Each year the Rotary Districts that are part of Central States Rotary Youth Exchange send approximately 300 young people to other countries and accept 300 young people from other countries in return.
Accepting a youth exchange student into your club, community and household can be a very rewarding experience. It’s an opportunity for you, your family and your fellow Rotarians to learn about a different culture and also help a young person understand your culture. The goal of Rotary Youth Exchange is to promote the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace at the personal level. I am proud to say that PDG Paul and I have hosted numerous students from Argentina, Turkey, Brazil, Finland, and Germany. RYE is truly life changing!
RYLA
Each year thousands of young people take part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) programs worldwide. Young people are chosen for their leadership potential to attend a seminar, camp or workshop to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice.
The RYLA program enables young people to discuss issues of professional responsibility and human relations, help improve leadership and communication skills, learn about businesses, and meet Rotarians, while having fun and making friends. RYLA can help lead to the strengthening and formation of Interact and Rotaract clubs and can be used as a recruiting tool for youth exchange.
Think about what Rotary youth program your club can become involved in. It’s often said that young people are Rotary’s future and we hope you’ll do your part!
See you at District Conference, in the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne Australia, or at a club event,
All the best,
District Governor Traci Sincock 2022-23
Rotary Club of Northville
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