Our club has been participating in Rotary Youth Exchange for a long time. I'm not sure exactly how long we have been involved. I joined the club on 2-14-14. Shortly after that, at my first district conference, I told Toni Pabon that I would help her out temporarily while she looked for someone else to take her place as YEC. Needless to say, I fell in love with Youth Exchange and have been doing it ever since.
We are at a critical moment with our clubs participation and it saddens me to think that we will no longer be able to support this program. The tremendous change in the kids that I have seen in my short stint as YEC has been nothing short of remarkable. It is a life-changing experience for the good for both the incoming students as well as the ones we send out.
As you may have heard, Dave Prentiss had a sudden life-changing event and had to move to NJ. He no longer qualifies to be the YEO of our club. Legally our club needs to have a YEO in place in order to participate in this program. We are currently in the process of getting Goodness here from Nigeria. This was a special request to the district from Mary Van Hout. We are in jeopardy of losing this exchange.
We need a YEO.
I am asking you to please consider taking on this responsibility. There is excellent training available and the District chair wants to see us succeed and is more than willing to help. Dan Fose can be a wealth of information as he just left this role. He cannot help from a legal standpoint as he and Mary graciously offered to be our first host family for Goodness so that we did not miss that deadline.
We are also looking for our third host family.
If you are willing to help in any way please connect with me.
In person at the club meeting.
Cell: 608-719-9411
Work: 608-661-8634
Email: csmith@ward-brodt.com
Thank you for your consideration.
Connie Smith
YEC MWTM Rotary Club