SRI Lanka RFE deadline extended: Festival of 100 Elephants included

Posted by Darren Grierson
 

Include a Rotary Friendship Exchange to Sri Lanka in your vacation plans for 2017!!

Applications are currently being accepted for a Rotary Friendship Exchange to Sri Lanka Friday,  February 10th to  23rd, 2017
Currently, we are looking for 10 Rotarians (in any combination of individuals and couples) for this exchange.
 
The exchange is to Sri Lanka - District 3220 that encompasses clubs in cities and towns like Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Nuwara Eliya, & Badulla.
 
This Friendship Exchange will involve 15 nights including one pre-exchange night in hotel then 14 days/nights with different host Rotary families (3-4 nights each approximately). There is usually a maximum of  5-6 host families per host Rotary club.  Programming includes Rotary activities, touring local points of interest and visiting tourist attractions.
 
See Friendship Exchange for more information on the RFE program.
The exchange is dependent on a minimum number of interested participants.
 
Some additional facts:
· Participants must pay all costs except the billeting provided by Rotarians in Sri Lanka.
· On this exchange most local transportation is provided by the hosts at nominal cost to us.
· Travel to Sri Lanka is booked individually (not as a group) so your plans can include pre and/or post-Exchange travel.
· Arrival will be thru Columbo airport with possible connection to initial host city by air/car or train (to be confirmed by Outbound Coordinator at first meeting).
·  Must be prepared to complete the full exchange ie. arrival on Feb 9 commencement of the Exchange on February 10, 2017.  The last night at the host families will be February 23 but the departure will be on February 24, 2017.
· The Rotarian must be part of the travelling group.
· The group will participate in pre-exchange planning meetings with a district coordinator.
· This is a District to District Exchange and while participation in hosting an inbound exchange would be appreciated, it is not a requirement (but does help in assessing successful candidates if we are oversubscribed).
 
CRITERIA:
      Must be a Rotarian in good standing.
      Participants must be team players as the group will travel together for the duration of the exchange.
      Must be a good ambassador for Rotary and Canada.
      Must be in reasonable physical condition as the exchange will involve tourism activities that may require some moderate walking.
 
An application should be submitted promptly as we expect this exchange will be a popular one!  Extensive Rotary experience is not a requirement but may be a factor in selecting the team if the Exchange is oversubscribed by the deadline (RFE involvement ie. Hosting is heavily weighted).  So please complete ALL questions on the application, in detail, as it may be the difference of whether you are chosen or not. Deadline for applications  and RECEIPT OF DEPOSIT CHQ has been extended and still available for registration.  
 
Applications should be submitted to:
 
Surinder Khanna
107 Oakbriar Close SW
Calgary, AB
T2V 5G9
 
 
The application must include a non-refundable* deposit of $300 per individual or $600 per couple payable to: Rotary District 5360.  This deposit is to hold your spot on this trip and $250** will be returned at the completion of travel.  All cheques will be held and not cashed until you are chosen as one of the applicants.  Please email us the time of mailing so we can ensure we receive all applications sent to us.
 
*The non-refundable nature of this deposit will ONLY come into play if the applicant backs out of the trip before the time of travel without exceptional circumstances.  This is to ensure continuity of the size of the group that will be received by our hosts.
**$50 of the $300 will be a levy by the District Friendship Exchange to be used for the sole purpose of promoting and facilitating future exchanges in District 5360.  The remaining $250 will be refunded to the participants upon their return from the exchange abroad.  Participants may also use their collective funds against group expenses.  A further explanation of this will be provided by the outbound coordinator (Surinder Khanna) at your first group meeting expected to be held around mid-September.
 
Questions should be addressed to:
 
Surinder Khanna by email or call 403-238-4948 .
Thereafter use email only.

Yours in Rotary,
 
Darren Grierson
RFE Chairman
District 5360