Contributed by Sue Gordon, Youth Exchange Committee
Five new students to D9700 spent a week-end in Young recently getting acquainted with each other and the six students that will depart for a year overseas in January 2018. 
The students are seen enjoying a visit to the Chinese Tribute Gardens in Young: Nick from Brazil who is being hosted by Blayney; Alan from Taiwan who is being hosted by Junee; Mads from Denmark who is being hosted by Leeton; Sandra from Finland who is being hosted by Young and Lucia from Germany who is being hosted by Coolamon. Coolamon and Junee Rotary Clubs are hosting a student for the first time in a long while. It is hoped that they love the experience and put their hand up once again in the not too distant future. 
Also present for the week-end was Bailey Perkins. Bailey is from Blayney and a returned exchange student who spent a year in Brazil in 2017. It was so good to have his input and assistance over the week-end and all students welcomed his words of advice and experience. Sandra’s host Mum Jenny was kind enough to have all the students stay at her house – thank you Jenny.
Rotary Youth Exchange works on reciprocity. If you send one out, then you accept one in. This is the policy around the world. D9700 was to take 6 students in 17/18 but unfortunately the committee could not find six clubs to host and we had to refuse entry to one student at the last minute. The follow on from that is that we are now having trouble placing one our outbound students because the country that we rejected has rejected our student.