PROGRAM - Kelly Williams. International Cultural Exchange Foundation (ICEF)
Kelly was a Rotary Exchange Student to Brazil over 20 years ago. She is fluent in four languages and is currently the president of the Medina Rotary Club.
After she came back from her Rotary Exchange, she was surprised that her contact with Rotary stopped. No club asked her to come back and talk about her experiences, etc. She meet another person at a conference who had a similar experience and the two of them decided to start the International Cultural Exchange Foundation (ICEF).
ICEF seeks to bring Rotary Exchange students together after their time abroad and bring them back to Rotary. Their website, www.newcompass.org, is a place where host families, exchange students, and Rotarians can go to share and learn about Rotary Exchange experiences. ICEF has a goal to give the district funds to better support Rotary Exchange, as these funds have been very limited in the past.
Some of the ways ICEF is raising money include cultural awareness seminars they conduct, the writing of a book about Rotary Exchange, and cultural awareness certifications for towns and businesses. Donations are certainly accepted as well.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please RSVP for the Christmas Party by December 4, 2009. Reservations can be brought to the meeting or mailed to Jodie Swartwout at 12042 Crestwood Road, Newbury, Ohio 44065.
Bill Stutes' cell phone number is 216-218-5952 if anybody would like to give him a call while he recovers from his illness.
Salvation Army bell rining will be December 12th. Sign up sheets were passed around at the meeting. Brian Brockway noted that last year in Geauga County $25,104.30 was spent of the money the Rotary Clubs of our cluster collected and that money benefited 1064 people. He also wanted to make sure that the membership gives to the Salvation Army through our club only, otherwise our club does not get credit for the donation and the money will most likely be spent outside of Geauga County.