During the week of July 21st, our club will be hosting Mariya (Masha) Kupchinskya, a fourth year business student at the Baikal International Business School, Irkutsk State University, Siberia, Russia.  She is coming to Alaska for a month as part of Watch and Learn, a Rotary sponsored program for business students directed by PDG Vladimir Dosnkoy (04-05) of the Baiikal-Eco Irkutsk Rotary Club.  The Homer-Kachemak Bay Rotary Club is hosting Masha (the familiar form of Mariya) for the second and third weeks of July, we have her for the fourth week and Anchorage South has her for the last week and into August.

 

Vladimir's stated goal of the program is to expose business students to business practices in a western democracy under Rotary oversight so that they might learn first hand about ethical business practices in a free market, to immerse them in our culture, language and in Rotary and social responsibility in action.

 

To that end, I have started to organize Masha's time with us by approaching a broad spectrum of our club members who have diverse businesses. Many have agreed to host Masha at their business for a morning or afternoon visit. To date I have Tuesday (7/23-Angie and Leverette), Wednesday (7/24-Ben and Chidi), and Friday (7/26-Art and Ted), and Greg has offered to be open, while others have not finally committed or will be traveling that week. I still need to fill Monday (7/22) and Thursday (7/25) so I need your help to firm up those dates.

 

In addition to scheduling business visits, I need to find home hosts especially Tuesday and Wednesday (23rd and 24th), folks who can help shuttling her around, possible a host for a fireside, and folks who would like to take Masha to some general interest things like the Alaska Native Heritage Center.  Please call me at 339-4872 or email: tedtatnh@gmail.com.

 

Ted