WELCOME RFE D6250 INBOUND TEAM

Negros Hosts welcome RFE Inbound Team from Wisconsin,
USA (D6250) with PDG Nanette Garcia and RFE Chair
PP Megs Lunn, at Silay Airport.

For the first time, D3850 hosted the D6250 Rotary Friendship Exchange Inbound Team from Wisconsin, USA from Jan 12-20, 2015.

D3850 RFE Chair (2014-2016) PP Megs Lunn (RC Roxas) laid down the itineraries in cooperation with all the club and family hosts of the different clubs in Negros, Iloilo, Roxas and Kalibo.

The following RFE Inbound Team were: RFE Chair PP Darla and husband Brian Leich of the RC of Marshfield Sunrise, Rtn. Cora Holloway of RC Madison West Towne Middleton, Rtn. Mark Etrheim of RC La Crosse and Rtn. Edwin and son Ernes Bos of RC Fort Atkinson of D6250, respectively.

RC Kalibo welcomes RFE with
Pres Arnold I. Jayme.

The Rotary Club hosts from D3850 were the following: (Bacolod) Pres. Chris Sorongon -RC Bacolod South, Pres. Robert Cerrada and PP Harish Nandwani - RC Bacolod North, Pres. Nat Villasor- RC Victorias and Pres. Tin Toledo - RC Bacolod West; (Iloilo) Pres Steve Contreras- RC Iloilo, Pres. Joy Visitacion and PP Elma Magbanua- RC Central Iloilo City, Pres. Rose Aguirre of RC Jaro Centraline and Pres. Beng Camaya of RC Iloilo South; (Roxas) PDG Mark Ortiz of RC Roxas, PP Reubin Yap of RC Roxas, Rtn. Bubs Ong of RC Roxas, AG Jerry Olson of RC Metro Roxas; (Kalibo) RFE Chair/PP Megs Lunn of RC Roxas, PN Roger De Guzman of RC Kalibo, Rtn. Remedio Ambrocio of RC Kalibo and PP Lando Navarra of RC Metro Kalibo.

RC Roxas and RC Metro Roxas RFE Hosts led by
AG Jerry Olson and PDG Mark Ortiz, with
RFE Inbound Team

The Inbound team was engaged in Rotary project visits and community immersion with their family and host club around Negros Occidental and Panay Island. The cultural exchange on their part is in much larger perspective, so they say, as they were ushered to the rural areas like the coastal town of Victorias with the victims of Yolanda and the boat projects, the handicapped children centers around Negros, the school library projects in Iloilo, the water and school building projects in Roxas and the Rotary Public Image during the Ati-Atihan Festival and eco-tourism tour in Kalibo. The team ended their trip to a breathtaking rest and recreation in the world’s best beaches – Boracay Island.

RFE Iloilo Hosts led by PDG Emma Nava
and DGN Ronnie Gabalda, with RFE Inbound Team

The team left a promise to extend help in any Global Grant project and other related Rotary projects they can assist with. The inbound team is now looking forward to D3850 Outbound team between the months of July to middle of September 2015. 

The goal of Rotary Friendship Exchange is to advance international understanding and peace through personal contact across borders, develop interclub relationships for fellowship and service projects, and offer Rotarians the opportunity to make long-lasting friendships while exploring different cultures around the world.

RFE ADVENTURES IN THE PHILIPPINES

PP Darla Leich, RFE Chair, D6250 Wisconsin, USA

You want me to eat what?  This was a frequent statement by the members of the D6250 Rotary Friendship Exchange team from Wisconsin, USA. The first time this was asked the request was for us to "enjoy" balut. After learning the proper way to peel just the top off the egg so that we could first drink the juice, we proceeded to peel the rest and began munching down the duck embryo, the first of many adventures of our RFE which spanned eight nights, three islands, and five cities, from January 12-20, 2015.  The Philippines were hopping the entire time we were in the islands. I'm quite certain they are always bustling with activity, but they were even more so since our visit coincided with the visit from his holiness, the Pope, and the Ati-Atihan festival in Kalibo.

For five of the six team members, it was our first time in the Philippines. The first time seeing jeepneys, motorbikes and tricycles and finding out that seat belts would be too limiting to the number of passengers they can truly carry.  The first time eating almost every part of the chicken and finding that the Filipinos adding a little soy sauce and vinegar can make anything taste delicious. And the first time experiencing the amazing Filipino hospitality and the breath-taking beauty of the Boracay beaches.

Oftentimes an RFE visit allows for collaboration on global grants. Since there were six team members staying with four different host families there were many ideas generated for partnerships during our visit. We are thankful for the opportunity to see so many admirable projects and are impressed with your dedication to service. Please know that our team sees the value in each of the projects you presented.

The goal of Rotary Friendship Exchange is to advance international understanding and peace through personal contact across borders, develop interclub relationships for fellowship and service projects, and offer Rotarians the opportunity to make long-lasting friendships while exploring different cultures around the world.

We look forward to welcoming an RFE exchange team from D3850 late summer or fall 2015 and hope we can come close to the level of immense hospitality that made us feel so welcome. Not only part of your Rotary families, but truly part of your family. We miss you all... And the delicious mangos, too! 

PP DARLA LEICH

D6250 RFE CHAIR

Wisconsin, USA

Rtn. Mark Ertheim, RC La Crosse, RFE Inbound Team
D6250, Wisconsin, USA

This was my second Rotary Friendship exchange, first one was a trip to Nigeria in February 2014.  The main take away from the two trips is that Rotarians around the world truly care about their communities and doing good things for others with little chance for significant recognition for the work they do.  Being a Rotarian seems to make us all instant friends and the effort put into the trips by individuals is astonishing. I doubt I can live up to the example shown by PP Megs Lunn (RC Roxas, D3850 Philippines) and Toyin (Nigeria) as they took 10 days out of their lives to guide us and protect us in their respective countries, not to mention the hours and hours of time invested to plan the many details.  

The Philippines represents the 7th country I have visited that is "underdeveloped" and the most notable thing is that most of the people seem happier than back home (US) and that is particularly true of the Filipinos.  Happy, open, friendly and generous of their time and homes.  I stayed at individual homes that went out of their way to make me comfortable and I hope that many of them can make the return trip to Wisconsin so I can attempt to reciprocate.  The biggest surprise was the intense interest in professional basketball and basketball in general.  Courts and hoops abound throughout the country and basketball is on every TV I saw.  Given the average Filipino is under 5'6" that just surprised me. Watching some of the kids play (very well) made me glad no one asked me to show them my jump shot!

RTN. MARK ETRHEIM 

ROTARY CLUB OF LA CROSSE

D6250, Wisconsin, USA

RFE INBOUND TEAM PROFILE

District 6250 (Wisconsin) and District 3850 (Philippines) Rotary Friendship Exchange ~ January 2015

Edwin  & Ernest Bos

Edwin (51) lives in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin with his wife Joanna and two sons Harry (16) and Ernest (13).  He owns a small construction company together with his brother and their wives.  His work is his hobby but in his spare time he enjoys biking, hiking, skiing and reading.  Edwin is a past president of the Fort Atkinson Rotary Club and is currently on the Club’s Board of Directors.  Three years ago Edwin and his oldest son participated in a RFE to the Tamil Nadu region of southern India.  The contacts and friendships made during that trip led to a Rotary Global Grant which, in 2014, funded four dialysis machines in Pondicherry, India.  Ernest (13) lives in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin with his brother Harry, his mother and his father.  He attends St. Joseph Catholic School of Fort Atkinson.  Ernest does many extra-curricular activities including: Boy Scouts, Cross Country, Soccer, Track and Field, Basketball, Math Olympiad, and Piano.  He has done some international travel, mostly to European and North American countries. Ernest is very enjoyable and is quite funny (If I do say so myself).  Ernest’s favorite classes include: Social Studies, Math, and Language Arts. He enjoys spending time with his friends, going outside, and gaming on his computer.  

Mark Etrheim

For 36 years, Mark Etrheim and his wife Dorie, have owned Mastercraft Homes, Inc. building 10 to 30 custom new homes per year and have completed over 670 new homes.  They have a number of secondary business interests including a couple of residential rental businesses, commercial office rentals, land development, a corporate retreat facility in Hatfield and a couple of others that keep them very involved.  They are in the process of slowing down as son Jason is taking ownership of the building company in a couple of years.  Mark has been a Rotarian since 2000.  He enjoys golf, traveling, and plays basketball twice a week.  He is very involved in the Local and State Builders Association, the Apartment Association, and is a Real Estate Broker.  He has a strong interest and aptitude for business and believes in doing the right thing as a profitable business philosophy.

Cora Holloway

Cora Holloway was born and raised in Manila, Philippines and spent the first 38 years of life in her native country.  Sixteen years ago, she moved to Middleton, WI to join her husband who she met through a Rotary International Group Study Exchange Program.  Cora earned a degree in health care administration and worked as an advocate for people with special needs. She has three grown boys and a daughter who is deaf, blind and severely disabled. Cora loves reading, cooking, gardening and traveling.  One of her favorite places is Africa where she has traveled around Tanzania and Kenya and volunteered for the last 11 years at the Mgolole orphanage, part of the Orphan Train Project cosponsored by the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne Middleton and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.  Cora and her husband are both members of the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne Middleton where they host Group Study Exchange and Youth Exchange students as well as participate in the Guatemala medical mission and local community service.

Brian and Darla Leick

Darla Leick has been a member of the Rotary Club of Marshfield Sunrise for 12 years and is a past president currently serving on the district level as a member of the Rotary Friendship Exchange Committee.  She married her high school sweetheart, Brian, and they live in Stratford (pop. 1500) with their laying hens J.  They have two grown sons.  One is married and lives in Salt Lake City, UT with his wife and their two grandbaby girls; the younger son lives in Duluth, MN.  Brian is the Production Manager for V&H Heavy Trucks where they specialize in material handling truck equipment manufacturing.  Darla works out of their home as an independent associate for HelmsBriscoe, assisting her clients in site selection and contract negotiations for meetings and events.  She is also an associate lecturer in Communication at UW-Stevens Point.  Brian and Darla were part of D6250 RFE to India in 2005.  They enjoy traveling, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and reading.

D6250 of Wisconsin, is located in the US Upper Midwest between Chicago and Minneapolis.

D6250 has sixty active Rotary Clubs. Their largest city is Madison (250,000) which is the home of the State Capitol and the "flagship campus" of the University of Wisconsin. Other cities include La Crosse, Eau Claire, Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, and Janesville. Wisconsin has a variety of industries including dairy farms, cranberry farms, tourism, health care, manufacturing, and more.