ROTARY FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGE TRIP 2017

Rotary Club of Fort Atkinson Pres Carla during our joint Rotary meeting with RC Jefferson

(L to R) DGN Edwin Bos with son Interactor Ernest Bos (RFE Inbound Batch 2015)
and PP Thomas Vinz of RC Lake Mills, Wisconsin D6250

My RFE Outbound Team 2017 (PP Hector of RC Bacolod, PP Botoy of RC Kalibo,
Pres Markus and sps Nora and PP Bobit of RC Antique, PP Joshua of RC Dipolog
and Rtn. Mark of RC Boracay

Our Rotary banerette on display at RC Wheatridge Center,
Colorado, USA

Exchange of club banners with Rotary Lake Mills pres Greg, Wisconsin D6250

Presentation of RFE and clubs with RC Lake Mills, D6250 Wisconsin

Presentation of RFE and clubs at RC Lake mills regular meeting

Presentation of RFE and clubs with RC Jefferson, D6250 Wisconsin

with RC Jefferson 

with RC Lakemills, D6250 Wisconsin

Visiting the town of Stoughton with PP Mark of RC Stoughton, D6250 Wisconsin

Visiting Cave of the Mounds and a quick chat with Rotarians from RC Mound Horeb, D6250 Wisconsin

Attending regular meeting with Rotary Club of WaterTown, D6250 Wisconsin and exchange of banner

Presentation of RFE and clubs during a meeting with RC WaterTown

The club is privileged to have joined and represented RFE in this year's trip to Wisconsin, USA. Pres. Megs Lunn happened to be the co-chair of D3850 RFE (RY 2016-2017) and was the Team Leader for the Rotary Friendship Exhange Outbound Team 2017 to D6250 Wisconsin. Her first exposure to RFE was during the Rotary Year 2014-2015 as the RFE Chair of the district and also as one of the hosts of RFE Inbound 2015 then as Team Leader of RFE Outbound 2017 in the same district in Wisconsin. 

Her team members are from the Rotary Clubs of Bacolod, Antique, Kalibo and Boracay.

They represented District 3850 and visited the clubs in Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, Lake Mills, Stoughton, Watertown and Mound Horeb. They were away from Sept 5 to 15, 2017. The group attended regular meetings and fellowships.  In between, they were toured in each community to learn about their cultures and best practices, to name a few.

It's not the roadmap, but the memories and emotion embedded in all the team members long after they separate ways ..... it has proven that the program of Rotary Friendship Exchange remain to be the most enjoyable and meaningful experience a Rotarian can have in his/her lifetime being a member of Rotary. It's the stories told around the table, the happiness on every bite of food prepared by their hosts, the laughters and relationships nurtured, and most of all the good will they spread in each other is a history they make together in this journey. They found love in each home who welcomed them and have touched people along the way of their journey telling them about the good things and life-changing events Rotary does in the community and the world as a whole.

The output of RFE 2015 trip was the partnership of D6250 to the Global Grant of RC Kalibo (Water) and District Grant of RC Victorias (community toilet), and donation of Laptops to the member clubs of RFE Outbound 2015 participants, respectively. 

This 2nd RFE trip is hoping to welcome a project team of Interactors and Rotarians from the same district for the Solar Project with RC Antique, the incoming 2nd batch of Laptops from La Crosse Rotary Club (c/o RFE Inbound Batch 2015) and other in progress collaboration with District 6250 Wisconsin. 

"Rotary Friendship Exchange" or RFE is an international exchange program for Rotary members and friends that allows participants to take turns hosting one another in their homes and clubs. The benefits are to: 1) broaden international understanding 2) explore a spefici profession or job in a different context 3) build enduring friendships 4) establish a foundation for peace and service 5) learn about a region's people, food, languages, customs, and history and 6) find partners for grants." (www.rotary.org)