This is the time that all participating Rotary Clubs are looking for new outbound exchange students. Please talk it up and refer students with leadership ability to your local Rotary Club or have them email me!   Spread the news about youth exchange, forward  this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested in the program and might be able to inspire others.

We're excited to have Donna Dalgleish (taking on Australia & Asia) and Adair Luhr (Central Europe) join our District team and we thank Sarah Kennedy for her passion in the last few years looking after our students in and from Asia and Australia!

Check out our website for local clubs or info on exchange!

We hope to see you all at the District Conference (Oct 25-27)!!

On the Saturday morning of the Orientation weekend the inbound youth exchange students assisted the three St Catharines Rotary Clubs with PR by marching in the Niagara Wine Festival Grande Parade. The weather was absolutely wonderful and the crowds appreciated the international touch Rotary brought to the parade. Many thanks to Cindy Mewhinney, who was instrumental in organizing the logistics for this weekend on behalf of the local Rotary clubs.

The Sep 27-29 weekend was the first time the inbound students all met one another. The fact that not a lot of sleep was had was not just because we slept on the floor and it was a little cold the first night... There was soooo much to talk about, that it's a miracle that any of them had any voice left at the end! Deep friendships are formed quickly because we're all in the same situation and struggling with language, school, missing home and making friends. It was so worthwhile to assist with information about culture shock and handy tips on overcoming some of the above.

Laurie Albertsson, responsible for South America on our District committee is seen here instructing 'her' kids. We have a somewhat younger group of kids this year, but it's by far one of the best inbound groups we've ever had. It was so good to see how they looked out for one another and how keen they are to make the most of this special opportunity of spending a year in a different country!

October 25-27 is the District 7090 Conference in Niagara Falls. Rotary Clubs are encouraged to sponsor new generations (including ROTEX) students to attend. If you're interested in taking part at a minimal fee, please register here. 

Often only the glamerous side of youth exchange is seen. Here are a few excerpts from a recent report from one of our kids. it is very honest and highlights what we're hearing from many of our students. I've been hanging out with lots of Rotarians on the weekends. I've seen many castles this past weekend, the weekend before that I went to a boat show, and the weekend before that I went to a wood carving festival and a hunting festival also. I really love being with Rotarians, every time there is guaranteed to be something new and exciting. I also learn lots of stuff when I am with them too! My language is progressing very well and I'm starting to talk really fast. It feels really really cool!!

On the contrast though,  I've been having a hard time in school lately. The other students are fantastic and everybody is sooo nice to me, we're always laughing together. However, each day is 9 hours long and when I am sitting in a class which sometimes lasts for 2 hours, my mind turns back to thinking about home because I still can't understand much of what the teachers are saying. This is when I get really homesick. Sometimes I feel like just walking out of school in the middle of class but I don't because I know better. I've told my host counselor about this and she told me that my language will progress and it will go away when I have a better command of the language. Yes, that is true and I agree with her but for the meantime it is like torture for me.

I've always loved school but now I don't like it so much. Like I said before though, weekends are absolutely fantastic! It's just the weekdays that are really hard for me. Do you have any advice for me?  I really admire the rebounds now even more than I did before. If it is one thing I've learned this past month it is that exchange is work, lots of it, and I was told that many times at orientation weekends, but now I really know what you were talking about. I've only been here a little over a month now and it's hard for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether that's a negative or a positive, I'm not sure.

You'll be glad to know that his district contact here had some good advice and we heard back only days later that it had really helped.