GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE -- 2007

Thank You Letter From Andy DiMambro

Dear Conroe Rotary Club,

            I would like to take this opportunity to express my utmost appreciation to the Conroe Rotary Club for sponsoring me as a GSE India Team member.  It truly is an honor to be part of this group and I am sure this team will not only represent Texas in a wonderful light, but while acting as ambassadors, we will do our best to represent Rotary and its ideals. 

            My exposure to Rotary, while brief and intense, has truly left me in amazement.  The fact that so many people from such a diverse group of professions and nationalities could come together for the ultimate good of trying to better the world is simply astonishing.  I was able to see and feel the contagious excitement Rotarians passed from one another while at the District Conference.  Feeling such energy in the air left me with the impression that this group not only holds high standards and ideals, but they put forth a conscious effort to reach these aspirations by helping others. 

            There are many things that I plan on taking away from this trip, such as the exposure to a completely new culture and way of life.  What excites me the most however, are the unplanned and unforeseen things that I will undoubtedly walk away with.  Such an experience truly is a once in a life time opportunity, and without the sponsorship of the Conroe Rotary Club, such a trip for me would not be possible. 

            Once again I would like to express my sincere and utmost gratitude and am looking forward to be given a chance share my experiences with you. 

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Andy DiMambro

L/R: Andy DiMambro Rajiv Malkan Stephen Duncn,Erin Brown, Daniel Combs & Team Leader Bobby Simons

The District 5910 GSE Team

The GSE team completed their first training session, in preparation for their trip to southern India, April 14th at Montgomery College.

Andy DiMambro, Sponsored by the RCC,

Selected to be a GSE Team Member

On March 31, 2007 in Liberty Andy DiMambro was selected to be a team member on the GSE team going to southern India.  Andy, who will graduate with an MA from Sam Houston State Uiversity in Criminal Justice this August, is currently employed with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

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Team Member Application Deadline,

 March 9, 2007

Photo: L to R Group -- Don Taylor, Past Gov. Ann Bragg, Bets Anderson, Bobby Simon,

Gov. Jack McCullough, Kent Hutchison & Kenne Turner

Bobby Simon will Lead the GSE Team to Southern India

The District 5910 GSE Selection Team (Bets Anderson, Ann Bragg, Jack McCullough, Don Taylor and Kenne Turner -- team members Charda Bronaugh and Lee Freeland were not able to attend) met in Livingston yesterday (August 19, 2006) to select a Rotarian team leader to lead a GSE team to District 3200 in southern India early next spring.  Although the number of applicants this year were low, two excellent applicants were interviewed, Kent Hutchison with the Rotary Club of Nacogdoches and Bobby Simon, with the Rotary Club of Nederland.  After meeting with each applicant, the Selection Team discussed the applicant's qualifications and selected Bobby Simon.  Both applicants are equally qualified, but in the final analysis, it was the selection team's observation that Bobby's diversity of experience, people skills, leadership skills and general astuteness would best represent us in District 3200.  However, keep in mind that it was truly a "coin-toss" between these two excellent Rotarians. 

Bobby Simon is a Paul Harris Fellow; member of the Rotary Club of Nederland board; Past President of the Mid-County Optimist Club; Past President of the Law Enforcement Sertoma Club; Past President and current member Hughen Center Inc, school board (a school for disabled children and adults in Port Arthur, Texas); Past Grand Knight Council 1304 of Knights of Columbus in Port Arthur.  Additionally, Bobby has been involved in several medical missions to Haiti.  He is a retired nurse, nurse-educator, having obtained Master of Science Nursing from Lamar University; retired law enforcement officer with a Bachelor of Science Government/Pre Law and Basic Peace Officer Certification from Lamar University.  Bobby also served in the United States Army and Texas National Guard from 1965 to 1971.  I will be distributing more information on the GSE Team Selection process soon. 

Since the Team Leader selection was delayed, because of schedule conflicts, We have changed the deadline for Team Member applications to September 15, 2006, with a tentative interview date of September 23, 2006.  Now that we have an excellent team leader, we have to work hard to recruit and select a group of team members to go with Bobby to southern India.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone involved in the GSE team selection process. Your continued support of GSE in our district is most appreciated.

Kenne Turner

District 5910 GSE Chair (Outbound)

2006-07 GSE Team Going to India, District 3200

In May of 2007, Rotary District 5910, which covers most of east Texas, will be preparing and sending a GSE team to District 3200 located covers parts of Kerala State and Tamilnadu State of Southern India. Kerala is sandwiched between the Sea and the Western Ghats (Mountain rain forests) and it is blessed with 44 rivers in addition to the large lakes called back waters. Kerala has a lot of plantations and is full of greenery throughout the season and in tourist map, it’s known as the ‘God’s own country’. International Tourism has classified Kerala as one of the ‘Must see 50 locations’ in the world.  Tamilnadu is both an Industrial and agricultural State with Tirupur topping the list as the largest producer and exporter of knitted garments in India, perhaps in the world. It supplies Farm produces and Dairy products to most parts of Southern India. The Kerala and the Congu hospitality of Tamilnadu are two of the best hospitalities in the country that cannot be described, but experienced.

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GSE Team to Visit Our New Neighbor, India

"When I was growing up, my parents told me, 'Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving'. I now tell my daughters, 'Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.’” The New York Times columnist, Tom Friedman recounts this in his recent best selling book, The World is Flat: a Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. He argues that technology and market reforms are fast flattening the playing field in the global economy, where India and China have emerged as early winners. If things keep going on like this, we may soon realize Adam Smith's dream of a world in which standards of living will converge. This is Friedman's flat, democratic, connected world.

More and more parts of the world are getting the infrastructure that allows them to become part of the always-on world.  As a result, there are people in parts of southern India that are more connected than many of us in east Texas. In India, says the New York Times' Tom Friedman, there are tech islands in a sea of poverty. "In a two hour drive out of Bangalore, one travels back 12 centuries," he says. But only a few years back, he says, "it took just 15 minutes." The non-flat parts of the world are getting smaller.

During the first quarter of 2007, five individuals from east Texas will have an opportunity to be the guests of our new neighbor, India. One Rotarian and four young professionals from District 5910 will experience first-hand this remarkable moment, when the two most populous nations on earth (India & China) are jumping into the capitalist pool and hundreds of millions of other people around the world are finding-or having forced upon them-new and previously unimaginable ways of making a living and making their voices heard.

Starting this month, Rotary District 5910 will begin the process of recruiting, selecting and preparing a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team to spend 4-5 weeks next February & March in southern India, District 3200.   The GSE team leader will be selected in late July, followed by the selection of four team members and two alternates in early September.  For more information, connect Kenne Turner, 713-252-9667, kennetu@sbcglobal.net.

Additional information and applications can be obtained at http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/gse/index.html

Kenne Turner
District 5910 GSE Chair (Outbound)

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Press Release: July 2006

Rotary Seeks Area Professionals for Business and Cultural Exchange to Southern India

(City), (Date) — Rotary club members of (area name — either club name or description of district/geographical area) are seeking four outstanding professionals to visit southern India in February, 2007 as part of the Group Study Exchange program of The Rotary Foun­dation of Rotary International.

Since 1965, the Rotary Group Study Exchange (GSE) program has provided inspiring vocational, edu­cational, and cultural experiences to more than 32,000 men and women from communities around the globe.  Teams comprised of one Rotarian (team leader) and four professionals from the community spend approximately one month in another country sharing vocational information, techniques and ideas related to their profession, as well as focusing on the more creative aspects of culture.  The exchange occurs between any two Rotary districts from two different countries.

In February of 2007, Rotary District 5910, which covers most of east Texas, will be preparing and sending a GSE team to District 3200 located covers parts of Kerala State and Tamilnadu State of Southern India. Kerala is sandwiched between the Sea and the Western Ghats (Mountain rain forests) and it is blessed with 44 rivers in addition to the large lakes called back waters. Kerala has a lot of plantations and is full of greenery throughout the season and in tourist map, it’s known as the ‘God’s own country’. International Tourism has classified Kerala as one of the ‘Must see 50 locations’ in the world.  Tamilnadu is both an Industrial and agricultural State with Tirupur topping the list as the largest producer and exporter of knitted garments in India, perhaps in the world. It supplies Farm produces and Dairy products to most parts of Southern India. The Kerala and the Congu hospitality of Tamilnadu are two of the best hospitalities in the country that cannot be described, but experienced.

Currently, Rotary clubs in east Texas (District 5910) are recruiting non-Rotarians between the ages of 25 and 40 to become applicants for the District 5910 GSE team going to India.  Team members will experience southern India’s institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and profession\al relationships and exchange ideas.  If selected, all GSE related costs would be paid by Rotary International and participating local Rotary Clubs. Team members pay for personal and incidental expenses.

Because of the extended leave from their jobs, local Rotarians work closely with employers to help them recognize the business benefits of having one of their employees on a GSE team.  The purpose of the Group Study Exchange program is to promote international understand­ing and goodwill through personal connection. While abroad, team members stay in Rotar­ians’ homes and have the opportunity to meet their professional counterparts. They also give presentations to Rotary clubs and other groups about their home country.

Applicants must live or be employed in District 5910.  For an application, please contact (local contact’s name) at (preferred form of contact: address, business or home phone number, and/or e-mail address). Applications are due by (application deadline date).

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in some 31,000 Rotary clubs in more than 165 countries.

Press Released Prepared by:

Kenne Turner

District 5910

GSE Chair (Outbound)

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