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Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) Trip Organized by Cataraqui Rotary Club Arrives in India

A team of twelve Rotarians and partners left Kingston on a chilly Saturday afternoon February 10th for an RFE trip to India (obviously after a loooong flight). They will travel for 14 days, visiting Rotary Clubs, visiting projects Cataraqui and other Rotary Clubs have funded, and soaking up as much of the culture and sights of India that time allows. While in India the team will be hosted in the homes of Rotarian families. The team will do presentations about our club and District projects to Indian Rotarians. We look forward to the time when an RFE team from India visits Canada in the near future, and we can return the favour with some Kingston hospitality.

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Feb 26, 2019 7:00 AM

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Rotary Friendship Exchange Team

Mar 05, 2019 7:00 AM

Our trip to India

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Mar 12, 2019 7:00 AM

Potential Project with Pathways of Kingston

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Mar 26, 2019 7:00 AM

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What is Rotary Friendship Exchange?

Posted by John Farrow on Feb 12, 2019

In the absence of a regular club meeting this week, here is a look at Rotary Friendship Exchange.

On February 9th, 12 Rotarians and partners left on a Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) trip to India. President Rick Fiedorec, Greta DuBois, President Elect Ana Sutherland, Past Presidents Michelle Chatten-Fiedorec, Heather Kembel, and John Gale, and member Ed Thompson, along with Jeri Mooney and Gary Kembel, are representing Cataraqui Rotary. Barry and Nicole Rowland, and Matgaret Shibley are representing other District clubs. During their exchange the team will visit other Rotary Clubs, visit projects that we have participated in funding, and talk to other Rotarians about Canada. They will even squeeze in some sightseeing as time allows. During their stay the team will be billeted by volunteer hosts from the Rotary Clubs in India. RFE is a great way to travel to another part of the world and see the work that Rotary does. Its unique structure of Rotarian hosting also makes it more affordable. Soon an RFE Team from India will make a reciprocal visit to Kingston, and there will be plenty of opportunities to connect with Rotarians from another part of the world.

From the RI website;

Edwin Bos and his family have visited India, Nepal, and most recently, the Philippines, through one of Rotary’s unique programs, Rotary Friendship Exchange. This exchange program gives Rotary members and their families the chance to experience new cultures — and make lifelong friends — by staying in the homes of Rotarians in other countries.

Bos, assistant governor of District 6250 in Wisconsin, USA, led 13 Rotary members and their families on an exchange to the Philippines, where they stayed with Rotarians in District 3850. While there, they visited several projects, including a depository for shoe donations, a library’s computer literacy program, and a clean water initiative. Participants also enjoyed local festivals and learned about ecotourism in the Philippines.

Rotary Friendship Exchange fosters interclub collaboration, with the goal of advancing international understanding and peace through service projects and spending time together.

Bos’ district has worked on several international service projects, including a global grant project with the Rotary Club of Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines, that provided clean water.

“Participating in the exchange was the best decision I’ve made as a Rotarian,” says Ellen Waldmer, of the Rotary Club of Jefferson, Wisconsin, USA. “I had the opportunity to see a water project our clubs and others helped fund and celebrate with the children and families it benefited.

“We’ve made so many new Rotary friends while visiting our host families and clubs. It’s an experience we will treasure for years to come,” she adds.

Please enjoy some of the photos that have been shared of our RFE Team.

Club Meeting of February 5th, 2019 - Updates from National and Membership Committees

Posted by Bill Egnatoff

This morning the spotlight was shared by our National and Membership Committees.

National Committee Update

Ana Sutherland presented two videos and a slide show of a project that we participated in with Focus Forward for Indigenous Youth. It was a shared presentation by Evan Barianrd (spelling?) from Focus Forward for Indigenous Youth. The Friendship Exchange Team will take this presentation to India, and speak with them about sharing a project with them. Included were interviews with the teachers and the students on benefits to them and their community. The greenhouse will support the growing of vegetables including several varieties of corn. It is a life-changing project for youth involved.

The Greenhouse Project, Wikwemkoong First Nation Greenhouse for Change is a way to provide learning opportunities for youth and food for the community. This sustainable project taught the local Indigenous youth on Manitoulin Island how to build greenhouse, working in greenhouse, planting, harvesting, composting, and making pellets for pellet stoves through harvesting forest left-overs. There are many opportunities for growth and development, and interviews with the high school students reflected their enthusiasm and the new skills they learned, from planning, constructing, and managing the greenhouse . This can really change a Nation, a village.“Not a lot of kids to have the opportunity to go out and build another part of their school, their community.” a student said. Food will will be planted in the ground, in boxes, and aerially. The greenhouse will be heated with a pellet stove. Only the south side is exposed to the elements, saving energy.

The project video will be posted soon. Kudos to Robert and the National Committee for their great work.

Membership Committee update

Ana gave details, almost finalized, of the new membership category, Friends of Rotary. The guidelines include the privilege of attending Rotary meetings, pay as you go breakfast, participation in fundraisers, soliciting funds for Rotary projects, wearing a special badge, orientation etc. Once the terms are in final form, they will be brought forward to the Board and the Club. Dues will cover insurance and other marginal costs. Limitations: A Friend of Rotary will not be a club member, will not be a voting member of any committee, will not hold office, won’t wear the Rotary wheel. Friends will have separate name tags and badges. Being a Friend is a great beginning to Rotary, part of the continuity of being involved in Rotary. It can include corporations and other groups.

Q: Would a Friend qualify to go on a Friendship Exchange? (good discussion), but no definitive answer.

Q: Fee. A: $150/year

Q: Could they evaluate project proposals? A: Input would be welcome but no ranking of projects would be permitted.

The Membership Committee would welcome whatever input Club members would have on this issue.

Vanessa Yzaguirre - Building a Diverse and Inclusive Community at Queen’s - What Can it Teach Rotary

Posted by Terri Hodges on Jan 29, 2019

John Farrow introduced our Guest Speaker, Vanessa Yzaguirre, M.A. speaking about Building a Diverse and Inclusive Community at Queen’s. Vanessa was invited after John saw an article about her in the Queen's Alumni Magazine dedicated to diversity at the University.

Vanessa is Special Projects Officer with the Human Rights and Equity Office at Queen's University.. She is originally from Venezuela and joined Queen's after completing a Masters in Gender Studies. Vanessa task is to work with administrative areas of Queen’s to develop and implement diversity and equity strategies. Practically, this means trying to understand and respect the diversity of the Queen's community when considering the work they do, the activities they plan and the interactions they have.

Vanessa defined the terms human rights (entitlements we share by the simple fact of our humanity), diversity (any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another), equity (the guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all) ,and inclusion (the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity), buzz words that we all hear but don't often know the core concepts behind them. Once we understand what they mean, we need to develop the essential skills of collaboration, empathy, and listening so that we can understand what challenges different groups face and what an organization like Queen's (or a Rotary Club) needs to do to provide an inclusive environment for all.

The areas that Queen's must consider are numerous, including but not limited to; Planning Exercises; Policies, Procedures and
Practices, Committee Representation, Recruitment & Hiring, Supports, Education and Training, Procurement and Delivery of Goods and Services, Communications and Community Relations, Accessibility, and Consulting with Indigenous Communities.

Questions:

Heather Kembel– have you worked with the City at all? Yes, our Director was involved in the “Say Hello” campaign, and ways to move forward with that.

Michelle Chatten-Fiedorec – So important to ask the question: “Do you need some help?”

Robert Reid thanked Vanessa on our behalf. Hopefully her presentation gives us food for thought as to how we can make our club more inclusive and diverse.