GSE D-7150 Team arrives home from Peru |
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Happy GSE smiles after a job
well done |
The GSE D-7150 team holding
a special quilt of their travels |
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Team departs for Peru: L to R Dick
Kemmis, Dawn Young, Michelle Miguano, DG Jim Austin, Tara Renner,
Les Burleson |
GSE D-7150 Team - L to R: Dawn, Michelle, Les & Tara
District
7150's exchange with Peru - pictures and diary
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| 23 May, 2005 Bienvenidos.
Since I have a few minutes before I have to get ready, as we are
having dinner with the GSE team from Peru tonight, I thought I'd
pen a short note regarding our time since Dawn and Les last wrote.
Yesterday was the last day of the Centennial conference for District
4450 and what a great conference it was! Friday night started
with some opening presentations, the introduction of the Representative
of President Glenn Estess, Dr. Carlos Canseco Gonzalez from Mexico,
and a great talk about living in harmony with Nature - how to
work with the natural disasters that have ocurred in the world
and what Rotary can do to help out. The evening then included
a Peruvian band playing typical music and two dancers who were
beautiful in their Peruvian outfits. A coctail party concluded
the evening. Lots of Rotary fellowship.
Saturday started with sessions
on literacy, the finances of the clubs including Polio Plus donations
and the $100 every Rotarian every Year program, and then the Centenial
of Rotary International. They also talked about Rotaract and A
World without Polio. Before lunch we were treated to a special
show of the dancing horses of Peru with mounted caballeros in
typical dress. Dawn even had the distinct privilege to be able
to ride one of these beautiful animals for a few minutes. Included
in this show were some more dancers. One of them even danced with
the horses. It was spectacular. Following a great lunch we gave
our presentation to the Conference attendees and I must say it
went really well and was very well received. Les has been likened
to Paul Harris because of the lack of hair so he plays up to that
in his presentation, which always draws a laugh. Jim, DG Atilio
and Tessy loved the mugs and send their best to you and Joanie.
They have made us feel like their family here! Saturday evening
they had the Gala and everyone looked great. We danced until the
wee hours of the morning - we're getting good at dancing the Salsa.
The music was fabulous. They even played New York, New York and
the Chatanooga Choo Choo.
The conference ended Sunday with awards, words from the Dr. Canseco
and thoughts as to where Rotary is going in the future. Governor
Atilio and Tessy thanked us for being there and graciously gave
each of us a small piece of pottery from where Atilio grew up.
We were then invited to have lunch with Dr. Canseco and his wife,
District Governors from the other 2 districts in Peru and some
other Rotarians at this wonderful restaurant located a couple
of hundred feet out in the ocean.
I quickly have to mention what
we did today. Today the Rotary Club of Pando pulled some strings
to get us onto the Special Forces training base in Lima (one of
4 in all of Peru and the 1st one to deploy troops when and if
necessary). On the base they have a replica of the Japanese Embassy,
where in December 1996, 400 people were taken hostage by 14 terrorists
for 4 months. They showed us how the Special Forces prepared and
executed an incredible rescue of the remaining 75 (the terrorists
had already released 325 hostages). Their skill and planning resulted
in all the terrorists being killed. Unfortunately, 2 Commandos
and 1 hostage also died. We had a great tour of the base which
included watching the Parachutists jumping from platforms, practicing
their landings and packing their parachutes. Then they allowed
us to try our hand at jumping from a 4 story platform, as if jumping
from a plane. Everyone who chose to try it wore harnesses which
were attached to cables. It was fun to do and watch. They really
went out of their way to show us how their military operates.
The General who was with us will be in Tampa training with our
Special Forces unit in June as they work and train with American
forces. We also might have talked a woman member of the special
forces team into joining a GSE team in the future. Her commander
seemed all in favor of the opportunity.
Well ... I have to go. See you soon, Tara
22 May, 2005 Since our
last update to you, we have enjoyed a busy week beginning with
our visit to Cusco. This week continued with several Rotary visits,
important projects and club meetings. At the time of this writing,
we are participating in District 4450´s Conference where
we find many of the friendly and familiar faces we have met at
one club visit or another. As usual, we are exposed to the Limeon´s
wonderful generosity and their eagerness to interact with us in
authentic and meaningful ways. It will be hard to leave the country.
The team is well and prepared to learn as much as possible in
our final week. Best--Dawn P.S. Guinea Pig really does taste like
chicken!
Hola de Peru! 8 May, 2005
We´re alive and doing fantastically here with our Rotary
friends. As you can see from the attached pictures we've had another
busy and fun week. We went to the zoo, the National Anthropologic
Museum where we learned how to shrink heads, and we celebrated
Mother's Day with our respective families. Two nights ago we went
to Taverna Quierolo, Lima's oldest bar with Levi (their Ambassadorial
Scholar from the US), our District Coordinator Dina and Martin.
The next day we went to the factory where they produce Pisco,
used in our daily fix of Pisco sours.
Last night was was extremely special. Lima Sunrise was chartered
as the newest club in District 4450. Dina is the President of
the new Club and the night was a great combination of fellowship,
singing, dancing and food that even Dawn could enjoy. District
Governor Atilio Castagnino and his wife Tessy were there to welcome
these new members. What's unique about this club is that it is
the first morning club of the District and the meetings are all
held in English.
Friday we leave for Cuzco and Machu Picchu. You'll hear from us
again after that. Best Wishes to everyone and thank you again
for the fabulous opportunity. Yours in Rotary, Tara, Les, Michelle
and Dawn
Hola, 8 May, 2005 We are
all doing really well. The Peruvians are incredibly hospitable
and giving people and have taken wonderful care of us. So far
we have gone sightseeing, been to 2 Rotary meetings, one being
a new one, which has a requirement that everyone speak English,
met with families and friends of our Peruvian families and spent
time with the team that visited us in the U.S. Maria Elena, Gisela,
Javier, Guliana and Juan all send their best. We had a great night
with them last Saturday (all except Juan), which included singing
and learning the Salsa. Les has visited 2 universities already.
Dawn and Michelle joined him on the second tour.
Two of the highlights of our trip so far have been visiting a
couple of Rotary sponsored projects. First we visited Parque Rotary,
which is a medical clinic for the poor. It has only been opened
for a short while. They still need money to finish the clinic
but they have 2 rooms for exams and one room for inoculations.
Another highlight was going with a group of youths who are interns
for an organization called the Dream Center to one of the poorest
sections of the city of Lima. While there we went door to door
inviting the children to join us later in the day for an hour
of dancing, singing and games. It was a great afternoon. The smiles
on the faces of the children could not help but put a smile on
our faces. To see their circumstances and to know that the Dream
Center is making even a little bit of a difference by letting
the children be children for even one hour a week, was incredibly
touching. Best Regards, Tara
Hola de Peru! May 11th, 2005
We´re alive and doing fantastically here with our Rotary
friends. As you can see from the attached pictures we've had another
busy and fun week. We went to the zoo, the National Anthropologic
Museum where we learned how to shrink heads, and we celebrated
Mother's Day with our respective families. Two nights ago we went
to Taverna Quierolo, Lima's oldest bar with Levi (their Ambassadorial
Scholar from the US), our District Coordinator Dina and Martin.
The next day we went to the factory where they produce Pisco,
used in our daily fix of Pisco sours. Last night was was extremely
special. Lima Sunrise was chartered as the newest club in District
4450. Dina is the President of the new Club and the night was
a great combination of fellowship, singing, dancing and food that
even Dawn could enjoy. District Governor Atilio Castagnino and
his wife Tessy were there to welcome these new members. What's
unique about this club is that it is the first morning club of
the District and the meetings are all held in English. Friday
we leave for Cuzco and Machu Picchu. You'll hear from us again
after that. Best Wishes to everyone and thank you again for the
fabulous opportunity. Yours in Rotary, Tara, Les, Michelle
and Dawn. |
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Outbound
GSE Team in Peru
The District 7150
Outbound Group Study Exchange Team headed to the Lima, Peru area in
May, 2005. The team consists of three females and one male.
Tara Renner is an eighteen year
Rotarian, past President of the Auburn Rotary Club and current member
of the Skaneateles Rotary club. She has experiences as an owner/operator
of a Travel agency, corporate controller and accounting management.
Tara’s passions are animals, traveling, photography, exploring
nature and spending time with family and friends. Tara reports "During
my junior year of college I spent the most incredible year of my life
attending the University of Madrid in Spain. Later I earned my Master
of Business Administration in Finance from Syracuse University. Thank
you for inviting us into your homes and lives for this GSE experience.
I am looking forward to forming lasting friendships with our Peruvian
Rotary family".
Walter Leslie Burleson (Les),
is a researcher at Syracuse University where is pursuing a Ph.D. in
Social Sciences. He is also a recently retired US Air Force officer.
He is looking forward to learning more about how other cultures reach
marginalized populations with needed services, and how those ideas might
be applied elsewhere in the world. The Rotary Club of Skaneateles sponsors
Les.
Michelle A. Mignano is a Sr.
Management Analyst for Onondaga County, where she works on numerous
projects – from health care costs and trend analyses, to personnel
management in the Parks systems, to fiscal policy papers for the county
executives. She is excited about the opportunity to understand the wonders
of Peru, the people and its organizations, to the sharing of cultures,
and to the broadening scope of her everyday dialogue with others. The
Rotary Club of Baldwinsville sponsors Michelle.
Dawn Marie Young is a Steno-Secretary
at New York Central Mutual Insurance Company and manages a household
of four children with her husband. Her interests in the world of Rotary
were peaked when her daughter represented his community for a year in
Finland and a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. The Rotary Club of West
Winfield sponsors Michelle.
The team meets on a regular
basis in preparation for their trip to District 4450 in the Lima, Peru
area. The District Conference for District 4450 is in the middle of
May. The District 7150 team will visit several Rotary Clubs before and
after the District Conference.
Team Leader Tara Renner |
Walter Leslie Burleson
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Dawn Marie Young
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Michelle A. Mignano
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Qualifications for Team Member:
A team member must 1. Be able to participate in team orientations and
take the four weeks away from work and family 2. Be non-Rotarian and
not a blood relative of a Rotarian, 3. Be between ages 25 and 40 to
insure maximum impact on long term career development, 4. Be a US citizen
in good health, 5. Be neat in appearance, 6. Be articulate and able
to speak before a group, 7. Have a sound educational and professional
background, 8. Be enthusiastic about his/her chosen vocation, and 9.
Be currently employed on a full time basis - engaged in that business
or profession for at least two years. Team member applicants should
be open-minded, tolerant, flexible and above all be able to live within
and adopt a different culture during the exchange period. They must
be willing and able to follow the direction of the Team Leader.
There are many ways to recruit team
members. Contact the CEO or owner of companies or establishments
in your area. Contact your local government heads. Make them aware of
the program and ask if they have an employee to nominate. Point out
that team members return to work with an understanding of how a similar
job is performed in another country and can potentially become better
employees. Explain that the program expenses are paid by Rotary and
that the employer needs only to provide four weeks off work using a
method of his/her choosing i.e. vacation time, leave without pay, etc.
Offer a copy of the RI GSE brochure and then follow?up. Encourage your
club members to talk with friends and fellow employees to identify potential
participants and then ask your Club's International Chair or GSE Chair
to follow?up.
An essay of intent is required from each
applicant. A brief resume would also be helpful to the selection committee.
Team member application deadline was Nov 1. Download application.
Letters
from GSE Chair
10-1-04:
Hope you have
all attended or will attend the presentation given by our friends from
Peru. What a lovely country. GSE is an outstanding opportunity for young
business people from Central New York to learn from and enjoy this beautiful
South American country. The team is scheduled to travel to Peru during
the month of May. We need your help recruiting team members for our
Group Study Exchange with District 4450 in Peru. Download Team Member
applications (161en) that can be printed and distributed. Download
a brochure on GSE requirements
and hints where to find potential team members.
6-1-04:
As you know, this year’s Group Study Exchange is with
District 4450 in Peru. Their district has approximately 51 Rotary Clubs
as of the 2004 RI Directory. The GSE Team will travel to the US to visit
our district from September 23 to October 22, 2004. They will attend
our conference in Harrisburg, PA, during the period September 25 –
27. Our team will travel to D4450 from May 1 to May 30 2005. Download
the GSE team itinerary and club visits while in the USA.
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GSE
Team Members from District 4450 (Lima, Peru)
Team Leader Juan Herrera. Team
Members are: Giuliana Beatrez Valencia Serpa, Gisella Vidal, Javier
Martin Chabes Floreanco, Maria Elena Gades San Martin. View District
4450 website.
View more pictures here
6-1-04: Attached is the
official letter to Rotary Presidents from GSE Chair Dave Townsend explaining
the District Group Study Exchange program for 2004-2005. Noteworthy
information is:
- The exchange is with District
4450 in Peru
- District 4450 GSE team will be
with us September 9 to October 9, 2004
- District 7150 GSE team will travel
to Peru May 1 to May 30, 2005
- Team Leader applications are due
to David Townsend or Dick Kemmis by August 15
- Team Member applications are due
to David Townsend or Dick Kemmis by Nov 1
The D7150 GSE Committee needs your
help in spreading the word at your meetings to assist us in selecting
the very best team leader and team members possible. Detailed information
is included in the letter. Download letter.
Download Team Leader
applications (260en) and Team Member
applications (161en) that can be printed and distributed. Further,
there is a list of the GSE committee,
and a brochure explaining
the GSE program (160en). I hope you will take the time to read this
information.
If you are a club that has not participated
in this program in the past, but would like to get more involved, please
contact David Townsend by email
or tel. 339-9329. We need to identify clubs wishing to host the D4450
GSE Team. This is a great opportunity to meet and get to know people
from another culture, and to improve opportunities for understanding
and world peace. - Yours in Rotary Service, David Townsend, Dick Kemmis,
Co-Chairs, D7150 GSE Committee.
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Peruvian
Last Polio Victim in Western Hemisphere
Luis Fermin, the last polio victim in
the Western Hemisphere, received Paul Harris Fellow recognition. Born
in the remote Peruvian mountains of Pichanaqui to poor peasants, the
13-year-old boy was diagnosed with polio in 1991 by a Rotarian doctor.
On 16 November 2002, Past RI President
Luis Vicente Giay presented Luis with the Paul Harris Fellow pin and
medallion that come with the honor at a training seminar of District
4450 in Lima, the Peruvian capital. More than 200 Rotarians attended
the ceremony.
Anyone who contributes — or in
whose name is contributed — a gift of US$1,000 or more to the
Annual Programs Fund may become a Paul Harris Fellow. Past RI President
Giay sponsored the recognition bestowed on the young Peruvian. "I
did it to honor Peruvian Rotarians for their outstanding job in caring
for Luis Fermin Tenorio," says Giay. "It was a touching and
very moving ceremony for all in attendance."
"Luis is a great symbol of the struggle
for polio eradication," says Past RI Director Gustavo Gross who
also is president of the polio eradication fundraising campaign (PEFC)
effort in Peru and Ecuador. "We dedicated the event exclusively
to talk about PolioPlus and the polio eradication fundraising campaign
in order to motivate the participants and to support this new effort
of the Foundation."
Two years after he was diagnosed with
polio, Luis was located by Rotarians in Lima. He was unable to attend
the local school because of paralysis and other medical conditions.
Peru's National PolioPlus Committee offered to assist Luis, and with
his parents' blessings brought him to live in Lima, which held better
prospects for a child with disabilities.
"I take care of his education and
health program," says Gross. He and his wife, Dorit, act as surrogate
parents to Luis. "At present, he has teachers in the areas of language
and psychological therapy, pedagogical help, and physical rehabilitation."
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