Basseterre, St Kitts (24 March 2011): A warm Kittitian welcome was extended to the five (5) members of Rotary’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team on Wednesday, 23 March 2011, at the Weekly Breakfast Meeting of the Rotary Club of Liamuiga (RCL). The Group, which hails from England (Rotary District 1210), is in the Federation on a seven day visit – a unique opportunity sponsored by The Rotary Foundation (TRF) to foster the exchange of cultural and vocational experiences thereby enriching the lives of young professionals and business persons chosen to be part of the GSE Team.
President Eustace Warner welcomed and presented the members of the Team to the gathering, after which Club Members were drawn into the lives, vocations, interests and activities of the visitors’ world as each member introduced herself.
As each GSE Team Member enhanced her introduction with visual presentations of her home state, her family, her co-workers and even pets, their hosts became more aware of ‘what made them tick’ as well as what goes on in such places like Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent and Keele University.
Their drive, proactive nature and sense of service were all evident from their presentations and it was easy to see why they were chosen to be part of the GSE Team and why these particular individuals had ventured out to experience more of the world. “Life is what you make it, it will not come and jump in your lap,” said Carol Reilly, qualified nurse and Team Leader. “We make the waves, we don’t just ride them,” said another Team Member.
Three of the five visitors pursue vocations in the medical field, one works in Communications and Marketing and one is an executive administrator at a University. Their hobbies and interests are so wide-ranging that it is easy to see how enriching these exchange visits could be for both hosts and visitors. Like Rotarians here, the Team Members are very service-oriented; they serve in church, on school councils, among cubs and scouts and among the sick and elderly. One wrote that she had a great passion for elderly people and hoped some day to own a care home for elderly people.
A packed itinerary has been prepared for the Group by the three (3) Rotary Clubs in St Kitts & Nevis. Apart from visiting and spending a day at institutions related to their vocational fields, they will visit Nevis, tour local cultural sites, sample our local foods and attend local Rotary functions. * The Team leaves for Guadeloupe on Sunday, 27 March.
Rotarians value these exchanges, believing that “they advance International Understanding and Goodwill and strengthen the bonds of friendship between countries.” An exchange of gifts provided all visitors with permanent mementos of their visit to the Federation.
The Breakfast Meeting of the Rotary Club of Liamuiga was also used to express appreciation to LIME for their sponsorship of Rotary activities, in particular the Club’s 2010 New Year’s Eve Ball. In accepting the Certificate of Appreciation, Mr. David Lake, Country Manager of LIME said it was a pleasure for LIME to give where they found ‘true value’ and that his Company looked forward to partnering with the RCL in more activities.
*{Members of the GSE Team are Carol Reilly, Network Manager with the National Health Service (NHS) and Junior Vice President of the Rotary Club of Walsall Saddlers; Victoria Bateman, Staff Nurse In Oncology/Haematology, Chemotherapy Unit, Mid Staffs NHS Foundation Trust; Fay Boulton, Communications & Marketing Officer, Stoke-on-Trent City Council; Jennifer Paddison, Secretariat Officer, Keele University; and Clair Turner, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Oncology/Chemotherapy & Treatment Unit Manager}
