Rotary International
RYE History
Youth Exchange provides
thousands of young people with the opportunity to meet people
from other lands and to experience their cultures, thus
planting the seeds for a lifetime of international
understanding.
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more....
The most
powerful force in the promotion of international understanding
and peace is exposure to different cultures. The world
becomes a smaller, friendlier place when we learn that all
people - regardless of nationality - desire the same basic
things: a safe, comfortable environment that allows for a rich
and satisfying life for ourselves and our children.
Youth Exchange provides thousands of young people with the
opportunity to meet people from other lands and to experience
their cultures, thus planting the seeds for a lifetime of
international understanding.
Since
1929, students and host families all over the world have had
their horizons broadened and their lives enriched by the
generosity of Rotary's Youth Exchange program.
Administered by Rotary clubs, districts and multi-district
groups, the program today involves more than 80 countries and
more than 8,000 students each year (2010).
The first documented exchanges date back
to 1929, when the Rotary Club of Copenhagen, Denmark,
initiated exchanges with European students. Exchanges
between clubs in California, USA, and Latin American countries
began in 1939, and exchange activities spread to the eastern
United States in 1958. In 1972, the Rotary International
Board of Directors agreed to recommend Youth Exchange to clubs
worldwide as a worthwhile international activity promoting
global peace and understanding.
Rotary Club of Space Center RYE
History
The
International
Youth Exchange Program took a significant upturn in
the Rotary year 1985-86 after essentially no activity for the
previous 21 years except when two exchange students visited
the area in Rotary year 1970-71.
Bob Wren, Club President 1985-86,
recalls the events surrounding the International Youth
Exchange Program as follows, “Prior to 1985, District 589 had
no involvement in Rotary Youth Exchange. There were district
committees set up here and there (1982-1983 and 1983-1984
e.g.) but no exchanges were made. In 1985 a concerted effort
was made to get something going. These efforts involved, among
others, Harold Jones of the West Houston Club and David
Taylor, Jim Hargrove, and Bob Wren of the Space Center Club.
Harold did most of the legwork. The first exchange was to
serve as a trial balloon to see if this would work. In June
1986 our first intrepid souls went to Cheltenham College (high
school) in England. Our Club's stalwarts included Susan
Hargrove, Pat Wren, Patrice Staples, and Danny Taylor (view
photo with students and Jim Hargrove, Bob Wren, and Dr. David
Taylor behind the students). Later, Cheltenham College
students returned the favor and visited us. The short-term
student exchange was a success and the next Rotary year,
1986-1987, a Youth Exchange Committee was officially created
at District 589 level with Harold Jones as Chair and included
David Taylor. So started District 589's involvement in Rotary
Youth Exchanges, both Short and Long Term.”
In
addition to President Wren's words on the program, Dr. David
Taylor, Club President 1994-95, in 2008 also
recalls the beginning of the program. "International Youth
Exchange started about 1985, and was headed in the district by
Harold Jones. I served on that first district committee, and
my son was on the first exchange we arranged and was sent to
England as part of a group of four. I chaired Youth Exchange
at our club for some time, served as the
District chairman, and then in 1987 or 1988 managed to arrange
exchanges with Hungary and East Germany using non-Rotarian
contacts (they were still communist and did not have Rotary).
We also sent two students to Moscow the next year. The Youth
Exchange objective is to foster world peace through
understanding. The many countries we had exchanged with did
not have peace issues with us so an effort was made to
exchange behind the Iron Curtain. My contacts for this were
Gert and Marta Bahlo. Marta’s sister still lived in Hungary
and she contacted her and got the pastor of her church to make
the arrangements, and Gert was a native of East Germany and
still had family there. Marta was the mother of one of my
patients and her accent tipped me off. Moscow university
became the source in the Soviet Union as a result of my letter
writing."
The Rotary
(International) Youth Exchange committee became
one of the most active Club committees since 1985. At
least $120,000 has been budgeted for 32 out bound and 36
inbound students over the ensuing years.
The history is presented in two formats,
one a chronicle of writeups and photos taken from the
newsletter, Blastoff and the other a chronogolical listing
with date, name, and country.
District 5890 Rotary Youth Exchange
Committee
awarded the outstanding
youth exchange
district award for all of
North America -
United States, Canada, and Mexico
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